Snapshot #223: Old World Style Kitchen

January 28, 2011.  Draper, Utah.  I find designing kitchens thoroughly agreeable.  It's selling the design that I need some work on.  Here I thought the design would sell itself.

Snapshot #222: BYU Basketball vs. San Diego State

January 25, 2011.  Provo, Utah.  Dave waited in line for tickets at The Marriott Center for 3 hours today...all to get a green bracelet that will allow him to start waiting in line at 4:00 tomorrow for an 8:00 game.  While he was waiting in line he made this video which has already gotten over 1000 views on YouTube.  That's My Dave.

Snapshot #221: Asparagus

January 24, 2011.  Orem, Utah.  Eating healthy has become a more difficult task now that I put in so many hours at the office and spend little time at home.

Snapshot #220: Vitamin C

January 21, 2011.  Draper, Utah.  First week of work, already sick.

Snapshot #219: Jimmermania

January 19, 2011.  Provo, Utah.  Last evening Dave and I thoroughly enjoyed watching BYU Basketball outscore TCU.

Snapshot #218: Cabnetware

January 18, 2011.  Draper, Utah.  I have taken the plunge into kitchen design and started full-time work today at The Cabinet Gallery.  I will spend the next week or two immersing myself in Cabnetware and learning a new language in computer-aided drafting.

Snapshot #217: Henriksen Butler

January 17, 2011.  Salt Lake City, Utah.  I interviewed with Henriksen Butler today; office furniture dealer in the valley.  Fabulous office space--an old church, complete with stained glass windows intact.

Snapshot #216: Driving in a Blizzard

January 16, 2011.  Boise to Orem.  Does this look familiar?  I didn't drive straight from Boise to Orem today.  There was a stop in Hailey, Idaho for my cousin's mission homecoming. (no, not exactly on the way...but well worth the drive.)

Snapshot #215: Green Blobs Ruining My Travel Plans

January 15, 2011.  Northwestern region. Dave and I have been watching the weather closely since every time I've gone to Idaho, I seem to time my trips perfectly with incoming storms. Here's The Weather Channel's next storm front that should hit Sunday evening right when I'd like to be on the road. Dave thinks I should stay in Idaho until it blows over, but I have a ton of things to do on Tuesday!

Snapshot #214: Fulfilling Christmas Presents

January 14, 2011.  Meridian, ID, So my sister asked for the entire family to come work on her house as a Christmas present (we didn't give her coupons). So this weekend was the big week. We've got a ton of painting to do but at least we have some pretty colors all picked out!

Sbapshot #213: Dave records a sports webcast

January 13, 2011.  Provo, Utah.  Dave loves BYU sports and has been an active participant in on online forum called CougarCorner.com. A week ago, the site manager asked 3 others to join him to film the first in a series of webcasts to start generating content for the website. He left and recorded for about an hour or so from which may come one or more "shows". To listen to the webcast and learn a bit more about BYU sports, click here. (Quicktime player required)

Snapshot #212: Chicken Cordon Bleu

January 12, 2011.  Orem, Utah.  Baking some homemade chicken cordon bleu (Dave's favorite) for dinner with Dave's sister and her husband.  The recipe comes from this irresistible cookbook.

Snapshot #211: Adorable, Adoptable Parents

January 11, 2011.  Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork.  It's a lot of work trying to get approval to adopt a baby.  The crazy thing is that we willingly go through all this, knowing full well, that the birth mom could change her mind at any moment.  Still...the small chance that it is...makes it worth it.

Snapshot #210: Library of Ideas

January 10, 2011.  Orem, Utah.  Barnes & Noble does for me what the Casino does for the gambler...once I'm inside I completely lose track of what time it is, where I was headed, and sometimes what planet I'm on.  It is the idea catalog of the world.  It's an amazing place to get lost in...which I did today.  Sigh...now it's back to the real world.

Snapshot #209: Abravanel Hall

January 8, 2011.  Salt Lake City, Utah.  Thanks to Dave's sister (the former Operation's Manager for the Utah Symphony) we got tickets to Saturday night's performance at Abravanel Hall.  The concert was very unique, starting with Mozart's playful and buoyant Symphony No. 1, which he arranged at the mere age of 8; then Barber's Violin Concerto; and finishing with wild sounds from Adams Harmonielehre, evoking longing and pain.    

