Welcome Back! Welcome Back! Welcome Back!

Arianna and Rylee are finally back! I wrote them a long heartfelt message on their mirror in dry erase marker and made them cookies. I'm such a great roommate, huh?

I can't wait to see what we'll do this year!

Fleeting Glimpse of Eternity

In The Notebook, as summer romance is compared to shooting stars. "A spectacular moment of light in the heavens, a fleeting glimpse of eternity. And in a flash, they're gone." Well, Monday evening I got a fleeting glimpse of eternity. TWICE! A group of us went to the free movie in the park (where we go ice blocking). They were showing Despicable Me on a big inflatable screen. We got there early because you can play Just Dance (well, four people have a remote and everyone else that wants to can dance along).

During the movie, I saw a quick flash in my peripheral vision. I looked up and could see the disappearing tail of a shooting star. Everyone was excited and and amazed. A few minutes later, there was another one. I had never seen a shooting star before. It was a pretty neat experience.

The Help

I finished reading The Help and I loved it! It was so good. I became pretty emotionally invested. I think Minny and I would be best friends; I loved her attitude. Aibileen would be an awesome grandma (not that I don't like the ones I've got), Skeeter and I could talk about boys (or lack there of) and writing and I can't tell you how much I'd love to smack Miss Hilly upside the head.

There are a few lines I really liked from the book. The first one is what Mae Mobley is told by Aibileen, her maid. "You is kind, you is smart, you is important." Forget about Jessica's daily affirmations, we could all benefit from constantly telling ourselves that we're kind, smart and important. Yay for boosting self esteem!

The other one I really liked is what Skeeter was told by her first maid Constantine after she had been called ugly by a boy. "Ever morning , until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision. You gone have to ask yourself, Am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?" I love this. I don't have really have a problem with people saying negative things about me since I'm not in grade school anymore, but my sister is still at that stage where teenage girls like to spread rumors and lies about each other. We've talked about some things a girl said about her and her self esteem is high enough to wear she didn't really have problems with ignoring what was said about her. For other people, that's not the case. Even if you do have high self esteem, it can still be hard not to be affected what others say about you. When we come across some negative opinions of us from others, we just need to ask ourselves if we're going to believe what those fools are saying. I don't know about you, but I don't listen to fools. They're called fools for a reason.

Since I've finished the book (which has left me rather sad), I am looking forward to seeing the movie. None of my friends have read the book or seem as interested in seeing it. Hopefully that will change. I'm recommending it and hopefully someone will fall in love with it like I did so we can see it together.

Little Updates

Well, The Cocoa Bean is currently in possession of my resume. Please pray for me so I may get the job of my dreams.

I almost died last week at Seven Peaks. Not really, but it was scary. Marjorie, her sister and I were on a three person tube going down the slides. On one, we went so high up on the side during a turn that I was just about to fall out when Marjorie used her legs to keep me in. I was almost lost a couple times. It was an exciting day. I used sunscreen this time so I didn't get burnt. I also went down some of the other slides. One was pretty high up and long, but not steep (so it wasn't scary). It was so fast, I got the biggest wedgie of my life!

I've been reading The Help. I ordered it online through Borders. Since they're going out of business it was a good price. I also bought a James Patterson murder mystery. It's nice having two books on my shelf. I miss being at home with lots of books to read. Sadly, I have not read as much this summer as I usually do, so I've been loving having something to read. There is just something about falling asleep while reading a good book. 

After three weeks, I finally stopped peeling and was able to wash my sheets. 

I keep getting eaten by the minions.

I got a haircut, just an inch off and layered. I want to keep growing it longer, but my previous layers had grown out so much. My hair just kind of hung there and looked like it was all one length. I had a girl in the ward do it because she is a graduate of the Paul Mitchell School and did it for $10. It's not a huge change, but it's a nice one.

I think that's pretty much it for now.

Colorful Cupcake Decor

I made one of my cupcake crafts this weekend! I had a coupon for Jo-Ann's and they were having their founder's sale, so I was able to get everything I needed for a great price. 

Here is the example:

And here is mine:

My frame isn't as fancy, and that's okay because it was only $3 at Walmart. I also didn't use the pop dots to make them stand out because it really doesn't matter since they're in a frame (plus there wasn't room in the frame I used). I also didn't make marks where each cupcake was supposed to go because I'm not that patient. Although I tend become an OCD perfectionist when I do projects and crafts, it just seemed too time consuming and I was too excited to finish. I think I did a pretty good job by just eyeing it. And I've been slowly trying to teach myself that the little imperfections (that only I seem to be able to see) add character and make it better. Besides, I can't expect something handmade like this to be completely perfect. Let's face it, nothing in this world is.

In case you missed the post with the link to the tutorial, here it is again. 

