All You Need Is Love

December Projects: The Backyard

2011-12-31T10:26:00.001-07:00

In anticipation of our big holiday party, we realized our backyard could also use a little help. Remember that freak snow we got at the beginning of 2011? Not only did the freeze claim some of our plants, but our photos of the falling snow also show the demise of our grass (notice the patches on the left and right):

Even here, I'm so happy to be playing in the snow, but our grass is so very sad.

By spring we basically had little dirt and weed patches (and way overgrown rosemary).

Eeek!

So in December we took a referral from one of my coworkers and had a crew come in to till, regrade and place down new sod! (Not to mention some general upkeep for the front and backyards - yipee!) Here's a span of the new backyard from left to right:

Ahhh, grass! I feel like I took it for granted while living in California, but it's so precious and rare here in the desert that I feel like the luckiest girl ever! I'm off to go walk outside barefoot again! ;)

December Projects: The Entry Light

2011-12-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

As part of the original Southwesty decor, we inherited this turquoise stunner in our entryway:

It was our last of the green lights to come down. Here's a close-up of the sponge painted turquoise goodness:

The light fixture itself was actually really well made and very heavy, just not our cup of tea. Max Herculesed it down from the 18 foot ladder.

The ladder base, by the way, was wider than our entry steps. Max had to be creative to make the ladder work. Looking back, I don't know how I let him do this. In my defense, it was midnight, I was tired and he had the whole I have a Ph.D. in engineering thing going for him so I figured he had to know better than me.

Up went the new light.

And here it is with our holiday kissing ball. It's not our forever light (we have our eye on some beautiful coral chandeliers), but for the foreseeable future, it makes us happy. Bonus points that we are (finally) officially turquoise light free!

December Projects: Tackling the Turquoise

2011-12-30T11:32:00.011-07:00

Next after the baseboards, we had the goal of de-turquoiseing the lighting in the house. We inherited tons of southwest inspired green light fixtures like our first dining room chandelier:

Which we had already replaced with this crystal one:

But some of our downstairs lights are on high, high ceilings so we took a Saturday to head to Home Depot and rent an 18 foot ladder to get to them. Have you seen an 18 foot ladder? They are ridiculously long and heavy. We took it home on top of Pepper.

I felt a bit crazy.

Maneuvering this huge ladder was interesting! I don't know how we got it off Pepper - I completely thought my end was going to fall on me. Max did a great job moving it around once we got it in the house, but there were some close calls with it fitting in some of the spaces:

I actually didn't snap a photo of our turquoise fan before Max took it down, but here he is, 18 foot ladder in place, taking down the long fan pole.

We couldn't find another pole long enough to replace the turquoise one so we decided to spray paint it and just put it back up.

We used an Oil Rubbed Bronze color.

Here's the pole after it dried, back up and installed with the new fan base. Perfect color match!

Hi, new fan!

December Projects: Baseboards

2011-12-30T10:56:00.001-07:00

Back in November, I volunteered to host my school's staff holiday party. At the time, our house looked something like this:

We were stumbling through installing baseboards and I figured that having a set date would help us kick our butts into gear and get the house looking presentable. Max (assisted by his miter saw, trusty air compressor and nail gun) cut and put up all the boards.

Then I went back and finished them all. This was the project where I finally took to heart the term sweat equity. There were hundreds of feet of baseboards to tape, caulk and paint.

Luckily I had my cute (but not really functional) Lowe's handy belt to keep me smiling!

Boatloads of Cuteness

2011-11-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

Our class t-shirts came in today! We have six different first grade classrooms at my school (Yes, six! There are a lot of us!) so we all chose a different color. My class has yellow so we'll be the sun-shiniest of them all : ) Anyway, one of my teammates found this super cute idea: We all started with a grid on a piece of paper, and each child in our class drew their own self portrait. The t-shirt company printed exactly what we gave them and ta-daaa!

The kids were amazed. "How did my picture get on there?" "How did they know my name?" I reminded them that we made the pictures. "But we made them in pencil!"

Here's a close up. I love how each portrait is so unique!

I just love my firsties! We'll be donning these for our first field trip which is on Monday! Wish us luck!

Everything's Bigger In Texas

2011-11-16T16:37:00.001-07:00

Have I mentioned before how much I love Texas? It's true that everything's bigger there. The first time I visited Dallas I was astounded by the massive expanses of grass in every front yard. I'd never seen so much grass! Everyone is also extremely nice (you can't not be when you start sentences with y'all!).

This past weekend Max and I flew to Austin for a wedding and as we were touching down, the man next to me pointed out the capitol building, which is of course taller than the nation's capitol building (you know - everything's bigger...). I also just love the Texan state spirit. The state outline is everywhere, as is the state star. I found this one at our hotel:

And this guy was inside the lobby - to me it just screams Texas!

Before the wedding we got a mini photo shoot in... gotta love those camera timers ; )

I love this Texan the best! ; )

And then it was off to beautiful Lakeway! Max's buddy from high school was marrying his sweet Texas bride. The ceremony was just lovely - outdoors with lots of trees and gorgeous chandeliers! The couple incorporated a new tradition during the ceremony of locking up love letters to each other with a bottle of wine and two goblets and agreeing not to open the box until their tenth anniversary. I had thought the officiant was going to say first - open this on your first anniversary. But no, the tenth. I whispered to Max that we will have nothing to open on our tenth anniversary! Sigh.

Going along with the everything's bigger theme, there was a 15 piece brass band at the reception! So much fun!

I wore a dress gifted from my sister for my birthday - thanks, Lindsey!

I just loooved the bride's hair!

She had an outfit change, too! So clever! This is a photo I snapped of her with the groom's high school friends.

Yes, they're all boys. Max went to an amazing all-boys private school and in fact one of the "boys" in the picture was one of their instructors who holds a Ph.D. in something like Astrophysics (yes, teaching high school with advanced degrees is kind of the norm there - I did say that the school was amazing).

Before heading back to Scottsdale we brunched with Max's newly engaged aunt and her soon-to-be hubby! They took us to a fun spot that served neat dishes like like carrot cake french toast, yum!

Then it was back to Scottsdale. Luckily TSA let us through security with our wedding favors - we each had a cupcake-in-a-jar!

Texas, we'll see you again soon!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-11-16T05:32:00.001-07:00

I'm loving that we received the invitation for Max's holiday work party and it's a Monte Carlo theme! My husband in a tuxedo? Yes, please!

I'm loving that Safeway is carrying Starbucks brand hot chocolate! I wanted to purchase all the different flavors, but I thought that was ridiculous, so I just took home two. That's normal, right?

I'm loving that this Friday is Wear Your Favorite Jersey To School Day. I'll be sporting my Frank Gore 49ers jersey of course. And while I wish they'd broadcast more 49ers games out here in Arizona, I'm still loving that they're 8-1. Yes, 8-1! After years of those Be a 49er Faithful! commercials (i.e. they were losing, losing, losing), they're finally on a winning streak!

Finally I'm loving my lovey of four years now! This was the first photo we ever snapped together : )

What are you loving this Wonderful Wednesday? Link up here!

November 14th, 2007

2011-11-14T05:50:00.001-07:00

Exactly four years ago today, on a blind match.com date at a little sushi restaurant in California, I met the future love of my life, and the kindest, most generous and hands down most intelligent man I know. Luckily something inside me always knew my future husband would be ridiculously smart, so I was able to hide my shock when this new person told me things like Oh yeah, and I teach my own graduate level course at Stanford.

Exactly one year from that day, on November 14th, 2008, this same man proposed. We both always assumed that we would date our future spouse for some years before committing to something lifelong like marriage, however just a few months into dating it was clear that this was it.

Max, you have given me more excitement and adventure than I could have ever even imagined,

...more support than I could have ever hoped,

...and more love than I could have ever wished.

Thank you for a marriage even better than my dreams!

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers and Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes

2011-11-06T09:24:00.002-07:00

When my sister was out last weekend we made my very favorite chicken dish - a lovely recipe I tore out of Cooking Light in January of this year. The combination of the fennel seed, rosemary, balsamic vinegar and peppers gives it so much flavor and depth!

Here's what you'll need...

For the chicken and topping:

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

Cooking spray

2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper

1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

For the potatoes:

1 1/2 pounds cubed Yukon golden potatoes

1/3 cup 2 percent milk

3 Tablespoons mascarpone cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

*I double the amount of seasoning for the spice rub on the chicken and add way more rosemary since we have the huge bush of it in the back yard (seriously - if anyone wants rosemary just let me know ; ) I also put lots more mascarpone into the potatoes.

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Peel and cut potatoes into chunks, cover with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil (since I use yellow or white potatoes often I just leave the skin on). Simmer for fifteen minutes or until tender (I leave mine on longer).

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Ass 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over and cook one minute.

4. Arrange browned chicken in an 11X7 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cook at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until done (mine always take longer).

5. Heat remaining oil over medium high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots and rosemary; sauté three minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat; simmer five minutes. Increase heat to medium high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook three minutes, stirring frequently.

6. Drain potatoes and return to pan. It's helpful to have a fun sister assisting (and the World Series on in the background). Add milk, mascarpone cheese and salt. Mash to desired consistency.

7. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken on a bed of the mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

The Heart of Texas

2011-11-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

I spied this painting pinned on my sister-in-law's Pinterest page and thought it would make a sweet housewarming gift (she recently moved into her first post-college place!).

I then realized that I could easily make something similar myself! I mixed a bright green (her accent color for her yellow room) for the background and changed the heart to red. Here's hoping it brings a little Texas cheer to Boston!

Sister Weekend

2011-10-31T08:39:00.002-07:00

My sister Lindsey flew in from California for a weekend stay! We were able to shop, get mani pedis, watch a movie in our home theatre, and hit up Happy Hour at my favorite place - The Herb Box! We started off the weekend with a hike to Pinnacle Peak which is right by our house (and yet it was my first time ever hiking it!).

We tried to locate our house on the hike but couldn't quite spot it.

Always thinking of teaching, I had to snap a photo with the Saguaro cactus sign : )

It shows that the saguaros don't start growing their arms until they are 60-100 years old! We learn about the desert in the springtime so I'll definitely keep these photos for then : )

We also had our second meal at our dining table!

And Max fascinated my sister with the new iPhone 4s.

There's a "personal assistant application" called Siri that uses your voice to search and answer questions like "Why is the sky blue?"

She'll also answer when you say to call or text someone, or just when you say "I love you."

Max also let Lindsey take Pepper for a spin : )

We spent our last day having a pool day!

Hurry back soon, sister!

Snow Before Halloween!

2011-10-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

Max's sister Meredith texted us this photo of Boston:

Yep, that was after about three hours of snow. Snow before Halloween! my sister-in-law said : )

We felt a little guilty as, while it was snowing in Boston, this is what we were doing in Scottsdale : )

The water is a bit chilly but since it's still in the mid to high 80's (and oh-so sunny) we went for it : )

Room 127's Body Party!

2011-10-30T13:46:00.001-07:00

Last week was Fall Conference Week and we ended the week with our Body Systems Party! The Body Unit is strategically placed at the end of October since we technically can't have a Halloween Party ; )

My firsties made skeletons from pasta:

Graphed bone candies:

Played Body Bingo and the game Operation:

Made eyeball headbands (this one was also embellished with the message This is the best day ever.):

Made mummy frames with their cute little photos and Boo! glasses:

And decorated cookies to represent the different parts of our digestive system (the Twizzler is the esophagus and the m&m is the stomach):

My kids pointed out that I was "twinsies" with one of the other first grade teachers : )

I just LOVE being a first grade teacher! : )

Birthday Weekend : )

2011-10-23T16:08:00.002-07:00

My birthday fell on a Saturday this year (it's so nice when this happens!). My sweet first grade teammates started me off on Friday morning with Starbucks and birthday goodies - what a treat! They even sang to me at lunch! At the end of the day, my room moms came in with a "Happy Birthday Mrs. Klein" cupcake cake and a card signed by all the kids in my class (they had gone around at lunch one day having them all sign it - sooo thoughtful!). Five moms came in to join the celebration and one snapped this photo of me opening the class gift (a wallet stuffed with gift cards - what a spoiled teacher I am!).

That night Max took me out to my favorite birthday meal - fondue!

He surprised me before dinner with the iPhone 4s! He had been hiding it for a whole week!

We've gone out for fondue on my birthday for the past four years now - here we are ready to cook our main course Bourguignonne style (yes, in hot oil - birthdays are no time to skimp on calories).

And a fondu meal can't be complete without chocolate fondue at the end ; )

On Saturday we went gift certificate shopping and I picked out this big Le Creuset dutch oven! I'm super excited to cook up yummy stews once the weather gets chilly (the 98 degree high on my birthday was so not chilly).

We also headed out for pancakes - these Lemon Ricotta pancakes from Wildflower Bakery are tied for number one on my list with the Red Velvet pancakes from the Herb Box. Both are delish!

Max also surprised me with tickets to see... Taylor Swift! I adore her! I donned cowboy boots for the occasion.

She played for two nights in Phoenix to sold out crowds. Here is our view from our seats before the concert looking away from the stage (that's approximately 14,000 fans!).

And our view of T Swift when she came on ; )

I'd heard from friends who went to see her Fearless tour that the crowd was really into it, and it was totally the same here - everyone was on their feet for the whole 2 1/2 hours she was on. On her last tour she apparently went up into one of the upper sections to sing a song and hugged everyone in the section. For this performance, she made her way to the very back part of the floor and sang about three songs from there (while sitting on a rotating tree that had dropped from the ceiling). Most of the time of course she was on the main stage. The stage setups were great and some incorporated backup dancers doing Cirque du Soleil type acts in the back. This one was beautiful - a bridge dropped from the ceiling and was filled with violinists who played while Taylor was at a piano singing Enchanted.

At one point, Taylor brought out Jim Adkins from Jimmy Eat World to jam! The song brought me back to college when I first started listening to Jimmy Eat World, who is apparently from nearby Mesa!

Taylor ended with Love Story, which came out in 2009 just before Max proposed so the song will always remind me of that : ) The part where she sings about being proposed to gets me every time! For this encore she climbed on a little balcony platform that had been lowered down from the ceiling. Of course Max had already pointed the hanging balcony out to me before the show (along with the suspended tree, the computer controlled lights, and the speakers - gotta love my engineer) but we didn't know that Taylor would be climbing in and traveling through the air all over the stadium for the last song! I loved that she ended in a ball gown with tons of glitter in the air : ) It was an amazing concert!

I have so much to be thankful for on this 29th birthday! : )

Just in time for Halloween...

2011-10-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know that scorpions glow under black light? This was something we were told when we moved here, and my husband decided to try it out for himself last night. He took a desk lamp fitted with a black light out into the backyard (he needed a looong extension cord) and came across this guy in the grass (because this is the desert and of course you'll come up with a scorpion in your backyard if you're really looking - eek!). The photo is completely undoctored - the grass is glowing blue from the black light and the scorpion was fluorescing green! I think it's definitely Halloween appropriate!

As is this close-up! Spooky!

A Tale of Two Weekends: Home Edition

2011-10-16T22:48:00.003-07:00

This weekend it was h to the ot (see below for proof). The radio station in the car was actually playing some advertisement that went like this "Just when you thought it was safe to turn off the air conditioner, Mother Nature decided to remind you that we live in the Valley of the Sun."

Apparently I'm in denial because I picked up these boots on Friday afternoon (not something you're going to be donning in 100 degree weather). Perhaps I'll be able to wear them by January (perhaps).

Outdoor work was out of the question so we went for indoor home improvement: installing more baseboards! (We still have a ways to go before they're all installed.) We did do the cutting outside though (don't worry, what you see on the ground is a garden hose and not a huge snake).

And I whipped up this Halloween take on Cake Batter Rice Krispies, delish!

Last weekend actually felt like fall (for the desert anyway) so we did get a huge amount of yard work done (and just in time for the bulk trash pickup! Thank you, Scottsdale!).

While we were working in the backyard, I saw a big scary bug and called Max over.

Yeah, I think I'd be okay if I never saw this guy again. Kudos to the hubby for the great photograph though ; )

Wednesday Love!

2011-10-12T18:34:00.001-07:00

I'm loving that our laundry room is getting a little extra glam : ) When we purchased our dining room chandelier, we also bought a mini version for the front entryway. It ended up being way too small, so instead the chandelier found a new home in the laundry room : ) I just need to hang the crystals!

I'm loving that I arrived at school one morning to a Boo!

The Boo! chain just started at school - when you get a surprise/anonymous treat, you have 48 hours to spread the Halloween fun! I just loved what my Boo! person left me - perfect for our first grade study of the skeletal system!

Most of all, I'm loving my wonderful hubby : ) Look how happy he is here in his home "office" - I was next to him at his desk grading papers when I turned and he had pulled this cart over to - I don't know monitor something? To me, it looks like it's full of those fake screens and boxes you might see in a lab on a movie or T.V.

But it's all real; I promise.

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2011-10-05T06:15:00.003-07:00

I'm loving that we are now in possession of our new dining room table! We just had to try it out right away. Please excuse that we are in our socks and slippers - so not formal. And never mind that we had to steal chairs from the kitchen or that we're in a sea of brown without a colorful rug and chairs, we were still very excited : )

I'm loving the Scottsdale PD. We had an unfortunate run-in with identity theft and the Scottsdale police were super quick to help us out with a police report and information (at midnight on a Friday no less!).

I'm loving that our front door is ready for Halloween.

I'm loving our current science unit in first grade: The Human Body! The kids are seriously enthralled by bones right now. I'm all ready with my outfit for our Human Body/Halloween Party (a Wal Mart purchase!).

Finally, I'm loving seeing this little guy during the school day : )

Happy October!

