The New Year | Books to Read

There's a game called Authors very similar to Go Fish that I play with my best friend's family. Instead of saying "Go Fish", I say "Go to the Library" & instead of saying "Fish, Fish, got my wish" I say "Look Look, got my book." 

It's one of my favorites : ) 

All that to say, here are the books I'm excited to read in 2015:

P.S. I have my library card number memorized : ) 

-SJW

Merry Christmas | Trivia

Here's a little self-made Christmas movie trivia for ya : ) 

QUESTIONS
1.In the movie Elf, Papa Elf explains there are three jobs an elf can hold.  What are they? (1 point for each correct answer)

2. Kris Kringle miraculously communicates with little girls in 1947 and 1994 in these two non-English languages. (1 point for each correct answer)

3. This actor played Santa because he followed a set of instructions, even if he never was great with a tool kit. 

4. This movie was based on a "Christmas Card" short story called the Great Gift. I'm sure many bells were ringing when it became a hit. 

5. Fill in the blanks to describe this foul character: Your heart's an empty hole. Your blank is full of spiders and you have blank in your soul. (1 point for each correct answer)

6. When Clark Griswold asks Aunt Bethany to say grace, she recites these standard lines instead. 

7.Michael Cain, Patrick Stewart, and Jim Carey have all portrayed this classic character. 

8.This composer made his dreams come true when he wrote the lyrics to this song, and coincidentally this movie. 

9. Two dads. One Toy. No Prisoners. is the tagline for this movie. Extra points for naming the character names and toy. 

10. If A Christmas Story airs 10 times on Christmas Day and you watched the entire marathon, how many times would you hear Ralphie say he wants a red ryder bb gun?

ANSWERS

1. Making shoes while the old cobbler sleeps, bake cookies in trees, build toys in Santa's Workshop

2. Dutch and Sign Language

3. Tim Allen

4. It's a wonderful Life

5. Brain. Garlic.

6. Pledge of Allegiance

7. Ebenezer Scrooge

8. Irving Berlin

9. Jingle All the Way. Howard Langston, Myron Larabee, Turbo Man Action Figure

10. 280

..and to all a good night!

-SJW

Last minute Christmas gift idea

1. I'm big on Stocking Stuffers (my mom & dad taught me well)

2. I like pretty things.

Here are some gift ideas I'd like to share from the Noonday Collection. 

If you didn't plan well this year, there's still time for you to print out a picture & say it's on its way : ) 

 

All of their things are so unique & well-crafted!

"And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."

-SJW

On Repeat

This song.
VERSE 1
On a starlit hillside, shepherds watched their sheep
Slowly, David's city drifted off to sleep
But to this little town of no great renown
The Lord had a promise to keep
VERSE 2
Prophets had foretold it, a mighty King would come
Long awaited Ruler, God's Anointed One
But the Sovereign of all looked helpless and small
As God gave the world His own Son
CHORUS
And who would have dreamed or ever foreseen
That we could hold God in our hands?
The Giver of Life is born in the night
Revealing God's glorious plan
To save the world
VERSE 3
Wondrous gift of heaven: the Father sends the Son
Planned from time eternal, moved by holy love
He will carry our curse and death He'll reverse
So we can be daughters and sons

So good. So true.

-SJW

 

DIY | Tomato Cage Christmas Tree

Since our tomato plants are hibernating (i.e. dead), I thought I'd re-purpose their cages into something festive during the off season.

Instructions:

1. Purchase two tomato cages (~$5.00 at Home Depot)

2. Stack cages & turn them upside down

3. Add ornaments - either with hooks or put ones with stings over each "leg"

4. Tie the top together with a rubber band or string

5. Add a topper! 

My mom has one too -

Very sustainable ; )

-SJW

Feature | Rustic Back Porch

My parents still live in the same house I went to Kindergarten in. While some things have certainly stayed the same, others have changed. My favorite change was the addition of a screened in back porch. Perfect for eating pie, drinking coffee, reading or napping. 

It's all things rustic, eclectic & wonderful! 

Our entire apartment could almost fit in this porch...

-SJW

Feature | JAWS Themed Party

Our friends hosted a themed party this weekend entitled JAWS Revisited: The humans bite back.

The epic-ness started with this invitation: 

& continued with this decor:

& this stellar menu: 

I've never had better clam chowder & I can honestly say it's the best shark I've ever eaten : ) 

They even invited the head of the Seattle Aquarium to come speak about sharks! 

& of course we watched the classic movie from 1975.

Death by shark will forever creep me out. 

Although I just read if you watch JAWS in reverse, it's actually about a shark that throws up so many people they have to open a beach : ) 

Either way, I enjoyed taking my revenge by eating him & his mates!

-SJW

Feature | Gold Themed Party

I love a good themed party. 

I've decided a good themed party has the following:

thematic invitation

thematic decoration

thematic food

thematic drink

opportunity for thematic dress

& possibly a thematic activity (like trivia or a movie)

I recently attended a Gold themed party - not because it was her golden birthday, but simply because she likes the color & wanted to rock a rad dress. Good enough reason for me : ) 

 

Up next a "Jaws" themed party!!

SJW

W.E.R.L | November

Jogs around Greenlake, trips to the dog park, game nights. These are the days of my life. With two years under my belt at the same job and 2+ years in the same apartment, life is feeling pretty steady. I'm shaking things up with these delights - 

Watch: We started Season 1 of Parks & Recreation in San Diego & it's become our new go-to. I can relate to Leslie Knope since I too work in the public sector. Oh the highs & lows of public outreach.

Eat: Whether it's Qazi's in Fremont or making chicken curry in our kitchen, 

Indian food is our new gig. 

Read: "Where'd you go Bernadette" by Maria Semple. It's an off-beat easy read about a quirky family in Seattle! Every other page references Seattle's many 

cyclists, rainy weather, landmarks, jobs & food. 

Listen: "Growing up" by Run River North

Life is sweet. 

SJW