I'm Bringing Soda Back.

It's true, a Minnesota accent makes me giggle. And I'm slowly getting acquainted with the different expressions used here. One thing is very apparent: I have left the land of "soda" for the land of "pop". And as much as I hear it ordered at counters or called for in supermarkets, I can't bring myself to say it. I'm sticking with 31 years of using the term "soda"- soda machine, soda can, soda, soda, soda.

Some clever people put together a whole website addressing this great debate. Check it out and see what people favor in your neck of the woods! www.popvssoda.com And when I woke up the other day, Chris had left this article up on the computer for me to digest.

So what say YOU, Closetsongs followers? West coasters, east coasters, and midwesterners... Register your vote here!

POP or SODA?
(Or maybe you're the generic "coke" fan...)

The Dark Knight

or, in this case, the dark DWIGHT.
Enjoy yet ANOTHER spoof on The Office!

Bad Things.

1. The Happening. Chris and I went to see this movie last night and...oh-my-gosh. I think it was possibly the worst movie ever made, and Chris agrees. The premise is laughable. Because they feel threatened, trees and grass are releasing toxins that make people kill themselves. It was the greenest scare show I've ever seen...and both Chris and I found ourselves talking to our plants when we got home to make sure they aren't pissed off at us.

2. Spiders. I know, Christopher Lytle, that you will agree with me on this one. But even worse than spiders are spider BITES, which dot my leg at the moment. I'm off to the store soon to get some cortisone cream.

3. Tyra Banks. There is no t.v. programming bad enough that I would settle on watching her for one more minute. It's narcissism on parade.

4. Gas prices. Needs no explaination.

5. Going to the hairdresser and leaving looking like a wet dog. New hairstylist...did not listen to me when I said to mix up a little more color solution because I have a LOT of hair. Consequently, she had to return to the back room TWICE to mix up more. This caused her to run late, and she left my hair damp. Do you KNOW what happens to my hair when it's left damp? BAD THINGS!!!!!!

Bad things to add? Anyone?

It's June 19th!

And that is significant for a couple reasons...

First, it is my BFF's birthday! Beth Hutton is one of the most fabulous people I know. Go tell her I said that on her blog.

Secondly, it was exactly one-and-a-half years ago that Chris Stavenger popped into my life. How crazy, huh? EVERYTHING can change in a year-and-a-half!

I suppose that's all that's REALLY significant on today's calendar. But I'm personally excited about the haircut I have later today, and the fact that Chris is off of work for the day. OH, and one of my favorite bloggers is back from vacation and entertaining me with her posts once again! Check out Liana's blog for a good chuckle!

That's all for now. Ta ta.

Wait for it....Wait for it....

Just a little humor for you on this fine Wednesday afternoon.
The punchline is worth it.
And this is probably the only time you'll ever see Dane Cook this "clean".

Enjoy!

Move Over, Rachael Ray!

Hi, folks!
Well, with so much time on my hands (the job hunt continues...), I've taken to experimenting in the kitchen! This was not possible in my "previous" life. With Bible Studies, Band rehearsals, staff meetings, work events, my dinner routine usually involved a drive-thru. But, in the interest in sharpening my homemaking skills, I've been breaking in our new pots and pans. And I'm happy to report that I've moved beyond mac 'n cheese and simple pastas! Yes, I've been digging deep into my cookbooks and recipe box. Here are some of our favorite dishes so far!

*Fajita salad with creamy cilantro-lime dressing
*Basil chicken in coconut-curry sauce
*Apricot-sauced Pork Medallions
*Potato casserole (okay...this doesn't count as tricky, but it's a fave!)
*Turkey burgers with horseradish and cheddar cheese (Thanks, Phil and Roxeanne, for turning us on to this one!)
*Bacon and creamy ranch chicken burgers
*Italian mini meat loaves with mac 'n three cheeses
*and, of course, my "famous" guacamole!

Incidentally, we DO visit the gym on a regular basis! :)

What have you been cooking up lately?

Just a Reminder...

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. THEY ARE MADE NEW EVERY MORNING."
Lamentations 3:22-23

Enjoy this brand new day.

Why My Sunglasses are Seemingly Indestructible

Hi Friends!
I've never been one to wear expensive sunglasses. I'm certainly not a label whore, and aside from that, I have bad luck with keeping them in tact. By floating around in my purse, there are parts that fall off, lenses that get scratched, and so on. I consider them to be a "disposable" luxury. This is why I buy the cheapest pair possible.

A couple years ago, I purchased a pair of black sunglasses at a little sunglasses cart in The Grove (hollywood). It was one of those "buy two for $10", or something equally as appealing. Two years later, I still have this pair of sunglasses. (Note: the above picture is not my actual glasses. To see the aforementioned pair, look at practically any picture of mine.)

A few days ago, I was cleaning my indestructible glasses when I looked at them carefully for the first time. On the inside of the glasses is the word "Fortress". And barely still legible underneath it reads "Ps 18 2". A Bible Verse?? Is this one of those cool hidden verses of the In-N-Out Burger sort? I looked it up...