Miscellany Monday

2011-10-03T06:30:00.003-07:00

#1 Our junk mail hasn't quite gotten us pegged. I mean, we get the normal credit card offers and what not, but Max has received an invitation to a 40's club (he's not even 30), and also advertisements for online degrees and high school diplomas (they are addressed to his name, Ph.D. - isn't there someone checking these? ). I recently received an invitation from the Four Seasons for an "Around the World" trip via private jet - just $60K per person (more if you want to stay in one of the treehouse rooms while in Indonesia). Four Seasons, if you're reading, please hold on to our name and try again in 30-40 years ; )

#2 I found this recipe for a Peanut Butter Ball on Pinterest. Yum. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to make it for a party or gathering to share, but I made it for our weekend (and proceeded to eat half of it myself which is basically like eating a whole tub of peanut butter in one sitting). It was super fun to make though and turned out oh-so cute!

To balance out I also chose a healthy recipe for Quinoa Salad with Cumin Lime Dressing, also from Pinterest (via my sister-in-law). It made me feel better about eating my own weight in peanut butter ; )

#3 I have a new hair cut! I've been wanting to go shorter the past two times I've been in the salon, and I finally was able to go through with it! Here's my before (clearly I was home alone and also working at a poor to very poor skill level for the self-portrait mirror shot).

And my after! Thank you to the hubs for photographing : ) I forgot to mention to my firsties that I was going to come back with short hair - usually they like to know everything that's going to happen so I hope I don't throw them off!

Celebrating 25 Months/Surviving Snake #2

2011-10-02T16:14:00.001-07:00

My sweet parents sent us a gift certificate for our 2 year anniversary to one of our favorite restaurants here in Scottsdale: Petite Maison! We held onto it and decided to use it Friday night to celebrate our 25th month of marriage and of course surviving snake #2 (if you're calculating, that's one snake for every 12.5 months of marriage ; )

We usually only get to go to Petite Maison once a year (on Valentines Day) so I was super excited for a night of delectable food. Max and I both started with the chilled melon soup:

I chose the seared scallops:

While Max opted for steak frites (that's me caught sneaking some frites).

Our Grand Marnier soufflé was gone in about 2.2 seconds so we didn't catch a photo of dessert. Yay to 25 months! Thanks, mom and dad!

Ding Dong The Snake Is Gone

2011-09-30T23:35:00.000-07:00

A year ago when I found the snake in our house we thought it was a fluke - a freak accident. I mean, how does a snake get into a house? Fast forward to this Wednesday morning: I'm sleepily walking from the kitchen back to the bedroom, coffee in hand, when I spy snake #2. I'm surprised I didn't drop the mug. I screamed of course and ran to get the hubby, but by the time we reached the hallway said snake was gone.

I'm becoming wiser with each snake experience. The first one taught me that, when the snake whisperer says don't worry, the little guy will find his own way out, this is false and the snake is going to stay in the house until it's removed. This latest experience taught me that screaming will scare the snake into hiding (I actually should have learned this the first time - I'm a bit slow). So there we were, Wednesday morning, late for work, with a snake loose in the house. I must say, it was much nicer to have the hubs there with me versus at a business dinner in England a la last time, however any way you spin it a snake in the house is not fun.

We seriously went to bed on Wednesday night with the snake still somewhere in the house (shudder). I hid in the bathtub most of that evening (le sad). I mentioned that we should be bunking at the Four Seasons down the road (I mean, I saw a snake) but Max pointed out that if we left we wouldn't be staying at the Four Seasons, we would be staying at some affordable hotel which took all the fun out of my consolation prize.

Luckily, Max found snake #2 Thursday morning by the fireplace in the den. Since it was a little guy he picked it up with his bare hands (I'm so not happy about that- we need one of those snake grabbers) and let it free outside our fence into the natural open area space, all while I was still sleeping! So the best news to wake up to! When I found out, I channeled The Wizard of Oz and started singing ding dong the snake is gone!

Of course, now we're left with the question of how are these guys getting in? Both of them were found near the laundry room, which opens to the garage... could this be it? I mean, it looks sealed to me but clearly the snakes are getting in somehow!

Hooo

2011-09-24T08:41:00.001-07:00

We recently spotted this guy in our backyard:

He was ginormous (about a foot and a half tall - just look at his talons) and very cool to see in person. Especially after I found out that owls are good luck signs! I mean, I have my seven years of good luck for kissing the sting ray in Grand Cayman but a girl could always use more ; )

Max and I were especially happy to see this new guy after the lil' accident we had last fall with a baby owl. You see, Max had heard some noise outside and thought that there was a pigeon trying to get into the attic (bad). So he took out the garden hose and sprayed the "pigeon" which turned out to be a very startled owl. The baby owl was not happy being all wet.

We felt awful.

The owl just looked so hurt. His eyes were saying: Why did you do this to me?

And he was such a tiny little thing!

So we're glad to be back to good with these guys. I even ordered this owl wreath from Paper Source. I thought it was very Halloween-y. It's going to arrive as a bunch of paper I have to put together so here's hoping mine looks like the picture ; )

25 Hours In San Diego

2011-09-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

Max and I just returned from 25 hours in San Diego. Why the short trip? Max's buddy from grad school was getting married and we wouldn't miss it!

Our trip started off at Phoenix Sky Harbor mid-morning with a Steve Nash spotting. I have to say I was very proud of myself for recognizing him. I'm only able to identify about three basketball players (and two of them only because they are married to Kardashians) so seeing him was perfect. He was in front of us going through security and requested one of the pat downs instead of going through the new scanner. Of course seeing him go through security brought up lots of questions. Shouldn't he have his own plane? Or be flying private? Is he really taking a commercial flight? There was a group of women also trying to figure out if it was indeed him. I heard them commenting on his (lack of) height but I'm pretty sure he's on the short side for being a basketball player.

Max and I arrived in San Diego after just 45 minutes in the air and checked in at Hotel Indigo, a great modern hotel downtown.

The bride and groom had left little goodies:

What sweet touches! (I should have used the sunscreen because I ended up with a pink nose after our day in the sun!)

We lunched in the downtown area.

Fish Tacos for me!

After lunch we took the trolley over to Navy Pier to visit the maritime museum on the USS Midway. The vessel was commissioned in the 1940's and was named after the Battle of Midway, which was fought near Midway Atoll. Max has actually been to Midway Atoll for part of his grad school duties. It was this tiny island in the Pacific that the Japanese planned to occupy after the attack on Pearl Harbor (luckily their plans were intercepted and the Navy was ready). The island has been used in the past by the military for gaining intelligence (it was an underwater listening post for tracking Soviet submarines in the Cold War) but is now a wildlife refuge with much of the equipment just left behind.

On the flight deck of the USS Midway:

Max had been to the USS Midway museum once before as part of a group who rented out the entire vessel for a conference. He has a photo from that day snapped in this very same spot in front of a display made by one of his previous employers.

The hubs was my own personal tour guide : ) I was fascinated by this jet engine. Looking inside, Max showed me that there are layers and layers of blades, which create the great pressure build up (I had never before thought about how they worked!).

While out on the flight deck, we spotted this hovercraft. Seeing one in person was wild!

We were just in time to see the Coast Guard do a practice Search and Rescue demonstration.

The helicopter actually dropped someone in!

The flight deck was full of awesome planes and weapons which my hubby knew all about. I especially liked seeing the heat seeking missiles. Did you know that there is an infrared camera on each one, and that's how they do the actual seeking? Very neat! The hubs teaches me oh-so much ; )

By that evening we were at Diamond Tower in the Sky Box for this lovely ceremony overlooking the Pacific and San Diego.

The Bride and Groom were so in love!

I snapped a photo of the Stanford boys:

And jumped in for a photo of the Stanford boys + wives:

The view from the balcony was amazing - we could even see into Petco Park!

Max was a hit with his new cufflinks from his mom. Each one is a power button (you know - like on a Mac) that actually glows!

This photo we snapped before we danced the night away. So long, San Diego!

Labor Day Weekend + Mini Home Improvements

2011-09-09T18:59:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Max's sweet mamma came out to visit from Texas!

She brought fun personalized "Mrs. Klein" notebooks for my classroom that she made herself!

She visited me and the firsties on Friday and they just couldn't get over the fact that there were two Mrs. Kleins in the room! They cracked their first grade selves up with comments like "If I say 'Mrs. Klein I need help' then they'll both come over! Ahhh ha hah hah ha!"

Since it was Labor Day weekend, we all went out hunting for sales and goodies for the house. Max picked out this rug at Home Goods with the colors I had been searching for:

And we picked up this adorable faux coral lamp that Max's mom found at Pier One (it of course reminds us of our SCUBA adventures):

We also tackled this green giant in our formal room:

It was time for the turquoise to come down:

Buh-bye.

And it was time to put up our ooey gooey new crystal chandelier! I say "new" but it's been actually just sitting on the floor for the past few months, waiting, waiting, waiting (it seemed like a daunting task to put it together). It took all three of us (plus three pairs of Swarovski approved gloves) to hang the many, many crystals but the final product was so worth it!

Up until now this room had been empty (or used for storage, sawing etc.) so with our new china cabinet, it's finally looking like an actual formal dining room! Yipee!!

We chose a diningroom table at Thomasville (thank you Labor Day sales), and the room is waiting patiently until it's delivered.

Now we're searching for a rug and chairs. I have my eye on these ones from Home Decorators Collection:

Cute, no? I love the pops of color! We're just a little hesitant to purchase them online without sitting in them and testing them out first, though they're on sale for the next three days so we're going to have to make a decision soon!

