A "Post" to my Dad...Cheers!

To my Dad,

and the best musician and band director I know,

Here are the videos I promised you from today's holiday concert. I wish I could've seen yours last night, but I was there in spirit. I love you, pad!

-Ster

Woodward Academy Middle School Orchestestra: Irish medley

Woodward Academy Middle School Advanced Band: Christmas songs

**I love this one...so cool**

The Nutcracker

Shawn and I began a (hopefully) new tradition for the winter months...

the Nutcracker ballet at the Fox Theater.

We have appeased to our "adventurous" side by going skiing every winter, but I felt as though we were neglecting our more "artistic" side. It was definitely fulfilled last night as we watched the beautiful ballet from the 3rd row on the orchestra level.

No matter how many times you see it, it is fantastic, so don't hesitate to go if you're thinking about it. It was a great way for us to get into the holiday spirit, since this warm summer weather has definitely made that difficult!

Enjoy the Holidays and embrace new family traditions!

Arriving at the Fox Theater...

Christmas-y photos inside...

The set of the Nutcracker...

Snow fall...

Cameras were prohibited inside the theater and I wanted to capture more snow (illegally), so this is my rushed, candid, "I don't want to get caught" shot.

Snow? Not so much, but I thought the shot looked cool.

Bon Qui Qui

I'm sure you've all heard about Bon Qui Qui by now, but in case you haven't, I just had to share my favorite video of the month.

I'm a MadTV fanatic, and this is by far one of the most hilarious characters.

Take a look and tell me what you think!

A late Thanksgiving greeting...

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends and family!

My entire family got together for the first time since our wedding (a year and a half) and spent the week at a resort in Williamsburg, VA. It was so great sharing laughs and "friendly competitions" with my siblings, and Shawn and I had a blast making memories with our five nieces and nephews. And let's not forget "Black Friday," which goes down in the history books for the most strategic and successful shopping experience ever...way to go mom, or should I say "Captain?"

Dad, Mom, Aaron, Diana, Ahmond, Tre, Alyssa, Amaya, Aris, Andreas & Shawn,

We love you!

Thanks for everything, and we look forward to our next get together!

Dad drinking café, and mom browsing the circulars with my niece Amaya.

Shawn lounging with Aris & Andreas; Snuggle time

Aris working on his next masterpiece; Aris showing off his newest find - a worm

My brother Aaron coloring "Leroy"; Demonstrating how to use the zipline...yipes!

Amaya taking the big leap; Tre trying to reach the next level on his DS.

Andreas coloring another dinosaur; Ahmond & Aris striking a pose

Cutie Alyssa smiling for the cam

Belated birthday news

Shawn and I have been so preoccupied with the unfortunate happenings of last Sunday that I completely neglected to thank him for an incredible birthday weekend.

I turned the big "26" last Thursday [November 13], and Shawn had an amazing weekend planned for me. My birthday dinner was the traditional Cheesecake Factory in Buckhead on Wednesday night with several friends: thank you for the great company Dan & Yulia, Rachel & Anthony, and Heather! If you haven't eaten there, you MUST try it. The portion sizes are amazing, the menu is endless (you know it's bad when the menu has pages just for advertising), the service is spectacular, and the desserts...perfection!

I was at home sick all day on my actual birthday (doesn't that suck?!), but I was definitely lifted up by the numerous phone calls from family and friends.

On Friday evening, Shawn surprised me with a weekend in Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA: Fantasy in Lights [you ride a trolley through the gardens at night and see a beautiful display of Christmas lights], a cute room in the Moutain Creek Lodge, a delightful massage, and a Saturday full of bike riding through the gardens.

I wanted to share some pictures of the weekend, so enjoy the slideshow.

Thanks to all who wished me a Happy Birthday! I was in great need of a smile after this past Sunday, so thank you for allowing me to remember and share the happier things in life.

BubbleShare: Share photos - Craft Ideas

Warning...

I am sure that you are all aware of the harsh times that our economy is facing, and with these times come violence, invasions, theft, and mild "insanity" as people are trying to regain what they have lost or may potentially lose.

On Sunday evening around 7:30pm, our Jeep Cherokee was stolen from our driveway. This may sound "typical" for the area, and many of you may have had this happen to you, but you must understand that Shawn and I were at home - lights were on, we were visibly moving through the house, etc., and they took this from our own property knowing that there was the potential of being caught in the act.

