Blogs Combined!

I have now moved permanently to Historically Romantic. It will become my personal blog. Please change your links. I'll keep this one up for a while, however.

Thanks and I hope to see you over there!

Combining Blogs

Two is one too many. I will be consolidating my blogs into one soon. Historically Romantic and Caterpillar to a Butterfly will be one as I explore history and try to remember to chronicle my own life in one way or another.

Stay tuned...

Update.

Since Jeff and I have been absolutely horrible at chronicling our lives through photographs lately, here's one of the few from our honeymoon. I wish I could say we had one from Christmas, but I can't. :(

But here's our update.

Jeffrey and I were married on November 21 and went on a fabulous cruise to the Mexican Riviera for our honeymoon. Everything went wonderfully well, except for a minor incident with a jellyfish. I experimented with many different kinds of food and, a friend observed when I couldn't stomach the cheap shrimp I bought for the Christmas party at work, my taste buds are much more expensive now.

The Christmas season came too quickly and ended too soon, but it was an enjoyable one. We had a great time with family and friends. Maybe our family or friends has pictures of us from Christmas time? (Please?)

Now Jeff and I are ready for 2010. Recently, we moved into our apartment--just today we finished unpacking and went grocery shopping for the first time. It's certainly a great feeling to feel like we're at home.

The blog address may be changing, so keep your Google reader active. I will try to update more often.

Have a Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wedding Plans

They really are underway. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. Here are my wedding colors to prove it.

An update

I need to update about a lot of things. I just bought Adobe and am so excited to use it, so look forward to a renovation to the site soon. As far as news goes, Jeff proposed on September 4, I am still loving my job, and am looking forward to teaching on Tuesday. Crazy! I hope I'm ready.

With all these dreams coming true, I feel like I don't deserve it. Life in the past year has been rather difficult for me, and it's hard to believe that things are going well. Is that strange for me to say? I love life, always have, but I am just beginning to recognize the need for contentment. No matter what happens, if I am feeling blessed or cursed, this is my life and I only get to live it once.

After 7 years

On November 21, I will marry my best friend.

New favorite artist

Not only is the early 1900s my favorite time period, but I'm discovering that the late 1800s and early 1900s are my favorite artistic period.

Impressionism. Creativity. Interesting images. Thanks to Old Paint, I have found another favorite artist. Arthur Rackham painted scenes from a variety of mythological/children's stories. The above painting is titled "Undancey Fairy.

Graduation

I cannot believe it. Not at all.

Four years ago, even four months ago I would have given anything for this moment, and now it doesn't seem real.

I had a lot of dreams last night about past school days, especially past school friends. Even friends from elementary school in Utah. My sub-conscious obviously grasps more of what is going on than I do.

I am graduating today.

Nope, still can't grasp it.

Mary

As mentioned before, Jeffrey and I went to Europe. While there, we were asked to research a variety of topics, some of which we got to choose for ourselves. I chose to do a report on the Virgin Mary. It was a ridiculously broad topic, which overwhelmed me when I began to study the art in Europe. The Virgin Mary was the topic for millions of paintings and took up most of the museums, especially from medieval ages to renaissance. Here is my finished product.

question

So, I just started taking accutane last week, and have started doing some research, which I should have done before I started taking it. I found that it has a million scary side effects, and am seriously considering stopping the medicine. I need your opinion. Does the result outweigh the possible side effects? It's supposed to cure acne now and later. Take a look at the symptoms and tell me what you think.

Oh, and happy Fourth of July!

Green

I've been thinking about going green for a while, but have been very uninformed about it. All I've noticed is that green products tend to be more expensive than regular cleaners. I was reading on WebMD.com today, one of my new favorite past times, and found this article about green cleaning products.

Did you know that combining chlorine bleach with toilet bowl cleaner can produce a poisonous gas? Since green cleaners are more expensive, the article provided some great insight in cleaning products that are safe and effective:

Some people may choose to make their own cleaning products. It's surprisingly easy, cheap, and for most ordinary household jobs, do-it-yourself cleaning products can be as effective as anything you'd buy at the store. It’s easy, inexpensive, and for most ordinary household jobs, do-it-yourself cleaning products can be as just as effective.

General Non-toxic Solutions:

• Use a reusable microfiber cloth to dust -- it picks up dust particles without needing any chemical help.
• White distilled vinegar can be used to clean windows; kill mold and mildew; get rid of soap scum; and sanitize kitchen counters and cutting boards.
• Use baking soda and a few drops of soap to scour kitchen counters and bathtubs. For tough stains, use borax.
• For fresh scents, use lemons or essential oils like lavender.

