Back to the bangs... and other things!

I'm rethinking my initial dislike of the new bangs... Now I think they're kinda sassy. I'll probably have some pics after this weekend of Sara-Britt's wedding and the pre-wedding wine tasting excursion on Saturday -- REALLY looking forward to both. : )

A few weeks back, I got sucked into an infomercial. I know, I know, there's no excuse. If I really wanted to lose weight and tone up, I'd just hit the gym a little more. BUT, I have to say, I'm really digging the weights and the DVDs! I've been really committed to The FIRM and I sweat ridiculous amounts in the comfort of my own living room! So, we'll see how it goes...so far, I've been sore all week, which I think is a good sign.

I'm going to Denver, Austin, and Fort Worth next week! I needed a vacation and decided to go west. When looking at tickets to Texas online, I realized that a lot of the flights had lay-overs in Denver, so then I wondered if I could stay a couple of days there and then pop over to TX and it totally worked out! I'm excited to see Danny, Shannon, and Grey for a couple of days, then jump down to Austin to see Jamie Kay and Michele, and the Ayers family! I've never met little Travis and I'm looking forward to seeing my goddaughter Mackenzie a ton! And I can't wait to see Robin and Jon's new house. Then I run up to Fort Worth to see my favorite Littlejohns! Can't wait to spend time with Emily, Jason, and Connor. I sent Connor a kitty cat for his birthday and apparently he sleeps with it every night. I can only imagine that Jason is dying that his son likes cats. It makes me laugh because apparently Connor has started calling one of the dogs his kitty, which makes Jason crazy. : )

This is why I live alone...

South LA Man Charged With Fatally Beating Roommate With Frying Pan
POSTED: 11:53 am PDT October 3, 2007

LOS ANGELES -- A man was in custody Wednesday for allegedly beating his roommate to death with a frying pan in the house they shared in South Los Angeles, police said.

Kevan Beech, 43, was booked for murder in the death of 55-year-old Kenneth Flanders, whose body was found in his bedroom, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. Beech was held on $1 million bail, according to the sheriff's department.

Officers were called to the 700 block of East 47th Street about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, after Flanders' relatives came upon the crime scene, the LAPD reported. "Beach was reportedly angry with Flanders because he refused to give him money," the LAPD reported. "After killing Flanders, Beech remained in the house for at least one day before relatives came to check on Flanders ..."

Detectives believe Flanders was fatally beaten with an iron frying pan.

Bangs

I made a bad decision. I had my hair cut and colored on Saturday and while I was sitting in the chair I said I wanted to do something different. I stupidly mentioned that I liked Reese Witherspoon's new bangs and said sure, let's go for it... I forgot, though, that I looked nothing like her. Oh well, lesson learned. And hey, 1992 wasn't all THAT bad, so why should I worry about the fact that my hair resembles that time period?

Not me.

Confession

I'm listening to my VERY eclectic iTunes mix right now at the office and I realize that some of the music sounded like a good idea at the time of downloading, but now I'm giggling as I listen to "I Can't Live Without Your Love and Affection" by Nelson, circa 1990... Yes, in the early HS days, I was a big fan of Nelson...and Wilson Phillips...and Paula Abdul.

Latest addition to my house!

As I've been working on the house more and more this year, I started thinking that I wanted a more sophisticated piece in my living room that would house my TV, components, and computer. I thought I'd go with a custom piece, but then I found this cool puzzle piece from C&B. It came yesterday morning (after my rushed breakfast with Krissy-pooh at 7:30am) and then I spent the rest of the day building/organizing. I'm elated and think it looks awesome!

Look JCF, I've got candles and potpourri and pics...very girly, no?!

I also had the draperies and pillows done. I don't think I've put any pics up of them yet, so here they are. Based upon the fact that I custom made the cornice boxes with my dad using fabric from my old living room suite, I wanted to tie it all in with the new look, so I had the new pillows made using inserts from the old pillows. I couldn't be happier and it looks like I have a new custom look! Watch out Trading Spaces, here I come!

