This past weekend I had a spontaneous moment, resulting in a fun mistake that soon lost it's appeal in a day.  I dyed my hair.

I had chosen a dark brown intense auburn color.  The color on the box was pretty, and I have the dark eyebrows to pull it off, so I bought the dye.  Usually I'm really careful about hair dye, but this particular day I was feeling a bit impulsive.  It turns out that this particular dye was only meant for dark brown hair to begin with, and when the dye bottle turned bright orange, I realized that my dark blond hair might be in for a shock.

By the time all the dye was in my hair, I looked like someone dipped my head in a bucket of blood orange paint!  The end result was a shocking head of intense cranberry red hair (it was actually redder than the picture).

I have to confess that I initially loved it!  It was wild, crazy, and somehow I could manage to pull the look off.  This excitement wore off as soon as I had to pick up Christmas cards the next day.

My first time in public with this new look, definitely gained attention, but not exactly the kind I wanted.  My first compliment came from a guy with 1" plugs in his ears, a sleeve of tattoos, and really long hair. Although he was a genuinely nice guy, I wondered momentarily if I had joined a club or something with my new look.  Aside from that, I had a few people stare at me, including a little old man, which made me feel ashamed momentarily.

I bought a new dye for medium brown hair after two days, and quickly went to work at home.  The end result... the initial color I had wanted! A dark brown intense auburn! 

I definitely learned my lesson... READ the hair dye box rather than just choosing picture on the box! haha.

<3 Candace

In my previous post about my book goal, I never mentioned what I was currently reading. So here they are: "The Easy Learn To Crochet In Just One Day", "The Mother of all Pregnancy Books", and The Bible. I've been trying to read through the entire Bible for years... I finally re-started last year, keeping up with my church's readings. I'm only 1/3 through, there's so much detail! As for the crochet book, I think that's pretty obvious. :-) And the pregnancy book... well, I'll start by saying that I'm not pregnant... BUT, it never hurts to educate yourself about something that will eventually happen. ;-)

I will confess that being a housewife has brought the thought of children off the back-burner. I never realized just how strong a woman's instinct to mother and nurture could be! Just a couple weeks ago I nearly brought a dog home - I was completely smitten. The burning desire to care for a dog died down once I got home, but my desire to mother/nurture soon became very apparent when the thought turned to babies. My entire life, I always knew I wanted to be a mom, and my internal clock must have started working recently... because the instinct is like a hunger!

One day I'll get to step into the shoes of motherhood... and what an amazing day that will be!

I have discovered that I have an insatiable love for books. Last night my husband and I went on one of our favorite cheap, random dates: a trip to Borders by our apartment for hot cocoa and browsing.

I had a coupon to buy one get one 33% off - so of course I had to put it to use and bought two new books I've been eye-balling lately! I love getting into a good novel now and then... but for the most part, my books of choice are either informational and/or inspirational.

After a good hour and a half, my husband and I made our way home where we quickly realized that we have quite a few books to read still. While I'm proud to say that I managed to read a good handful in the past few months, I still have a good handful on my need-to-read list, and buying two more only added to that list.

I made a goal with my husband last night, that we would both try to read one book a month before setting foot in Borders, or Barnes & Noble again. It's going to be difficult mostly for me to do (the not setting foot in Borders part), but looking around my apartment right now and seeing the 3 books on the table I'm somehow reading all at once, it may not take me too long to do. :-) Once my goal is complete, I'll try to share any books that are must-reads for anyone interested!

Costco was out of this certain fish I wanted, but right next to the empty space I spotted shrimp! For fun, I decided to make shrimp cocktail sauce, and surprise my husband with an appetizer before dinner.  Below is a really easy recipe I found online and had to share!

EASY SHRIMP COCKTAIL SAUCE

• 1/2 c. ketchup
• 2 tbsp. horseradish, heaping
• 1/4 tsp. lemon juice

Mix well. Refrigerate any left over. And that's it!

For my husband's 28th birthday, he requested homemade pumpkin cheesecake. This fun recipe is really easy, and fun to make!
16 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin (Click Here for cooked pumpkin recipe)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 graham cracker crust


Directions:
Blend cream cheese, vanilla and sugar together in a bowl until it reaches a thick smooth consistency.