Two Years!

2011-09-04T09:34:00.001-07:00

Max and I celebrated our two year anniversary last weekend with a trip to Las Vegas!

The trip was a complete surprise to me. I knew we were going out of town, and was told to have my bag packed and to be ready for our "road trip" right after school on Friday. Imagine my shock when our road trip ended at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport! Max left me guessing even after going through security until we heard an announcement for Vegas! Here I am with our plane tickets to Las Vegas in hand, complete with my "scary happy" face:

We spent Saturday playing (and winning) Black Jack : ) I had six "Black Jacks" in the course of two hours - I think it was that anniversary luck! We also browsed around the Venetian shops for things we really can't afford like Peter Lik photographs and ginormous chandeliers : )

We saw this couple get married on their gondola ride!

Our evening plans were a surprise to me as well! We dined here at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris Hotel!

We had a fabulous table that allowed us to see the Bellagio water shows while we were dining!

So happy in love...

Soooo ready for the chocolate soufflé ; )

The view from dinner:

Love The Strip at night!

Second surprise of the night - front and center seats for Cirque du Soleil's "O"!

Max and I had seen "O" once before and were completely amazed. The entire production is done in and above water, and the artists are constantly diving in and disappearing. We're guessing there's some intricate SCUBA system going on underwater. If you're going to Vegas, hands down we think it's the show to see! A-mazing!

And for places to stay, we say the Venetian all the way!

Every room is a suite!

The Venetian is also home to yummy restaurants like Emeril Lagasse's Table 10:

And gelato stands...

Lei piace gelato. (See? My Learn Italian In Your Car CD is working!)

After many hours of playing Black Jack, by Sunday afternoon we were still quite a bit ahead! We made sure to take a photo with some of the winnings - two hundred dollar chips for two fantastic years of marriage!

Saying good-bye to the strip...

Venetian, we'll be back!

Happy New (School) Year!

2011-08-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! Yes, I have welcomed a new bunch of coconuts into Room 127:

I can't thank my husband enough for all of his help getting the room ready for my firsties. He did my entire Word Wall! Here's the beginning:

He also set up my projector and speaker and found a way to hide all the wires:

More Word Wall Work (Max measured out the space and made an algebraic equation to make sure everything was evenly spaced. I LOVE my engineer!):

The finished Word Wall and the newly labeled classroom library:

To the right the whiteboard:

Moving over more to my desk space in the corner:

The number wall Max put up last year stayed up well - yes!

Carpet area with the Math Wall:

Desks were ready for the first day:

Line-Up Songs by the door:

Did I mention I made the curtains to put behind my desk?

Because who wants to look at this:

When instead you can see this!

One of my teammates found these cute lil' labels for first day gifts:

I'm the first Star : )

Official First Day Photo!

It's going to be a great year!

The Big 6-0!

2011-08-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

At the end of July, my father turned the big 6-0! My mom planned a surprise party in California for him and Max and I flew in for the day to celebrate : )

Heading over to set up with mom:

The restaurant:

Flower time:

Such a cute idea, mom!

Table setting:

Surprise!

The hubby and I were both the "official" photographers ; )

Dad with sister and cousins:

Cake time:

Happy couple : )

Sister and cousin:

Happy dad:

Sister and the boyfriend:

Family pic:

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Miss you already, mom and dad!

29 Trips Around the Sun for the Hubs

2011-07-28T17:11:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday, dear hubby!

Happy Birthday to you!

Twenty nine (and one day) years ago, my wonderful husband was born! Almost four years ago, he walked into my life, and I still remember in our very first conversations how amazed and impressed I was with his intelligence, his wide range of talents, and his simple kindness and compassion.

It seems cliché to say that he makes me a better person - but he does in every way. He challenges me to do things I would never do on my own, and brings out the brave and adventurous side I never knew I had. We're three months apart in age, so from now until October I'm going to have fun saying that I'm married to "an older man" ; )

Handmade Birthday banner:

Breaking out the silver and china for the birthday cake:

Fun photo from the birthday dinner:

Happy 29 years (yesterday) to my very best friend. xoxo

Friday Mish Mash : )

2011-07-22T10:08:00.001-07:00

*I've been sneaking into the classroom here and there and finally finished my classroom library!

*I've also jumped on the fabric train and have stopped using paper for bulletin boards. Fabric opened up a whole new world!! Here's the beginning of my welcome board - I'm thinking a big palm tree with the kids' names on coconuts and the title Wild About First Grade. Whadda ya think??

*I ordered Behind the Wheel: Italian 1 on Amazon and it arrived last night! Yes, I will be that odd person in the car conjugating verbs out loud : D I thought Italian would be helpful if Max and I ever make it to Italy...

*The hubby's birthday is coming up next week and I'm making red velvet cake (his request). Since I've never made it from scratch before, I'm wondering if I should also pick up a boxed mix, just in case? The recipe I plan to follow is from Paula Dean so at least we know it will be low calorie ; )

(image from Paula's Website here)

Happy Friday!

A (Yummy) Taste of the Islands

2011-07-21T08:00:00.001-07:00

While in Cayman, Max and I picked up a pack of their famous rum cakes : ) I stuck them in our pantry (which has become our black hole) when we returned home and just remembered them. I swear I shouldn't be allowed to have a pantry - things go in and they never come out (or, they do when I clean the pantry out, but by then I have to throw away the food in question because it's expired/dried out/scary looking... any tips on keeping a good pantry??). Anyway, back to the rum cakes. We heard lots about them while on Grand Cayman so we had made a special trip to one of the Tortuga Rum Cake Factory stores and selected a sampler pack which included Chocolate and Key Lime:

We started with the Original Golden:

Which pairs well with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream (as everything does):

One down, five to go ; )

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2011-07-20T07:52:00.001-07:00

I'm all linked up for WILW! Here's what I'm loving this week...

I'm loving the Skinnygirl margarita! It's fresh and delicious and I love that it's made from clear agave tequila (yum). Read more about how the owners of Jim Beam purchased the brand from Bethenny Frankel here.

I'm loving this deer head from Z Gallerie. I love animal heads. I can't explain why - I was a vegetarian for nine years so you would think I would be opposed to them, but no.

We already own this sweet rhino from Anthropologie, but really, one can't have too many animal heads.

I'm loving getting ready for the new school year! I cannot wait to meet my incoming firsties!

I'm loving these chocolate covered frozen banana pieces from Trader Joe's. I mean, LOVING. The box was empty before my car even entered the garage. I blame the Scottsdale heat of course - I was only trying to cool down ; )

I'm loving this funny and adorable free printable found here. I'm also loving that my husband started singing "let us turn up the beat" when I showed it to him ; )

I'm loving that a month ago Max and I were here in Cayman - such wonderful memories, but really the best part is just being married no matter where we are : )

Bzzzzz....

2011-07-19T13:03:00.001-07:00

The bees are back! No hives this year (thank goodness) but we have seen them all over these purple flowers that are blooming everywhere. Max took out his new macro lens this weekend to get some shots of the pollination process.

The lens is really difficult to shoot with. In fact, before Max purchased it we had a conversation with a professional photographer who said that it was tricky for even him. I swear I saw inside Max's mind at that very moment and he was deciding then and there to master it ; )

Part of what makes shooting with the lens so tricky is that the only way to focus is by changing the distance away from the subject. When the subject is so small, the difference between in-focus and out-of-focus might be just a few sheets of paper thick.

As I was out there snapping photos of my husband snapping photos of the bees, he offered to switch lenses. This is what I got with the macro:

See? Tricky McTrickerson. I finally was able to get a leaf in focus, but never managed to get a bee in a shot. I mean, they were moving. As soon as I focused on the spot, the bee was gone (actually, I would still be focusing/moving and Max would have to tell me there was no bee anymore).

Of course the hubs got some great shots. Here's what the macro can do:

Seriously, it's amazing to see these guys so close up!

I think this one is my favorite - it reminds me of Winnie the Pooh getting stuck with his bum out trying to get some honey : )

Bzzzz from our front yard : )

Seeing Spots

2011-07-14T17:06:00.002-07:00

Years and years ago I purchased one of those unfinished wooden chair stools from Michaels. I painted it white and added cute roses for good measure. The chair stool followed me from Santa Barbara to San Jose where it lived in my fourth grade classroom for four years (it loved it there). The chair stool has been hanging around the house since we moved to Arizona, helping me with projects like painting the bathrooms (see below).

I decided, however, it was time for it to head back to the classroom and to meet some first graders this upcoming year. Here it is so sad looking mid-sanding:

And here it is after I added... leopard spots! I thought my upcoming firsties would get a kick out of them (them seem to love the animal prints):

I had no idea what I was doing painting "leopard" but luckily six year olds are easy to please : )

Guest Bath Mini Makeover

2011-07-13T07:47:00.002-07:00

When we first bought our house, Max and I had a professional painting team come in to paint the entire inside of the house. I'm so glad that we did this - the inside definitely needed a little facelift and there was no way I was getting anywhere near the tops of the open two-story ceilings. We had a limited number of overlap days where we would still be living in the rental, so our time was a bit rushed. I chose just two colors for the entire house - a cream color for most of the walls, and a deeper tan for all of the rooms and bathrooms. For the most part, this turned out well. The cream contrasted well with the new hardwoods and the tan was a nice color for the bedrooms. But as soon as I walked into the baths, I knew it was the wrong choice. I could literally hear David Bromstad from HGTV's Color Splash gasping in horror. By painting the bathroom walls tan, we were left with a monochromatic bathroom. Yes, everything was varying shades of beige. The floors, the cabinets, even the counters. Blah.

