Happy...

I got a free sample in the mail today from Clinique. First and foremost, I love Clinique. Love, love. They're amazing. So, totally out of the blue (I didn't even know they had my current address!) they sent me a free sample of Happy. I love Happy! Despite it's overly sunny name, it's a wonderful fragrance. It's right up there with SJP's Lovely in my book of joy. (Side note, what's with me and girlie perfume names?) So this free sample, it was a cardboard spray bottle type thing. You pull out this tab, and then you squeeze, and it SPRAYS! So cool. And now, I smell Happy again! Now if only the magical faeries at Clinique could fix my face again...

A good day, a bad outfit

I had a good day today. A really good day. I successfully packed four months worth of clothing and shoes into two carry-on bags, one for each of us. Boo. Yeah. Grand. Ma. Not only that, but they will fit easily into the overhead compartment. And they fit the size limitations. They allow 40 lbs per bag, per person. Our bags are 29, and 31 lbs each. We each have a backpack. In the backpack Thomas will be carrying the laptop I'm currently using to type this blog, a pair of basketball shorts (the one thing that wouldn't fit!) our paperwork for the apartment, a Sudoku book, and a hat for when we land. In my backpack I have an extra pair of pants (the one thing that wouldn't fit!) my scriptures, some girlie-type objects, and my camera. I will also have both iPods, and my big headphones. I'm seriously proud of myself for my mad packing skills. In fact, I packed so well today, that I ended up wearing this:

As you can see, I packed anything that remotely resembles a presentable outfit. You see, I was in my pajamas when I packed. My pajamas consist of the silver basketball shorts you see above, and a tee-shirt. I packed everything, planning on wearing the green fleece jacket (60% off at Old Navy on Saturday) to the airport, under my winter coat. When the suitcase began to be overly stuffed, I left the blue tee I'm currently wearing, out. I zipped up the suitcase and went to grab clothes for after my shower. I grabbed the blue tee, and turned around to grab my jeans. That's when it hit me. All my pants were in the suitcase. I had those suitcases so packed... there was no way I was going to unpack them to pull out my jeans (at the bottom no less). So, I decided I'm going to wear my pj's today, and tomorrow. Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!!! I know, I know, it's gross. But I have a really cute outfit to wear on the plane! I'm even going to do my hair and everything. And wear makeup. To make up for going out in public dressed like this today.

A very long post about our Christmas

Mmmmm I have rediscovered my iPod (or more accurately, Tom's iPod... since it's got more storage space [2G, as opposed to my 1G), and he never uses it anyway) today. I have my Awesome McPossum brother-in-law Michael to thank for that. He got me the most awesome headphones for Christmas. I'm seriously geeking out over them. They're shiny!! And green!!! Look!

They're precious, aren't they? I won't go all Lane Kim on you, and bore you with technical details, but they're flippin' sweet. The sound quality is absolutely fabulous. I'm feeling a little spoiled. Ugh, I just LOVE them! This is going to make the six hour flight to Stamford so much more enjoyable!!! Hoorah. I spent several hours uploading my cds onto my iTunes so I don't have to bring them to CT. Hoorah! Now I get to enjoy... too bad MP3 sound quality isn't as good as vinyl. I miss me some vinyl. Too bulky though...

Speaking of Connecticut, the projected high the week before we arrive is 61 degrees. We're projecting based on current weather patterns (and the high/lo the day before our flight leaves) to have weather in the 40's when we get there. Much better than the freakish amount of snow they have been having. Not that I mind snow, it's just that... we're going to be walking home from the train station. Trudging through knee-deep snow is not my idea of a good time after a six-hour flight and subsequent subway and train rides. Yuck. SO! Hoorah for good weather.