Yeah!

My mood right now

I'm feeling three things right now:
1. STOKED - Clueless was on HBO today, I TiVo'd it... "My buns, they don't feel nuthin like steel."
2. Bummed - The entire world is married.
3. Excited - My little Krissy-pooh is coming home this weekend and I get to brake my fast with her on Sunday!

PS - Jamie Kay, UPDATE your blog!!! Angie and Emily, create one ASAP!

Sara-Britt's Lingerie Shower

I threw my sweet cousin a lingerie shower and it was a blast. I served champagne cocktails and desserts, all of which were YUMMY! It was so nice to meet so many of her girlfriends and realize that she has a really neat group of young married friends, many of which live in her area and are in her small group. The wedding (October 7) should be a blast!!!

I made her wear a feather boa and a shady bustier that I found at TJ Maxx!

My traditional gift. : )

JJ, SB, and Carlee -- three big, yet hot booties!

I was pretty stoked with the way the invites turned out! Super fun, huh? I was up to my elbows in feathers!!!

I have the BEST florist in town!!! Grower's Direct in Tustin is amazing. I told them that the colors were hot pink and black adn they came up with this gorgeous arrangement and a smaller one that I sent home with Sara-Britt.

Ladies Night Out

Have you ever eaten at The Melting Pot? If not, it's a crying shame. The restaurant is host to fondue dinners that consist of cheeses, meats, and chocolates...DELISH! For the last couple of months, they have been doing Ladies Night Out on the last Tuesday of the month and the prices are like half off! Of course me and my girlfriends, all good eaters, have taken them up and really enjoyed ourselves!!! See below! : )

Well behaved ladies.

Well behaved ladies on fondue!

My Mini-Vacation

This weekend was AWESOME! I went up to Lake Nacimiento with some family and friends for a quick getaway filled with waterskiing and winetasting. I realize I am selfish, though, and was not satisfied with only three days away. I want to go back!

Lisa and Matt Page, two very dear friends from Sacramento, drove down and met me, my parents, sister, her friend Emily, and my friend Rebekah halfway. Lake Nacimiento is about 15 miles from Paso Robles for those of you who know your wine country.

On Friday, we hit the water around 2pm and jet skied, wakeboarded, and played in the warm water. We cleaned up and drove down into town for some BBQ dinner at a place that actually has a mechanical bull in it. We were all too tired and already feeling the soreness or I'm sure someone would have tried it.

On Saturday, we got a late start and hit the lake around 9:30 for a couple hours of fun, then we ran back, got ready, and hit three vineyards for some delicious wine. We went to Halter Ranch, Tablas Creek, and Justin. I really liked them all, but found that Tablas Creek has an incredible variety of whites. They pulled out an awesome white for me to try, which I bought instantly! At Justin, we met up with the Fitzgeralds, who were on an anniversary trip, and all took a private winemaking tour and then saw the caves. It was pretty cool! We went back to the lake for a couple of hours of wakeboarding, then ate pizza, and played a lot of Apples to Apples...while imbibing. It was hilarious!

Sunday morning at 7:15, we hit the water for some skiing on glass. It was really incredible for some good cuts. It makes me mad that I have to let go of the rope after a while, not because my legs or back give out, but that my HANDS do...guess there's really no exercise for that...
I had an amazing weekend and can't wait to do more of those fun ski trips with friends in the future!

Matt, Lisa, Rebekah, and I

The whole gang at Halter Ranch Taking a swig at Tablas Creek
With Jennifer at Justin
All that glorious goodness
An intense round of Apples to Apples
Making a cut on Sunday morning
The cute Pages

The girls!