With a very long list of house to-do's (we've been baseboardless downstairs for over a year now), the bathrooms have been overlooked. Until now ; ) I started by looking for a blue-gray color to give the walls some life. Unfortunately, that meant several trips to Dunn Edwards. I kept picking samples that looked blue-gray on the cards, but showed up bright blue on the walls. I eventually went with a gray, which looked absolutely gray on the card, but blue-gray on the walls (the bottom color in the photo).

Before I could paint the walls, Max helped by painting the beige cabinets white (all of the cabinets in our house started off in the 80's whitewash beige color, and we're slowly painting them all white). He used his trusty air compressor and a paint gun which made the process so much faster (that is, after we discovered the trick: when you're painting with a sprayer, the viscosity of the paint should resemble milk. We started off with a consistency closer to honey before we thinned the paint, which was a disaster to work with).

Ho-hum, painting prep:

Mid-spraying the cabinets white:

Did I mention the hubs is super safety conscience? (I see our moms smiling out there.) He used a respirator as he was spraying in a closed space.

I tried it on for fun. It was not.

Max even remembered to change the filter on it:

I stood back where it was safe to breath but got this fun little message:

Max took the removable parts outside (i.e. the actual cabinet doors and drawers that opened) to spray then brought them in when they were done:

After all the parts were put back and the blue-gray was added to the walls, we ended up with a lovelier, brighter guest bath:

It's definitely not our dream guest bath - we'd love to gut it someday and try our hand at tile work! But mini steps so make me happy!

Summer In Scottsdale

2011-07-12T12:27:00.003-07:00

I love that we're now at the age where college friends have turned into longtime (10+ years) friends : ) This past weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting my dear college friends Brent and Abby.

Me with Abby at their wedding in 2008:

Max with Brent at our wedding in 2009:

Max and I were super thrilled of course that Brent and Abby decided to brave the heat and head out to Arizona in the (eeek!) summer. I was a little worried as Brent had informed me earlier in the week that it was literally twice as hot in Scottsdale as it was in San Francisco where they would be coming from.

That of course just meant lots of pool time.

Which turned into playing with heavy things underwater.

And who doesn't love underwater photo shoots?

Getting us all into one shot was a bit tricky:

That self timer is hard to predict!

We finally caught one with all four of us!

Thanks so much to our favorite San Franciscans for coming out!!

Royal Watch - July Edition

2011-07-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

The UK's The Daily Mail is keeping me updated on all things William and Kate!

My Royal Watch is more like Duchess Catherine Fashion Watch : ) I've been having so much fun following all her choices for her North American journey! I'm loving that there is such thought and reason behind all of her ensembles. I so adore those British hats:

And this choice was by a favorite designer of Princess Diana's (a sweet nod on the late princess's birthday):

This one, by Canadian born Erdem Moralioglu is my favorite (perfect for a day in Canada!):

The store French Connection is already offering a knock-off:

I even got the hubs to weigh in! He was not a fan of this dress:

Kate's been seen wearing *shock* jeans three different days! By far, the cutest, dressiest jeans outfits ever:

There was also much talk about what she'd wear to the Calgary Stampede yesterday - looks like she went Cowgirl All-In : )

The Duke and Duchess are making their way to my home state today! I'm sure they will love California (especially Santa Barbara - who wouldn't??). In the meantime, this photo of a transparent garment bag was slipped! Guesses are that Kate will be wearing the pleated chiffon gown to a black-tie event this weekend! I can't wait to see!

There Is No Arizona, No Painted Desert, No Sedona

2011-07-07T10:46:00.001-07:00

While traveling to California to visit friends and family back in June, I had not one but two different people ask me if we had a Target here in Phoenix. I realized then that many people might not know a lot about Arizona or the Phoenix area (goodness knows I didn't before moving here). Here are some stats that may come as a surprise to you...

#1 Phoenix itself is the 6th most populated city in the entire United States registering in at 1.4 million people (this also makes it the largest capital in the United States).

#2 The metro area is called the Valley of the Sun and incorporates such places as Tempe, Chandler, Mesa and Scottsdale where we live. This area is home to 4.1 million people!

#3 Even with the large number of people, the density rate is very low and things are very spread out (Phoenix itself takes up 475 square miles). This is how we can own .84 acres in the "city" : ) This is also how it can take 40 minutes to drive across town.

#4 Phoenix and most of Arizona do not observe daylight savings (this is especially good for me as the clock in my car is stuck and I can't change the time anyway).

#5 The climate is "subtropical and arid" - a euphemism if ever I'd heard one ; ) In the summer highs reach 120 degrees and the and lows stay above 80. The heat is cut by the monsoons that come in at night bringing heavy rain (and since it's the desert and we have no drainage, also bringing in floods).

#6 Arizona experienced a major population boom in the 1950's following the invention of... air conditioning! ; )

#7 Turquoise is the state gemstone. I took mine to Cayman with me : )

#8 We have not one, but 56 Targets in the area (according to yellowpages.com).

#9 Arizona was adopted into the union as the 48th state on February 14th, 1912. This makes it the Valentine State!

Last to Know/We're Just a Little Slow

2011-07-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

Apparently there was an enormous, Armageddon-like dust storm in Phoenix on Tuesday night. I say apparently because Max and I completely missed it. Max had already come home from work, and we were spending the evening looking at pictures and eating dinner (and we may or may not have also watched some bad reality television). Anyway, yesterday I received emails from friends and family members asking if we were okay, given the huge dust storm they had seen in the news. Dust storm? Come to think of it, we did hear lots of wind that night. Lots of wind. And the hubs did comment that everything seemed to be brown when he went to take out the recycling before bed. But we had no idea that this is what was brewing all around us:

(photo via fox news)

Watching the news covering the dust storm, it looks like we got off pretty easy. They featured lots of pools that had think layers of mud form from all the dust - ick! Our pool actually looks pretty good - the filter needs to be cleaned after the whole ordeal, but lucky for us our new pool guy starts tomorrow!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2011-07-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

I'm loving these yummy cocktails that Max and I enjoyed over the holiday weekend. Recipe: equal parts St. Germain, champagne and club soda. Easy and summer fabulous.

I'm loving that my MIL is the one who introduced us to St. Germain. It's an elderflower liqueur with hints of grapefruit. Max helped me snap this photo of the bottle (remote flash, professional backdrop, the works!). This also reminds me that I'm loving that my hubby is patiently teaching me a little every day about digital SLR photography.

I'm loving seeing my fun teaching coworkers over the summer!

I'm loving all the house projects Max and I are currently undertaking! Our formal rooms look something like this right now:

Finally, more than anything, I'm loving my sweet, caring, wonderful, talented, AMAZING husband. He's my world!

What are you loving this sunny Wednesday??

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T23:24:00.000-07:00

This was our second 4th of July living in our house here in Scottsdale. We discovered last year that, from our upstairs balcony, we could catch several fireworks shows at the same time. So this year, we ventured up there around twilight for an alfresco dinner and counted at least seven shows that we could spot (it helps that our house is at a higher elevation than most of Phoenix and Scottsdale). Two of the shows were close enough to hear, but since light travels faster than sound, we'd see the fireworks, then sometime later we would finally hear the booms. Later in the night, we got our second display of light:

It was the second monsoon of the season (the first being last night), complete with heavy rain and tons of lightning. Thanks to my hubby for braving the storm for such an awesome photo : )

Dive #5: Trinity Caves

2011-06-30T16:30:00.001-07:00

During our Trinity Caves dive, we dove to 112 feet, my deepest to date! Here are some of our favorite photos that Max took...

Lion Fish:

Purple Sponge:

Conch:

Coral Fan:

Squirrel Fish:

Coral Fans:

Coral with Cow Fish:

Sea Turtle:

Anemone:

Going through the tunnels:

Blue Damsels:

Sea Turtle:

Reef and Fish:

Powder Blue Tangs:

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2011-06-29T16:23:00.003-07:00

I'm linking up for my first What I'm Loving Wednesday in what seems like ages!

First, deep into summer mode, I'm loving these bright, fun new nail stickers (and having a pool in our 114 degree heat).

I'm also loving the peonies I picked up on sale at Safeway. They're my very favorite shade of pink.

I'm loving this little snorkeling Santa ornament that we brought back from Cayman. On our trip to London last year, we picked up an ornament for our Christmas tree so we have started a new mini tradition.

I'm loving that summer = more time for cooking!

Finally, I'm loving playing around with the Canon 40D and all of Max's lenses! The 40D is actually the SLR we bought for diving, and the one all of the underwater photos were taken with (Max wasn't ready to take his nicer 5D Mark II underwater). The 40D has now become the Mande-Practice Camera. I had no idea how much time and work went into SLR photography (aperture, shutter speed, ISO), but I'm absolutely loving all the things these cameras can do!