"The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and my Savior.
My God is my rock, in whom I will find protection.
He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold."

So there you have it.
My sunglasses have supernatural protection.

Crazy Cool

Thanks, Bobby, for getting me all choked up this early in the morning. At least I don't have to put on my mascara twice!

Seriously, I love this.
God is CHANGING PEOPLE!



I'll throw mine in...
Front: Felt like God was withholding blessings.
Back: More than I could ever ask or imagine.

:)

Days Like That Derserve an Encore.

This year is off to a good start thanks to the thoughtfulness of my husband and the MANY friends who left messages via phone, MySpace, facebook and text! Thank you!! I thought I'd give you a summary of how I spent my birthday. Unfortunately, every time I hopped in the car, my hand quickly found my forehead- I forgot to bring the camera along. :( Oh well. If you're missing my face that much, there's plenty of me to see here.

The buzz of my phone at midnight (a text from Steph) signaled that my birthday had commenced! That was soon followed by my husband singing a little birthday ditty in my ear early in the morning. I needed to get up, shower and wash my hair before church. But before I could get out of bed, Chris had tossed a crudely wrapped box in my lap (although, he wraps a whole lot better than my dad). I opened it up and found

the hairdryer I had asked for! This is exciting because it promises to dry my hair in HALF the time (and, did so successfully!).

After a slightly-less-than-exciting Sunday service at Chris' old church, he took me by Caribou Coffee (my new Starbucks) for a sweet treat. We BOTH enjoyed the new Snickers cooler!


This was the first weekend with decent (and by decent, I mean BEAUTIFUL) weather that we've had, so we cranked back the sunroof, turned up the music, and took a drive to Park Point. Just over the bridge is a five mile long sandbar that has a park at the end of it. It was fun sitting in our car, drinking coffee, and people-watching :)


We went home to open a few more gifts I had received, and then spent several hours sifting through 2,200 wedding photos on Pictage. If you haven't seen them, GO LOOK! They turned out amazing (thank you, Beth!)! We put our favorites in a folder, so if you only have time for the highlights, check it out! In the midst of that fun, Chris did the laundry, mowed the lawn and stained the deck!

For dinner, Chris took me to Bellisios Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar. It was WONDERFUL...the kind of place you dine only on special occasions ($$$). We both enjoyed some pasta and a bottle of California Riesling (only the best, right?!).


We entertained ourselves with a game of Rummykub when we got home...which Chris "let me win" because "it's my birthday." Isn't he a sweetheart. (Note the sarcasm)

Now, I'm off to do all the chores that I postponed because "it was my birthday."
Toodles!

Flirty Fun!

Happy Birthday to...ME!
Last year I had a hoopla of a celebration.
This year, well, I don't need to tell you how old I am.
(Though, if you're following along, it rhymes with the title of this post.)

I woke up with a husband this year for my birthday.
That's new!
And what a great gift.

It's necessary for me to give a shout-out to my birthday buddies, Bobby Marchessault and Becky Perry! Stop by their blogs and give them a virtual birthday hug :)

I'm off to start the day's festivities!
Have a beautiful June 8th!

Happily Ever After

...and it's all documented by the artful hands of Beth and Mike Hutton!
Beth posted a few pictures from our wedding on her blog,
but if you want to see the whole shebang, please visit www.pictage.com and sign into the guestbook!

Proof that God Loves His Children

Lately it's been storming and windy, chilly and gloomy.
I've been doing a lot of moping.
And the calls from CA saying "wow. That's too bad. It's 80 and breezy here!"...they don't help so much!

I found in a drawer yesterday a loaded Starbucks card that I had forgotten about.
If I'm going to have to endure "spring" in Duluth,
I might as well enjoy a free coffee!

:)
Happiness.

By The Way...

Yesterday Chris and I played volleyball outdoors.
I could see my breath.

Come on, Minnesota.
It's spring.

A Little Friday Inspiration For You.

Life equals risk-
just a reminder!


Enjoy your weekend, friends!

Summer Reading

Okay, okay...
It's definitely not summer yet. (I'm not so sure it's even spring here yet, but Chris gives me a dirty look when I say that.) BUT, being that I'm not yet employable by the great state of Minnesota, I have some* extra time on my hands. (That "some" refers to the minutes when I am not sifting through wedding gifts, writing thank-you notes, doing laundry or watching The People's Court.) I'm not usually a novel reader, but I thought I'd take a break from my typical Christian Inspirational choice to enjoy a no-brainer for entertainment purposes only. I picked up the following at the B&N a couple weeks ago:

and I finished it last week.
WOW. Not as no-brainer as I thought it would be...it's a challenge keeping up with the author's preference for flashbacks and such, but it sucked me in from the very beginning. With a weekend at the Stavenger's lake cabin, there was a lot of time to enjoy it. I thought I'd give another book by this author a try:

I've had the above novel for a week and have not made it past the first chapter. I don't know if it's because we've been busy with our Minnesota Wedding celebration, but it's doesn't have the same initial appeal. I give it a "meh" for now, but this may change.

