Decorating....

I hate moving, but I LOVE the idea or decorating a new space. However, I always get frustrated, because with decorating often come $$$$, which we don't have, especially after the expensive move to NYC we will even have less, hard for me to imagine. However, I can still dream which I do a lot of these days. I have a hard time thinking about anything else besides all the things I am going to do to my apartment when I get there. No, we have not found THE apartment yet, but we found one we want and so Pat got really excited. He used this program called Sketchup from Google, which can create 3D models. He created a model of the apartment we want, so we will know where to put everything when we get there. However we found out through this that we will have to sell almost all our stuff because it simply wont fit in the 650 sq/ft apartment...oh the joys of NYC.

So below of the items I REALLY REALLY REALLY want in our new apartment, no matter which one we get....

Wall paper similar to this

This 5ft mirror to rest horizontally against the wall...

This night stand (the sad thing is I dont even think we will have room for this).

I MUST have a ladder, so that means I have to have really high bookshelves. But I dont know how this works. Is it just decoration or can you actually use it. If it isnt attached to something on the top, wouldn't it just fall over? I how I want a functional ladder....

I am going to make this coat rack. So cute.

Harlem Apartment Search

So Pat went to go look at another apartment in Harlem today. We really like this area because we are familiar with it, as it is where we lived last summer, most of our friends live there, and it is convenient to get to Mid Town. He view a really nice apartment that is a HUGE one bedroom (800 sq feet—Huge in NYC terms), has a dishwasher, kitchen island, granite, new, all updated, doorman, workout room, nice laundry facilities, allows dogs (this is my new thing, I really want a dog), AC, Elevator, and just about EVERYTHING you could ever want. We thought the only problem with this place is that it is not available until June 1st; however, when Pat was walking home about a block away he saw a big commotion. There were police all around, a helicopter flying really low over head, and a crowd of people.

This is the picture he just sent me from his phone. I don't know much, but from what I gather from the picture it seems as though someone got shot! You can see the bullet whole in the backseat window and the blood on the ground! GROSS!!!

For heavens sake! Maybe we should take this as a sign and not get this apartment! But I guess this is just what comes from living in Harlem.

Touching Strangers

I came across the photograph project and I absolutely love the idea: Having complete strangers pose together as if they are family. The photographs make me laugh, knowing that these people have absolutely no connection to one another. I love the awkwardness!

"A chasm between. An awkward lean. Arms draped around shoulders… loosely.

While most photographers sweat to make their subjects appear casual, their camera invisible, Richard Renaldi went another way.

He approaches strangers of all walks of life, and he asks them to touch each other.

Viewing the photos without knowing his setup, one can’t quite guess why they’re wrong or what’s going on, but there’s an inescapable mystery to them. In a country where physical touch is taboo, his project is daring".—Photojojo

Here are some of his photographs.

The apartment search is ON!

Yes, that is right...the apartment search is on and HAS been on for a few weeks now. Patrick left this past Monday for a whole 10 DAYS* to go back to New York and find an apartment for us.

The days are super exhausting for him as we have had him booked everyday all day looking at apartments. The week started off super frustrating trying to find something in our price range that has a bedroom that will fit our king-size bed and has laundry in the building. Coming from the West Coast it seems that these things should be GIVEN, however, it is a whole different ball game in New York City. However, since then we have had some luck finding a few apartments that will hopefully work out so we can finally start our "Real People Lives."

(*Note—this is by far the longest time we have ever been apart. Our record before this was 3 days and that was super hard. Thank goodness for free mobile-to-mobile and video chat).

Best Book Ever: Book of Mormon

So the other day I was looking for a synopsis of "The Book Theif" and I came across this website page. I am always looking for a good read so I was led to the title "Best Books Ever" followed by pictures of different book covers. I was surprised to see "The Book of Mormon" listed as one of the top 5 best books ever.

But then I thought to myself...