Add eggs in and blend until smooth.









Remove 1 cup of the plain batter and spread evenly into the pie crust.







Next, add the rest of the ingredients (pumpkin and spices) to the remaining batter and blend smooth.

Spread the pumpkin batter carefully over the plain batter, and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Cool, then chill in the fridge for 3 hours or more. Serve with cool whip or whipped cream, and enjoy!

So I had promised to post about my annual tradition of making pumpkin pie from scratch! Let me first say that it is not something for the quick cook... because this recipe takes plenty of time and patience (unless that is, you decide to use canned pumpkin and store-bought pie crust). :-)

First, the pumpkin. I've used anything from carving pumpkins to small pie-pumpkins at the store. Doesn't matter, they all taste the same, but the larger ones are a bit more work.

You'll want to cut the pumpkin into halves and remove the seeds and fiber. Once the inside of the pumpkin is clean, place the pumpkin halfs face-down in a deep baking pan, and fill the pan with 1/4" - 1/2" of water.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, cover the pan with foil, and bake for about an hour - or until tender. With larger pumpkins, an extra 15-30 minutes can be added to the baking time.
Once the pumpkins are baked, scoop the pumpkin from the shells and mash until there are no lumps remaining. I found that pureeing the pumpkin afterward in a blender is the best.

Okay! So now you have your homemade pumpkin puree! This is the fun part. Usually I'll make a homemade pie crust, but store-bought is good too for time sake. This recipe makes enough pie mix for a 9-inch pie.

Ingredients:
One 9-inch pie crust
2 eggs
2 cups cooked pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Beat eggs slightly in a deep bowl, and beat in remaining ingredients.
Pour pie filling into the pie crust, bake for 15 minutes. (I like to sprinkle nutmeg on top as well)

Monday I officially became a full-time housewife.  My year-long job contract came to an end, and so 5 days, one cleaned apartment, 3 loads of laundry, a refreshed garden and 5 pies later... I'm sitting here contemplating what I want to do with my spare time.  A couple items came to mind:

• Start my own business in Freelance Graphic Design
• Learn how to successfully grow a vegetable garden
• Sell my artwork
• Learn to crochet (for real this time!)
• Improve/expand my cooking abilities
• Write a children's book
• Create my own cartoon comic 
• Become a fitness instructor

These are some of the ideas that have come to mind.  I'm fortunate enough to have a loving, supportive husband that wants me to take this time to follow my heart and find my calling.  I also recently had a great discussion with a friend who inspired me to start building up my blog and re-kindle my love for art.  She is an amazing homemaker, and I greatly encourage checking out her blog! Happy Homemaker Me

As for my blog, I'm hoping to really kick-start it into gear, sharing my journey and discoveries as an inexperienced gardener, new cook, and budding artist!

It's that season again!! My favorite season of all time is Fall.  I love the leaves, the cooler weather, the rain, and of course all the decorations and festivities that come with it!

Last week I spent some time pulling out all the fall decor for our little apartment.  I love how warm and cozy it makes everything feel.  It puts me in the mood to bake, drink hot tea, and cuddle up with a good book or movie.

The only thing I'm not the biggest fan of is Halloween.  I mean, I love seeing the kids all dressed up, the carved pumpkins, and even a get-together of some sort for fun.  What I don't love, is the breakouts from the candy, the trouble-makers roaming late at night, and anything that's generally too gross or disturbing. :-/ Let me just say that I'm not even a scary movie fan... I'll avoid them at all costs.  The last scary movie I watched was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.... never again.  Oy.

So I sorta came up with my own Halloween tradition. :-) I buy a couple good sized pumpkins, and while the kids are trick-or-treating, I cook the pumpkins up and make homemade pumpkin pies and bread from scratch!

Cal Poly Pomona (my alma mater) has it's annual Pumpkin Festival coming up, and I'm thinking I'm going to buy a few locally grown pumpkins there. :-) I'll be posting my pie cooking hopefully soon!

Last year I discovered Thai curry, and it was love! I can literally eat curry everyday, twice a day! My husband and I found a local hole-in-the-wall place that delivers, and I thought I had found heaven! haha. It soon became my goal to make homemade Thai curry of my own. I made my first attempt over a week ago, and was so excited, I had to share!