Strawberry Cupcakes & Exciting News

So this post is a little late, but better late than never right? Last Sunday for ward break-the-fast, I made strawberry cupcakes. I thought it would be fun to do something summery and that would go perfectly with some cute liners I had. 

I found the cupcake recipe on the blog Plant Food Fabulous and it was actually adapted from Martha Stewart's website, who got it from Candace Nelson of SPRINKLES (the first Cupcakery ever!) I knew it was going to be good. I also used the frosting recipe that went along with it. Now I'm going to share them with you.

Strawberry Cupcakes

3 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks of butter, softened

2 1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 egg white

1 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups finely chopped strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350º. 

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium size bowl. Set aside.

In the mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if you need to. Add the vanilla extract. 

With the mixer on low add about a third of the flour,  half of the milk, a third of the flour, the rest of the milk, then the rest of the flour. Basically 3 batches of the flour with milk in between. Mix each addition until combined. 

Stir in the strawberries by hand. Fill cupcake tins, with liners, 3/4 full. This recipe makes about 30 cupcakes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until testers come out clean.

Strawberry Frosting 

(yields enough for 1 dozen so I doubled it and had enough)

1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed (I used fresh)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold

Pinch of coarse salt (I used regular salt)

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. 
• 
  
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. 
• • 
    
• • Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. 
• • • 
      
• • • Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. 
• • • 
      
• • • Do not over mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.
• • • 
      
• • • I didn't manage to take a picture of them because I was still frosting them until the last minute. I wish I had, they looked really good. They were such a hit (When are they not?). People were grabbing them before they were even set down on the table, which was a smart move because they disappeared fast. I pity those that didn't get one. James (the other Oregonian) wanted a second one, but he said he saw a guy eyeing the last one from across the room and decided to let him have it. I think I caught a glimpse of the eyeing and I believe that it would have been that person's second cupcake too. Lucky him for being the only person to get more than one.
• • • 
      
• • • In other cupcake related news, I have been asked to make cupcakes for a friend's wedding open house in January! I'm so excited because it's like my first real cupcake job, except I'm not being paid. We're all about service in our church. I'm a little sad because it is kind of a big job and it does cost money, but Marjorie said she'd be willing to split the cost with me and even help me make them. Consider it your wedding present Beth & Cody. I'm hoping this could lead to other potential jobs and some friends in the ward know to come to me if they want cupcakes at any family events or birthday parties. 

You know you're Korean...

when you eat rice and kimchi after midnight. Yup, the 50% of me that is Korean has started to affect my eating habits and I am perfectly okay with that. Thank you Macy's for having small jars of kimchi for sale!

Did you know that kimchi is one of the world's healthiest foods? The words fermented cabbage may totally turn you off and make you cringe, but before you completely disregard this delicious Korean gem, there are some things that may change your mind...if you don't mind spicy.

• It's loaded with vitamins A, B and C. You get the first three letters of the alphabet so you know it has to be good.
• It has lactobacilli, a healthy bacteria like you find in yogurt. It helps with digestion and and seems to stop and prevent yeast infections. I've never had one of those, but I love kimchi so I hopefully never will. 
• Some studies show the fermented cabbage has compounds that may prevent the growth of cancer. 

I encourage everyone to give this wonder food a try.

*Info used in this post was taken from this article.

Funny...Period.

I don't know why I love this commercial so much, but I do. My favorite part is the blue liquid. I've always wondered why they use blue. Why not use red and be realistic? Or green? 

Life is fragile and, therefore, should be handled with prayer. ~Harold B. Lee

Yesterday was fast Sunday. I wanted to bear my testimony, but I didn't get the chance in sacrament meeting. Usually they leave some time at the end of Relief Society for testimonies and I figured that would be less nerve wracking (since I don't like speaking in front of large groups of people). The lesson took up the whole time so I didn't get the chance again. I figured I might as well share my thoughts here.

Because of what happened with my family last week, I've been thinking a lot about prayer. I knew the trial was coming and I had been fasting and praying for a certain outcome. I didn't get the result I wanted. I could have easily seen that as my prayers not being answered. However, this result led to another option for my family, one that could be helpful for the future. I may not have gotten the answer I wanted, but I did get an answer.

It reminds me of the scene in Evan Almighty where the wife is in a restaurant and God (Morgan Freeman) says to her, "Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give you courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

That's how prayer works. We may not get the exact answer we want and we may not get the answer when we want it, but we do get an answer. I love knowing that when I'm praying, I'm being heard. I love having this knowledge. I love having the gospel in my life because I don't know how I could make it though this life without it.

Wedding Season

This past weekend I attended two wedding receptions in two days. Two other couples from the ward are getting married this week. A few weeks ago, another couple got engaged. I'm surrounded by marriage, which isn't surprising since I am in Provo, Utah. I even dreamed about getting married on Friday night. Aside from Valentine's Day, wedding receptions are the only other times I think people become painfully aware of how single they are.

