blissful deviations

Time Warp to 1981! Happy 30th Birthday John.

2012-01-08T18:30:00.000-05:00

Over the break John, turned 30. YES, 30! Anyway, as I frequently do with parties I got a bit carried away. This time I will primarily blame Lara, my sister in law who was the brains behind everything. We did an 80s theme party with John's family. It was such a blast. We didn't tell anyone about the theme so it was a little shake up from our normal gathering.

Since we didn't have enough time to tell everyone to wear 80s gear, we did some thrift shopping runs and got clothes for everyone. So as they arrived, they had to grab a bag with an "inspiration piece", and then go up stairs and find some other things to wear with it. It ended up being hysterical! Everyone got really into it -- even the kiddos. We listened to fun 80s pop music, ate a lot of good food and played a handful of fun "Whose Line is it Anyway" Improv games.

What a memorable night! So grateful for John-David -- all 30 years of him!!

*Yes I realize that people in the 80s may have not looked that ridiculous. See the McElderry family with a bit more composure here.

**Yes, John is wearing velvet pants with those lime green shorts in case you were wondering. LOL! And I am keeping that dress for next years halloween.

2 years... wow

2012-01-08T17:56:00.003-05:00

John and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary on Monday. We had a wonderful evening. We reflected on our wedding day, the past years, and did some dreaming for our future. And of course we enjoyed some delicious food and a few good laughs.

I am so grateful for John. I can't express enough how much this man has shaped me in just a few years. He is just a pillar of light and goodness in my life. He always seek to do good things, to laugh, to make me laugh, and he is my BIGGEST cheerleader. I know he believes I can do anything... and that gives me such confidence.

I am the luckiest woman in the world! Happy 2nd anniversary to my love-- I can't wait to see what is in store for us.

Christmas Card 2011

2012-01-06T16:51:00.004-05:00

Dearest Friends & Family,

We hope you are wellboth those near and far away. We are very grateful for the many opportunitiesand friendships we have been blessed with. Our year has been filled with manynotable firsts for our marriage, and an abundance of love and joy. We’d like tofill you in on the many adventures that the McElderry family has experiencedduring the 2011 year.

We never got to do anexotic honeymoon, just a cabin in the snowy woods. But in March forKristin’s parent’s 25th anniversary we went out to beautiful Cancun, Mex. Thebeach was gorgeous and the forest was full of Mayan ruins. We stood by asKristin’s parents renewed their vows in an open air Catholic church. The tripwould have been our romantic getaway...if we didn’t have to share a room withKristin’s sisters, which made it more like a slumber-party. But we had awonderful time nonetheless :)

In May, we bought a usedspinet piano and broke four of our friends’ backs to get it upstairs. We needfour more friends when we move because the first four won’t answer our callsanymore. Having a piano in the home has been a huge blessing. Johnplays it almost every night and Kristin plunks away at it occasionally.

July was a crazy monthsince we were camp counselors for our church’s Youth Conference. We lovedassociating with the high-school-aged campers and learning from their simpleand powerful testimonies of the Savior. Almost immediately after comingback from the conference, Kristin left again to be the camp director for a Girl’sCamp. Through torrential rain and hurricane like wind, Kristin kept a group of10 girls warm and well-fed in the middle of the woods for a week. What atrooper! John had to teach her how to build a fire with wet wood inpreparation for the trip, needless to say we did a lot of “practice” campingthat summer. July was also the month that John had his firstpeer-reviewed article published in a scientific journal. This was thefruit of more than a year of hard work. He is sure there will be severalmore to come before he is done with his PhD.

In August we went on adate to the local animal shelter and fell in love with a blue-eyed white hairedcat. John, being almost immune to such sentiments, convinced Kristin toshake the feeling and leave. In the car, we threw out hypothetical namesfor the cat and landed on one that made us both laugh. We immediately turnedaround and got our little Myao Ming. He is such a good-natured, cuddlyand well-behaved tomcat.

Kristin travelled backand forth to Peoria, IL for her job with Accenture for most of the year. InSeptember she was relocated to a new project and is thankfully working in AnnArbor again. She also received her first promotion with Accenture inAugust. We are so proud of her!

Little by little we arelearning how to keep our composure in the professional world, and then aholiday like Halloween comes along and dashes all progress. Yes, allshame went out the window this year as we dressed as Mr. and Mrs Pacman. Every kid on the block was staring at us as they saw two largeyellow balls stroll hand in hand across the street. Fortunately, for ourexuberance, we won an award for “Funniest Costume” at our Church’s HalloweenParty.

November was also a busymonth, we had a really great Thanksgiving holiday. We roasted our first turkey(at least John did) and had some friends in our home with only minor casualties(burnt hand + turkey bowl football casualties). We are really enjoying thisChristmas season and look forward to spending time with our family in LittleRock and Dallas in the next few weeks.

This next year should beequally if not more exciting -- John plans to graduate in the summer and wewill be moving.... somewhere (TBD) when he finds a job.

Thank you for your loveand friendship through another year. We love each of you and wish you a MerryChristmas.

John-David & KristinMcElderry (+ Myao Ming)

*This year we were limited in the number of Christmas Cards we could send out by mail... so unfortunately they didn't make it out to everyone we hoped for. However, this is our card and letter for those who missed it.

Biggest Loser Challenge :)

2012-01-05T15:55:00.000-05:00

Hey All!
I started a biggest loser competition to try and get some momentum for my 2012 health goals.

Do you have some fitness or weight loss goals you need to get started on? Join us!!

It is completely virtual, you track weight and log progress on the site weekly. It is a $10 buy in for each contestant... and the more people we get involved the bigger the pot. The person who has lost the highest percent of body fat wins the "Money Pot!" Sign up today and feel free to share with friends... I would love your support and participation!!!

The contest starts Saturday January 7th-- so sign up today!!

Check it out here:
http://virtualbiggestloser.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year & Best wishes towards your resolutions!

Bear crawl racing and other family silliness

2012-01-05T15:31:00.001-05:00

While we were in Texas, my sister Heather, her bf Randle, my mom and dad and John and I went to the botanical gardens one afternoon. The gardens were nice, but we had more fun just playing around.

My dad lost a bear crawl race. He may no longer be the alpha male lol.

John and I kicked butt at a leap frog race.

I tried to do a cartwheel. Eeks I am getting old and rusty.

John jumped major heights over heather.

But mostly it was just fun to laugh with those we love. And just be ourselves. Goofballs.

Only in Texas

2012-01-05T15:08:00.001-05:00

Over break John and I drove around 2600 miles. We had a great time visiting friends and family all over. On the road one day I saw this gem and just had to share. Only in Texas!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T01:12:00.003-05:00

This Christmas, I am extremely grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I know he lived a perfect life, and that he was born over 2 millenia ago in a manger in Bethlehem.

I know he is my personal Savior. That he atoned for my sins and that he will plead with God the Father on my behalf for all of the pain, grief, sin and inadequacies that have ever been a part of my life.

I know he lives. I know that we can all come to know him. I have felt a special spirit this Christmas season as I have focused on drawing to him, and I am so grateful for the peace and joy I feel when I follow his example.

Merry Christmas, and may you find the peace, joy and comfort of our Savior this Christmas and through the new year.

Confessions

2011-12-13T11:06:00.005-05:00

I may be in love with Justin Bieber. It may have started with his movie Never Say Never. You should see it.

I (somehow) came home with an xbox and kinect on black friday. Oops :)

I am wearing wool leg warmers to work today with a skirt. I mean, a girl is gonna freeze this winter without those. I tried taking them off when I got here to look more professional, which led to further freezing and they came right back on.

I secretly want to become a sharepoint developer/consultant. It is SUCH a useful tool that few people know how to really leverage. I wonder if MS lets you work part time from home.... ??? ha!

I asked Santa for blonde hair in kindergarten. Seriously. He didn't grant me that one.

Very little gets me as jazzed as solving a problem in excel. Or making beautiful powerpoints. No sarcasm here folks. I love MS tools.

I am trying to advert my addiction to cheese grits. I made this recipe from Pioneer Woman about a month ago and almost died of cheesy creamy deliciousness. You should try them if you think you handle it.

This is the first time in years I haven't work 2-3 jobs. Just one. It's great :)

Sometimes I buy things only for their cuteness. John always says..."Kristin, are you buying this just to take a picture of it?". I smile, because too frequently the answer is yes.

I may or may not have bought these candy cane-esque straws purely for cute factor. And this adorable masking tape.

I am a HORRID baker. Cooking... meh I am getting better. But me and baking... we don't fly. Requires using a timer and following the rules (or recipe). Not something I am good at in the kitchen. Some proof here in case I have ever fooled you.

I take on too much CONSTANTLY -- it is my achille's heel. Like trying to handmake these for each of your 10 nieces/nephews before Christmas. Chaos is all that can ever ensue.

What do you need to own up to?

Chicken Shawarma 3 Ways

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

I have developed a love for Mediterranean food since living in southeast Michigan, near the country's largest middle eastern population. One of my favorite treats is chicken shawarma. We used to eat all the time at a restaurant in town, now we make it at home pretty often. Hope you enjoy as much as I do.

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine the spices with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Rub the spice paste all over the chicken and season with salt. Arrange the chicken on a baking dish. Broil the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes, until the chicken is nearly cooked through. Turn off the broiler and turn down the oven to 425, bake the chicken for another10 minutes, or until done. Cut into strips or shred.

Heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and whisk in the yogurt and lemon juice; season with salt. (When I make this into a salad I skip this step and just eat the yummy chicken sans sauce)

Serve it classic wrap style!
Wrap it up in a pita with cucumber, tzatziki sauce (I do a bit of sour cream, drop of vinegar + dill to make this), feta or goat cheese, and if you are on the wild side add pomegranate molasses.

Make it into a salad!
Add:
- Chickpeas
- Lemon Vinaigrette (apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil + salt & pepper)
- Goat or Feta Cheese
- Cucumber
- Romaine Lettuce

(I like putting everything together and then adding the chicken hot (melts the goat cheese and makes it generally very yummy!)

Make it into a salad wrap!
Take the salad from above and load into a pita.

Bon Appetit!

Menu Monday

2011-12-12T13:05:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of the items we have eaten recently:

Turkey + Veggie Thai Soup. Taking some leftover turkey, chicken broth, classic chicken soup veggies (celery, onion, carrott), spaghetti noodles + Srirachi Sauce.

Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps. YUM. Just fry up some ground pork, add a tad of sriarchi sauce and pair with lettuce. We added generous portions of mushrooms and zuchhini after cooking the meat and it was delicious. John made these.

Shawarma Salad This was a miraculous discovery of deliciousness, and a healthier twist on a recipe I already love (Chicken Shawarma Wraps). Posted the recipe here.