I Interrupt This Endless Stream of Photo Documentation to Bring You...

my latest craving: Guacamole.

Last week I bought 5 avocados at the store.
I consumed one a day.
Today I bought five more.
Perhaps it's the California cuisine I'm missing?
Chipotle?
Friends eating with me AT Chipotle?
I dunno.
I don't make it fancy- I just throw in some lime juice and salt.
But with all my friends in Southern California,
someone must have an interesting twist I could try!

Here's your guacamole recipe forum...
What's YOUR favorite?

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

Here are a few of my favorite shots from our honeymoon. Enjoy!

Back in the Saddle Again!

Hi friends! Yep, I'm still alive! I had to dust off my old blogger program and get back in this game! I don't even know where to begin...there is so much to tell! I'll wait to post pictures of the wedding until we've got some professional shots to show you. If you can't wait to see some of the action, you can check out some pictures here, here, here, here, or on my facebook page.

Anyway, I think I'll attempt to quickly tackle the honeymoon, and then on to normal life in Minnesota! We spent 6 days in Victoria, British Columbia. It was a little chilly and rainy when we arrived, but cleared up by the end of the week. Our hotel was within walking distance from downtown Victoria and the wharf, so we did a lot of foot travel. Our room overlooked Fisherman's Wharf and the mouth of the harbor. It was fun watching the sea planes take off and land...not so fun listening to them at 7 in the morning, though.


Because Victoria doesn't demand a ton of sightseeing, we had lots of leisure time to explore. One of our favorite stops was the Sticky Wicket Pub, where we would play darts and pool before enjoying dinner on a couple different occasions.


Our evening walks led us right by the Parliament Building- it's gorgeous at night!

The weather was pretty yucky on our first day, so we didn't do much outside. However, there was a window of sunshine the next morning which we used to explore Butchart Gardens. It's a really spectacular arrangement of several gardens. Chris didn't find it particularly amazing ("they're just flowers..."), but he DID have the "best hamburger he's ever had" for lunch at the gardens. Best to go a little later in the year, when the roses are in bloom.


I think Chris would agree that the highlight of our week was our massage at the spa. It was the perfect finale to an already relaxing week. Since it was so sunny afterwards, we grabbed a coffee and lingered around the Parliament Building for some people-watching.

We ended our honeymoon back in the great state of Minnesota, where Chris' college roommate was married just a week after us! We stayed in Minneapolis a couple days for the occasion, and had fun re-living our ceremony from the attendee perspective (though, we'd argue, ours was much more interesting!). And at THIS party, we actually got to dance! :)


The celebration continues with our "Minnesota Reception" this weekend in Fargo. I'm sure I'll have more on that in the near future. Meanwhile, thank you for having me back on your screen...
please stay in touch!

Until I Get a Chance to BLOG....

Enjoy this video...
compliments of Bobby, who did an amazing job of putting this together for our wedding!

It's HERE!

And....if you're not "here", please check out Bobby's mogulus webpage for a live video broadcast of our wedding ceremony! If you can't be with us at 2:00 p.m on April 26th, the webcast will loop continuously for 72 hours. Please don't watch it continuously for 72 hours...that's just silly.

Click here for the webcast

Thanks for being a part of our special day.
I'll catch ya on the other side of singledom!

The Latest

Just to clarify a few things....

YES! I am excited about SATURDAY!
YES! I'm ready for the big day.
YES! I'm stoked about seeing friends and family!
NO, I'm not nervous.

And YES, we will be webcasting the wedding (if all goes well)! Thanks to Bobby and his Mogulus account. Check this site on Saturday for a link to the webcast. I know there will be lots of you tuning in...thanks for all the e-mails and interest!

Let's get this show on the ROAD!

World Wide Wedding

Hi all!
Okay, so Bobby got me thinking as he introduced the concept of mogulus on his blog; a live broadcast, his own t.v. channel of sorts. What if we were able to to bring the Stavenger/Petersen wedding to the world wide web for live viewing on April 26th?? Certainly an advantage for the geographically challenged, the question is, is there enough interest to broadcast it for you? (Bobby says the best feature may be the chatroom to the side of the broadcast...)

Would you tune in?

Just tryin' to bring the love to ya.

Dumb 'Ol Luck

My dad and I have been playing a lot of Backgammon recently.
Know the game?
I lose a lot, but it's not because I don't have skill.
I've got mad skillz.
He's just lucky.
Why can't I get double sixes every once in a while?
For all you that are UN-lucky, like me, I thought you would enjoy the following montage for inspiration.

Feeling lucky now?

It's April ALREADY?!

I'm not getting married.

April Fools.

That was a pathetic effort, I know. Obviously, my mind is elsewhere.

Last year I said I'd stop blogging.

This year...I'm trying hard just to keep up!

I'm quite disappointed when I tune into my RSS reader and I have no new entry.

However, it's just another task at the moment.

I promise I won't keep you hanging for long!

New pictures to come...SOON!

Many hugs to all~

Jamie