Hi Hi Hi

Remember how I've been sick a bunch lately? It eased up just in time for our anniversary get-away. It was such a nice weekend of shopping and relaxing and just hanging out. I bought my first pair of yoga pants (ohhhh, yeah.) and some new bathroom digs (i.e. bath towels, a rug, and a new shower curtain), a hat, Sean got a bowtie, a potato masher, and some yummy tea. It was just a really good weekend all around. 

However, the night we got home, I threw up again. Ahh, my life. So what I'm doing is I'm going off my birth control pill. I think my hormones have just changed and all of the side effects are showing. I'm hoping this takes care of the problem though... If it doesn't, I'm going to go to the doctor and get it all figured out. 

Sean's in the kitchen (with Dinah... jk) making chicken noodle soup and it's so yummy smelling/looking. He's such a good cook and I love when he makes me dinner. 

So anyway, I'm gonna go eat. 

love, Ellen

Storms and String Cheese

It's been super rainy here lately and I'm loving it. I love listening to the pitter-patter on the windows and the thunder and I love being able to wear long pants and sweaters without having to bundle up or over heat. And the smell! Mmm... it makes me want to leave the windows open, even though it might get my house wet.

Also, lately, I've been really bad about eating lunch. I get off work either at 11 am or 2 pm and then I come home, take a nap, and completely skip eating. Then, when dinner rolls around, I realize I've only had a handful of donut holes and a string cheese. I think I need to just get a bunch of microwave meals, lunch meat and bread, and whatever else I can just whip together without much thought.

There's a secret that goes along with this, though. I love reading a recipe and then figuring it out myself. I made a marinara sauce about a month ago from scratch with little help from a recipe. I took some fresh tomatoes from our community garden and then a can of diced tomatoes as well as a bunch of basil, some thyme, a pinch of cayenne powder, and some olive oil and it was delicious. A couple days ago, I made shells and cheese by whipping up a roux and then dumped in a bunch of cheese and some salt and pepper and the cooked noodles and that also turned out really well.

I think the problem with it is that I don't have enough faith in my cooking. Sean always says it's good... Who knows.

Anyway, now I'm hungry so I think I'm going to go heat up some leftover shells and cheese (which is weird because I don't like leftovers. We'll see how it goes).

love, Ellen

PS! Check out Sean's new blog! He's writing movie reviews just for you! If there's a movie you think we should see, let me know!

May 31: Vivid

I remember nearly a year and a half ago, I had a HUGE crush on this guy. The night before, I had driven him to the local Subway to have dinner with a few of our friends. When I dropped him off outside his apartment, I casually asked him if he was going to our friend Jayme's to watch Land Before Time the next night. He said "Sure".

The next night, I showed up early with a backpack full of homework and high hopes. A couple people trickled in and then Sean knocked on the door. I opened it and let him in and freaked out a little (just in my head. On the outside, I was as cool as a cuke).

Eventually, we had the movie in and the popcorn ready. I had to kick this tall, awkward guy from the seat that was too wide to be a 1-person chair and too small to be a love-seat and then I sat down. Sean sauntered over and then he said something and sat down right next to me. SWOON. The movie started and not 3 minutes in, he had my hand in his and I was on the brink of peeing my pants from excitement (but still, on the outside, cool as a cuke).

We watched the movie (that, to be honest, I'd only seen at my granny's house while playing with Chevron cars) and chatted a bit afterwards. Everyone left and it was just me, Sean, and Jayme (and maybe Jayme's roommate Jamie, who I think had gone to bed by that point). Sean wondered what we were going to do next and I suggested we went back to his place and I'll finish up some homework while he worked on his book. My ploy to get him to fall for me was a success!

We wandered across the complex and up to his apartment and we went in. We sat down on his demon couch and I pulled out Walden by Henry David Thoreau and he pulled out his baby-sized laptop. After an awkward choke-hold-esque situation, we finally found a comfy position and went to work. That obviously didn't last long and we ended the night making out.

He walked me home and kissed me on my doorstep. SWOON. 5 months of dating, 3 months of engagement, and 8 months of marriage later, I swoon just as often. And tonight, we're probably going to buy groceries and I'll tell him I tried making kool-aid taffy but didn't have a candy thermometer, ran to get one, it broke when I pulled it out of the package, I still used what I could, and it still didn't turn out.

I hope the last day of your month turns out better than my kool-aid taffy.
love, Ellen

Weekend update.

So, as you MUST know by now, i'm getting married (in 26 days but who's counting). A lot of things come with marriage, i'm slowly becoming aware of. There are things i'm sure i haven't thought of that my wonderful mom or sister or future family-in-laws or my old neighbor, Anna, has. It's hard enough to look at the next 24 hours than the next 26 days. in those days, i will be doing these things

• school (4 classes - 12 credit hours)
• work (upgrading inventory and changing stock as well as management)
• driving to MN and back 2 times (total of approximately 76* hours of driving. seriously.(*some of that will be after the wedding)
• going Sean's best friend's wedding (nervous but excited)
• sending invites
• getting a new phone
• putting away things from bridal showers
• sleeping
• eating
• (hopefully) relaxing

so that's gonna be fun.

This week, Sean's friend from his old work-place came and stayed with us for a bunch of days. Unfortunately, i was sick. but at the same time it was nice because i got to be home and hang out with her and become friends with her instead of having a 'fantastic' time at work. and by fantastic i mean crappy. Anyway, we became friends and now she lives in LA and we're gonna visit her eventually.