Beef & Barley Stew I make this in my dutch oven and slowly cook beef chunks with all of the classic veggies (carrot, celery, onion, garlic) and rosemary. I add barley towards the end to thicken it up. Is a yummy dish for when it is cold.

Tacos & Taco Salads Mexican food is pretty much a staple in our diet. Frequently we make it with veggies only (bell peppers, onions sauteed a bit) and add black beans or refried beans with lettuce for a salad (+salsa & cilantro). We also have been experimenting with whole wheat tortillas as well as cutting the cheese and sour cream to make it a bit healthier. We have found that as long as you have a flavorful enough salsa-- it is just delish!

We have also done a lot of entertaining lately to celebrate the holidays, I am planning on sharing some of our party recipes in another post. Yumminess includes meatballs, a jalapeno cheese ball, baked brie and a number of sweet tooth experiments.

What are you eating this week? Any recommendations on something yummy you have had lately?

How To Tell You Are a Winner on a Monday

2011-12-12T12:05:00.006-05:00

Your colleague says hello to you as he walks to his desk. Then turns back and says..."Gosh, you look really tired for a Monday."

Later that morning, you walk back to your desk after talking to your boss. You start to sit in your roll-y chair and it actually tips over. You try to act totally cool and hope no one realized what the big sound was. But if they do, hopefully they realize how much serious skill it takes to tip a roll-y chair.

This is the same boss who saw you fall down a flight of stairs about a year ago. And the same team that had to catch you as you did a home base like slide on a puddle of water at a restaurant.

Yep. I'm a winner.
Happy Monday All.

On a Health Mission

2011-11-28T16:05:00.000-05:00

As some may know, John and I are on a health/weight loss mission right now. We have just let it add up over time and decided that it is the time to stop and get to where we need to be. I have been working out *almost* every morning during the week with two gals and we also have been trying to follow a much more limited diet.

The basics of the diet we are following are:

Breakfast:
Whole Grain Bread and Egg OR
Milk and Cereal (we limit the portion)

Lunch:
Small Protein Serving (3-4 oz or less)
Veggies/Salad

Dinner:
Protein Serving
1 serving of a Healthy Starch (think beans, sweet potatoes etc)
Salad & Veggies
1 oz serving of cheese (usually we slice cheddar, is delish)

Overall:
No butter, sour cream, etc. Limit Oil as much as possible.
Limit Sugar as much as possible. We have tried some fat free sugar free salad dressing.
2 fruits a day. We are primarily using fruits with breakfast or a snack and making sorbet for a dessert.
Unlimited veggies (except for really starchy/sweet veggies like potatoes, corn etc)
1 serving of Fat free popcorn is okay for a snack.

The same time we started this we also began an Eat Out Fast, which I have mentioned.

For exercise I am doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, and just recently her 6 week 6 pack.

It has been a month so far-- We have made exceptions and rules, but generally we have made a lot of progress. We feel good, enjoy what we are eating and are excited to keep pushing on.

However -- I write this post today to help us (really me) re-energize my goals after out little thanksgiving hiatus. It did slow us down a little and I can tell we are slipping back into some not so great habits.

This is my "motivation board" I made in our Family Home Evening last week. I don't have a picture of John's, but his said "Run and not be weary, walk and not be faint" and had pictures of water, veggies, and some of his favorite sports icons. They are hanging on our fridges and reminders of what we want to achieve.

Here's to upward and onward in our health mission!

The Turkey Dance - A Family Tradition Continues

2011-11-24T09:52:00.007-05:00

My family has an awesome tradition for thanksgiving-- each year the turkey is featured in a song a dance. My dad has done this my entire life... as this is our first thanksgiving away from family and John is now the turkey man, he of course had to continue in the legacy. For your viewing pleasure, the respective turkey dances were captured this year.

Here is my dad's turkey dance:

Here is the inaugural McElderry turkey dance:

What fun traditions did you participate in this Thanksgiving?

Thanks Wikipedia.

2011-11-22T10:17:00.003-05:00

Wikipedia (Wikimedia foundation) is having their giving campaign right now. I normally just click ignore to these types of things, but decided to give a little bit this year. I use wikipedia every day and think that knowledge sharing and open access is really important.

Back in the day at school I wrote an extensive paper on Open Learning, studying programs like MIT's Open Course Ware and other open learning programs and the impact they can have on development and learning across the world. While people don't come away with a paper diploma after taking these courses, it is an incredible way to share knowledge. The example that really struck me is a medical school trying to be established in a third world country. What a great resource for building curriculum and training doctors (and many other professions).

I guess the point is, I am a big advocate of social learning and collaboration, and think that Wikimedia's mission to "Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge" is really admirable.

Consider donating if you have the resources or time and also believe in this mission.

Over and Out. Back to our normal broadcasting.

new techie toys: home appliances

2011-11-22T10:01:00.000-05:00

So remember when I had that no-good-very-rotten-bad-day?

Well that same week both my blender and vacuum died. As in... would not work at all anymore and required replacement.

And with all bad news... must come some good news. We replaced both with nicer models and are VERY Happy.

We got this fancy Dyson DC-24 (a splurge, we know!) and are loving it. John is determined to vacuum every day until "we get the cat hair under control", ie we don't have to empty the whole cartridge every time we use it. Our first run we filled it for each room in the apartment... strong vacuum or disgusting apartment? You decide.

We stumbled upon a Health Master at Kohls for a great price and snatched it up. It is similar to a vitamix in that it can do more sophisticated blending (nut butters, can boil soups, make ice cream and sorbet). We have been making sorbet virtually every other day with this-- it is so tasty. Also having creamier soups, and hoping to try on hummus soon.

What kitchen or home appliances can you not live without?

P.S. does this post put me in the league with folks who are jazzed about vacuum cleaners for Christmas? YIKES. Adulthood is here. I mean I didn't even see the midnight premiere of breaking dawn!! Life is virtually over*.

*cue sarcasm.

The Men in My Life

2011-11-22T09:48:00.001-05:00

These are some fun shots we had taken while in Cancun. I just love the men in my life (my dad and my hubby). I have also loved watching as their relationship has grown since we got married.

My dad always wanted a son. In fact-- he was in total denial when they were picking out girl names when my mom was pregnant with me. He thought surely somehow it would be a boy. If you talk to him now though, he loves being a "ladies man" having three daughters and wouldn't trade it for the world.

He told me a story a few years ago that always makes me laugh. He took a colleague and his two teenage sons out on our boat one day. He said the boys were trying to compete with each other doing all kinds of crazy tricks on the boat and while skiing... it was nuts and he just was in awe of what it must have been like to have sons (he said he couldn't handle it quite frankly!) He said that day that he was definitely supposed to have daughters.

But now that John is in the family, my dad calls all the time to just talk to him. He wants them to go on Man trips together and feels like he has a backup in the chaos that is a house full of women.

I love these two men and am grateful for their example of kindness and love in my life.

Mackinac Island - October 2011

2011-11-22T09:46:00.000-05:00

October was a beautiful month. It was unseasonably warm in Michigan, so the second weekend of October we drove up to Mackinac Island. We took a scenic route and drove up the eastern coast... it was stunning.

Such a fun and beautiful drive. I love drives like this. John and I listen to fun music and are completely carefree. This is when we have some of our best conversation.

We camped at Cheboygan state park, you could see Lake Huron from our campsite! It is a really nice park and had very few campers so it was really peaceful too.

Our favorite activity of the trip definitely was riding a tandem bike around the island. We did all of the classic activities (toured the Grand hotel, ate too much fudge, rode in a horse drawn carriage), but nothing was like this bike ride. The views were spectacular and we laughed pretty much the whole way trying to get the knack of a tandem bike.

Michigan is a really stunning state. I love living here-- I am frequently reminded of the wonder of creation seeing such beautiful places so close to home. Here are a few more of my favorites from our trip:

Natural Arch Rock

On the porch of the Grand Hotel. We were there during a Somewhere in Time Reunion. So much fun!

(Mackinac Bridge which connects upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan)

Cancun Trip: Fun Day at Xel Ha

2011-11-22T09:29:00.000-05:00

Commence the Cancun trip posts! The same day we went to Tulum, we headed over to Xel-Ha for an afternoon of fun. It is a somewhat enclosed lagoon where the water is a lot calmer and is fun to swim in. We did cliff diving, snorkeled, ate at many of the yummy buffets, and mostly just relaxed. Here are some of my faves:

Does this look like paradise or what? I wish we could have been there longer so I could have enjoyed a nap in a hammock.

Many of the pictures from our trip are courtesy of this guy:

When I was shopping at wally world (wal mart) for some disposable cameras, I found this and it was around $65 (what a deal!) . Takes fairly good pictures and was a ton of fun to have on the trip. We also took some hilarious videos which I may share pending permission from the embarrassed parties (or maybe I share anyway?) lol.

Anyway, we had a great day at Xel-Ha and would recommend it to folks going to Cancun.

Menu Monday

2011-11-21T16:39:00.000-05:00

In celebration of eating at home more and my attempts at meal planning, I want to start a new series called "Menu Monday". I can make no promises of frequency, though I hope to post weekly. Would like to include what we ate the previous week and what we plan to eat this week, also hoping for lots of comments on what you are eating lately and any recipe ideas you recommend. Without further ado...

Here is what we ate Last week...

Monday: Pumpkin Soup inspired by this, was more like this but substituting skim milk for cream.

Tuesday: Turkey & Veggie Tacos. (ground turkey w/ taco seasoning, fajita style veggies, whole wheat tortillas, homemade salsa).

Wednesday: FFYS (Fend for yourself). I had a work dinner and John... well he fended for himself.

Thursday: Apple Pear Chicken (something like this with no mashed taters) & Brussel Sprouts

Friday: Pita Pizza & Salad (Whole Wheat Pitas + Tomato Sauce + Toppings. My fave toppings are onion, mushroom, spinach and feta cheese!)

Saturday: Date Night Dinner at Red Robin (so about that diet we are on...)

Sunday: Chicken/Veggie Curry w/ jasmine rice and Dal (lentils). I am not much of a recipe person... I pretty much throw stuff that sounds good together and season until it tastes right. This curry included carrots, zuchinni, squash, a potato, ginger, jalapeno, and garlic cooked with chicken stock, seasoned with curry, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and thickened with cornstarch/cold water because it was too runny. Was one of the better curries I have made to date.

Week Accomplishments:
- Cooked and ATE two new veggies. Brusell Sprouts and Cauliflower.
- Ate Veggie/Turkey Tacos without cheese or sourcream. With my yummy homemade canned salsa, some cilantro and hot sauce... they are just fine on their own!
- Ordered sweet potato fries and broccoli as sides at red robin. And only ate until we were full. Still a splurge but better than usual!