As far as the traditional post-holiday wrap-up, Christmas was good. We spent Christmas Eve with my family, as is tradition. My family does all the Christmas stuff on Christmas Eve. Always have, always will. We had Christmas Eve lunch at my Grandma's house. She makes clam chowder, the world's most amazing 'Lil Smokies... and pie. Those are the Martin Family's traditional Christmas Eve foods. Then we went back to our house, picking up Marolyn on the way. Marolyn is my other wonderful Grandmother. She married my Grandad a few years ago. We ate dinner at my mom & dad's, prime rib! Then we had the opportunity to sing with the Methodist church choir in their Christmas Eve service. Eric McKirdy, who is in my parent's ward, works for the Methodist church as their choir director. He needed a few voices, so he asked us to help. My brother became the only bass (and did wonderfully), I sang soprano, and my mom sang alto. Sister McKirdy helped out on alto too. We got to wear robes, and it was a blast. I just realized that I have no pictures of that. Sad! Lastly, we went home and opened presents. Phew! Lots of driving this Christmas Eve. So fun though. We got lots of great gifts that pack easily. Money, flat things... ha ha ha! (We're only taking a carry-on suitcase and a backpack each. Delta decided to charge more than we want to pay to take "real" suitcases, so we're carrying-on and buying new stuff when we get out there.) It was a great Christmas. I got the paper trimming system from Creative Memories. I can now cut perfect circles and ovals. If you get a card from me, don't be surprised if it has circles all over it. :-) Speaking of rad gifts, my parents gave us the gift of Netflix. Lemme just tell you how pumped we are for this. Thomas and I have never really been on the Neflix bandwagon, we just don't rent movies... we buy them. Anyone who's ever been to our apartment in Rexburg (or "rented" movies from the "Elzinga Blockbuster") can tell you. BUT! Now that we're going to Connecticut, we won't have any of our movies with us. Enter mom & dad Martin, with the amazing gift of Netflix. We have six months of one-at-a-time with unlimited online streaming movies. SCORE!!! So, we can get one movie in the mail at a time, and then watch as many as we want online. Since we will only have the computer to play movies on, this works out perfectly. Wahoo!!!

Christmas Day at the Elzinga's was postponed to today, the 26th. Elizabeth was one of those poor people with grounded flights this year. She's been stuck in Provo since Saturday... and just got in last night (or rather, early this morning). How awful is that? Almost a week. But we had Christmas late, that way we could all participate. I got a new capo for my guitar. Squee! And of course, the aforementioned headphones. It was a good day. We had the Elders over for dinner.
My parents had their set of Elders over yesterday too. The mission president in this area lets his missionaries watch (G rated) movies on Christmas day, so we watched Wall-E with the Elders. And they were in their "normal people" clothes. It was odd. But fun! Wall-E is a cute movie. I loved that Wall-E watches "Hello Dolly" all the time. I think my favorite part was when he danced... Soooooooo cute. I want a Wall-E.

So... this has been a long post. I'll wrap it up now. That was our Christmas. Hope yours was wonderful too!

What have I been up to?

Nabbed from Brigitte, Thanks love!


20 YEARS AGO (1988):
1. I was 2 years old, and my parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
2. I lived in Eugene, OR
3. I knew too many words for my own good. When I had a stinky diaper, I would announce, "I odoriferous."
4. I was bossy, and commanding. And everyone obeyed, because it was so cute...

10 YEARS AGO (1998):
1. I was living in Minot, ND.
2. I was obsessed with *NSYNC.
3. I was the biggest nerd in the entire universe.
4. Was the last time I had long hair.
5. I had an absurd passion for vests. Especially sweater vests. I looked like Doug Funny (bonus points if you know who that is.)

5 YEARS AGO (2003):
1. I was a junior in high school
2. I lived in the music department.
3. I toured to Florida for choir. I got to sing at Epcot.
4. I had to call in a favor for my prom date. I broke up with my date the weekend before the dance. Ouch. Thankfully, my friend Chris drove four hours from Williston to take me to my prom. It was his third or fourth prom that year. Nice guy.
5. I played guitar in the hallways at school, and some of my teachers tossed money in my case. Score!
6. I learned that I was not cut out to be a potter. I can sculpt okay, but I murder clay when I attempt to throw on a wheel. It's a crime, truly.
7. I truly discovered my talent and love of photography... in an old school darkroom with a teacher who learned photography during the Vietnam war, and ran his classroom like boot camp. He became one of my favorite teachers.

1 YEAR AGO (2007):
1. We were flying home to Oregon for Christmas.
2. I was stressing out about the 74th Ward Christmas Extravaganza... We put a lot of effort into that program...
3. Thomas and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary.
4. I was almost done with beauty school.
5. Thomas and I took many long walks together, taking photographs of the BYU-I campus. So many pretty flowers.

THIS YEAR (2008):
1. We came home for Tom's off track. It was a first.
2. I finally graduated from beauty school (February 2nd!)
3. We found out that we got the internship in Stamford, CT
4. We moved for the fourth and time in our less-than-three-year marriage
5. We learned a great many things...

NEXT YEAR:
1. We will start our internship.
2. Thomas will graduate.
3. We will move for the fifth and sixth time in our three year marriage.
4. We will drive cross country for the first time together.
5. I will get to see NYC for the first time.
6. We will celebrate our third anniversary on the east coast.
7. We will be healthy... it's a joint goal.
8. We will get to visit at least one new temple, if not a few.