The two people broke the back window, broke the cover off of the ignition, and somehow used this wrench to crank up the Jeep (no hot wiring anymore I guess)...and we didn't hear ANYTHING! We suffered through a long night of police reports, phone calls, sleep deprivity, & stress as you could imagine. The next day, I went to work & Shawn stayed home waiting for a locksmith - there was a spare housekey in the Jeep and we wanted to take all precautions. He began to ride his bike to the nearest ATM & found the car literally a couple of blocks away in a senior citizen residency (where we later discovered another car had been broken into 3 cars down from where they left ours, & another car was stolen after their first attempt failed). I guess they got tired of "joy-riding" in our Jeep? It was then that we confirmed that our house key was taken. Ask me how much I've slept since Sunday night?!

Long story short, our Jeep has been recovered, but it is not in driving condition, nor do we feel comfortable driving or sitting in a vehicle that has been raided (they went through every inch of the car), abused, & disrespected.

I wanted to share this story with you because these things are happening way too often in our beautiful city because of rough times and desperation. I also believe that many of these crooks are not being actively pursued by law enforcement, and they are feeling invincible. Many of you may say, "These things will never happen to me," but they most certainly do...and often times right in front of your face.

I have been a victim of burglary twice in the last two years - once a year ago when my condo was gutted of both replaceable and irreplaceable items, and now Sunday when our vehicle was taken. I can tell you that it's something that you never get over - having your privacy and personal space invaded & never feeling like those people have been punished for it.

I want you all to be safe...no matter where you are. As much as you may want to, you cannot assume that people "mean no harm." Pray daily, and have faith that you will be kept safe from violence & invasion. Please learn from us: our car was locked & secure, but we could have kept it in the garage with the other vehicle; do not leave valuables (incl. paperwork) inside your vehicle even for a few minutes; never leave your car running to warm it up; invest in a good alarm system. We were very blessed to have our car found and to have avoided any confrontation with the thieves, but others have not been as blessed as we have been. Please take care!!

The good, the bad, and the 80's

Oh the lovely 80's. I've got admit that I don't remember as much of it as some, but I guess I claim to be an 80's girl since I was born then & took part in all of the 80's "hot & not so hot" lists. And I grew up during the 80's in Korea (which means you have to multiply the severity of the 80's by three), so let's just say my style was a hot mess. (Okay, okay...so maybe not so "hot", it was just a mess). I've got to say though, that I wouldn't change my life in the 80's for anything. I mean the style is coming back, right?! Pants are made tight enough that you don't even have to do the tight roll! Oh yea! Anyways, one of my best friends sent me a great e-mail that took me down that long, windy road of 80's memories. I hope you find it as humorous as I did. Enjoy!

You Know You (or your kids)Grew Up In the 80's IF:

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.

2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton

3. You know that 'WOAH' comes from Joey on Blossom

4. If you ever watched 'Fraggle Rock'

5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.

6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.

7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.

9. You played the game 'MASH'(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)

10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.

11. You know the profound meaning of ' WAX ON , WAX OFF'

12. You wanted to be a Goonie.

13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (Some of us...head-to-toe)

14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off, his cheeks shifted and his nationality became questionable.

15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

16. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pail Kids in the schoolyard.

17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.

18. You still get the urge to say 'NOT' after every sentence.

19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave
because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.

21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.

22. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying 'I know you are, but what am I?'

23. You remember 'I've fallen and I can't get up'

24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.

25. You have ever played with a Skip-It.

26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.

27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.

28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.

29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.

30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool... and don't even flinch when people refer to them as 'NKOTB'

31. You knew all the characters names and
their life stories on 'Saved By The Bell,' The ORIGINAL class.

32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.

33. You just sang those words to yourself.

34. You still sing 'We are the World'

35. You tight rolled or french cuffed your jeans. And still debate on which is the right term!

36. You owned a banana clip.

37. You remember 'Where's the Beef?'

38. You used to (and probably still do) say 'What you talkin' 'bout Willis?'

39. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!

40. your hair looked like this for at least 1 school picture!

Blog Help?!

If you are at all familiar with the way that our blog used to look, I am in need of some help!

For some reason, the sidebar to the right does not display the way that it should...you have to scroll all the way down to the bottom to see it (blog links, profile, etc.) I've tried everything (at least I think I have) to make it move, but I haven't had any luck.

Are there any "Blogger" experts out there that can talk me through this? I'm a bit OCD when it comes to things being balanced, so I can't stand to look at my own blog!! Crazy...I know. Please advise! Thanks a lot in advance!

