Day 13: Love/Hate

5 Things I have a serious love/hate relation ship with.

1: I hate how much I absolutely love donuts. They're all just so great and so tasty but they're just so bad for you! Doesn't even matter, I'll still eat all the donuts I want.

2: I have a recently realized love/hate relationship with Doctor Who. I loved it so much when I watched all of them at once and I still like watching a few episodes here and there but I hate that it's so much bigger than it was and that they had to announce the next doctor so early. I don't want to know til I can hate him for being the end of Matt Smith (if that makes any sense) and then gradually like him because he's not half bad. And because I love the cheesy old effects and one-episode plots.

3: My relationship with food is an incredibly complicated one. I love eating and I love the taste of food. When I get too hungry, I get crazy angry. However, despite all of these things, I rarely can eat a whole meal. I rarely join the clean plate club and I have a habit of leaving the last bite. It's all mental, I'm sure. I just have weird habits, I guess.

4: I love reading but I'm very slow at it. I love the stories and I love words and all that, but the fact that I'm so meticulous about spelling and grammar (which sometimes makes me nervous saying that because what if I have a misspelling or something on here...)  makes it hard to just read something straight up.

5:  It took me a while to come up with the last love/hate but I think it's gotta be my cat. She's so cute and funny and fun to play with but at the same time she's just pure evil who attacks my limbs at completely inconvenient and stupid times. I'm afraid to leave my arm hanging off the bed at night because she'd come up and attack it. Dumb. But I still like her.

May 15: Day in My Life

Well, my day started out like any other. I woke up...

and then I hopped in the shower...

and put some clothes on. 

Then I went to work and made drinks, organized stuff, like I do.

Photo courtesy of Jason Davis

And then came home to a tree that was snowing buds all over the place and making a mess of my car.

Then I made my bed...

and did the dishes like a good wife should.

I took a picture of the cat...

and then we waited for dad to come home.

sorry for this crappy picture... eh.

Soon, Sean will come home, we'll have dinner and then probably play scrabble. 

And that is a day in my life.

Welcome to it.

love, ellen

Duh Duh Doughnuts.

Hey, everyone! So this morning I was totally craving doughnuts. It might have been because I used to eat at least one doughnut at work every other day or so or because I watched an episode of "Unwrapped" on Food Network all about doughnuts this morning. So I did what any girl that didn't want to leave home would do, Pinterest! I found a few recipes but none of them seemed that great and I don't have a thermometer for oil... so I continued searching until I found a great recipe for a baked doughnut. Luckily, Sean likes making bread, so we had some yeast around the house. Here's the recipe, if you wanna try it out.

First came the dough:

First, I had to whip up the dough and then let it rise for an hour. Easy peasy. While I waited, I watched Clueless. Great movie!

Then the dough was cut and let to rise again. like it does.

Then some time in the oven and BLAM! awesomeness.

 I don't have powdered sugar so I had to find another way to make a glaze. I found this recipe and then got to work whipping it all together. turns out, these puppies are SO GOOD.  Then just a dash of cute sprinkles and then gobble them all up! 

YUM! oh, and kitty just loves the smell of fresh homemade donuts and the cool breeze of the fan. What a cute kitty! 

Hope everyone has a sunny spring week!

love, Ellen

untitled.

It's been a lazy weekend at the Donner home. Lots of napping and watching movies and tv and recovering from illness... just how I like to spend my weekends.

Today, Abby came down to hang out with me. Good ole Carr girls bonding time: watching tv and pretending we're artists. I cleaned the house and she's reading my book. Like I said, a relaxing weekend.

Anyway, it's just a short update. because I can't think of much else to talk about.
So have a nice evening and enjoy this picture of my cat:

love, ellen

1 week and 1 day

Til I get to spend Christmas with my fantastic husband. Today, there's a lot to say and i think it best to be in a bulleted list, like i like.