Menu Plan for This Week:

Monday: Stir Fry Veggies + Potstickers. Inspired by our good friends Abe & Erin who have blessed me with a love of potstickers (or Jiaozi). Eat with Jiaozi Sauce (soy sauce + rice vinegar combo).

Tuesday: Chicken w/ Mushrooms & Zucchini. Love this recipe, got the idea from my friend Beth!

Wednesday: Salads + Pesto Ravioli (quick and easy dinner night, frozen ravioli + pre-made pesto sauce).

Thursday: TURKEY DAY! John is in charge of the bird. I am doing mashed potatoes, my favorite root veggie roast (close to this), pomegranate cranberry sauce, and a pumpkin chocolate cheesecake (going to try this cheesecake recipe and add chocolate chips maybe? not sure yet). We are doing with a progressive Turkey Day with some friends so will have all the other classics too.

Friday: FFYS (Fend for Yourself) with Leftovers.

Saturday: Turkey Tettrazini (lightened up a little... yowza on all that cream cheese and bacon)

Sunday: Turkey Dumplings (like my chicken ones, just like my momma's). And great for a leftover bone.

What are you eating this week? Any recommendations on something yummy you have had lately?

"Eating Out" Fast

2011-11-21T12:45:00.000-05:00

John and I have been on an eat out fast for about a month or two now. We are trying to change our attitudes about eating out and reduce how often we eat out (health + cost implications). It has been really good for us and has been enjoyable.

I spent the last year travelling full time and ate out pretty much every meal Mon-Thursday, and then was so exhausted over the weekend I wanted to do anything but cook (and you know, excercise lol). So we ate out a lot over the weekend too. This led to a few more pounds for both of us... being in the red with our food budget each month... and the general expectation that food should be instantaneous (no need to wait when you can get it fast or order appetizers).

So a few weeks after I came home we started our "Eating Out Fast". We have sat our desks bringing our leftovers from the day before while our colleagues went out... we have grabbed food from grocery stores to cook at friends houses when we go straight from work so we don't just grab fast food. We have gotten better at planning menus, controlling our portions so we have enough for lunch, and waiting longer to eat in the evenings.

We do make exceptions.. We have gone out for friend's birthdays. If we have a work dinner (not paid for by us...) we go and try to order something healthy. We went out this weekend on a date to a restaurant-- and it was really special. Not just a hunger frenzied attempt to eat something fast, but a special event where we enjoyed food in one anothers company.

This may not be that big of a deal for some people -- but for us it is huge. Before we were eating out 2-3 times a week. Now we are at 2-3 times a month.Anyway-- hoping to keep up this "food-i-tude" for good, has been a great change for us.

no good rotten very bad day

2011-11-04T20:04:00.001-04:00

don't you hate days like that?

I do. Having one as we speak and trying to stay positive. I will whine for a few more minutes and then I am off to do something relaxing that will bring me back up.

1. Have been planning a big meeting at work for about a month. Was today. Slides were ready, team was all set... details were all in line. Did a walk through yesterday via phone with everyone, got there 2 hours early to do a technology run through. And ofcourse technical difficulties came up. Feedback in all of the speakers so that none of our videos could be heard, none of the cool technology we rehearsed and practice beforehand actually worked. And all of the mics gave us those horrid squeaky noises Yep. And as I asked the guy working there what he could do to help me with the sound system he said: "Well, I didn't configure it so I would have to rip out all of the wires and start over." With 200 people in the room actively trying to engage in this meeting at that moment, I decided to just move on without all the fancy prep work and deal. Bummer? Yes. In my control? No.

2. Got home after lots of driving today (meeting was 1.5 hours away), exhausted and turned on the oven. Knew that I had burned something in there other day... but thought it would be fine (you know, that stuff kind of goes away lol). Anyway. Few minutes later I notice a horrid smell and look at my oven and it is SMOKING! Yep. There was a fire in my oven. Real live fire with real live flames. No worries, I googled it (thank you iphone*). Fire was out n a bit, but jeez? That stinks.

3. Few minutes later I jump online and follow a link from facebook for a friend to vote for her kids Halloween costume in a contest online. Yep. And then I get a virus. My computer crashes. I frantically shut down hoping it is all okay. Queue calling company help desk and following their prompts, only to get the blue screen of death. No hope for me. Someone will call me Monday to replace laptop. GAH! So much for working this weekend. Guess I have to tell my boss I DIDN'T finish everything I needed before planned (planning for aforementioned meeting was a ton of work so I was going to have work a bit over the weekend to catch up). Maybe a blessing in disguise? Maybe. Or may be I try to do my excel magic on my hubbys mac (why are ms products so horrid to use on a mac??! lol).

*Did I mention I dropped my iphone this week and the screen completely shattered? The second time this has happened to me? That I had the protective case on and everything this time? That I am not up for an upgrade until next year? Oh yeah. That happened.

BOO! Go AWAY you no good very rotten bad day.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T10:46:00.000-04:00

John-David and I in our costumes! We won funniest costume at our church's halloween party. It was really fun making the costumes and something we enjoyed doing together.

John did the top part (cut out, painted the circles, attached the strings), and I did the costume underneath (made my bow, pencil skirt, hemmed my tshirt to make it fitted, painted our pacman faces on, died his thrift store khakis yellow...) It was fun, I learned some new skills and it was and well worth the effort :)

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!

Recent Projects: Baby Gifts

2011-10-20T14:09:00.000-04:00

Some of my absolute favorite craft projects are baby gifts. I love giving homemade baby gifts to friends. Something is just so sweet and innocent about babies, I feel like I get to participate in the wonder, joy and excitement of an expected baby when I make projects for them. So, really they are all made kind of selfishly for the happy feeling/ good baby bliss, but hopefully their momma's like them too :)

Here are some of the baby gifts I have done this past year or so:

Tag Blankets
I have done these for a while... are really fun, quick, and from my understanding babies love playing with and sucking on the tags. A good tutorial is here. Sometimes I quilt these from cute prints, sometimes I use silky fabric, fuzzy fabric... just depends on colors and what sparks my fancy.

Nursing Covers (Sometimes called "Hooter Hiders")

These are for women who are nursing want to make sure they are covered. I found the tutorial to make these from Sew Much Ado.

Softies

I went through a softy phase about a year and a half ago. I did highlight my sock monkeys here, but was pretty despondent about the other projects I did.

Clucky the Hen* from Melly & Me

Elodie the Elephant* from One Yard Wonders

Baby Quilts*
I don't get to make baby quilts as much as I would like to. I did get to do a quick paneled Winnie the Pooh Quilt for a Colleague. Don't be too impressed though, this is just a panel from walmart that you add batting and a back to and then quilt over the lines to make it look legit/took a long time quilt. But! It works for me.

Onesies
I have spruced up a lot of onesis this past year with ties and bowties for boys, cute flowers and birdies for girls, but alas I have not been a good picture taker of most of these. Here is my nephew Vincent in a Cowboy Onesie I made him. (Hat and Baby provided by the sweet Lara)

My mom just made these for her future grandkids. I thought they were adorable. You think she is anxious much? lol

Again, I love baby projects. It will be exciting one day when I am doing these projects for me and a new mcelderry. For now though, it is fun to revel in the happiness of friends and family members and share my happiness for them with a simple gift.

*OK, I am a slacker and couldn't find the pictures of my projects for these. So these are not the EXACT ones I made, but ones I found on the internet that are the same pattern and look pretty much the same.

the best kind of friday night

2011-10-17T15:27:00.000-04:00

homemade tomato soup for dinner, made especially for me by the hubby

flowers for sweetest day

working on home projects together as we listen to our favorite music

These are my favorite kind of Friday nights. Just relaxing and being home with the man I love.

simple fall wreath

2011-10-17T15:20:00.001-04:00

whipped this together Friday night. All you need is a twig wreath, lace ribbon, a few fall leaves and a sunflower. Add a bit of hot glue... and voila!

Loving fall and fixing up my little home :)

Like jalapenos much?

2011-10-12T12:36:00.000-04:00

This past spring John and I hade dinner at a local chinese restaraunt one night. When John asked the server what their best dish was, she replied Jalapeno Chicken. John was not in the mood for poultry, so he order the Jalapeno beef instead.

I guess at this place they take their jalapenos pretty seriously. John probably ate 1-2 full jalapenos in the course of his scarfing the food down. And this is what was left on the plate:

And this is what it did to John*:

So glad I captured this. We laughed all night that he and jalapenos were done for a while.

*clarification: I do have a very handsome husband. The excessive jalapenos make him look a little posessed.

Cancun Trip: Ruins of Tulum

2011-10-11T13:50:00.000-04:00

On our second day we went on a tour to Xel Ha and Tulum. Tulum is a beautiful Mayan ruin right on the water. While we toured the ruins there were some crazy flash rain spells, but it was actually really refreshing as it was a pretty hot day. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our time there:

Halloween Costumes the past few years

2011-10-06T13:33:00.001-04:00

I love halloween. Fall is probably my favorite season. I love making caramel apple cider milkshakes, eating cinnamon donuts. I love carving pumpkins, baking all kinds of pumpkin yumminess. I love the smell of the crisp air, the beauty fo the color. AND I REALLY LOVE dressing up and creatively selecting a costume. In honor of the season, I thought I would show you all this beauty from two years ago. John and I were Peanut Butter & Jelly (we even did a PB&J dance for our singles ward talent night).

If only I had that filmed, it would be a You tube sensation my friends. What this pic doesnt show is that we had cardboard bread slices we could put on our backs easily and when we hugged we were a PB&J sandwich. Yes my friends, ridiculously obnoxiously cute.

We are still considering our costumes this year... but we are pretty sure what we are going to do. I will be a better blogger and give you the big reveal when we have them done. I love doing family costumes. Aren't these some fun ideas? In the spirit of this great holiday -- I thought I would highlight some of my halloween costumes I have done the past few years. Especially as I have not blogged on many of them. Here we go:

2010 - War & Peace (I was peace) We won best couple costume at our ward halloween party. (no pictures as I was a failure at documeting this time period). Imagine greek goddess of peace. Pale blue flowy fabric draped over white toga. With doves in my hair.

2008 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

2007 - Dorothy (Wizard of Oz)

2006 - Zorro (or Zorra, whatever) WHY CAN'T I FIND THIS PIC?

2005 - Athena This year I threw the coolest party.

199? - Cute Pumpkin Had to throw this in.

Halloween is just fun for me. What do you like about halloween?

Cancun - Day 1: The Grocery Dilemma

2011-10-04T15:50:00.000-04:00

So remember back in April when I said I was going to Cancun? Well I never told you how it went. For all you know I was swept away in a tropical storm, survived on a island with only coconuts for a week and somehow made my flight back (you know I survived per my existent albeit sparse blog posts). Well we didnt just survive on coconuts. But there is a fun story around how we got our food for the week.
1. We ate out our first night there Quickly we realized why our plan was to rent a condo and buy groceries rather than eat our every day-- those were some expensive nachos!