All this wedding talk with friends has gotten me back into checking out wedding blogs. Not only have I been thinking about my future wedding plans, but I've also started think about my future home and what I want it to look like. And what better place to find home decor than one of my favorite websites, Etsy. 

I don't know exactly how my future home will look like, but I do have some ideas of things I want. I've already decided I want my bathroom to be nautical themed. Here are some things that I would love to have in that bathroom.

Love!

You can choose the color

Put one on each side of the mirror

I think this is so cool and very creative. 

I love this too.

Another thing I really love is vinyl wall art and quotes. Here are some that I like and would love to have in my home.

Oh, and I love this. Instead of wallpaper, you can use a stencil to paint an accent wall. Love these patterns.

I can't wait to have my own home someday so I can do whatever I want with it! The possibilities are endless.

Keep Calm...

and eat a cupcake. That's what I did today. Now that I've finally gotten off my emotional roller coaster, I am back to having fun and enjoying the people around me. Today was nice. Marjorie and I met Christina at the Farmer's Market that they have in the stadium parking lot every Thursday. There wasn't anything in particular I was planning to buy, but I ended up buying some pretty amazing bread. It's Asiago Basil and it's made with 45% mashed potatoes. It is heavenly when toasted with a little butter.

 There was a little stand that was selling sausages and cheesesteak. Christina mentioned a fairly new place that she heard made some pretty authentic cheese steak. We were all hungry so we decided to go there for dinner. DP Cheesesteaks (Downtown Philly Cheesesteaks) was delicious. Marjorie and Christina both got the Mushroom Cheesesteak. I was tempted because I love my mushrooms, but went for the Cream Cheese Steak (it still had some mushrooms). It was really good. The cream cheese was all warm and melty and went so well with everything else.

And what place was just a few doors down from DP Cheesesteaks? THE COCOA BEAN! I haven't been there in a while. What better way to make myself feel better after a crappy couple of days? A yummy cupcake, that I didn't have to make myself. Sadly it was not a red velvet day. I got Party In My Mouth, a chocolate cupcake with a Nutella filling and cream cheese frosting with chocolate drizzle. I loved that one! You can't go wrong with Nutella. I also got a Mango Raspberry. I loved the raspberry cupcake, but I couldn't taste the mango. I was disappointed. I didn't really eat the frosting. The cupcake was good enough without it and the was just no point to eating it since it didn't taste like it was supposed to.

Before walking out the door of The Cocoa Bean, something caught my eye. They had t-shirts for $10. I bought one.

This is what the shirt says. It's lime green and the lettering is in hot pink. It was too hard to take a picture of myself wearing it (you couldn't read it all thanks to my short arms). I'm pretty happy with today's little outing and all of my purchases (minus the disappointment of a cupcake).

Waves

Yesterday was a rough day for my family. Certain events transpired and didn't have the expected outcome. Feelings of anger and frustration have been coming in waves throughout the last two days. I know it's over and done with and that there isn't anything I can do right now to change anything. I hate that feeling of helplessness. I really don't like to see people I love suffering or in pain. I wish there was something I could do make everything better. I can't help but feel that the outcome could have been different if I had been home and there in person to support my family, especially my sister. Ok, I'm done dwelling on what's already in the past. Time to look forward to the future and hope things turn out the way they are supposed to.

Sunday Sugar Extravaganza

Christina and I decided earlier in the week that we wanted to have a dessert party. I bought some new cupcake liners (from Etsy of course) and wanted to an excuse to make cupcakes. Christina wanted to make an easy frozen pie that I made a few weeks ago (I learned from Marjorie, who got the recipe off the back of a condensed milk can). It's so good that you have to have other people around or you'll eat the whole thing. Thank goodness I had Christina around when I made it! We chose Sunday, before ward prayer. It was also perfect timing because Marjorie just got back the day before so it was kind of like a welcome home party too.

We basically invited the whole ward and told them to bring a treat if they could. I ended up making cupcakes and brownies (the kind Nana makes) because I figured more people would just come to eat instead of bringing something. I underestimated the awesomeness of my ward. We had more than enough food. The majority of the ward was in our apartment and outside our front door (it was hot inside). Everyone had a great time eating and conversing. We even heard Beth & Cody's engagement story. After ward prayer, most people stayed for the Sunday movie. This week it was The Emperor's New Groove. It was a great night.

I wish I would have taken more pictures, but I was too busy enjoying myself.

These are from before everyone came. So this is just the food my apartment and Ally provided. 

My usual red velvet, but I added my new sugar pearls.

You can't tell how many people were here from the pics, but there were a lot. Most people were in line for food or still coming through the door. These are just the people that had a good seat.