Dive #1: The Kittiwake

2011-06-27T13:09:00.002-07:00

Our very first dive in Cayman was a wreck dive. I was a bit nervous as I had never done a wreck dive before and the concept of an "overhead environment" was a little scary. Dive Master Nick assured us that the wreck was the "Disney World" of wrecks and that I'd be just fine.

True to his word, the Kittiwake offered big open spaces to explore, and was the perfect first wreck for me. A former submarine rescue vessel, the USS Kittiwake was scuttled in just January of this year, making it the newest wreck around the islands. It had a surprising amount of sea life for only being underwater for six months, and was already covered in neat bubble algae.

As soon as I hit the water and started descending, I got that fantastic euphoric rush of everything that is diving. It's an amazing, amazing experience. I tried later to describe it as going to an aquarium squared (and I love aquariums), but really it's like going to an aquarium times infinity.

And I had no reason to be nervous about the overhead environments - the second I saw our first one, I knew that I couldn't wait to go in!

Max liked seeing the lathe:

I thought all the old air tanks were interesting:

We wove in and out of the ship, going down to a depth of 55 feet over our 49 minute dive. Yay for my first wreck dive!

Deep Blue Divers

2011-06-27T12:30:00.001-07:00

Max and I chose Deep Blue Divers to dive with for our ten Cayman dives. We wanted a smaller company that took out just a handful of people at a time, as opposed to one of the larger operations with the massive boats. On a small boat, you get to know everyone you're diving with and also get more interaction with the dive masters. Deep Blue was also home to several Brits and I just can't get enough of their accents!

Our days worked like this: we would start with a 7:30AM pickup in one of the island vans (re: semi sketchy with no seat-belts):

We'd head over to the dive shop and hop in one of the two boats that we would take to two back-to-back dive sites:

We were told that the dive shop was actually the first one on the whole island!

On our first day, we met British Dive Master Nick. Max had been emailing with him about our dives, and we had spoken on the phone just once. He seemed a bit surprised when we met in person, then on the way back to the shop after diving that first day he spilled it: he had thought we were a couple in our 60's (yes, more than double our age). Apparently, my husband is super formal and polished in his emails, so Nick automatically expected that he was 65. He said he was shocked to find out that this "young lad" was Max! Max had relayed in his emails that I was a "bit nervous" and just 5'4'' and a buck ten, so Nick had envisioned me hobbling in on a cane, kind of shriveled and tiny. We so got a laugh out of all of this (it was even funnier as Nick was saying all of this in his British accent), but I think Max and I are kind of used to feeling older than we actually are (though never before anywhere close to retirement age ; )

We so enjoyed diving with Deep Blue and thought that all of their dive masters were fantastic. I especially loved bubbly Denise and her darling British accent, but my favorite was trickster Nick. In this photo, he gave me a sea cucumber to hold, then told everyone underwater that it was whale crap! I think it's great that even through my mask you can tell I know he's up to no good.

Cloudy days were still a-okay for diving. We even saw rain hitting the water's surface on one of the dives when we were down below.

This is what we look like post diving. I went with braids on this trip pretty much every time we dove. I've tried everything: buns, high ponytails, low pony tails... and no matter what, my hair is pretty much a disaster after. In Bora Bora, we dove with some French women and I was super envious because they would do nothing to their hair (literally, leave it down) and all during the dives their hair would flow perfectly around them. Then they'd get out of the water and their hair would be perfect again. Ahhh, if only I were French ; )

Dive Trip to the Cayman Islands!

2011-06-24T09:41:00.002-07:00

Max and I spent a glorious week on Grand Cayman, one of the Cayman Islands! I lost count of the number of times people asked us if we were on our honeymoon : ) It was just so incredibly wonderful to spend seven days together, not to mention in such a beautiful place.

The Cayman Islands are part of the British West Indies and located in the Caribbean. They are made up of three islands, Grand Cayman being the largest measuring in at a whopping 22 miles long. The Cayman Islands have been a British Overseas Territory since 1670 (I especially loved seeing Queen Elizabeth on the Cayman Island dollar). No taxes are imposed, making the islands big in offshore banking. Legend says that the exemption from taxes was rewarded by King George the III in 1788 after Jamaican merchant ship crews were rescued by Caymanians. The Cayman Islands were originally called Las Tortugas after the sea turtles spotted in the area. It's been called by many a diver's mecca, so Max and I just couldn't wait to dive it together.

Max decided that this was the trip to combine his two favorite hobbies: diving and photography. He had been photographing underwater with a point-and-shoot for some time (and out of water with an SLR), but finally decided to go all out with a special dive housing for an SLR. When it arrived at our doorstep, we were baffled by how large the setup was, especially when the lights were added. This is Max giving it a go around in our pool before we headed out:

Just to give you some perspective, this is what a normal camera looks like underwater (that's me!):

And this is my husband with his professional setup:

Not only was it big, but it was really heavy. I don't know how Max carried it around!

Needless to say we had people coming up to us the whole trip with questions, which was lots of fun. My favorite was a woman we were chatting with by the pool who just stopped mid-sentence and asked "Wait, is that a camera in there???"

Max's setup did give us some amazing underwater photos. Underwater photography with an SLR is definitely tricky but Max was absolutely loving it. He's already planning on how to upgrade his equipment for our next trip ; )

Love Is In The Air

2011-06-15T07:30:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month, my beautiful college roommate, Cat, got married in our beautiful college town of Santa Barbara. Max and I flew in from Phoenix to celebrate the day. The bride and groom just radiated happiness and it was so very special to watch.

Also attending were the five other roommates from sophomore and junior year. It was a mini reunion!

It's wild to think that ten years ago I was sharing a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with these lovely ladies. It's been wonderful seeing their lives unfold and can't wait to see what the future holds for all of us!

Seventh Year, Here I Come!

2011-05-26T16:47:00.001-07:00

Today I finished my sixth year of teaching : ) Granted, the last two years were not full years as I swooped in after the school years had already started, but it was my sixth last day of school. That means six different end-of-year parties, six different last sets of report cards, and six different closing circles complete with tears - mine and the students! This was my first year teaching first grade, however, and I sent my darling firsties out in these cute graduation headbands:

The younger grades are just so much fun! This was also the first time in three years that I haven't had to pack up my classroom! Yes, after moving my fourth grade classroom from California to Arizona two years ago, and having to pack up my kinder classroom last year, I am once again able to stay in the same place and the same grade level! I was very lucky that no one snatched my position in the draft, and I feel so blessed that my school has asked me back! I officially signed my contract last week which means come August I'll start my seventh year of teaching! Though, it will only be my fifth first day of school ; )

Our Graduate!

2011-05-25T22:15:00.003-07:00

We were so excited to fly back east this past weekend to join Max's mom in celebrating his sister, Meredith. Meredith knocked our socks off graduating magna cum laude from Tufts University in majors International Relations and French, with an Arabic minor to boot. Talented? Oui!

We were able to attend the baccalaureate ceremony the day before graduation and heard a lovely message that was applicable to us, too. It touched upon the importance of being in a job that was challenging, and one that fulfilled a purpose in which you believed. It was so nice to be able to reflect and note that Max and I are both in places where we can say this is true.

The graduation addresses the next day were appropriately aimed at the students, warning them of the dire economy and encouraging them to persevere in finding their first out-of-college job. We had the pleasure of watching sister Meredith sit back and relax during these times, having already snagged a fabulous job in her field. (I mean, who wouldn't be fighting to get this trilingual dazzler?) So, one last cheer for Meredith! We love you!

Royal Watch 2011

2011-05-09T18:27:00.005-07:00

I'm totally on William/Catherine Royal Watch - I'm loving any news I can get my hand on! I of course watched the actual wedding live:

Max thought I was kidding when I said I was setting my alarm to 2:45am to watch it but he should have known better ; ) Sitting there in the middle of the night, crisscross on the couch in the den in my glasses and pajamas and knowing that it was all happening at that very instant was like nothing else! I loved every minute!

I was so excited to find the UK's Daily Mail website that has all the up-to-date information on the now Duchess of Cambridge. Like this photos that I'm just waiting to pop up in Us Weekly's "Stars - They're Just Like Us" section.

Apparently Kate is pushing what the Brits call a "trolley" - gotta love their slang. That one's right up there with "pram" for stroller, "kip" for nap and "downstairs" for underwater.

The Duke and Duchess have also announced that their first international travel will be to my native California! Be good to them, California!

These are the things in our neighborhood...

2011-05-08T10:15:00.004-07:00

Max and I went out for a neighborhood photo shoot Saturday evening. I was in search of neat desert plant life like this saguaro in our front yard. The needles are serious - they are the size and firmness of toothpicks!

Max was more interested in the animal life and caught this great photo of a finch in one of our trees.

Many of the cacti are in bloom right now!

We ventured out to some other yards and spotted this prickly pear cactus in bloom.

Beautiful!

I'm still trying to figure out this whole SLR thing, but I'm having so much fun in the process!

When we returned home, the neighborhood bobcat was waiting for us. No joke. It was a little startling and after some photos we thought it would be best to head inside and end the nature walk ; )

Mother's Day Love

2011-05-08T07:54:00.001-07:00

To our sweet mamas in California...