Condo in Cancun. Was really nice, made the trip a lot more affordable than a resort.
2. Sunday AM we get up for mass, after mass we jumped on a public bus and headed for wally- world (i.e. walmart). We get off at the wrong stop so have to walk a ways, but finally make and spend approximately 1.5 hours picking up groceries for the week. Insert foods that are packaged different than in the U.S., debating the merit of different juices to make tropical drinks and lots and lots of mexican pastry samples.

Beautiful Church we went to mass at. My parents also had their vows renewed here. It was an open church so you felt the breeze.

Panaderia in Wally World. Since this was a 4-5 hour ordeal, the snack was great.

3. We finally prepare to leave Wally-World, and realize we have to be able to CARRY all our groceries back as we did not have a car. WOOPS. Commence get rid of most of your tropical juices.

4. We make it through check out, and head out each heavy laden with numerous bags of food. Dad does not let us take a cab (those nachos were expensive!) so we get on the bus again.

5. We get off at the wrong bus stop again and have to walk another mile or so to the condo. Did I mention it was like 90 degrees? Oh! And 90% of our bags broke on the way. Imagine juggling, barely able to walk and cursing the tropical juices that made the cut on our list.

6. FINALLY! One by one we slowly stagger up to the condo. Completely exhausted, we decide to take the elevator up. Preface: this is a small elevator, 4 of us took it, and we had approximately 1 ton of groceries.

7. Just as the elevator starts moving it stops mid floor. We are stuck in elevator. And VERY sweaty from aforementioned grocery trek. Commence Panic.

8. Fast forward to Dad is hogging the air from the vent, Sisters are wondering if we will die in the elevator. I am praying to get out.

9. Mom finally hears our shouts (she was the only one not in the elevator)and "panic button". Miraculously Dad finds a button and we all crawl out of the elevator with our groceries in tote.

We got back and we laughed... and boy did those groceries taste good.

Everyone is glowing from the grocery excursion.

This Year in Numbers

2011-09-27T09:58:00.000-04:00

This past year I...

flew 56,539 miles.
spent 132 nights in a hotel.
drove 30 different rental cars.
traveled through 12 different airports.
worked with people on 4 different continents.
missed my husband dearly 176 days.

I learned. I grew. I channeled the three stooges pretty much daily. I became more patient with folks who work in the travel industry. I became a pro at packing, an addict to indian food. I learned to always carry a spare barf bag. I found out where all the good places to sleep are at O'Hare airport. I became an excel diva, a powerpoint goddess. I met some incredible people and made some lifelong friendships.

It was a great year. I am glad to be home. I will always remember this past year as a time of incredible growth.

San Diego

2011-09-27T09:36:00.001-04:00

John and I went to San Diego (as I mentioned in my Zoo Post) for a conference two weeks ago. We had a blast.

We went to the San Diego LDS temple while we were there. It was so stunning both inside and out and had a special spirit.

I had never been to an In-N-Out restaraunt before. For some reason I thought it was more of an upscale burger joint. Nonetheless, it was tasty.

On Saturday John had to go to the conference all day. So I drove to Coronodo (small island right near San Diego) and hit the beach for the day. I read and napped on the beach and walked down it enjoying an occasional splash of the frigid but fresh ocean water.

I really love little trips like this. Especially when I was travelling so much for work, it always felt like weekends at home were just chores and work and chores and work. But a weekend where you dont have to make your bed, do your laundry, or cook? Just enjoy a new city with the one you love? Now that I can do. Hoping for a few more weekends like that soon.

A Walk on the Wild Side

2011-09-19T17:15:00.000-04:00

John and I spent the weekend in San Diego, CA this weekend. John had a conference and I tagged along. We had the opportunity to go to the San Diego Zoo -- it was a blast! The animals were so lively, they seemed happy this was their home.

Here are a few of my faves of our new friends:

(courtest of my iphone and the instagram app)

Craft Project Queue

2011-09-09T11:24:00.000-04:00

This blog has had a scarcity of craft posts lately... why you ask? This wanna be crafty all the time lady has a demanding corporate* job out of state. And although she has made attempts to tout her sewing machine with her in her checked luggage, it is just not working out.

To be fair, I have done some homemade baby gifts etc, I am just not fabulous about posting them. Also, I feel like over the summer my crafty energy was funnelled into cooking projects (canning, cooking and then freezing yummy food to eat later, gaining weight generally, etc).

Regardless... here are some of the projects in my queue that I have plans for:

Little Boy Bowties from Kiki Creates

A Big 3-0 pinata to celebrate John's 30th this year

A Homemade Skirt... also an extender slip (isn't this cute??)

Some Nursing Covers (lots of friends with Babys on the Way)

Dino Tails for my Nephews & Nieces from Running with Scissors

*k. I don't identify myself as Corporate, never thought I would work for a fortune 500. But you know what? I do. And I enjoy my job. And I am learning to embrace that I am a lot more corporate than my self image portrays. Lol.

Meet Myao Ming

2011-09-08T16:13:00.000-04:00

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family: Myao Ming (Mee-Yaaow Ming). We adopted him about a month ago from the Huron Valley Humane Society.

Myao brings a never ending stream of fluffy cuddles to our family. In fact, I would go ahead and classify him as a "cuddle whore". He will do basically anything to be petted for hours.

He has found a lot of places to hide we didnt know existed in our house. Fortunately he will come out for cuddles.

I love his beautiful coat, especially the long fur and fluffy black tail.

We are so grateful to have our very own furry ball of joy at home.

Living in an Instant Messaging World

2011-09-01T15:57:00.000-04:00

I pretty much have 3 chat clients open on my computer all day... makes me feel like an uber dork. And that is not including any other sites I use that have chat functions (such as facebook!)

I have mixed feelings about instant messaging. I began instant messaging at a super young age (maybe 4th grade?) using AOL instant messenger. It have always enjoyed it, but used it for purely social purposes. Now that I am a big girl (grown up with job and all) it is odd to see the same technology used for business. It is definitely handy, but I was thrown off at first when I see conversations like this:

Boss: UT?
Me: ?
Me: Oh, Yes. What's up?
Boss: plz snd me ur l8tst deck.
Me: okay.

For the record, I made this up... however it represents a few things that shocked me at first when I entered the workplace:

A) That senior people in the company use shortened language. I have always been a big proponent of full sentences (spell it all the way out, add punctuation, even when pinging). So it seems a little odd for me to communicate this way or have people communicate to me this way. I realize this makes me old school, but I dunno... it just is a personal preference.

B) The total lack of greeting! When I ping some people they respond, y? (meaning yes?) Seriously!!! At least say hello. I make a point to greet people before asking them for something, please try to reciprocrate! I mean we don't answer the phone, yes? We might as well say... WHAT DO YOU WANT???!

Do you have any rules for using im? What are your favorite im phrases?

Random Fact: Did you know in India they use s to repleace y for yes? Totally confusing at first. So when someone responds s, don't worry... they mean yes!

So Pinteresting

2011-08-30T15:50:00.000-04:00

Have you guys started using pinterest yet? It reminds me a lot of Delicious (it is essentially an online bulletin board), but is a lot more visual way to organize things you find online and explore new ideas. I have been using delicious for years... it was a lot of fun initially because it really drives finding new things you are interested in and also stored all of my links (way safer than favorites, as my computer has a tendency to crash and I lose my favorites!) This is the same idea but it requires less clicking as you see all various "pins" on one page.

I could go on and on... Needless to say... I am finding loads of cute ideas lately using this nifty tool. Now to find time to put some of these in execution.I found out about pinterest on Bake at 350... it contains details on how to sign up :)

Once you are logged on check me out on pinterest at http://pinterest.com/kmcelderry/.

Summer Magic in a jar

2011-08-29T15:38:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about summer is fresh summer fruit. I didn't really experience this a lot in Texas as it is a bit too hot and we didnt live in a region with a lot of fresh fruit (at least growing in a place you could easily pick!) However! One of my great loves of Michigan Summers (and Falls) is the bounty of delicious fruit. This year John and I went strawberry picking, which was a first for me. Fresh strawberries to me can only be described as nature's candy. We spent the day of and after picking enjoying an abundance of berries, as well as canning some up into yummy jam to be savored all year long. Here are a few of the highlights of our canning process. Canning may have been a theme for this summer... I just finished doing salsa and also did Rasberries and Blackberries. Peaches are up next :)

1. Start with great, yummy fresh fruit. This stuff spoils fast when you pick it yourself, so use it really fresh.

2. We washed and hulled the strawberries, and began mixing with sugar. Yeah-- this is some sweet stuff.

3. We used pint sized jars... these babies have to be washed and sanitized before using for canning.

4. The steps of acrually preparing the jam aren't here as they didn't get documented as it was hurried. However, the recipe we used can be found here. Here we are putting the jam in the jars.

5. And now to boil thse babies to seal them up. This was done only for a short period so this jam is not very cooked-- tastes just like fresh berries!

Voila! Yummy jam.

What are you doing to capture the magic of summer?

Youth Conference 2011 - Nauvoo, IL

2011-07-26T16:16:00.000-04:00

John and I had the privilege of being called as Stake Youth Conference Leaders this summer. We went to Nauvoo, IL with 146 + kiddos and were assigned a group of 12 teenas who became part of our "family" (we were there Ma & Pa!). We had a really incredible time --all of the youth we interacted with were a ton of fun.

Nauvoo has a really special sprirt. It was one of the places the early saints settled before heading West to Salt Lake. They were industrious, joyful and faithful right until they were forced to leave their homes due to persecution. John and I had been to Nauvoo before, but this was really special because we had the opportunity to visit the restored Nauvoo temple as well as see the Pageant.
Also, experiencing Nauvoo with these youth was incredible. The last day there was a testimony meeting, and there was literally 30+ youth waiting in line to bear their witness of Jesus Christ. How powerful!

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to remember Old Nauvoo this summer, and reflect on what it takes to truly be a pioneer, standing firmly for what you believe in.

Here are a few of our fave pics:

Our Family in front of the Christus Statue

Here we are in front of the Nauvoo Temple. We had the privilege of attending the temple this year.

These girls are incredible.

I would make a good pioneer, no?

John ended up losing tragically at stick pull -- which is a fun old time-y game. To see his epic demise, check out this link. I tried embedding the video... but had some issues :(

Here we are swing dancing at the youth dance. I love dances... they need to have more for adults. Until then I am going to keep acting like I am 16 and live it up when I am asked to chaperone :)

Change your Hair, Change your Life

2011-07-11T23:02:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Beth Andersen for doing my hair :) I am loving it.