Before & After Snapshot #208: Lela's Furniture

January 7, 2011.  Kearns, Utah.  I am quite pleased with the results.  (the sofa is still waiting to receive a bullion skirt...however, I couldn't wait to share these pics)  In summary, First I had the wood finish on the sofa and (2) chairs painted by a local artist, to look like glazed maple.  Second, I had the sofa recovered in Mohair (ahhhh), with (2) overstuffed bench cushions (rather than 3), and removed the diamond tufting.  Thirdly, I had the (2) chairs recovered in a distressed palomino leather with a high-quality (Ralph Lauren) faux zebra hide on the outside back.  Seeing the finished product actually gives me goosebumps.

Snapshot #207: The Princess Bride

January 6, 2011.  Orem, Utah.  If you haven't yet read The Princess Bride from cover to cover I suggeset you stop reading this post now and come back to finish it after you have completed the task.  


I have spent the last two weeks abhorring William Goldman.  S. Morgenstern, I thought, was a literary genius...I needed to get my hands on the original work...why did this Goldman character think he was all that?  Every one of his commentaries throughout the book, The Princess Bride, were entirely painful.  He was such a jerk (and Dave heard about it too...my audible frustrations throughout the reading).  Goldman was dishonorable, a jerk to his wife, a jerk to his child...didn't he get that his son didn't want a book....he wanted a father?!  And who is this Goldman fellow anyway...thinking he can take someone else's work and put his name on it?  Oh, the entire thing truly bothered me.  Of course he's being sued!  Look how big his name is on the cover of this book?  Can you even see Morgenstern's name?  The real genius?  Sure I had other thoughts throughout the reading. How in the world was this book translated into English?  The text is perfectly poetic in the English language...the text had to have changed significantly to achieve this...not to mention all the rhymes.  He went to visit Florin?  But I thought Florin was a make-believe place?  He saw the cliffs of insanity...the fire swamp?  Wait here just a minute...


Thanks to google and Wikipedia all my quandaries have been put to rest.  When I read this passage, needless to say I was dumbstruck.  Could it be?  But of course!  But how?  After going on for so long  believing one thing...it's quite difficult to accept a parallel reality.  Goldman is not an idiot...he's a genius!  


I'm quite interested in hearing other's thoughts on this book.  Have you read it cover to cover?  Was your experience similar to mine?  Or am I the only one who got taken for the story within a story within a story...   

Snapshot #206: Health & Strength

January 5, 2011.  Orem, Utah.  I find this article about body image to be compelling...the readers' comments also captivating.  I certainly struggle in my attempts toward attaining the perfect balance of body and life, and cycle through periods of self-deprivation or excess.  I can safely deduce that I am the most pleased when I reveal strength.  Strength of mind, strength of body, strength of choice--including the strength to choose certain indulgences, and be absolutely pleased with my choice.  A resolution I have for 2011 is to reveal my strengths.

Snapshot #205: Muslim Women

January 4, 2011.  Orem, Utah.  I've been reading; learning as much as possible about Islam.  If we find a way for me to go with Dave to Jordan in the spring, I want to be ready.

Snapshot #204: Hope For Things Which Are Not Seen

January 3, 2011.  Thanksgiving Point, Utah.  The only thing I can do is put my trust in the Lord, and then place my life in His hands.  To do anything more or less would be foolish.

Snapshot #203: Reflections of Christ

January 2, 2011.  Orem, Utah.  I believe there comes a moment every Christmas season when the veil may be parted slightly and a direct connection with my Savior may be made.  This season it was when I was watching Mark Mabry's Reflections of Christ Video.  Absolutely Stunning.  When I saw this picture of the baptism, and Jesus' glorious smile, I was overcome by a feeling of recognition; wait...I know you.

Snapshot #202: Christmas Mantle

 January 1, 2011.  South Jordan, Utah.  A relaxing holiday with the Woods on New Years Day means great food and lots of football.