Alright, so yesterday. Started off great, because i forgot my makeup bag at home so my mom and dad and i went to get bagels and wedding make-up (hooray), then we went to my parent's ward's bridal shower for me. TONS of cool stuff. to name a few things: 6 or 7 cookie sheets and a couple muffin tins, 4 movies, a quesadilla maker, a gorgeous blue glass plate and a stylish white plate with red print spoon on it, tons of glass dishes and bowls and casserole pans, popcorn things, a minichopper, a game, and probably other things that have slipped my mind. 

After that, me and Abby and my mom went to Bridal Image and got my dress. lemme tell you, it's PERFECT. i wasn't sure about it at first because i bought it when it wasn't what i wanted (long with a train and short sleeves) and then i went and got it from being altered and it's PERFECT. i don't think i can say that enough. it's exactly my style and comfortable and elegant and i'm so so excited. I put it on to show my dad and Sean and sean was dazzled. he had the most adorable face. 

then we passed out some wedding invites, and went over to my Aunt Sharla's for a family shower. We played some games and chatted and ate dinner that Uncle Scott prepared. Then we opened gifts (which i'm finding to be loads of fun)! We got a huge tub full of awesome food, a griddle, a Twister Duvet cover, laundry detergent, post-it's, stickers, the Game of Life, Pyrex things, floor lamps, gift cards, and perhaps other things i have forgotten. 

But seriously, we have things! We still need a can opener and pots and pans (probably coming from my parents) but we can finally cook things in our house! hooray! Thank you to all who came and gave us things! We're SO grateful and hopefully will be sending Thank You notes soon. 

Now we're going to go get ready for our trip to MN! lots of driving. we're gonna eat a lot of snacks. and there's gonna be music up the wazoo. Woo! 

okay. i'm going to go do the sunday things like eating and naps. 

love, ellen

Abe Lincoln: Best Action Hero!

Seriously, though. Sean and I went and saw Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer and oh. my. word. BEST. It had action and drama and vampires and a burning train bridge vampire slaying ax-riffle-bayonet handling historical figure that was just awesome. It was seriously the best movie i've seen this year in the theater. Anyway, everyone should see it. It's rated R, but just you wait til it comes on DVD and watch. it's so so good.

Another thing, HAPPY 'MERICA WEEK!!! Tonight, we're watching Independence Day, tomorrow night, we're driving down to Bountiful at night for my birthday dinner, then JULY 4TH! fireworks and food and fun and all that stuff. then then then! My Birthday! fun and turning 19 and presents and a Foster the People concert. All fun. I even painted my nails red and white stripes and then my thumbs are blue with 50 stars (right?! i'm awesome.) and sparkly.

Yesterday, Sean made Pain de Campagne (country bread) and I made Norwegian Almond Cake and both are so so yummy. We're such cute little bakers. awesome. Then this morning i had a tuna sandwich and easy mac. healthy...

Anyway, short update today cuz i'm not in a mood to write a lot a lot.
oh, here is this funny picture, though.

the end.
love, ellen

I've got flour on my keyboard...

true story. remember how Sean and I like making fun desserts sometimes? yeah, we were making cream cheese brownies on tuesday and i accidentally stirred the flour in vigorously and got some on my keyboard. it's fine.. i'll just wipe it off with a cotton swab sometime when i'm not lounging on my bed.

I seriously need to start doing more interesting things in the mornings besides watching hulu and playing words with friends... I wish i had some motivation or interesting things to do. I could always start exercising or doing art or writing something... I don't know. If you have any really good ideas, lemme know. Either that or i'll just try the drawing scene again. To be honest, that will probably happen.

Oh, so last weekend, Sean and I, in our spontaneous nature, up-and-went to Moab for the day. We did weird things like hiking and being outside. we were all exercise-y and whatnot. It was great. Sean took a lot of neat-o pictures and i climbed a really high mountain thing and it was scary. It was just really cool.

Also, I'm hoping this post shoots me to over 3000 views. awesome.

I've noticed a lot lately about how insanely annoying all drivers are. There's this crazy switch-over traffic light deal over by UVU and i am too afraid to use it. so i take a better way now that Geneva's open. Seriously, though. It's horrifying. And then, last night at dinner with my family, we were talking about it and then how Walmart will start carrying airbags and abby (her crazy witty self.. darn/bless her...) said 'I can't wait until the airbag blowout sale!' and i was all aaauugghhhh.... okay. that's funny..
and then after dinner, we went to Macy's and I bought new chuck taylor's! they're purple and were on sale for 22 dollars something. blim blam. I'm so excited to wear them to work. And then we stopped by Ross on our way home and Sean bought a new pair of PF Flyers.

Here's Mine

Here's His
(Photo courtesy of Sean's instagram)

We're so cool. Also, there's this neat-o spedito new picture-editing website called picmonkey.com and i really like it. it has some instagram-y features and it also lets you do things like texturize and awesome. it's cool. that's where i edited the photo of my shoes. because my camera is crappy and it was all i could do to fix it.

I think that's all for now. keep an eye out for a birthday post to my 'sis'. i only say that because a couple days ago she texted Sean and said 'This is Abby, Ellen's sis..' something something and we both laughed. oh, sis. 

okay, have a fab weekend. 

love, E