The Verdict: Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival

2011-07-11T22:56:00.000-04:00

The Verdict: The Bavarian Festival in Frankenmuth.
The Real Verdict: We are a little too old for carnival rides. We went to enjoy carnival food, but after getting off a few rides, we both had a nasty case of Motion Sickness 101 and straggled back to our car sick.

We thought this was an innocent ferris wheel. Not so much.

Weekend Plans (or Planning)

2011-06-10T20:51:00.000-04:00

John and I are trying to figure out what to do this weekend as we planned to camp and it won't stop raining. Options we have discussed:

1. Niagara Falls (my vote, can't convince John to drive all night when we have to be back pretty early on Sunday... )

2. Bavarian Festivals, complete with Polka Riots, lots of german food and maypole dancing. Not too bad -- but polka riot videos on Youtube make it look less exciting than it sounds.

3. Asparagus Festival. John is majorly trying to sell me on this. "We don't have to be excited about asparagus, we get to see people who are!!" At least this one is on lake Michigan. (He has been working on convincing me for about 20 min now!)

What's everyone else up to this weekend?

btw-- we have been talking about what to do for about an hour and a half now. Other discussions included Michigan Adventure Theme Park and Cedar Point. Will keep everyone posted with the final decision... assuming it is not sitting in our apt all weekend...

Stunning Surprises in D-Town

2011-06-01T00:11:00.000-04:00

Guardian building, discovered as a part of some Detroit explorations this weekend. Simply stunning, I look forward to finding some more beautiful old buildings in D-Town.

Lately at Work.

2011-05-11T18:35:00.000-04:00

All three analysts on my current project wore a black skirt, black heels and a white blouse today. No planning involved.

Awesome when that happens, huh? Especially since Shannon (in the middle) and I both wore black dresses yesterday. We may just have to plan tomorrow to keep it consistent.

In other news, I am driving a Nissan Quest this week for work as they were out of those tiny compacts I love. Soccer Moms everywhere -- FREE YOURSELF of your boring mini-vans and get one of these ASAP. Feels and Looks more like an SUV, only downside is the fairly small trunk. I may just consider having 4-5 kids in the next year so I can justify buying one of these.

In other more FANTASTIC news, I am going to be trying a new schedule where I work offsite one week a month, and hopefully by summer's end will be two weeks a month. HOORAH!!! Looking forward to more evenings with the hubby, home cooked meals and sleeping in my own bed (which oddly enough hurts my back now that I am used to hotel beds).

For now, back to the grind!

Vacation Bound!!

2011-04-23T02:37:00.000-04:00

Leaving for Cancun in the morning to spend a week with my parents, sisters and hubby. We are celebrating the 25th wedding anniversary of my parents.

Doesn't this look nice?

I am not sure I can express how I excited I am. There are not enough explanation points or symbols for this feeling.

!!!_!*$&*T$+)#H#!)*# ~!!!!

Have a great week everyone.

An Exciting Chicago Weekend

2011-04-20T16:00:00.000-04:00

1. Thursday - Drive from Peoria to Chicago. Grab dinner with a friend, have your car broken into and everything inside stolen. Make it to hotel with only your wallet. Thank heaven you changed into jeans and gym shoes and out of ballet flats and a pencil skirt.

2. Friday - Run a few errands to replace some of the items stolen. Shop on Michigan ave, primarily because what else is there to do with just a wallet in downtown Chicago?

3. Friday - Meet hubby downtown, and take a subway to share delicious deep dish with some good friends.

4. Saturday - Visit the Shedd Aquarium on a beautiful day.

5. Saturday - Eat a Chicago Style hot dog. Or Two.

6. Grab dessert at the Top of the John Hancock building. Take a photo with your iphone -- from the women's bathroom!

7. Spend a beautiful Sunday driving up the cost of Lake Michigan. Listen to General Conference on aforementioned Iphone. The marvels of modern technology!

8. Visit where you were born and where you grew up.

9. Remember the important things in life aren't things. They aren't stolen luggage, ipods, clothing or laptops. They aren't damaged rental cars. They are sweet and simple memories, laughter with friends, listening to true teachings, and spending a wonderful weekend with the one you love. I am so blessed.

Works for me Wednesday: Bedside Buddy

2011-03-28T08:34:00.000-04:00

Lately we have been doing a major overhaul at the McElderry House. We would like to be more intentional about having a "house of order" and for us to be able to enjoy more of the simple things in life and not get so caught up in the mess. In this pursit, we have been trying to establish a place for everying, and processes to help us keep things in their place.

Household organiztion does not come very easily for us, but we are slowly making progress in removing some of the stress and anxiety associated with cleaning, dishes, laundry and storage.

One fun solution I whipped together was a bed side buddy for our scriptures, journals etc. We always want these things by our bed so we use them often, but we don't have a very big bedside table to keep all of these things for both of us.

I used a long piece of fabric from an old bed sheet, and stitched up the side edges so that they were finished. I then folded one edge up a ways onto the fabric at a depth to make a good pocket. I stitched up the sides (be sure you not stitch at the top or you will close your pocket!). Finally I stiched up the middle of the pocket to be a divider, and voila! A very quick, simple solution.

To keep the bedside buddy in place, I put the length of the fabric between the mattress and the boxspring, just having the pocket peeking out so I can use.

Hoorah for quick sanity savers, and spring cleaning!

Finished Project: T-Shirt Quilt

2011-03-28T08:23:00.000-04:00

I love doing finished project posts (as you can imagine). Feels so good to start a project and then finish it! I for one am very guilty of:

1) Buying the materials/supplies for a project
2) Starting the project and making a little headway
3) Putting it on the shelf and never finishing it.

But! In an effort to save money and reduce my craft stash before John graduates and we make a big move, I am trying to focus more on COMPLETING those tucked away projects.

Here is one you have seen me blog about before: My College T-Shirt Quilt.

I quilted and bound it with my Mother in Law over Christmas Break. It was a blast and it came out so great. This is a REALLY warm quilt that now is one of my favorites to snuggle with.

I also learned how to do all the steps in a quilt so I have no excuse to not finish that first quilt top I did and posted about so long ago...

Hoorah for finished projects!

** Apologize for bad photos as of late. Only functioning camera is IPhone.

Finished Project: Window Mosaic

2011-03-28T08:10:00.001-04:00

Just finished a project and had to share. It is a window mosaic that was inspired by a few friends at church. Normally with mosaics the cracks are grouted so that all you see shining through is the colored glass, but I think it is really pretty as is (and doesn't need to be any heavier).

Here are the few steps I took to make the mosaic:

1. Find an old window, usually from a reuse center. My favorite in Ann Arbor is the Re-use Recycle Center.
2. Pick out different colored glass at thrift stores, garage sales etc. (vases, bowls, you name it!) I recommend using real colored glass and not the kind that has been painted in color-- just looks nicer.

3.Break the glass pieces into smaller pieces using a hammer, some gloves and tough container. Thank heavens for my friend Beth-- she actually did this step mostly herself which made my mosiac creation so much easier.

4. Decide on a design (or just let it come as you do it)

5. Glue the individual mosiac pieces on using a tough glue. Grab this at a hardware store -- make sure it has glass listed as one of the things it will adhere. Also make sure it is clear.

6. Let them dry and voila! Beautiful Mosaic. Grout if desired.

Enjoy!

Oh! So Cute Easter Crafts

2011-03-25T13:40:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends,
As I have been catching up on my google reader and searching the blog-o-sphere I have stumbled on a these two Easter projects that I can't help but share. I am scheming to try one or two of these these soon. Any partners in crime out there?

So Cute Easter Wreath & Matching Topiary

Simple & Fun Pillows

Hoorah for spring!!

Accenture Ball 2011

2011-03-21T07:59:00.001-04:00

Here are a few photos of John and I from the recent 2011 Accenture Ball. The Accenture Ball is the Detroit Office's annual gala to celebrate the accomplishments from the previous year.

It was held at the Westin in downtown Detroit. We ended up staying there overnight to avoid a late and wintry drive home (and to have a romantic evening away from the apartment). It was a great evening and escape from reality, we danced the night away and enjoyed some much needed us time.

I am so grateful for my husband John. Besides being extremely dashing and handsome (look at him in that new blazer!) he is also thoughtful, caring and kind. And as if he wasn't prince charming enough, he is also a stellar dancer sweeping me clear off my feet.

Sisters are the best.....

2011-03-21T07:51:00.000-04:00

This is from a few summers ago when my sister Heather and I were at a wedding expo.

I am so grateful for my sister Heather and the way our relationship has grown. Heather and I are 18 mos apart, and having a a sister so close has really made a big difference in my life. I have always had a partner in crime, someone going through the same things in all the same places. She has also been my toughest competition, one of my biggest cheerleaders, and someone who pushes me to be the person I want to be. I am grateful for her love and friendship.

Airports and Fitness Goals

2011-03-21T05:19:00.000-04:00

I have a brilliant business idea friends-- and I need one of you to run with this!AIRPORT FITNESS LOUNGES!!
As someone who ~~wastes~~ enjoys excessive time in airports, and struggles to make fitness work in her busy schedule... this would be INVALUABLE!

For example, let's take our average American who commutes by Airplane, let's call her Kristin M (you know, just an example)

Kristin M. travels weekly to Peoria, IL on Monday mornings. She takes the 6:00 EST flight to O'Hare, and lands at 6:15 CST. Upon arrival Kristin M. has a 2.5 HOUR LAYOVER in O'Hare before her 25 minute flight to Peoria. During this Layover Kristin M.:

Tries desperately to find an airport seat

If she is VERY LUCKY she finds a coveted seat with no arm rests (the kind you could POSSIBLY sleep on)

Desperately Looks for Power Outlets.

Goes for a three mile walk between gates in her stylish Shape Ups

Curses her job for requiring her to spend 2.5 hours in the busiest airport in the world at an UNGODLY Hour

Tries to think of anyway/anywhere/anyhow to fall asleep. 3 hours just didnt do it the night before.

With Airport Fitness Lounges -- Kristin's life will transform into a symphony of happiness and joy. She will use her now frustrating layover time to self-actualize, to meditate, do a few yoga poses and to work her way to become a more fit and more productive human being.

Any takers? Let's get going on this sooner that later please. I am feeling like self-actualization would be great right now. Oh Yeah, and a nap.

**I also could consider getting one of these nifty sleep tents. Thoughts anyone?

So Blessed :)

2010-11-30T00:05:00.001-05:00

I just found this in my drafts folder (8/30/11)... wanted to go ahead and publish. Was from last winter (November 2010). I still feel so very blessed! And it's great to be back from my blogger hiatus!

