What's Lost

I lost my hat.

I hate losing things. With a passion. I just want it to come back. I finally had a hat that could keep my ears warm in this frozen tundra. But alas, I lost it.

I was wandering around campus running some errands on a warm day (I mean like 40 degrees) and found my hat lost from my pocket. Drat those small coat pockets. We'd had some good times, me and the hat. But it was nowhere to be found. It happened the same day that our lovely university decided to charge me large amounts of money for things I never had to pay for before. I don't know whether to be mad that I have to pay it this semester or to be happy that I didn't have to pay it all the semesters before.

There was only one thing to do...talk my sister into making another. I finally broke down and hired her to do another. I am now the proud new owner of a hat almost exactly the same as my last and that's just how I like it. You know me and change, we don't get along.

So here it is...me modeling the hat. You know you wanted to see it.



Thank you Carly for making me a new one. I have one talented sister. She designs all of her own patterns and designs. In fact, I am going to put in a shameless plug for her online store, visit it online or here. She really is amazing and I'm not ashamed to do some advertising, I did get the hat at a very discounted rate.

Now my ears will be nice and toasty until June when it finally stops snowing. Thank goodness for that.

The Great Outdoors

Last week I was at a potluck with people from my work. I made a fairly disturbing realization about myself...I am not outdoorsy. Ok, I knew I wasn't that outdoorsy but the realization was that it's ok not to be so.

I have never been a hardcore biker, hiker or runner. Put me in a yoga class or Irish and I'm a happy camper. I blame it on years of allergies.

Where I live is pretty much a recreation heaven. No matter where you are in the valley you are 5 minutes away from mountains, streams and some excellent trail systems. It really is one of the big draws for people to move here to be so close to all of the recreation. In 5 minutes I could be cross country skiing or snowshoeing.

I don't want to be misunderstood, it's not that I don't love and think the outdoors are incredibly beautiful, I just don't really want to spend every waking moment out in it. For a while there I started to think it was something wrong with me. So many people that I associate with spend as much of their time as possible doing recreation, some have even made the outdoors their life's work (I do work in the Natural Resources Department). But I could never bring myself to want to do that.

And that's ok. Perhaps I'll try to blend in some so that people aren't too shocked. Some people look at me like I'm crazy when I confess that I'd rather be shopping or making jewelry or programming a website. But then again, we need all kinds, right?

I do have to confess that I am wishing for my chacos. I can't wait for summer so that I can pull them out. Until then, I guess I'll have to enjoy the random January sunshine in my snowboots.

Project in Progress

I realize that I didn't write much about Christmas. Yes, I know we are 2/3 of the way through January but I am pretty excited about a gift that I'm going to share.

Christmas morning, I opened 30 of these...

Which will someday soon be something very much like this, minus the gaudy mirror at the top....

It all started with a trip to Anthropologie last year. I saw a similar chandeleir and was totally inspired. Now it's actually going to happen.

We've been slowly and painstakingly putting it together. I can't wait to get it hung up! You better believe it will get a highlight on the blog.

The Last First Day

Heb and I had our last first day of school today. I don't actually have class until Wednesday night but I'm calling it. It seems strange to be at the end. I feel like I have been going to school my whole life and now I will be completely done. I'm looking forward to being done. I'm ready. There is no way in heck that I am going back for a PhD.

To make it through the next 16 weeks (the length of the term), Heb and I have come up with a fun activities to mark each week. It's a good way to try to enjoy the last bit of work. Maybe you'll see some of them here on the blog. It just seems like we need to mark the weeks.

School has been such a big part of our lives. It's exciting at times, all consuming but definitely difficult. Here's to making it through the next 16 weeks. I'm going to make it, right?

Is there something that has been a big part of your life that comes to an end? How did you mark it?

Be sure to read the previous catch up post.

Belated.

It's January 10th. We are already a third of the way through January and I still had my holiday header up. Isn't that how life just is? Get ready for the random catch up posting.

What have we been up to since the holidays? Well, Heb and I were both sick, why universe did we have to get sinus infections during our time off? We had a pretty low key holiday, spending much of it up in Logan to recuperate.

We did fit some time in to see some very cute nieces and nephews...


We put away our Christmas decorations...

Saw some old friends from far away...

All in all, it wasn't too bad.