• Remember last year's Christmas Eve post that had my most favorite christmas songs on it? that was a good one. you should check it out if you haven't.
• Yesterday, in church, Sean and I gave our 'new to the ward' talks. We actually had some fun writing them and telling each other the funny bits we were planning on saying. When we actually gave them, people seemed to enjoy them and we got lots of compliments after. 
• Okay, so last monday (a week ago today) i got my first smartphone. It's an HTC Radar. I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly careful i am with it. I leave it in my bag when i'm sitting down and it's rarely in my pockets in case it falls out. So on sunday, right before i'm about to go into the church for sacrament meeting, guess what. Sean's ipad was covering it when both were sitting in my lap and, as i stepped out of the car, i bet you can only imagine what happens next. yep, the brand new phone slips and tumbles straight onto the pavement and the screen shatters. my luck... but it's all going to be fine. the phone was free, it's only a malformation in the screen. All the apps and buttons (is that what they're called when they don't protrude from the surface?) and whatnot work. so it'll be fine. but what a frustrating thing. 
• On Saturday morning, Sean and I woke up bright and early to take miss kitty to get fixed. When we picked her up that afternoon, she was so silly! she had a piece of duct tape on her head for the vets to put her in her in the right carrying cage thing and she just looked high as a kite. She also got her vaccines. We have been giving her meds every day at 7 am and 7 pm and, even though they're super gross and she hates them, she takes them well. She's been sleeping a lot more and letting me cuddle with her! Right? she loves having her head scratched and laying down right next to me. cute.

• we've seen The Hobbit twice so far. for realz. We saw it in normal  and then in  Lots-o'-frames 3D which was weird. I don't know if i liked it or not. but anyways, it's really great and I'd recommend it. Also, recently, i've been re-watching the Lord of the Rings Extended trilogy. Awesome. 
• Only a hair more than a week till CHRISTMAS! I can't wait to give Sean all of the things I got him. And I can't wait to see what he got me! I think married christmas is going to be so much fun and I can't wait for Prime Rib with my family that night! and to give them what we got them! oh, christmas. so fun. 

i think that's all. 

but i also think i need to share this adorable picture of my sweet husband sleeping:

love, Ellen

simple observations.

i have to start out with a rendition of a song:


oh, the weather outside is frightful,
and all i ever wanna do is cuddle.
And cuz Sean's at work all day,
I will wait, i will wait, i will wait.

okay. back to business:

• i'm okay going 20 miles under the speed limit today because of my poor tires and it's slippery all around.
• i love almond hot chocolate. almond anything, really.
• You HAVE to let the dryer finish when you don't have a laundry thing at your house and have to transport it because if you don't and put it in the bottom of the hamper, it WILL wrinkle and you will have a bad time.
• my house is a mess and for the first time in months, kitty is being super sweet and cuddly. She's even letting me pet her without attacking my hands. jerk.
• Today is the perfect day to start re-watching Lord of the Rings in preparation for Friday. Also because of the weather. Good thing the 1st part of Fellowship is still in the bluray player from that time Sean and I fell asleep to it on saturday.
• i want to be an artist. 
• 2 finals down, 2 to go. and then BREAK. awww yeah.
• the creepy heaters in our apartment are actually awesome. 
• I need to go buy some of Sean's stocking gifts today. or tomorrow. probably tomorrow.

okay, that's all for today. now i'm going to take a nap and clean my house. 

love, ellen.

not even december

Happy end of november. It's almost christmas season and i'm feeling... normal. I think it needs to be december, snow some, and then i'll be willing to listen to all the christmas music and buying up the rest of Sean's christmas presents. 

I'm just really ready for this semester to be over and be able to relax and enjoy my husband and our cozy apartment and (i guess) our kitten. Only 1 more week of classes, 3 papers, 1 project, and then 3 finals. deep breath. it'll be okay. 

anyway, just wanted to do a quick update. 

love, ellen

Happy Thanksgiving!

just a few thoughts on this day of gratitude (in a bulleted list, like i like)

• as cliche as it is, i'm the most grateful for my incredible husband. He takes such great care of me and cooks and takes out the trash and listens to my ridiculous dreams and makes me laugh. he's so great and I'm so blessed to have found such a handsome fella to spend forever with.
• I'm also grateful for my wonderful family who i can't wait to chow down with in a few short hours! I love them!