Me: "Why am I surprised? What is the only book that I have read several times?"
Answer: The Book of Mormon
Me: "What book can I read over and over again and always find something new and life changing?"
Answer: The Book of Mormon
Me: "What book has life altering power within each page?"
Answer: The Book of Mormon
Me: "What book do I read everyday because it makes everything in my life change from better to best?"
Answer: The Book of Mormon
Me: "What book comforts me when sad, scared, confused, worried or stressed?"
Answer: The Book of Mormon
Me: "What book has sculpted me into the person I am today and helps me become the person I want to be tomorrow?"
Answer: The Book of Mormon
Me: "What book provides a sure witness that Jesus is the Christ?"
Answer: The Book of Mormon

Yeah...The Book of Mormon is a pretty awesome book.

If you want a free copy of the BEST BOOK EVER...go here.

Book Review: The Book Theif

Do you know what the best moments of the past couple of weeks have been? Heading to bed early with my hubby and reading together for a good hour. Him reading his book and me reading mine. It doesn't get much better than that.

I feel like I have been doing nothing but working recently; however, with these night escapades I managed to finish this book—and boy was it good.

Synopsis:
"Zusak has created a work that deserves the attention of sophisticated teen and adult readers. Death himself narrates the World War II-era story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken, at age nine, to live in Molching, Germany, with a foster family in a working-class neighborhood of tough kids, acid-tongued mothers, and loving fathers who earn their living by the work of their hands. The child arrives having just stolen her first book–although she has not yet learned how to read–and her foster father uses it, The Gravediggers Handbook, to lull her to sleep when she’s roused by regular nightmares about her younger brothers death. Across the ensuing years of the late 1930s and into the 1940s, Liesel collects more stolen books as well as a peculiar set of friends: the boy Rudy, the Jewish refugee Max, the mayor’s reclusive wife (who has a whole library from which she allows Liesel to steal), and especially her foster parents. Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward. Death is not a sentimental storyteller, but he does attend to an array of satisfying details, giving Liesel’s story all the nuances of chance, folly, and fulfilled expectation that it deserves. An extraordinary narrative.–Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA"

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. www.amazon.com

Review
I cannot say enough good things about this book. I know of many books written about the holocaust; however, I have never heard of a book written from this angle before. You see the holocaust from a different point of view—one that I personally have never even thought about. Every page is filled with such vivid imagery and poetic language, that I felt I was reading art. I do not think I have ever read a book that is so beautifully written. I fell in love with all the characters, even Death himself. Although this book is categorized as a young adult book, it did not have that feeling. It was a long book, but had so many elements and stories to keep my need for constant entertainment well fed.

Ladders anyone?

{by Patrick}

My parents recently remodeled their house so they had a lot of extra working materials laying around. My dad wanted Pat to sell these ladders on craigslist. I found this picture on my desktop and just really like it—don't ask why.

Coloring Easter Eggs

I wish I had more time to devote to coloring Easter Eggs because I remembered this Easter how fun it is.

My sister, Kim, and her family came down from Sacramento for Spring break.

It was fun to play with the kids and being able to do all the fun traditions that come along with kids and Easter.

Another Reason to get an iPhone

I have a confession...I do not have an iPhone and had no desire to get one until I saw this app—Hipstamatic. {You all probably know all about it, but just in case, I want to share it with you so YOU can enjoy it while I sit and cry with my old ordinary phone that you just TALK on}

The Hipstamatic iPhone application brings back the look, feel, unpredictable beauty, and fun of plastic toy cameras from the past. With a swipe of the finger you can change your lens, flash, or film; so can mix and match to find your favorite combination.

The iPhone is coming to Verizon this summer and of course Pat has plans to buy one ASAP. I had no problem with this until now. I think I should be the one to get it.

Some photos below of different effects you can get:

For those cool people with the iPhone, the app is only 1.99! You can also go here where they took a picture with all the possible combinations and figure out how you can do it.