Sara-Britt's Bridal Shower

My sweet little cousin is getting married in October and on Saturday, my mom hosted a beautiful shower for her. My mom is the Party Queen and outdoes herself each time she hosts something! Sara-Britt is SO excited to get married! She can hardly contain herself! She's such a special girl and I love her to pieces. The joke was always that she and I should have been sisters with our dark-er hair and tan skin and left Danny, Missie, Jake, and Carlee to be brothers and sisters with their fair skin, hair, and freckles! : )

Sara-Britt and Grandma June. Grandma gives a devotional for all the granddaughters at their bridal showers. This one was special though, because she was teary-eyed as she shared that 60 years ago at this time, she was busy planning her own wedding!
The cake was out of this world! It had an edible photo of SB and Pete and flowers and leaves.

Missie and Bryson (Carlee and Bryan's son) hamming it up for the camera. Bryson is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!!

Congrats, Sara-Britt and Pete! I know you'll be really happy and that the last two months of your engagement will fly by and that you'll be happily married in no time at all. PS - thanks for planning your wedding in Temecula. I really like the wine there. HA!

Grey's Dedication/Weekend in Santa Cruz

This weekend, the Johnsons trucked on up to Santa Cruz for my niece's dedication service. My brother Dan and his wife Shannon were married there in her father's church four years ago and they decided to have their sweet little girl dedicated there, too! What a special thing it was for us all to be there and see them all stand at the front of the church again, this time as a family. My mom, dad, sister, grandparents and I represented the Johnson side of the family and we couldn't have been happier to steal a couple of days with the smallest Johnson!

The Santa Cruz board walk is pretty darn cool. Lots of rides and beachgoers everywhere. They also have free concerts on the beach every Friday night in the summer. We listened to a few songs on Friday night when we got in to town, but it wasn't anyone we'd ever heard of...

Me and my mom goofing around at a restaurant on the pier.

Grammy Stephanie with Grey-bug. Seriously, I've never seen a smilier 6 month old!

I love holding this sweet little baby and making her smile. I kept asking Dan and Shannon if I could keep her, but they just wouldn't agree...

Grey wore the same beautiful gown that Shannon wore for her dedication. It was hand stitched and embroidered by Don's (Shannon's dad) aunts.

Paying attention during the rest of the church service...and playing with an impromptu toy.

With mom and dad!

Does he want to be called "grandpa"??? No, he wants the baby to call him Big D or Papa D. Ha! She got a little sleepy during lunch and he got up from the table and walked her around for about twenty minutes while she napped on his shoulder... precious moment...

Updates

A quick week of updates. I went to the Pat Benatar concert on Friday night and had more fun than I have in a long time. I loved singing every word to every song and was surprised when I didn't lose my voice! I had a blast!!! Thanks to Barbie for enjoying the concert with me and to Marc and Penni for telling us that Pat would be at the House of Blues!

This weekend was all about golf! I had a great lesson on Saturday, played with friends after church on Sunday, and played in a tournament for work on Monday! We played at Los Verdes in Rancho Palos Verdes and the tourney benefitted the Boys and Girls Club. We had a great time and did pretty darn well considering I've only been playing for three months and one of the women literally was on a golf course for the first time. The funniest thing happened, though. Boss Lady and I were riding together and our cart started to run out of juice. I jumped out and gave a little push, then as I was trying to get in, Boss Lady didn't slow down, so my foot got caught and I went flying. I did a little MacGyver roll and then bounced up. We laughed SO HARD! Some people apparently saw it and commented at the dinner that night. We had a good crack up. : )

Work has been pretty good lately and I've been really busy with CWLA and the Bergeson Series. I really love being on those Boards, but I have to learn to carve out time to dedicate to the efforts. I'm working on being more dedicated.

In other news, congrats to Angie and Cody on the arrival of Ingrid Amelia Antonia Kotnik! She's beautiful and I'm so excited for you guys!!! I'm sure Greta will be a great big sister and that your sweet babies will grow up to be good Scandinavians! Ha!

HELLO 1980s!!!!