• and, as stupid and annoying she is a lot of the time, i'm grateful for my kitty who makes me laugh and (occasionally) cuddles with me. 

I hope everyone has a most excellent Thanksgiving and stuffs their faces with tons of super delicious grub and then takes a big ole' nap. at least that's how i'm going to spend my holiday. 

love, ellen

~ Eight Days ~

Guys. 1 day and 1 week until i marry the absolute love of my life. 1 week from right now, we'll be waking up in MN and getting ready for the big day. So we leave in like 5 days for a lotta lotta driving. Hooray and excitement!!! I've been making a ton a ton of yarn pompoms and making kitten sitter arrangements and starting to pack and get ready. IT'S COMING!

In other news, our apartment is a MESS. There's CD's everywhere and kitten toys and stuff going to the wedding and knickknacks and boxes and mail and yarn stuff and trash that kitten has been playing with and i need to do the dishes and take out the left-overs and put away random crap we have everywhere but instead i'm blogging and then i'm gonna make more pom poms.

Kitten is cute but she really gets annoying sometimes. like when she pounces on your hands while you're typing or when she can't leave your yarn projects alone or when she crawls all over you with her sharp claws digging in your skin or pooping on the floor and chewing on computer and phone cords and  getting in your face when you're eating. at least she would follow that laser pointer to the end of the earth and she has her cute moments. like kittens do. and then she disappears and is quiet and i get nervous and i look behind me and she's taking a nap on the back of the couch. aw. true story

and i'm listening to Brittany Spears. true story. (i just said that.) I put Sean in charge of 2 things for the wedding: the honeymoon and the music playlists. So now, on my dancing playlists i have Vitamin C, Enrique Iglesias, Brittany Spears, and Mandy Moore. but i still love him.

8 days.

I have an open book/notes French test today. which (as much as i don't need to) i should probably study for. and shower. and make pompoms.

8. days.

okay. byeee
~Ellen

So much NEWS.

I was in walmart this morning to get toilet paper and milk for my mac and cheese. Turns out walmart in the morning is great. Another thing, there was one of those little video things at the end of an aisle and it was that dunkin' donuts commercial where the girl's name is Ellen and everytime it shouted "Ellen!" i got so confused. okay.

Anyway, that has nothing to do with the fun things that happened this weekend. So Sean and I left home last Wednesday night and drove for about 20 hours to get to MN for his best friend Marcus's wedding. We got there Thursday night and went to bed at about 8:30 and didn't wake up until 7 the next morning. then on Friday, we went and got our marriage license and then went to get Sean's haircut and tested out my wedding hair (SO great) and then we went and gave invites to the old Barnes and Noble Sean used to work at and then to lunch and bought me some wedding shoes.

THEN we went to the wedding rehearsal where i met all of Sean's friends. I was nervous, of course, but turns out they were cool. I kinda wish I had some more time to meet them, but i will in 17 days (!) at my own wedding. Rehearsal dinner was yummy and it was great. then we went home and relaxed.

The next day, we visited some more people and gave them invites and then got ready and went to the real wedding (actually pictures, then lunch, then the wedding). Then I put most of the boutonnieres on the groomsmen and groom and father-of-the-bride. So you know, i'm cool & stuff. The ceremony was really sweet and special. Then dinner was good and dancing was awesome. I can't wait to do it all again in a couple weeks! but then it will be ME in the pretty dress with the handsome husband. Speaking of handsome:

After dancing and saying some sad goodbyes to Sean's friend, we went home for the night and the next morning we packed up the car with things he wanted to take and then we stopped to say hi to his Aunt and then hit the road. for 18 hours. and we got home at 3 in the morn.

sleep happened and then i went to class and work and then i check my phone to see a picture of a KITTEN. Guys, i have a cussin' adorable kitten named Erma Barbara Gerd. she has the funniest walk and the cutest little meow. all she does is explore and take cute naps. which is okay.

Yup, that's our li'l snuggler. also, photos are courtesy of Sean's iphone. i'm still working on upgrading...
okay, well I think that's all. i'm gonna go cuddle with Erma and eat and shower and all normal stuff i do.
love, Ellen