Try these recipes for homemade cleaners:

Household Cleaner	Instructions
All-Purpose Disinfecting Cleaner	2 cups water (preferably distilled water) 1 1/2 to 3 tsp. liquid castille soap 1 tsp. tea tree oil Mix ingredients above to store and keep. Add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to give it a pleasing scent.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner	1 cup borax Pour into toilet bowl before going to bed. In the morning, scrub and flush.
Rust Remover	1 lime Salt Sprinkle a little salt on the rust. Squeeze a lime over the salt until it is well soaked. Let the mixture set for two to three hours. Use the leftover rind to scrub the residue.
Glass Cleaner	1/4 cup white distilled vinegar 1 quart warm water Mix ingredients above. Pour into a spray bottle or apply with a sponge. For lint-free results, wipe dry with crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels. Buff to a shine.

Photos from Europe

Waiting in the airport.

I have not added anything from Jeff and my trip on the Humanities Tour at BYU-Idaho. Here are a few:Big Ben.

Lighting a candle for St. Thomas Beckett (Canterbury).
Versailles!

One of my favorites. Jeff drawing at a Monastery Garden in Canterbury.

some healthy fries

I was reading on WebMD.com about the healthiest french fries. The results were surprising:

Best:
1. Sonic regular fry
2. McDonald's small fry

Worst:
1. Carl's Jr. natural cut fry
2. Jack in the Box natural cut fry

The article also had an amazingly delicious recipe for healthier french fries. They are extremely easy and very tasty. I made these twice yesterday. Once for dinner and then again for playing games with my family, Halie, Brett, and Jeff. The second time, they were better because I used less oil and let them get a little more crispy.

*I suggest adding pepper to the mixture in the bag. The fries needed a little extra spice.

Parsley-Parmesan Oven French Fries

Ingredients:

4 medium (or 3 large) unpeeled russet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (canola oil can be substituted)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a nonstick jellyroll pan with canola oil cooking spray.
2. In large zip-top plastic bag, combine potatoes with olive oil and salt; seal bag and toss to coat potatoes well.
3. Arrange potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine Parmesan cheese and parsley. When fries are light brown, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese mixture over the top and bake about 5 minutes more. Remove pan from oven; let cool for 2 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members: Journal as: 3/4 cup starchy foods with 1 tsp fat

Nutritional Information: Per serving: 287 calories, 9 g protein, 50 g carbohydrates, 6.1 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 406 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 19%.

"Now or Never"

I have been going back and forth about this show for the last season or so. Sometimes I love it, other times I just want to strangle Shonda Rhimes and anyone else responsible for ruining what once was the best show on television.

The season finale was almost completely redemptive for me, and after reading another blog about Grey's, I've discovered why. Since I can't put it into words, I'll let that blog do it for me:

"I wish I was able to go into this one pristine, but I wasn't, and I still liked a lot of it. During those fallow periods in the middle of the last few seasons, people kept asking me why I was still watching and/or blogging about "Grey's Anatomy." This last batch of episodes is why. This show is a free-swinging power hitter. When it swings and misses, it looks horrendous. But when it connects with the pitch it wants, all you can do is sit back and admire it."

That's it! "When it swings and misses, it looks horrendous. But when it connects with the pitch it wants, all you can do is sit back and admire it."

I will now remove my hypothetical fingers from Shonda Rhimes neck, and sit back and admire her work.

London!

We're in London right now. I'll update more later tonight. We're going to the British Museum right now.

Yesterday:

Arrived.
Spoke Spanish to help Hostel staff.
Ate at the Shakespeare (fish and chips).
Went to Wicked!

Europe, here we come!

Jeffrey and I are joining the Europe tour, and will be leaving today at 10:30! I am so excited, and plan to update my blog as often as possible with updates of where I am and what I'm doing. We'll see how it goes. 

Here's the itinerary:

London

Canterbury

Amiens

Paris

Rome

Siena

Florence

Salzburg

Vienna

Munich

PS~ Congratulations, Brad. The reading was awesome.

12, 605 views

Explosions

My YouTube video has:

12, 605 views

4 1/2 stars

70 favorites

5 site links--including a link on the band's MySpace page! Who would have thought?

I'm just a little wowed right now.

what makes me happy

after a more than stressful week, i think the best thing to do is remind myself what makes me happy:

Happy, maybe... peace, yes.


my dear jeffrey, who despite the craziness stress brings can still make me laugh.

It's sinful how much chocolate I've eaten lately...

I will add soon.

Right now, Jeffrey is coming to take me for a relaxing day of movies, food, and movies. Another thing to be grateful for.

happy birthday, camie -- it works now.

Jeff and I have been working on the Farnworth DVDs and came across this cute clip. I thought it was fitting.

Happy Birthday!

Sorry, I had the YouTube video set to private, and then realized it wouldn't work on my blog. Try it again. It should work.

job portfolio

I realized today that I have not updated with my job portfolio website.

Anyone who wants to see what I have been up to academically and professionally. I designed the HTML, graphics, and content for the entire site.

http://www.lindsayhymas.webs.com