Merry Christmas!

I just have to say it... nothing spells Christmas like Michael Jackson.

Eww... not that Michael Jackson! THIS Michael Jackson!That's better. Phew! I was worried there for a second.

That's right, I created a Jackson 5 Christmas station on Pandora today... Because, really, is there anything cuter than Little Michael singing, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and begging his brothers, "Really fellas! You gotta believe me! I really did see mommy kissing Santa!" I mean, really? To quote the (Adam Sandler version of) The Longest Yard, "I love little Michael!"

So... Yes... Christmas this year. It's interesting. Tom's sister Elizabeth is stuck in Provo... and won't get to come home for Christmas. She might make it in for the day after Christmas... but won't be here until late Christmas night (the 25th, not to be confused with Christmas Eve). Poor girl. She's had this planned since July, but the Portland airport has been shut down over the weekend due to snow. They're just now letting planes out that have been grounded since Saturday. It's awful. So, she's not getting to come home. Tom's brother Michael, on the other hand, wasn't planning on coming home at all. Then, last minute, he booked a ticket and came home. That was earlier this week. So he's here, and Elizabeth is in Provo. How's that for irony?

I'm finally starting to get a little more excited about the holiday. I just haven't felt like Christmas lately. It's sad. But, I'm coming around. Yesterday, my mom, brother, Thomas, Michael and Natasha (Tom's sister), and I sang in the singles branch. My dad is the executive secretary, and he and the branch president asked us all to sing. Elizabeth was going to also, until the plane dilemma. It was fun. We were ill-prepared, but it turned out okay. We all fully expected to be snowed out of church, so we didn't really practice much. Oops! Oh well. My mom and I did a duet. The Sally DeFord arrangement of "What Child Is This?" and it was beautiful if I do say so myself. You can go here to listen if you like. There's a link at the top, it's the MP3 Recording by The Kidmans. They sound amazing. We just had a piano, no classical guitar. But hey, we did alright ;-) At any rate, it helped my Christmas mood a lot. :-)

I need to set about cleaning my room/packing for the long journey to Connecticut. Okay, so it's only a 6 hour flight... it's not like I'm traveling via handcart... but I need to go do some actual work. I promised Thomas that I'd have this whole room cleaned and sparkling by four o'clock. Not hard unless you're easily distracted... like me ;-)

Lookit What I MADE!!

Okay, I just discovered Digital Scrapbooking. It's pretty much the coolest thing I've ever seen in my entire life! Okay... maybe not my entire life... but you know what I mean. Digital Scrapbooking is awesome though. I'm pumped. At first, I was skeptical. What about all the cutting, and gluing... and the elements. Digital ones can't possibly compare... right? WRONG! I found some neat things online (for free, sweet!) that look just like the real thing. I've already printed some sample pages, just to see... and they look wonderful. The neat thing about digiscrapping is that you can print 12x12 pages as Costco for $2.99 a page! I can't do a paper page for that cheap by any stretch of the means. My paper pages cost anywhere from $5.00 - $12.00 a page. I added all the supplies up, and it really shocked me! Depending on what elements you use, it adds up fast. But with digiscrapping, even if you buy "supplies" online, it's anywhere from $1.00-5.00 for a kit... complete with papers and elements. Then, you can reuse the papers and elements over and over and over. Not so with analog! I still plan on finishing out my wedding album with paper. I'm going to use all my paper supplies for card making. Cards have taken over my passion anyway. It's great. I'm happy!



So, for your viewing pleasure, a digital scrapbook page I just finished. Thomas' B-day party from last May.

The Elzinga Family Christmas Card

Merry Christmas everyone! I've noticed a lot of folks around the blogosphere posting their Christmas Cards online (brilliant!) so I decided to do it too! So, here it is, in all it's glory. (And yes, that's a shameless plug for our blog on the bottom! It's the best way for our family and friends to keep track of us... so I included it.)

Check This Out!

I found this neat little blog-tag online... [I am ashamed to admit this, but I googled "Blog Memes" in order to find a new one... I was tired of doing the same old surveys, and I couldn't think of what to blog about.]

You go to the site, you check the boxes next to states you've visited (or lived in!) and it gives you a map. I didn't realize how centrally located my states were until I did the map. I laughed, out loud, when mine finished loading. Seriously, how boring am I? At least in another few weeks I'll be able to add Connecticut and New York.

create your own personalized map of the USA

I TAG:

Brittney H.

Allanna C.