The ingredients were the hardest part... some of them you can't buy at your local grocery store, so I went to 99 Ranch Market for a couple of the ingredients. (curry paste & fish sauce)



















The ingredients shown above are:
(top row, left to right): bamboo shoots, coconut milk, green onion, sweet basil, curry paste.
(bottom section): carrots/potatoes, fish sauce, chicken pieces, red chilies, sugar, and 2 garlic cloves.

Once you have all the ingredients, it's really easy from there. You cook half of the coconut milk with half of the curry paste until boiling. Once it's boiling, you add the meat and cook thoroughly. After that, you put in the rest of the ingredients (including the 2nd half of coconut milk and curry paste).
I let it cook and simmer until the potatoes are soft - and then it's ready to serve!! I always make steamed rice to go with it.

So I came across this chart on a jewelry website. I thought it was too cute! (*note to husbands: if you ever aren't sure what to get your wife on your anniversary, pull this chart out and find something for that special year.)
Year Gemstone
1st...................Peridot
2nd..................Red Garnet
3rd..................Jade
4th..................Blue Sapphire
5th..................Pink Tourmaline
6th..................Turquoise
7th..................Yellow Sapphire
8th..................Tanzanite
9th..................Amethyst
10th................Blue Sapphire
11th................Citrine
12th................Opal
13th................Moonstone
14th................Agate
15th................Rhodolite
16th................Red Spinel
17th................Carnelian
18th................Aquamarine
19th................Garnet
20th................Yellow Diamond
25th................Tsavorite
30th................Pearl
35th................Emerald
40th................Ruby
45th................Cats Eye
50th................Imperial Topaz
60th................Star Ruby
65th................Blue Spinel
70th................Smoky Quartz
75th................Diamond

I stumbled across this quote yesterday, and I found it to be so true!

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll

I think Charles Swindoll has a fantastic point. Attitude can make or break any situation! It's like the phrase "looking at the glass half full/empty". Which are you? People that look at things in a positive light tend to enjoy life more, while negative folks just seem to bring everything down... including the attitude of those around them. Think about it... who would you rather be around?

The funny thing is that attitude can even alter your self-perception. I find that if I'm negative, complaining, or angry... not only am I irritated with my surroundings, or the situation... but I don't even like myself! My perception of myself matches my attitude. But if I'm optimistic, happy, and upbeat, I'm loving life and I like who I am - despite my surroundings or the situation. :-)

Attitude can be everything!

I went and saw the Dead Sea Scrolls this past weekend! Needless to say - it was amazing! The showcase had scripture that ranged in age from over 2000 years old (dead sea scrolls), to a microfilm bible that went to the moon and back! My favorite piece from the Dead Sea Scrolls was this piece:

This fragment held the words from Deuteronomy 8:3 (5th book in the Bible), that say, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." What I was in awe of about this piece of the scroll, was that this verse was quoted by Jesus Himself in Matthew 4:4 in answer to Satan's temptations! Simply amazing! It was mind-bending to see something so precious right in front of me - it gave me major goosebumps! I found a neat link that talks more about the scrolls, since we only got to see a few fragments. There are actually many many more! http://www.centuryone.com/25dssfacts.html

Aside from the Dead Sea Scrolls, we got to see Bibles and scripture throughout the ages!

The Torah scroll here on the left was hundreds of years old, written on animal skins sewn together. It would take a person about 2 years to complete a scroll.


Below are a couple more pictures of some of the Bibles we saw there...

And of course, here is the Bible that was printed on microfilm, taken to the moon and back! The paper that it is mounted on, also has the signatures of the astronauts that were on that trip!
Anyway, overall, it was an amazing experience!

It's 1:10AM as I'm writing this... it's hard falling asleep after having a great day. :-)

My hubby sold his '66 Mustang today. It was his first car that he bought when he was 17. It was a little bitter-sweet watching it go... but like all things in life, nothing lasts forever. We were both happy with the buyer though. He owns a body shop, loves cars, and has been looking for a '66 Mustang to own! His plans are to fix her up and give her a new paint job so that she's as good as new. We couldn't have been happier to know the car was going to be in good hands.