...and Texas...

Happy Mother's Day! We wish we were with you today!

Silly Me!

2011-05-07T21:39:00.001-07:00

May is an oh-so busy time in the life of a teacher. There are the report cards to finish, the end-of-year party to plan, the student gifts to make:

(I'm filling sand pails à la last year)

Finally, there are the parent volunteer thank-you goodies to give out. I decided to make little treat bags filled with cinnamon bears labeled: Thank You "Beary" Much ; )

Last week I ordered said cinnamon bears online. When I opened the box this weekend, I pulled out a surprise:

Yep, nestled in my six pounds of bears were two bags of candy corn. I was sure it was a mistake, but when I looked up my emailed receipt, there it was on my order: 2 pounds of candy corn. Then my mind wandered back to October when I was browsing for candy corn online, before just picking up some locally. Apparently I placed the bags in my virtual "shopping cart" and they stayed there until I went back to the site in search for the bears last week. My (not so) watchful eye just missed the fact that I was ordering them. So now I have Halloween candy in May. Candy corn, anyone?

Yard Work = Hard Work

2011-04-25T17:49:00.002-07:00

We're lucky to have monthly "Bulk Pickup" service at our house. Once a month, we can put out pretty much anything and the city will come around to haul it away. We took total advantage of the service by spending an entire day clearing out one side of the front yard which was way overgrown. Yes, you read that right - just one side. This is what we came up with:

And alternate view:

.84 acres is proving to be a bit of a challenge ; )

Crazy In Love

2011-04-13T20:44:00.001-07:00

Pretty much since we started dating back in 2007, Max and I have heard it from our family - we're ridiculously lovey-dovey. My sister says it's gag inducing. We've heard it from our friends. They want to throw up a little in their mouths. I just can't help it! It took 25 years to find him, and every second I still feel so lucky! Don't get me wrong, we're not making out in front of people. We're not even pinching bottoms like the couple in front of us in line last week at Chick-fil-A. I just like to hold hands and give little love squeezes. Every minute on the minute. Possibly more.

Anyway, never before have we heard about it from strangers. That is, of course, until now. This past weekend Max and I were out and about and popped into our local dry cleaners to pick up our dry cleaning. Normally I do this alone, and sometimes I'll send the hubby out to do it, but since we were driving right by, we went in together. "Newlyweds!" commented our dry cleaning guy. Um, no, not really. We explained that it's been almost 2 years since our wedding. He looked confused. I think he thought we were lying. Then he explained that after 10 years I won't even hold hands anymore. Back in the car Max laughed because that will never be true.

Later that night, we found ourselves at my school's Silent Auction fundraiser. We were in a crowd listening to the raffle winners being named off when a male parent pushed his way through and kidded "Geez! Let another guy have a chance with him!" This was directed at me of course, who may or may not have given too many of those love squeezes while were were listening to the host. Oops.

Finally, Sunday rolls around and I decide to be a good wife and map out our dinners for the week and go major grocery shopping. The cashier is ringing up my $150 worth of groceries when I look in my (empty) purse and see no wallet. Double oops. Have you ever had a full cart of groceries and no way to pay for it? Um, not fun. Luckily, we're a 5 minute drive from the Safeway so in about 6 minutes Max was in the store, wallet in hand. The manager had saved my bill and was running my credit card at a side register when we heard laughter and "This is a public establishment!" Apparently I turned bright red. Yes, too much squeezing. My name is Mande, and I'm a squeze-aholic.

Love from Texas

2011-04-09T16:39:00.001-07:00

Max's mom recently sent some Easter goodies our way from Dallas. They arrived safely and wrapped oh-so cutely that I almost didn't want to open them:

But they got even more precious when I did take them out of their wrapping. My talented MIL crafted these herself!

We found a sweet little spot for the chickadee couple. They make me smile!

And a spot for the adorable basket as well : )

Happy Easter month y'all!

You Know You're A Teacher When...

2011-03-31T07:30:00.004-07:00

I love, love reading teaching blogs. Max calls my job my hobby for a reason, I guess ; ) Anyway, The Inspired Apple is my new favorite, and I'm linking up for: You Know You're A First Grade Teacher When...

*You do art projects almost every single day.

*You have conversations like this:

Student: Mrs. Klein, do you have any small children at home?

Me: No, just a fish.

Student: But you're married to Dr. Klein.

Me: Yes.

Student (clearly confused): You see, this is how it works. You get married, then some months later you get a newborn baby.

Me: Ummmm....

*Birthdays involve crowns and cupcakes (as they always should).

*You're 5'4'' and you feel like a giant because the classroom chairs are just that small.

*It's normal to field comments about Great Uncle Bob or trips to California while trying to teach math.

*You get "visits" from the gingerbread man and the leprechaun.

*While trying to lead the class in scraping off frosting on Oreos to represent phases of the moon, you run into problems because so many of them are missing their front teeth.

*You get complimented everyday for being "pretty" ; )

WILW!!

2011-03-30T10:49:00.002-07:00

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm loving french press coffee. Normally, I'm way too rushed on weekdays to make and enjoy it, but it's Spring Break week here (yayee!) and even though I'm spending it catching up on life (and laundry, and cleaning etc.) it's soooo nice to have that time : )

I'm loving our new iPad 2! Apple.com still shows a 3-4 week wait for them, but my husband being the problem solver that he is shopped around different stores in the area last week and picked up the very last one at a Phoenix Best Buy. He already has it rigged up with our lighting and sound so we're using it to turn the lights and speakers on and off, kind of like a really big remote control that we can also watch movies on ; )

I'm loving these little guys: baby Dr. Peppers. Regular ones are just too much soda for me, and besides, I enjoy feeling like a giant when I drink them:

I'm loving that tonight we'll find out who is the Top Chef All-Star!! I'm hoping it's Richard Blais, the chef who uses cool things like liquid nitrogen and MRE bags. He reminds me a bit of my husband, as I can see Max whipping out stuff like that if he were a chef ; )

Finally, I'm loving that I get to pay my hubby a work-day visit today : ) Happy Wednesday!

Nifty Nails

2011-03-28T14:01:00.001-07:00

One of my teacher friends introduced me to Sally Hansen nail stickers:

They're made from real nail polish but the tops are already dried so there's no waiting around after to prevent smudged nails (love that!). The best part is the fun prints they come in - my firsties got a kick out of them! They're a bit tricky to apply and I think I could definitely use more practice, perhaps on these leopard ones...

Happy Friday!

2011-03-11T06:20:00.001-07:00

Technically it's still winter, however you'd never know with our weather right now:

Things I'm looking forward to today:

1. Not sitting in glue. That's right, I sat in glue yesterday. Wet glue. Sigh. The good: It was towards the end of the day. The bad: The glue was wet. The ugly: There were cut up toothpicks in the glue (representing the spikes on the saguaro cactus) so those stuck to my bum too : (

2. Getting my second new Starbucks cup. I was a bit wary of my first:

I don't like change but I'm trying to embrace it.

3. Picking up my hubby at PHX! I like to park and go in so I can be right at the International gate when he walks through. Cheesy, I know : )

Happy Weekend!

Countdown to the Royal Wedding

2011-03-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

Prince William and Kate Middleton will wed next month on April 29th!

I know, I'm a bit obsessed. Princes and soon-to-be princesses are just so - you know, royal. I'm counting down like I'm actually attending when really I'll be here in Scottsdale with my alarm set for 3am. Fun fact: London is 7 hours ahead of Scottsdale right now, but with daylight savings coming up this month in England, we'll have an 8 hour difference again soon (I only know this because my husband travels there so often). Another fun fact: daylight savings in the U.K. is called "summer time" - cute, huh? And since the wedding day has not been declared a national holiday here in the states (boo!) I'm thinking I'll need to drive through Starbucks on the big day before taking on my 27 firsties. The trenta size should do it:

It's rumored that Miss Middleton will be wearing Alexander McQueen (now headed by Sarah Burton). I love that Kate's designer is a secret, but I wonder if she's really going to go in such an eclectic direction. Apparently she liked the McQueen bridal design worn by a distant royal relative:

Kate seems a bit too conservative and classic for this type of dress, but either way, I can't wait to see what she chose!

WILW!

2011-03-09T15:15:00.002-07:00

What I'm Loving Wednesday...

I'm loving that I found pink gerber daisies with lime green middles at the grocery store the other day. They're my favorite!

I'm loving that I happened upon this old favorite at Trader Joe's:

It's this delicious cilantro dressing that's super creamy and bright. I used to buy it when I was in college all the time but I haven't seen it in years. I think the nutrition content must be wrong though because it tastes way too yummy to be reduced fat ; )

I'm loving the soon-to-be princess. I'm slightly obsessed with the pheasant headpiece she wore to christen that Royal Navy lifeboat last week:

Apparently it's called a fascinator - it's the beret's fancy cousin ; ) She's the cutest!

Finally, I'm loving that my husband and I will be back on the same continent this weekend! Yipee!

Back Again!