Brittanie C.

Emily J.

Mom

Lynlee McG.

Rachael L.

Lindsay C.

Cassie B.

and really, if I didn't tag you, and you want to, DO IT! It's fun! (I promise, if I didn't tag you, that I love you anyway. I just realized that I was tagging my entire blogroll, and the typing... it hurts mah preshus fing-ahs! [aka, I'm lazy])

New Weapon of Mass Adorable

Hammie would be a great secret weapon. Defeating terrorists through cute overload.

(p.s. I highly discourage poking around that website. They're yucky sometimes... I saw this picture somewhere else, and snagged it.)

This is what happens when you blog with a fever, read at your own risk.

I am sick... the creeping crud to be exact. It's evil, the creeping crud. You feel a little... meh. So you go about your day. You wake up the next morning with a dry scratchy throat. Meh. You go about your day. You come home feeling better, but still a little under the weather. You think you've pretty much beaten this silly little... whatever it is. So, you decide to take a nap to get your strength up for the evening. That's where it gets ya! The creeping crud is activated by REM sleep. You wake up a few hours later with a fever, the achies, and a bad attitude. The creeping crud is evil like that. So, you spend the next day in bed, and realize you haven't blogged. So here I am.

I started this post to talk about the glory that is the 2004 film version of Phantom of the Opera (and then got distracted by my creeping crud). Oh. My. Goodness. Can I say it enough? The Phantom is a hottie. I totally love this amazing piece of Andrew Lloyd Webber glory, but casting Gerard Butler as Phantom? Thank you. THANK. YOU. My very sweet, very loving hubbie set up the new (flatscreen! 19"!) moniter with the other computer tower (mine, not his) and tucked me into bed. Then, all of a sudden, Phantom of the Opera is on my computer screen. He's amazing that man... He proceeded to quickly exit the room (there were Orcs downstairs. [that sounds really scary when it's written out like that...]). I spent a few hours completely engrossed in the greatest piece of cinematic genius I've seen in years. Oh, Gerard Butler... you became Phantom in a way nobody else ever has for me. I spent the whole movie seeing only the Phantom... and not the actor. Kinda like when I watched Dark Knight and couldn't see Heath Ledger. (Don't yell at me for the comparison... I really was that engrossed. [don't blame it on the fever either]) I still couldn't get over the fact that Emmy Rossum was still in diapers while they filmed (I kid! I kid!) Honestly though, the fact that her mother almost wouldn't let her audition because its schedule conflicted with the family reunion! That makes me laugh. "No sweetie, you can't go play with Andrew Lloyd Webber today. We have a family reunion. He'll be there when we get back." It just makes me laugh. Thank you Joel Schumacher for convincing Mummy Dearest otherwise. Maybe it's the fever, but it just seems so funny to me... I'm rambling again.

I know I already twittered this, but I think that the Phantom is super sexy... Put the whole Gerard Butler thing to the side... that character in and of itself is hot. I present, for your consideration, a list of reasons for crushing on The Phantom of the Opera.

1. He does everything with flair.
2. While wearing a cape.
3. The man can fly through rigging.
4. While wearing a cape.
5. He doesn't speak... he sings.
6. He lives under an opera house!
7. He has his own lake.
8. He's hot... Physical disfigurement aside, the man exudes hottness.
9. He's got mad fashion skillz... with a z. Fo sho.
10. He's got panache, mad panache.
11. He's got Goth-style down pat... and he does it without coming off as creepy. This is a man who can rock an épée with a guard fashioned as a skull without coming off as a soul-sucking creeper who fancies calling himself "Ravensblood Deathbringer."
12. This is a man who would worship the ground you walk on.
13. Not to mention the fact that he's the reason Christine sings as well as she does in the first place, and he's the reason she's even starring in the opera at all.
14. He's a phantom! That's hot! (No, I did not sound like Paris Hilton when I said that.)

So... yes. I think I might just kick back with a hot cup of something resembling lemon and honey (non-alcoholic Hot Toddy? Yes please... AKA "Mrs. Freeman's Choir Cure") and watch Gerard Butler kiss someone young enough to be his daughter. (When you put it that way, it's more than a little creepy... and my mother-in-law almost didn't believe me when I told her that Emmy Rossum was 17 when they filmed the movie.) Again.

And I'm going to love every minute of it. ;-)

It's not stressful anymore... Now I get to bore you with it!

I had an awesome day. Blair-Dad and Thomas and I watched parts two and three of one of the greatest sci-fi trilogies of all time... and there was much rejoicing awesome. We also got some great news about the thing that I didn't mention yesterday. So, now that it is resolved, I will explain it to you.