This year I am so grateful for all the Lord has blessed me with. Here are a few blessings I have been pondering lately:

1) My Incredible Husband. I cannot say enough to describe what a thoughtful, compassionate and uplifting man he is.

2) My Family. I have grown so much closer to my mom, dad and sisters this past year. I have also gained a whole new family who I cherish so much. My new sister in laws (and mother in law) particularly have become some of my closest friends.

3) A job. I may be a little tired, and a little frustrated at times, but I am so blessed to have a job in this economy. I am learning so much and recognize that any hardship are only for my good.

4)My Education, and my love of learning. I am so grateful to have a love for reading, for critically thinking and for being interested in new ideas.

5) My friends, new and old, who listen to my struggles and encourage me to keep on going. Who play games with me and John, who challenge my mind through engaging and insightful conversation.

Most of all, I am grateful for my knowledge of Jesus Christ, Our Savior. For the knowledge that families are eternal. Recently I read the personal history of John's grandfather. I never met the man, yet feel close to him. I am grateful to know that through Heavenly Father's perfect plan and Christ's atonement we can all be together one day. Those I have love and have lost, and those I cherish on earth now will all be reunited one day.

I am truly blessed.

Still Alive... promise.

2010-11-09T00:43:00.000-05:00

I really miss you blog, sorry I have been so despondent. Here are a few status updates to prove I am alive (and let you know what I am up to):

1)Have been travelling a lot lately, with work and also on the weekends. John and I went to Nauvoo last weekend and I will be in Dallas and Little Rock for the last two weekends of the month. Travelling is fun and I enjoy it-- but sometimes it wears you out!!

2) Because I am travelling I should be blogging twice as much. Lots of funny experiences and interesting people... Like the time I was desperately looking for the third Hunger Games book in Raleigh and ended up in a sex shop for homosexuals. They really should have clarified what the "Things" were in "Books and Things".

3) Did I mention I have been reading a lot? All of those nights in a hotel and on the plane. It is a nice change, I love reading. Lately I have finished "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave, the Hunger Games Saga by Suzanne Collins and Mitch Albom's "Have a Little Faith".

4) I paid of my highest interest loan!!!! (9.75%!! Scary!) This only marks about 1/8 of our loans being paid off-- but it still is an accomplishment. Getting out of debt (even good debt like student loans) is a long road! I have to celebrate the little milestones!

5) I am leading a big Christmas Workshop for my Church, so sadly (or gladly!) much of my blog energy has been shifted temporarily. You should check it out-- and if you are in the Ann Arbor area you should consider attending :)

Thats all for now. Hope to not prolong this blog hiatus. Hope all are well :)

Fear of Fishies

2010-10-18T21:24:00.000-04:00

I have a problem. With Seafood.

I don't know what traumatic event in my childhood did it-- but for some reason I absolutely cannot stand seafood. Looking at it. Smelling it. Walking through that part of the grocery store. Just gives me the shivers thinking about it.
I have tried getting out of my box (I eat crab rangoons with fake crab atleast?), but to no avail.

While John and I were in Raleigh this weekend, I promised John we could go to 42nd Street Oyster Bar, a famous seafood restaraunt in the area in an attempt to be a sweet and thoughtful wife.

I ordered one of the 4 non-seafood items on their menu, and John ordered snow crab. I fairly quickly finished my dinner, and John had made it through only ONE crab leg.

The rest of the dinner I sat across John trying not to smell or watch too closely as my nausea grew more profound.

Does anyone else have problems with certain foods?

What class would you take in college if you could choose differently?

2010-10-13T23:11:00.000-04:00

Whenever I reflect on this question, I think of fun and interesting classes that would have enriched my mind and stimulated my intellectual curiousity. You know, none of the boring finance, accounting etc. that I had to struggle through. I am thinking Shakespeare, Sociology, maybe creative writing or a philosphy class. Something I would ENJOY.

But right now, I wish I had taken a class on excel.

Computers might just be the deevolution and evolution of man simultaneously. I feel like an ape smacking a computer trying to figure out pivot tables.

Don't you hate when practicality plays a trump card? I sure do.

What class would you take (practical or not?)

don't you wish your rental car was HOT like me?

2010-10-11T21:59:00.000-04:00

Week 4 of Full Time Travel. The Insanity Begins.

Work Survival Dinner

2010-09-29T19:16:00.000-04:00

I miss you blog. It has been way too long. In a few words, right now I am at.work.a.lot. But I thought I should share what made up for it today:

Honey Rosemary Tenderloin and Focaccia Salad

A half-pound of fresh beef tenderloin marinated in honey, olive oil, soy sauce, chopped garlic, and fresh rosemary, then charbroiled to perfection. Hand sliced into bite-size pieces, then tossed in balsamic dressing with spring greens, freshly grilled herb focaccia croutons, Parmesan cheese, marinated balsamic tomato onion relish, and creamy bleu cheese crumbles.

This has everything I love in food. Rosemary, medium cooked tenderloin, olive oil, honey, focaccia bread and balasamic vinegar/onion combo. OH AND BLEU CHEESE. YUM.

Not bad for working late.
And oh yeah, there is a sonic by my hotel...

Start using Mint.com to manage your money today!

2010-09-29T19:12:00.001-04:00

"hey friends-- I am normally not one for unpaid advertising or cheesy "share with your friends" messaging. But I like Mint.com a lot, and it has helped me better manage my finances. You should consider checking it out.

--Kristin"

With Mint, you can:

* Get set up in minutes
* See all your accounts in one place
* Set and track your budgets & achieve your goals
* Find hundreds of dollars in personalized savings
* Stay safe and secure...and it's free!

View >>

200,000 +

2010-09-17T08:14:00.000-04:00

Can you see me?

Yeah, I can't either. But I am in there somewhere, and I am part of a global company with more than 200,000 employees.

I am really proud to be with Accenture, and very excited for this milestone.

Slightly Obsessed with fabric flowers...

2010-09-16T15:42:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite trends right now is fabric flowers. They are simple and sweet and add a pinch of cute to virtually anything. They make me want to have a fabric flower making party asap. Anyway, here are some of my favorite flower tutorials:

Fabric Rosettes by Little Birdie Secrets

A Petal Pillow from Cluck Cluck Sew

Tattered Flowers from Sew 4 Home

Or these adorable (and simple) flowers from Jones Design Company

I also like this version with Organza from Sew 4 Home

And don't forget these pretty babies I posted about a while back. I have tried my hand at most of these and love them-- I can't wait to make more :)

Anticipation and anxiety

2010-09-08T11:40:00.000-04:00

Today, in an effort to not prolong my blog hiatus, I will write about some of the "anticipations" on my mind. I am not sure anticipation is the right word for some of these things. Dictionary.com tells me anticipation is expectation or hope. I am definitely hopeful, but I would also add anxious. As a preface to this list I must add I have been a little more hormonal lately. So alas this may be the product of some inconsistent moods (and should I hit publish??) But here is what is on my mind anyway:

1. Not knowing where I will be next week.
I just was rolled off my project in Ann Arbor, so now I am in the process of finding a new project. This is fairly overwhelming, and I am still trying to acclimate to the idea that I really can't plan too far ahead. Such is the life of a consultant. But I am looking forward to starting something new.

2. Having another Birthday...
My birthday is Sunday, and while I am still quite young, it has been unsettling lately how time has flown. I also am slightly anxious at the diminishing significance of birthdays. I really like my birthday, but it may pass by more insignificant this year than in years past. It snuck up on me.

3. Paying off these dangblasted loans
I dont think I have talked too much about this on my blog, but my U-M education had a big price tag that creates a heavy weight on my mind (and my pocketbook). Each day these loans come up at least 3-4 times, and it is a constant worry deciding what to spend, how to spend it and if I really NEED whatever it is I am thinking about. I feel so fortunate to have a job and to have had the privilege of an U-M education, but I definitely anticipate, hope, and will turn a million backflips when these loans are payed off (3-ish years).

4. Starting a [Bigger] Family
John and I don't feel ready to have kiddos yet, but I feel great anticipation (coupled with a stronger dose of anxiety) for when that day will come. Am I really going to be patient enough? Will I try to kill my children/husband? Can I keep up my positive attitude? Will I have enough energy? How on earth will I keep my house clean? I am really looking forward to having children. I love holding sweet new babies, seeing them just about brings tears to my eyes. But it scares me often how monumentally they will change my life.

These are just a few of the things on my mind right now, thanks for reading. I am not usually inclined to sharing my non-cheerful feelings (worry, stress etc) because somehow I don't think it is usally appropriate or very fun. But hopefully you will to know me better and help me express myself (just in case I fooled you into thinking that I am always happy, positive and full of energy).

this pretty baby...

2010-08-27T13:45:00.000-04:00

is coming to the McElderry house!

After John and I got married, we had big plans to use some of our wedding gift money to buy a Kitchen-Aid Mixer. Alas, after rent down payments, buying a bed, comforter set and a few other necessities for our home there was just not enough to buy our dream mixer.

This is where the great performance award program at my company comes in. I got a few performance awards this week- and voila! Enough for this pretty baby (we are getting the 6 quart one too!)

Just thought I should share my exciting news. I still have $130 dollars left to spend. What would you get?

Texas Bridal Shower

2010-08-24T11:11:00.000-04:00

My mom and sisters threw me a really awesome bridal shower back home. I just stumbled upon these pictures again today. We really had an incredible time.

just in case you need a laugh

2010-08-23T14:35:00.000-04:00

I recently upgraded my work laptop to Windows 7. Included in this update are a bunchy nifty backgrounds like this:

Backgrounds that really make your clients take you seriously. As in my boss saw one of these backgrounds and asked me how old was. Yeah, I am a real winner.

Some of these are way cool though; however,you might want to keep the "rotate background" setting to your personal computer only.

Tour De Food (and Ann Arbor)

2010-08-23T13:15:00.000-04:00

Both of John's sisters, and his sister Liz's family (Brother in law + 3 kiddos) came to visit us for our summer vacation. It was awesome! We spent the first few days in Ann Arbor, and then we headed up to Sleeping Bear Dunes for a few days of beach time.

All of our family are notorious foodies, so we spent one of the days visiting Zingerman's. If you visit Ann Arbor, Zingerman's really is a must. Their tour de food gets you a free tshirt and a lot of yummy samples if you visit all of their locations.

Here are Jason (Spectacular Brother in Law) & John (you know, my one and only) enjoying a sample of balsamic vinegar. Did I mention this balsamic vinegar had been aged for 50 years and was $250 for a little bottle? It is super yummy, usually used for desserts and such (I once tried it on gelato-delish!)

Here is the whole family at the creamery . This was too much fun and the kiddos even enjoyed it. Other fun Ann Arbor adventures included a walk of campus, eating at Kosmos, the Farmers Market and visiting the wave field. These are definitely a few of my favorite places.

the john will kill me post.