I spent the rest of the day with my parents, while Matt helped our friend Joe move. I don't get to spend a lot of time with my folks, and today was absolutely wonderful! My mom and I got lunch at this great little place called "Veggie Tea House". It's a vegetarian restaurant. We're not vegetarian of course, but the food there is amazing, and so healthy! I honestly think that if I ate that kind of food every day, I'd never have to worry about gaining weight, and could eat as much as I want! :-P

After lunch, we browsed through Micheal's, Barnes & Noble, and finally Bevmo. Once we were back at my parent's house, I shared an evening of dinner and cocktails with my mom and dad. I love these kinds of evenings. We all sit on the back patio, turn on the stereo, and visit. It's so relaxing!

We ended the evening watching Avatar, and then came time for me to head home to my hubby. :-) I'm not sure where the time has gone since I got home, but Matt's sound asleep in bed while I'm still up in the living room writing. I figured that writing might help put me to sleep... I may just have to go lay down, shut my eyes and see what happens though because I'm still pretty awake. :-)

Anyway... had a great day today! All I can really say to end this post is that I am truly blessed! I grew up with the most wonderful and loving family, and have an amazing husband! What more could a girl want?

I love my job.  The people are wonderful, the work is enjoyable, location is pretty good, and of course the paycheck is nice.

As much as I am thankful to have a job... I often have housewife withdrawals. I don't always have time to keep the apartment spotless, and cook all of our meals. On some nights, my husband and I order food in, because neither of us have the energy to cook.  Other times we have snack nights. It makes me feel like a lazy wife, even when I know that's not the case!

Society has messed up the image of a wife so much. As women, society expects us to do multiple things in a marriage: 1.) take care of the house and home (includes cooking meals), 2.) be attractive and dote on your husband, 3.) care for and raise the kids, and the newest addition to this list... 4.) be a successful career woman! How in the world can you do ALL of those? Women are good multitaskers... but I don't think we can be excellent on every level.  Some things will eventually suffer... whether it's not enough time to stay fit, not enough time to cook, the house may get messy, the kids may not get the time they need, and even the husband may not get the time he desires with his wife.

I am amazed and in awe of the women who can work 8 hours, come home to fix dinner, keep the house clean, the kids happy... and STILL please their husband. Or wait... maybe that's Wonder Woman. :-)  Either way, it is overwhelming to think of how many responsibilities are placed on a wife today.

Do you ever have those moments when you notice an unusual coincidence?  Suddenly a few days later, you stumble upon yet another incident that relates? It all seems random at first... until it keeps popping up and you are scrambling back saying "whoa!!" in realization.

Recently I have been trying my best to read my Bible consistently, and focus on my prayer life.  The Bible I read from has small marriage counseling studies throughout the book - from Genesis all the way through Revelation. At first, I noticed that every time I read and made it to one of the marriage studies - it went over a topic that I had recently pondered about, or was having my own issues with.  I didn't think much of this... until I started delving further into reading...

I finished reading through 1 Samuel, and was half way done with 2 Samuel, when I began reading a book called "When God Doesn't Make Sense".  Towards the end of the book, it touched base on the concept of prayer, and answered a long-term question I've always had, regarding repetition in prayer.  I pondered this a little over a day and a half while visiting friends in Monterey with my husband.  That Sunday we went to church with our friends, where their pastor not only focused his sermon on prayer... but also used a story in 1 Samuel as a prime example! I was blown away at how everything in that sermon connected and jumped out to me! It was as if God was prepped me to hear that sermon.

That same trip, I came across two books while browsing the bookstore with my friend.  One was a Christian book called "For Women Only - understanding the inner lives of men", and the other was "The Power of a Praying Wife".  I read the first book in a couple days.  I not only learned a great deal about the obstacles my husband (and all men) face... but again, the book drew examples from 1 and 2 Samuel!

Today I've only just started the second book - about a praying wife.  It was interesting that this book stood out to me and happened to be about prayer - since I noticed that prayer has been a regular theme recently.  After reading only one chapter, a story from 2 Samuel popped up!!  Even more astonishing is how the chapter ended. It quoted a specific verse from the bible... a verse that I read on Facebook this morning and had sent to my husband! "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." - Galatians 6:9.  The author was relating it to our prayer life - how we should not give up, because in due time, our prayers will be answered.