Tonight I'm going to see Pat Benatar at the House of Blues. I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Sweet

I golfed with my dad and then had dinner with the family last night. We made plans for later this month, when we'll all cruise up to Santa Cruz for Grey's dedication. I can't wait to see this sweet little munchkin!!!

Proud Aunty Posting/I'm a jerk of a sister

Missie, don't think I didn't notice this... I'm on to you and your evil gift-giving ways. My Horned Frogs will fight back and send the little princess something in purple and white!

Danny's birthday was yesterday. Here father and daughter read cards celebrating his big 2-8!
Little bathing beauty. Apparently, she loves the water. Guess she's a real water baby! (PS, I had to crop this photo for modesty. Guess she's a little naked tart! Ha!)

I'm a big dummy. I forgot my brother's birthday was yesterday. Our family celebrates birthdays in a major way...and not just for presents, but to celebrate the person. I screwed up this year and didn't pay attention to the calendar and I feel awful. My brother has had a huge year of growing and I want him to know that that alone is something to be proud of! So, I'm a jerk for forgetting and not getting on the phone to let him know how special I think he is or what a tremendous man he's become. And even though he just said, "man, I'm old," I still remember him as the little boy in my ballet tu-tu and the cowboy boots. I LOVE YA, Danny-boy!

A little Friday afternoon treat for Krissy-pooh and Wendy-pooh

New pics of Grey!

Yes, she is the most adorable baby in the whole wide world! : )

How could you not fall in love with a smile like this?

Chillin in her new bumbo chair.

At the chiropractor. Apparently, babies go now, too. I personally have never heard of this and think the chiro looks like Napoleon Dynamite.

In a sling with daddy.

And speaking of Daddy... I am so proud of my little brother. He is an AWESOME dad. He is generous with his time, is a partner in parenting, loves to hold and care for his little girl, and is a provider. When I think of what he was like as a teenager, I get the giggles. He was always such a huge goof. He used to make up words and names for me and Missie. I have no doubt that he'll do that with his own daughter when she gets old enough to understand. He is loving and caring and fun. And this is all because he had an awesome example in our dad. I know that most people see my dad as a big teaser, who you usually had to run away from at some point, but he also has a HUGE heart. My dad is tenderhearted beyond belief and is the rock in our family. I know with an example like that, Danny will continue to be a terrific father!

I don't have thyroid disease!

For those of you who have been following my crazy year of medical discovery, I finally found out that I DON'T have thyroid disease. Yeah! As it turns out, all of my symptoms, which seemed to lead to thyroid difficulties, are actually explained by low blood pressure and a B12 deficiency. All I have to do is power down a significant amount of the vitamin and then have my blood tested again in two months. This should stop my exhaustion, potentially help with my poor circulation and therefore cold limbs, give me more energy and pep in my step! Yeah!

I kicked ass at my very first golf tournament!!!

Well, sorta... I won the "longest drive" contest for women and actually came home with a freaking delicious and expensive driver by TaylorMade! I was so excited!!! I totally made some disgusting shots on the course though, too. Strike that. I made more disgusting shots than beautiful shots, but hey, I'm learning, I didn't give up, and I didn't get ballistic at anytime. So, that's good, right!

Also, because there were very few women in the tournament, they didn't make polo shirts for us, they just gave us $50 gift cards to Nordstrom -- SCORE!

I very much enjoyed the free beers every couple of holes and the snackages were flowing as well. I even smoked a cigar with the boys -- well, I smoked a third of one, which I'm still burping up today. I know all you readers in blogger land wanted to know that!

All in all, it was an AWESOME day and I can't wait to tell my instructor all about how the lessons are paying off!

My Darling 3-Month Old Niece

A couple pics of Grey Mackenzie Johnson. I had to steal these from Shannon's MySpace page, but I'm pretty sure they're still just as adorable as if they were full res!

Look at that cute smile! I think she's looking more and more like Shan, but the chin is still Danny all the way!

She's got a new seat! Doesn't look like she's too sure, but hey, she's upright!