2010-08-23T13:11:00.000-04:00

John had his wisdom teeth taken out the day after we got home from vacation. And yikes... this minor surgery was not so good to John.

I just had to share this pic... even as a drugged chipmunk he is cute. I mean, just look at those freckles!!

my college experience, as told by tshirts

2010-08-17T15:42:00.000-04:00

I am working on a tshirt quilt of all of the tshirts I collected during my time at the University of Micigan.

I was in a sorority, in a bunch of student orgs, and worked 3 jobs. Needless to say, I had a LOT of tshirts. But a lot of great stories can be told from these tshirts, and they represent a lot of great memories.

I am hoping to post on some of the more memorable(and entertaining) of these experiences, maybe I will finally finish my 40 things I learned in college posts? And hopefully I will get this quilt finished soon too, unlike the first quilt I made (which is still not backed or bound!).

Let me know if you want details on making your own tshirt quilt. This was a fun and reflective craft project :)

Apartment Revamp: Complete!

2010-08-16T11:40:00.000-04:00

**I am going through my old posts that were drafts and that I never published. This one is from August!! Hope you enjoy anyway :)**

I mentioned earlier I was working on an apartment revamp, and also a few organization projects. For the most part, this has been finished in my main room/kitchen.

Here are the super quick curtains I whipped together one evening. To make I reviewed the previous curtains I had (

Crafting is in my blood...

2010-08-12T09:38:00.001-04:00

I think creativity and the desire to create is a part of my heritage. I have many incredibly talented family members, but I know without a doubt that my love for crafting came from my mother.

My mother has "been there and perfected that" in pretty much all crafting medium. I am constantly impressed that my mom can just decide to try something and so naturally become so skilled. She made the bridesmaid dresses for her wedding while she was still in college. She learned how to make intricately decorated birthday cakes to make her children's birthdays special. She made many halloween costumes growing up.

She gave hand made cards and gifts most years at Christmas. For my 8th "American Girl Doll" birthday party, she made every one of my friends an American Girl Doll Sleeping Bag. She single handedly scrapbooked my entire existence before high school. She sold homecoming mums to friends and neighbors. She made all of the floral arrangements for my wedding, and did pretty much everything else.

Now she does maternity, baby and wedding photography for friends, family and colleagues. To sum it up, she is incredible.

My mom was the one who taught me to craft. She helped me pick out paper for my first scrapbook in 8th grade and taught me some of her favorite techniques. When I was 16 she talked the owner of new scrapbook store into hiring me. She bought me my first sewing machine. And she stayed up with me nights before I started college to help me create some cute things to decorate my room.

I am so grateful for my mother, and for the joy she brings to my life. I am also so grateful she shared her crafty passion with me, it brings me great joy and in many ways defines a big part of me :)

fun calendar for my kitchen :)

2010-08-11T16:19:00.000-04:00

Recently I made a pretty cute calendar for my kitchen.

I started with a baking sheet (mine was one I had used from Ikea). I painted the outside of it red with a few coats of paint, and then sealed it with modge podge (ie miracle glue) so the paint wouldn't scratch right off.

Then I used a 3/4" paper punch to cut out small circles, and I stamped numbers 1-31 on a circle.

I used glue dots (small adhesive dots, you can find them at any craft store) to adhere the circles to some 3/4 magnets (found at Hobby Lobby, very very very magnetic).

With the magnetic dates for the calendar, I will beable to put dentist reminder cards, or any other kind of note under each day. They also make it easy to remove or add items, which I really like.

Next I did a zig zag stitch on the ends of some supercute fabric (cut into a 12 by 12" piece) I found at a little fabric shop in Columbus, OH. Then I used tacky tape (another essential scrapbook item, it literally will stick to anything, found at most craft stores), to adhere the fabric to the cookie sheet.

Then I used my friend's Silhouette SD (I dream of owning one), to cut out the letters for each month. You could just handwrite it or use stickers if a diecute machine is not handy. These I affixed to white pieces of cardstock (I attached this with a sticky dot, will attach a new one each month. I am thinking about using velcro instead...)

Then I put the dates on the board, and uses white cardstock scraps to write some of the stuff we have going on this month (weddings, vacation, wisdom teeth-- oh my!)

And Voila! A pretty calendar that sure brightens up my kitchen.

Here it is hanging in my kitchen :)

Enjoy!

Pop it, lock it...

2010-08-11T13:13:00.000-04:00

Yep, I definitely spent New Years Eve (appox 40 hours from my wedding) learning the hoedown throwdown by Miley Cyrus. I was inspired by one of John's roomates and a bunch of girls at church who learned it for our Christmas Soiree. And, my little niece knew it, why not?

Needless to say, it was a lot of fun and as close to a choreographed wedding dance as John would let me go :)

sweet new google reader feature...

2010-08-11T13:06:00.000-04:00

I <3 google reader and follow many a crafty/family/friend blog using it. But, sometimes the rss feed doesnt include images... so I find myself clicking to the links or just wanting to view the sites from their pages. (some of the websites are sooo pretty and you just dont get to take it in with google reader...)

Anyway! Google has come up with a better way. An add on for your internet browser to take you through unread items on your google reader. YAY!

read more and learn to install here

I am loving it so far.

Twilight Fever

2010-08-09T13:04:00.000-04:00

When Eclipse premiered John and I quickly made plans to see it (sadly not opening night, seeing as how I am a grownup now and all...).

Then I get this IM at work on the day we were planning to see it:

Wow. I think this is a case of Twilight Fever.

"American teens are coming down with a serious case of Twilight fever, transforming normal children to vampires obsessed with the occult!"
--Principal Figgins from Glee

vacation in t minus 2 days...

2010-07-28T09:33:00.001-04:00

I can't wait!!

1/2 birthday

2010-07-27T14:22:00.000-04:00

John's birthday is the day after Christmas, so it has sort of been lumped in with the holidays for a long time. For John's half birthday this year I threw him a little party. It was a complete surprise, and a ton of fun.

Early that day (a Sunday) I made a big chocolate cake with yummy ganache frosting under the pretense it was going to a woman I visit teach. John kept saying... "Kristin, I am not sure if we should give away this cake. Can we maybe just give her a slice and eat the rest?". Then I started dinner (and my sweet John didnt notice I was cooking for way more than 2 people), when our friend Abe called needing help with moving some furniture. It couldnt wait until after dinner, so John left and came home about 25 minutes later to find a some friends, birthday decor and a big spaghetti dinner to celebrate his 28.5 years of life. It was wonderful to celebrate the man who means so much to me :)

I am bummed I don't have more pictures... I will just have to remember to take some on his next half birthday (ha!). I am feeling an "over the hill" theme coming on...

Pretty fabric flowers...

2010-07-27T14:16:00.001-04:00

Cute, right? These flowers are made from old tshirts. I saved all the scraps from my tshirt quilt so I can't wait to try these out, I am thinking about a bouquet for my kitchen table (that won't wilt!!) You can see the tutorial to make these pretty babies here.

organizing my apartment

2010-07-26T22:05:00.001-04:00

Little by little, I have been trying to create a space that is more sustainable to maintain. A space where almost everything has a place, is in its place, and if it isnt it won't take me too long to get it there. Consistency in housework is not exactly my forte, so working on this has been a goal of mine for a while. Here are a few of the my recent "apartment revamps".

My lovely spice rack was taking up prime real estate on my kitchen counters, so the spices are on my stove now. Hanging above are some bulky utensils and measuring cups, which are cramping the style of my limited drawers.

John built me (YES! BUILT ME!) this nifty pots and pans rack. We were inspired by Martha Stewart's "Good Things For Organizing". We had looked for pots and pan racks online and in stores, but most were around $100-250. John did this little baby for about $20 :) The best part is, now my cabinets are clear to hold my small kitchen appliances!

So this might be silly and simple to all of you-- but my fridge was out of control cluttery. I kept anything everything that was mailed to me in the previous 6 months and most recipes I used. My magnets were a random assortment, so I used felt and buttons to add cute flowers that matched my dishes, and voila! I was inspired to create and sustain a new process to govern how long things last on the fridge...

Another simple fix-- I needed a place for my dish towels! I dont have any handles on my fridge or oven so they had all been stuffed in a drawer or sprawled on the counter. Now with a few command strips and hooks, they can dry and have a nice place to live.

Finally, I made this cute valence tonight. It was super easy, required NO pinning and no pattern. And it ties my little apartment together :) It's the cute stuff (and making the cute stuff) that motivates me to get everything more organized :)

How do you stay organized?

Fruits of thy labor...

2010-07-15T15:36:00.000-04:00

Picked from my garden yesterday :)

Yummy lettuce.

Tasty basil.

This is my first year gardening, sorry you have to bear with my excitement. It is king of like crafting-- I have created something and it is so fun to see it develop! It is gonna be bad when I have children...

Pretty DIY Cake Plates

2010-07-15T14:04:00.000-04:00

Hello!
With wedding season in full swing, I have been exploring new and cute gift ideas that works with my "let's get out of student loan debt ASAP" budget.

Recently for bridal showers, I have made cake plates. All you need is a small vase, a pretty plate and epoxy (available at most hardware stores). My friend Becky inspired me to try this and I loved it-- it was a super quick and easy project.

Here are my recent cake plate renditions.

And if you are feeling really adventurous, you can gift it with a towel cake .

Have a great day!

<3 Kristin

p.s. If you want more detailed instructions to make cake plates, this tutorial is pretty spiffy.

Apartment REVAMP: The Beginning

2010-07-15T10:05:00.000-04:00

Lately I am in a REVAMP my apartment mood. We have lived there for over 6 months and still really haven't decorated.

I am thinking of using this super cute fabric by Michael Miller to make some valences.

What do you think? They will be pretty small valences, nothing too big. I am also thinking of doing some pillows in these prints to tie the colors in.

We have a green couch (the color in the first few fabrics), and lots of bright accents/art (mostly red). John thinks these might be too retro. What do you think? Can I pull it off?

More posts to come soon on our other decorating adventures. John made me a hanging pots and pans rack that I am very excited to share!

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

2010-07-13T23:40:00.000-04:00

How does your garden grow?

a little better than last time, eh? Hopefully another post is forthcoming with a month to month view of my green thumbery.

Salad Dressing Recipes

2010-07-01T19:12:00.000-04:00

Lately one of my many interests has been experimenting in the kitchen. I never really cooked growing up, so in the last year and a half I have really exploring. We didnt often make food from scratch at my home. So the idea that I can make bread, cakes, sauces, dressings or really anything else from scratch has been fairly new. I guess I always knew people did those things... I just didn't know I would enjoy it so much. Anyway, I thought I might start sharing some of my cooking adventures. Hope you enjoy!