Yesterday was a day of stress indeed. Thomas recieved an e-mail stating that he hadn't filled out his paperwork (now that the stress is over, the only way that sentence runs through my head is in the voice of Roz from "Monsters Inc." As in, "Wazowski! Did you file your paperwork?") and if he didn't do it soon, then he wouldn't have an internship. [insert sound of record stopping here: Sccrrrrrrrrrrrrreaaackkk!] Hold up a minute. We thought all the paperwork was done. He turned in everything they sent him. I know! I faxed it! TWICE!!! So, basically, we began to panic. He e-mailed and phoned everyone he could think of, and then eventually we got the stuff we needed. Turns out his BYU-I e-mail was blocking it!!!!!11! (this is where I was rocking back and forth in the corner, in the fetal position, huffing into a paper bag.) So, problem solved... in the nick of time. [edited to add: And then, they had the nerve to call him and tell him that all of the paperwork sent in online wasn't necessary!!!!!!!! Oh well... at least the bases were covered right? *headdesk*]

Onto our next dilemma: the joy of apartment hunting via internet and phone. Le sigh. At least we got it done. I got a phone call this morning (at 6:24am my time!) informing me that yes indeed-y, we did get the apartment. Hoorah! The leasing agent was such a sweetie as she proceeded to ask me for my many buckets of money, explaining that she was sending the lease via overnight fed-ex, and then may or may not have asked for my first child's left pinkie toe. But hey! At least we have a place to live! Ben or Mara (whoever comes first!) won't need his/her left pinkie toe... Right? Eh.. heh... heh.

So... mostly my stress has subsided (for the time being!) Now if only people would stop staring at the identical bald patches on either side of my head from all the hair pulling I've been doing... ;-)

Overdue Post: Camping at the Coast

(It's been a day. A loooooooong day. A very, very, very, long day. However, I'm sick and dang tired of whining about my Connecticut woes. SO! Instead of expressing how I really feel inside, I'm going to give you a long overdue pictures post. Be prepared for a lot of photos... and stories...)

A while ago, Thomas and I went to the Oregon Coast. I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet! To be honest, it wasn't until I saw this post over on Briggite's blog. SO! A long overdue post of our trip to the coast.

We got to the campsite at South Beach State Park, just outside of Newport, OR just after dark. For people who love camping, this was only the second time we'd gone camping in over two and a half years of marriage. This is only the second weekend in all of that time that we both had the whole weekend off. We're not workaholics, no... not at all!

As you can tell, I am very excited to be roasting marshmallows. You'll also be able to tell that there are no pictures of Thomas on this trip. I have no proof that he was there... because he's a camera hog he'd rather take pictures than be in them.

The next morning, we walked around Newport. This is the Newport Bridge. It's absolutely gorgeous. We came to Newport for our honeymoon... Even though we were married in February, we waited until the 4th of July weekend to take our honeymoon. We were set on camping at the coast. Unfortunately, we didn't think ahead to reserve a campsite until it was too late... so we ended up crashing in the last room available at a run-down motel. It was AWESOME! We spent the weekend doing silly touristy things, and then went to church at one of the wards on the coast on Sunday. It was wonderful. So, this weekend was kind of "in memory" of that one!

This picture was actually taken from the same pier as the one above it. These Sea Lions pretty much live right here on these docks. They're loud, and annoying, and wonderful. They're constantly bickering with each other. This particular group made me laugh. The one in the middle looked like it wanted to snuggle with someone, and the other two kept getting angry at it. Finally, it left and went to the dock just to the right of this picture. It was just funny... I love that I was able to catch them in action, barking as loud as could be.

And then I got to meet Johnny Depp... ;-)

And then, we went to a kite store that has been around for over twenty years. It's where my parents bought me my kite when I was a little girl... and it hasn't changed a bit! It was wonderful. Thomas bought me a new kite, and then I proceeded to break his while he was getting mine set up. I felt absolutely awful... and I might have done the "girl thing" and cried a little... Darn that delicate femininity of mine ;-)

This is my kite... it's beautiful... The tail does a really neat whirly-gig thingy. I'm really excited because when we live in Stamford, I plan on taking the kite to Central Park in NYC to fly it there. I've always wanted to fly a kite in Central Park! Then, this awesome kite will have flown on both coasts! :-)

So there you have it! That was our trip to the coast. I'm so excited that I get to live this close to the ocean again... even if only for a few months. It's just nice to be near family, and around all this beauty.