La comida....mmmm

The change in temperature has inspired me to cook and bake some dishes that just warm me up inside. I wanted to share these recipes with anyone who has the time to try them out. Enjoy!

1. Lentejas (Lentil Soup):

This is a dish that I ate all the time during my stay in Spain several years ago. My señora would make this for us on cold days and I would be the last one at the table scraping the bottom of the pot...literally. It's super delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups dry lentils
2 tablespoons olive oil1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water1 carrot (optional), cut into bite size chunks
1 medium potato, cut into chunks slightly bigger than bite size
2-3 small chorizo sausages (Mexican or Spanish) or linguica sausage (Portuguese)
**I am not a chorizo fan, so I just used about a lb. of regular smoked sausage**

DIRECTIONS:

1. Soak the lentils in cold water for an hour prior to cooking.
2. Heat olive oil on low heat, add onion and garlic. Sautée until onion begins to look translucent and garlic browns a little.
3. Add water and lentils, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add potato & carrot (opt).
4. Add sausage, in one inch slices. **I did this a bit later to keep the flavor**
5. Cook until lentils get soft and expand and sausage filling strains against natural casing, about 40-45 minutes.
6. Serve warm with crusty bread.

A Day in History

Today is Election Day...

a day to cast your vote...

a day to take a stand...

a way to voice what's important to You!

Please take the time today (if you haven't battled the lines already) to vote, no matter who you are voting for. Just remember that you can't complain about who is in office if you don't take the time VOTE!

Shawn & I hope that today is going to be a beautiful moment in history...

our first Black President.

Go Barack!

¡Feliz cumpleaños a mi esposo increíble!

Shawn celebrated his 28th (¡qué viejo!) birthday on Friday October 17th.

Doesn't that look like the face of someone who just turned 28?! Yipes!

We had great food, great fun, and great laughs with family & friends on Friday night, and then Shawn and I went out on Saturday for some "just us" time. On Friday we ate dinner at our fav Mexican restaurant in the area & ate bday cake. Our plans to go to the Homecoming football game were put on hold due to weather, so we all went back and played Taboo. I just want to make a plug to the Burnette's - they are amazing ;^)

Shawn took complete advantage of a special occasion, like most men do, and soaked up the birthday attention for all it was worth calling the entire weekend his birthday! How convenient! Just when I thought I was done treating, the occasion had only just begun.

Remember that when I turn 26 this year Shawn!

So, like a good wife, on Saturday I took him shopping in Norcross and to Malibu Grand Prix Fun Park. We went to the batting cages and hit a few, then it was off to an endless number of stores.

I mean hey, a girl's gotta enjoy herself, too, right?!?!

We had a fantastic time celebrating another year of a blessed life!

Enjoy the pics...

Our friends Rachel & Anthony joined us at "La Fiesta" for some good Mexican cookin'!

Shawn & his big sis' Heather posing for the cam. Heather preparing take-out for her dog at home.

Us. The pics look the same, but they're different, I promise.

Shawn opening his new Fossil watch from me & a musical card from his other sister Laura. He was jammin' to Tito Puente.

The amazing staff surprised Shawn with a cake (that I bought...no time to bake) after the yummy dinner. Picture 1 - Hmmm...what do I do now? Picture 2 - Oh yes...blow the candles out.

A Stone Mountain Fall

Shawn and I went to Stone Mountain on our day off last Friday. It was a beautiful fall day full of new experiences and adventures, and a great way to spend a day without work.

Here are some pictures to highlight the day.

Posing in front of the beautiful stone. There is actually a picture carved into the mountain, but you probably can't see it in detail...gorgeous!

The SkyHike was a great adventure. There are three levels of crazy obstacles that you have to complete as you're suspended from a bungee. We also competed in a huge, completely vertical rock climbing wall.

It was great!

Posing in a pumpkin patch. I love Fall!

I loved these pictures with the leaves hanging low from the tree.

We could see a great view of the mountain from there.

Yes, you guessed it. I was chosen to compete in a pie eating contest! Did I win?! Of course not. Do you see the big man sitting next to me?! Yipes!

We decided to hike to the top of Stone Mountain. Here are some pics of the view. We made it to the top just in time to see the beautiful sun setting on the Atlanta skyline. It was a gorgeous site!

Victory! We finally made it to the top just in time for the sun to set on our fantastic day.

Stone Mountain Park ended up being a great day-long getaway with a romantic end.

We definitely suggest visiting the park in the Fall to capture the leaves changing and the cool breezes.