Pesto Salad Dressing (made this tonight, so tasty!!)
Ingredients
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves or fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves, lightly crushed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions
1. In bowl of food processor, pulse the dried basil with the fresh basil (preferred) or parley.
2. Add garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese, snd pulse 4-5 times.
3. Add olive oil and and process for about 10 seconds, until mixture is finely chopped but not pureed.

Blackberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsmaic vinegar
2 TBSP Blackberry Preserves
Salt and Black Pepper to Taste

This can be mixed in a sealed plastic container, or done in a food processor. Mix the vinegar and preserves first for a smoother mixture. This is also a great marinade, and feel free to subsitute with other preserves of your choice! (I can't wait to try raspberry...)

I Love to See the Temple...

2010-06-23T09:18:00.000-04:00

John and I were married January 2nd, 2010 in the Dallas Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Early that morning John picked me up. We were so excited, nervious and anxious.

Latter-Day Saints are sealed together for time and all eternity in special sealing rooms in the temple. We knelt across an alter from eachother, and held hands as the marriage was performed. Sealings are not public showings, in fact they are limited to faithful Latter-Day Saints. This is because the Temple is the House of God and is a sacred dwelling.

It was a hard decision for John and I to be married in the temple. However, I know we made the right choice. I cannot describe to you the incredible spirit we felt there. It was the most powerful feeling of peace and comfort I have ever experienced. We felt so close to God and to one another. Our eyes were wet, and our hearts full, and we entered into a covenant with each other and with Heavenly Father.

When we came out of the temple, our family and friends welcomed and congratulated us. It was a really special moment.

As we drove away from the temple, we just couldn't believe we had been married.
It was truly a perfect day.

Up to Lately

2010-05-11T16:39:00.000-04:00

Hello friends,
Sorry I have been abandoning you. A few updates to hopefuly precede some longer more interesting posts.

1. I "officially" graduated from UM recently. I walked the walk. Below is a cute pic of me and my fam over the weekend.

2. I cooked an artichoke yesterday! Okay, that may not seem like a big deal but I think artichokes are intimidating. I actually have been on a cooking creative spree lately. Recently I have explored yummy veggie recipes from Mollie Katzen (her cook books are wonderful) and cinnamon rolls from the Pioneer Woman (probably one of my top 5 visited websites). I also have experimented with coconut curry, shepherd's pie and chicken shawarma. Did I mention I want to start a cooking blog? I need some help brainstorming names.

3. I work a lot. Probably not too much, I am just whiney because there are SOO many things I like to do outside of work. I feel like a kid in school. Everything would be more fun that being at work.

4. I started a garden! My dad helped me get my first plants in, I have been steadily adding as it warms up. I have been working on it about 2-3 days a week, some times just to cover it up when it gets a little chily here. I am growing all kinds of deliciousness including peppers of all sorts, tomatoes, broccoli, peas, green beans, onions, herbs, lettuce, and more. More updates to come on garden progress :)

5. I visited a scrapbook store for the first time in FOREVER. For those of you who don't know, I used to design layouts and teach classes at one of the largest Scrapbook stores in Texas. Needless to say, it is a love of mine. I miss it a lot-- I think I need to abandon this whole practicality thing and craft like I want to to. Maybe start doing fairs or selling stuff online? Dreams for the future my friends.

Canvas picture is from Quick Quotes , I love their Canvas kits! This would be absolutely wonderful with a wedding picture in it...

In my free time...

2010-04-26T22:27:00.000-04:00

I like to sew.

I like to bake as much as I can...

...and more often just attempt to bake.

I like to make pretty things to match our apartment.

I like to visit my nieces and nephews when I can.

But most of all, I like to be with John-David.

In fact I love to be with John-David. He makes me smile and laugh, he bakes me fresh bread, and he loves me despite all my flaws.

A few things I heart

2010-04-20T09:58:00.000-04:00

All from Weheartit.com
My new meeting survival site.

Confession: I am addicted to Freezer Pops

2010-04-14T12:43:00.001-04:00

Recently while grocery shopping, I stumbled across some freezer pops. What a delight, it isn't even summer yet! After much persistence, I convinced John we absoluted had to get them.

Since then I have eaten them just like I did when I was younger, yielding virtually no self control in my consumption.

Shouldn't I be too old for this?

A McElderry indeed

2010-04-14T12:24:00.000-04:00

Me and John with his entire immediate family (minus Joey who is on a mission).

Everyone revealing their true identities.

The McElderry Clan. It is amazing how your family can expand so much in just a moment.

How much I love each and every one.

I have acquired nephews who are absolute heartbreakers.

And sweet nieces who are so adoring. (Madeleine was a little cold here...)

And the best in-laws one could ever imagine.

I feel so blessed to be a part of this great new family!

Let them eat cake!

2010-04-10T15:20:00.002-04:00

Wedding Preview

2010-04-08T23:29:00.000-04:00

Finally, my wedding! This is a teaser of sorts-- there will be more posts over the next few weeks highlighting my favorite moments of my wedding day. I am really excited to post these pictures, hopefully you will enjoy them as much as I enjoy remembering that happy day.

Spring is... almost here!

2010-04-08T16:19:00.000-04:00

Despite the dreary weather lately, I am so pumped for spring! I know this rain is just going to transform a once barren wasteland of snow to a flower-filled wonderland.

Here are some beautiful pictures my mom recently took in Dallas. Oh, how I can't wait for Michigan to look like this!

Isn't she so talented?

How can you not be happy when you look at these?

This is my fave. I want a large painting of this to hand in my home.

Happy Spring!

mysterious underwear

2010-04-08T16:16:00.000-04:00

public service announcement in case you needed a reminder.
(this poster hangs outside my workspace). Yup.

Expectations

2010-03-31T11:14:00.000-04:00

Creating expectations at work today, thought of a few for my personal list as it relates to work.

1. Communicate regularly with the people I care about.
2. Cook a few meals a week and avoid eating out as much as possible.
3. Have friends over at least once a week.
4. Have time to serve my friends/family/rockstar husband.
5. Workout. And find gym/classes/fitness activities that are available when I am off work.
6. Craft a little. Garden a little. Maybe do a little that isn't work?
7. Take a weekend trip every now and then.

Any thoughts?

Core Analyst Training

2010-03-26T11:52:00.000-04:00

The latter picture might be a good example of why I sometimes come off as "intense". This is the group I have been doing training with for the past few weeks. Sad to leave everyone... but happy to be heading home.

a love(ly) day

2010-03-24T18:41:00.000-04:00

enjoying northern cali coasts together <3
Can't wait to be back in A^2 permanently. I miss John.

A New Identity

2010-03-24T00:06:00.000-04:00

Glad you made it to my new blog. Welcome!

Changing your name is really a strange process. Right after I got married I had somewhat of an identity crisis. A brief look at my inner psyche:

Me: Hi, I'm Kristin Bates. I am a calm, confident young woman who is trying to keep herself together. I am a bit of an overachiever, overscheduler and overthinker but it works for me. So who are you?

So... who is Kristin McElderry?

It was really odd. I felt like I didn't have an identity as Kristin McElderry. I thought to myself "No, I am Kristin Bates."

But, as time passes I am getting over this. I have yet to change my work email, drivers licenses and banks are taking a while and I still sign most things Bates McElderry. However, I am realizing more and more that Kristin McElderry is just like Kristin Bates-- she is just married (and perhaps more patient with that whole married bit!)

I think one of the key reasons behind this internal struggle is that I am proud of my name Bates. I am connected to an incredible family by that name. I did a lot of great things in that name and it was as much a part of my identity as any other part of me.

(For the record, my new legal name is Kristin Michelle Bates McElderry)

first day

2010-03-12T18:04:00.000-05:00

My first day of my first "real" job. Woot!

Confession

2010-03-11T00:38:00.000-05:00

Recently I had a friend post a few (innocent) confessions. Thought I might have a go...

Confession:

Definitely checked my luggage this week while I am travelling for business...so I could bring my sewing machine. Did I mention I was making sock monkeys?

I have yet to print a SINGLE wedding picture. Shameful.

Just became addicted to The Secret Life of the American Teenager. And I watch the Office. And Grey's. And Private Practice.

I play Settlers of Catan online. 'Nuff said.

I facebook stalk all my friends who get married for like a month after their wedding, because I LOVE looking at wedding pictures. (does anyone else do this?)

I used to "fake bake" in late winter during school. Just needed a dose of sunshine and to feel warm for once to survive finals.

I brush my teeth while I go to the bathroom to maximize time in the morning. (sorry, tmi)

I trip/stumble/fall on my face about once a day.

BIGGEST pet peeve is bad/inconsistent customer service. ESPECIALLY when you are promised one thing and delivered another (and they deny promising it!!).

Hosted HUGE Harry Potter parties in High School for the premiers. Did I mention we dressed up and there was butter beer and pumpkin pasties?

I have still not finished (or made much progress) on my 40 things I learned in college posts. I will finish these, it might just take me a little bit.

I worked at Sonic (Drive In) for 2 weeks this past summer. Worst Decision Ever.

What are you confessions?

#34: Overambition

2010-02-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hello Blog World,
I have not forgotten you. In fact I have been hiding, in deep shame that I have not posted sooner and thereby begun a never ending cycle of not-posting.

BUT-- here I am!!

This post is about something I learned about myself the past few years, that I probably knew before but not to the extent I know now.

I am incredibly overambitious. And not in the way that is frequently associated with this word. I don't think that in the race of life I am punching everyone around me and sprinting forward. (I am imagining cartoon rabbits in my head for some reason) I am more of the runner overestimating the length of the race, how much energy I have left, how many people I can cheer for along the way and how long it will take me to finish the race. I always think I can do MORE with LESS and I have this bad habit of making plans, budgeting time, and committing myself with this in mind.

I don't think I will bore you with examples from school (or admit my problem to that extent), but needless to say it is something I have learned. Perhaps as a reprieve, I will say that I can balajavascript:void(0)nce quite a bit and feel that this talent has helped me to accomplish much and also help a lot of people along the way. However-- there is a tipping point and more than once I have fallen over it.

The past few weeks I have not been working or in school. It has been so odd-- but also refreshing. This lifestyle would take a large adjustment since I am used to a million things on my mind at once.

Sadly (or maybe not) I have found other ways to be overambitious with my time off:
Making hand dipped chocolates, homemade bread, homemade pasta, packing lunch for my husband, watching 3 boys all under age 6, quilting, making table runners and canvases for my apartment, finding the cheapest prices in Ann Arbor for much needed groceries, reading 3-4 books a week...

Yep. I am overambitious.

p.s. first ever full time job starts Monday. WOOT!
p.p.s. Being Married is wonderful. Posts of favorite wedding pics to come asap.