2011-03-07T19:13:00.001-07:00

So I was unloading groceries in the kitchen after school today and noticed a shadow moving through our den window. Who was it? Oh, just our friends the bobcats. The first photo I caught was with my iPhone:

Then I ran to get my point and shoot, which didn't do much more for the photos as they were taken through the window and into the direct sunlight. Unfortunately, I don't know how to use Max's SLR. Every time I try to learn, it's just too heavy for me to hold! But here are the photos I did manage to snap...

The bobcats seem to like the patio furniture. I think it's the bobcat equivalent to those indoor cat houses:

Cute lil' guy:

Check out those ears!

Posing:

Model pose:

And ready to play:

It was so sweet to watch them:

Until I realized that they were practicing pouncing. You know, for sneaking up and eating things. Should I be worried?

Family Fun

2011-03-05T19:05:00.001-07:00

Max and I have this theory that, although it almost never rains here in sunny Scottsdale, it always rains/is cold when we have visitors. It's like our company brings the weather. In fact, when we had the freak first-ever snow in December, it was when my college friend Jamie was visiting from Boston! Anyway, my dad and uncle gave us more evidence for our theory when they road tripped out a few weekends ago. It rained the first two days they were here : ( It did clear up to the typical blue sky after that so we could have some outdoor fun:

Thank you dad and Uncle Kevin for the visit! Come again soon!

Happy March to Me : )

2011-03-04T16:14:00.001-07:00

It's always tough to get bad news, but it's even more difficult when your spouse is out of the country. Yesterday I found out that my school district is adopting new rules this year, and my temporary teaching position can't be protected. That means it will be listed in this year's draft where anyone who has a permanent contract can snatch it up. There is a chance that no one will take it, but more than likely, in May I will have to pack up my third classroom in three years (third classroom and third different grade level no less!).

I am so lucky and so grateful to have been given two different jobs in Arizona (teaching jobs are hard to come by right now) so I really can't complain too much. I suppose I was a wee bit spoiled in California being able to stay in the same classroom and with the same grade level for four years. Still, the news got me down. After eating a whole bowl of brownie batter, I looked for something with less calories to cheer myself up and I found these:

They're iPhone cases from an Etsy seller named Dani Notes. I smiled just looking at them so I ordered one in a navy print with a kiwi green monogram. I already received my proof:

Cute, no? I love the way the monogram turned out - it's still so much fun seeing my married name. I can't wait for it to come! I'm feeling better already : )

Wriggling Worms

2011-03-03T19:05:00.003-07:00

I used to really not like eels. They look a lot like snakes - ew! They open and close their mouths over and over - kind of like they're about to bite something. And remember the eels in The Little Mermaid? They were evil!

When it came time to go SCUBA diving around eels, my sweet husband talked me out of being scared of them. He explained that the eels are just trying to get oxygen - which is why their mouths are always open. And the poor guys are almost blind! I felt a bit sorry for them after that and had no trouble diving with them. Not that it's okay to mess with them - we were on one dive where our dive master stuck his hand out in front of an eel and was bitten!

Anyway, my wonderful husband had to give me the same pep talk during our Wednesday morning phone call when I was bringing 27 earthworms into my classroom for my 27 first graders to observe. Yes, slimy, slippery, wriggling worms. We're studying habitats in first grade right now and worms are part of our "Underground" unit. I was totally creeped out by them. They come in weird styrofoam containers, and I kept imagining the worms breaking free. Ick! I was also very, very nervous about having to deal with the worms in front of the kids. Every time I thought about picking them up I would get the shudders. Anyway, my husband calmed me down and said that the worms were just like the eels - but the worms were actually blind! Poor little guys! He gave me just enough courage to put on my teacher face when it was time to bring them out : ) The kids were so excited! Most of them loved holding the worms:

A few were cautious at first:

And there was lots of screaming and shrieking as the worms started to crawl off the paper towels and even off the desks. I don't have photos of this part of course as I was doing damage control ; )

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-03-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

I'm loving that it's March! Classroom decorations for March are so bright and happy : )

I'm loving this fabulous Pottery Barn chandelier:

I totally want to buy it for our formal dining room, which right now is just an empty room. Max thinks it's funny that I want a chandelier before a table. I think that he's being a boy.

I'm loving this:

Yes, Vanilla Ice is apparently into home improvement. When I saw the commercial for his new show, it was hard to take seriously - which made it a must-see of course. I've actually only watched one episode of the show; in it, Vanilla Ice redoes a garage "rockstar" style. He got bonus points from me for putting "Ice, Ice Baby" in the intro ; )

Finally, I'm loving my morning phone calls from my hubby! He's been phoning from England before I head to work each morning and it's such a wonderful way to start the day! It's a bit tricky to find a good time to chat since we're basically on opposite schedules but I love it when we can!

Office Progress

2011-03-01T18:03:00.013-07:00

Before Max headed off to the U.K., we made an Ikea trip for some new furniture for the office. Pepper was full of boxes:

Max put most of it together but I was the happy helper : )

It's so cute watching Max work. He's über methodical. When I tackle a project, I kind of just open things as I go. My husband thinks everything out. It must be the engineer in him : )

And here are the "Alex" drawers all put together:

Max will need them all for his, um, equipment. When we call the room the "office" it's a bit of a euphemism as the room will be more like a lab/equipment room. More pictures to come as Max moves in more of his things - which right now are taking up an entire other room!

Swindled Again!

2011-02-27T21:37:00.003-07:00

February 29th would mark a year and a half since our wedding day, but alas, there is no February 29th this year (again). I probably wouldn't have even noticed that we were approaching the big 1.5 save for the fact I knew it wasn't a leap year. To add humor, Max is 7 hours ahead of me right now (as he's on business in England) so at some point it will be February 28th for me and March 1st for him... no February 29th in sight. Next year actually is a leap year and you better believe we'll be celebrating the day ; )

Heart Day Love

2011-02-17T17:24:00.002-07:00

I've always said Valentine's Day is everything wonderful in the world: red, pink, hearts, flowers, chocolates, cards (well, maybe all of my favorite things ; ) Being a teacher on Valentine's Day is the best since it lets you experience all of these things through the eyes of little ones...

The crafts:

The Mailboxes:

The Valentines:

My firsties were super excited to open their boxes at the end of the day. Watching them was so much fun : ) As was Petite Mason with my husband! It was a lovely desert night:

We went to Petitie Maison last year for Valentine's Day as well. It's a "country bistro specializing in traditional French cuisine" and just like its name it's petite with just 33 indoor seats. On Valentine's Day they do a special set menu and I wouldn't mind making it a tradition ; )

The food was amazing. My favorite course was the third: Beef Tournedo with Roasted Artichokes, Pommes Robuchon, and Red Wine Bordelaise (and the paired Cotes du Rhone). It was I have to close my eyes while I'm eating this good : )

Valentine Smiles from Scottsdale

Valentine's Eve!

2011-02-13T22:51:00.011-07:00

Valentine's Day has to be my very favorite holiday : ) It's also my favorite time of the year to be a teacher since a lot of our stories/crafts/activities can be Valentine/Love themed : ) Tomorrow we'll have special Valentine centers and I get to wear the cute apron sent from my sweet momma:

I'm pretty sure it was meant for kitchen use, but when you're working with seven year olds it's always a good idea to be covered ; ) And, just like my firsties, I have my own valentines that I'm giving out all packed and ready to deliver:

I went with an idea I spotted on the First Grade Parade and made "Love Potion" packs with cute straws and Kool-Aid singles:

And though I love my little firsties, my favorite part of the day will be spending time with my hubby : ) I love getting fancy and going out to dinner, and I am beyond excited for Petite Maison tomorrow! Here's a sneak peek at our menu:

I can't wait! Happy Heart Day, all!

Our Backyard Zoo

2011-02-06T11:29:00.003-07:00

We have some new friends hanging out around the yard...

The first time we spotted them, they were on our upstairs balcony. For a second, we thought that they were really big stray cats. Then we realized - they were baby bobcats!

They are very curious:

And super playful:

And always close by mamma:

Max thinks it's really neat to have them around - kind of like our yard has turned into a zoo. While I agree, I'm also reminded of the reason why we can't get a tiny rabbit-sized dog.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-02-02T01:16:00.001-07:00

Just one thing I'm writing about this week...

More than anything, I'm loving my sweet, wonderful, caring husband. I know we took vowels to love to to cherish in sickness and in health, but he has gone above and beyond taking care of his sick wifey these past couple weeks. He's made countless cups of tea with lemon and honey, has made sure I had soup to eat, purchased, set up and kept the humidifier filled, called to line up substitutes when I had zero voice and at one point even let me use his pillow so I could sleep propped up to breathe. He's my Superman and I don't know what I would do without him.

*photo taken in Colorado, 2008

Bad, Harvey!

2011-01-29T10:47:00.001-07:00

One of the more interesting things about living where we are in Scottsdale is the abundance of wildlife. Last weekend, we spotted our first javelina on our property! Meet Harvey:

Yes, Harvey Javelina. I like to name the wildlife. Unfortunately, we found Harvey happily munching on the roots of our front yard plants : ( He was so cute I couldn't get mad. In person he looks like a teeny, tiny bear. He was totally chill and just looked at us, looking at him destroying our yard.

Thanks, Harvey.