It is amazing how as soon as you open up your heart fully to receive the Lord, He makes himself present in everything! I know there's a powerful lesson I'm learning from 1 and 2 Samuel... about being a good wife, and strengthening my prayer-life.

I was meandering about in my apartment last night, and I noticed that I had the most random projects spread about.  In the living room, I have my clay laid out on the coffee table where I've starting molding a figurine... by my music books I have a poster that's prepped for a pencil rendering... by my nightstand I have scarf-sized blanket that I'm not done crocheting... by my desk there's a sketchbook with half-done drawings and ideas... and in my closet I have paint canvases that are not finished.

I considered all these projects for a while.  I'm usually not one to leave projects undone... procrastinate maybe, but usually I finish things I start.  My artwork, however, has taken a recent hit since college graduation. Part of me feels that my mentality has shifted to the notion that I no longer have deadlines or grades - so I can take as long as I want!  The problem with this - as I've noticed - is that it hasn't produced anything except a bunch of half-baked ideas!

I truly think that I've developed AADD - Artistic Attention Deficit Disorder.  I'm sure the crumbling Art Department at my college would have liked this one... it ranks right up there with Senioritis.

Today was Mother's Day. :-)

Just when I think I'm an adult - mature and grown-up -  I find myself digging up my inner child and soaking up a day like today.  Most days are spent getting up early, working 8 hours, working out, cooking dinner, spending time with my husband, going to bed early and restarting the entire cycle again.  Weekends become a time to catch up on rest, chores, work, and if you're lucky, you get to cut loose with friends.  Then there are days like today...

A day where you appreciate the fact that while you may be an adult in this world... you still are your mom's baby.  It's a day that I don't focus on chores, work, or my responsibilities... instead, I remember that I'm still her little girl, I still have a lot to learn from her, and no matter how old I get - that will never change!

Today my dad, sister and I took my mom out to lunch, along with my grandma and grandpa.  It reminded me of old times.  I was on my way to Yucaipa with my parents and sister.  Sitting in the back seat of my mom's car always makes me feel like a kid - even when I recall how it used to be a lot bigger, and my knees now touch the back of the front seat - it doesn't change that feeling.  We still all sing in the car, dad still drives with one hand on the wheel - the other holding coffee, my mom puts her purse in it's usual place, and it's as if we never grew up.

Lunch was wonderful, and I can honestly say that this had to be one of my favorite Mother's Days!  The restaurant was this adorable little place called "Granlund's" that my Grandma recommended.  It had amazing food, and yet... it looked and felt just like a little tea cottage! It reminded me so much of the tea parlors my mom used to take my sister and me to as little girls.  You can only imagine how this added to the feeling of being a kid, and how much more I thought of all the wonderful memories I have with my mom.

I can't express enough how much my mom means to me.  She has always done so much for my sister and me, that there really isn't any way I can thank her enough!  I'm glad there's a day devoted to mom's, because she truly deserves a day to celebrate her! And I'm glad that there's a day to remind me that I'm always going to be a kid in some way, and that my mom is the reason. :-)

I have kept a journal since I was six years old.  I have always found them to be wonderful.  They are a place that one can talk about anything, and even simply document their life. They are like old pictures - fun to look back on when you get older.  One day, when I'm an old lady, I plan to read all of my journals. Memories last a lifetime, and to read through them, is like re-living them in your mind.

The mind is an amazing thing. When I look back on my journal entries from ages six, thirteen, eighteen, and even now at twenty-three, I have found growth in all of them.  Growth in knowledge, emotion, maturity, and even better penmanship! :-)  Today I guess penmanship isn't as important when you have a keyboard and computer, but even a blog and keyboard can serve the same purpose as a journal and a pen.

I stopped writing for a while after I turned nineteen. I wrote perhaps a couple entries each year, but it's amazing how busy life gets as you get older. I know that life can pass you by if you let it - I don't want that to happen.  My hope is to write again, reflecting on each and every wonderful memory, thought, and feeling.  One of these days, I will look upon this entry, and be glad that I wrote again.