Maybe my thumb isn't black after all!

So anyone who has done the whole summer sales thing knows you can only take what you can fit in your car... meaning not much. One of the first things to get scratched off of the list when space is tight is decorations. Anyway, I was especially lean in regards to my packing this year (for the sole reason of being sick of hauling stuff from one end of the country to the other). I was thinking about some things I could do to decorate after I got here and I remembered an awesome centerpiece my mother-in-law made at Easter out of wheat grass.

So I found these seeds, or "wheat berries" at Whole Foods a few weeks back. They were in the bulk foods section. I made a trip with some friends out here to IKEA and bought a cute little tin to grow them in. After throwing in some potting soil and a little bit of ribbon, the whole project cost less than $5. Here's how it turned out:

I didn't have a whole lot of hope since usually everything I try to grow dies, but my wheat grass is growing out of control! Hard to believe, but this picture was taken 8 days after "planting" the seeds. It's pretty much the lowest maintenence plant I've ever seen and it's instant gratification since it grows so dang fast. Too bad I'm not a fan of wheat grass juice-- but at least it looks cool! I learned how to do everything from this Web site. Try it out-- it's a whole lot cuter than fake ivy ;)

Let's talk about...

hair (or more specifically, headbands). I'm a fan of headbands and even own a few. However, I think it is safe to say some headbands should never see the light of day.

It is no secret that I love the Food Network. I particularly love the competitions involving cake decorating. If you are a Food Network Challenge fan, I bet you already know where I am going with this. Every time I watch one of these competitions I am in disbelief over one of the judge's choice in hair accessory:

It's like, "Really? You really think that padded, braided headband is a good choice for your national television appearance?" Yes this is shallow, but honestly?! And she wears it EVERY TIME! Has anyone else noticed this?

Hershey

This weekend Sean and I headed to Hershey, PA. It was a chocolate wonderland! And yes, the city really does smell like chocolate. Our first stop was Hershey's Chocolate World, where we rode a fun little ride that shows how chocolate is made (there is more to it than I thought!) and bought some goodies. Here was Sean's favorite candy section:

He LOVES Big Cups. I tease him sometimes because when it is his turn to drive (the sales reps in the office take turns driving every week) I always find a giant wad of wrappers shoved in the driver's side door-- many of which are Big Cups. Here are some other "big" things we found:

We also visited the Hershey Museum and went to lunch at the Hershey Grill. Our salads had a chocolate balsamic vinegrette on them-- sounds gross, but it was de.lic.ious! When I saw the Hershey kiss street lights I had to take a picture!

Sightseeing

Sean and I got a chance to go see some of the sights this past weekend. We went to Independence Hall first:

I have to say it lived up to my high expectations. I kept thinking about the people like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington and everyone else from that first continental congress who had been in that very room and made such important decisions regarding America's future. As dorky as it sounds, I was honestly moved being in the building.

That chair in the middle is George Washington's actual chair!

This is a cool view of the tower Sean took while we were waiting for our tour to begin.

Our next stop was the Liberty Bell, which was also really cool. I didn't know it was the bell that was rung to summon the people of Philadelphia for the first reading of the Declaration of Independence. Little facts like that make an old, cracked bell a lot more interesting!

Here's a shot I took of probably the most recognizable building in Philly (besides Independence Hall). I learned the statue on top is of William Penn-- the founder of Pennsylvania.

I was tagged...

not once, but twice! So I'm combining the two "tags" into this one post so you won't have to endure two posts all about me ;)

20 years ago I…
1) Was five years old and busy catching butterflies and grasshoppers
2) LOVED my kindergarten teacher and class
3) Wanted to grow up to be an ice-cream scooper at Baskin Robbins

10 years ago I…
1) Was 15 years old and received my driver’s license (Idaho is awesome that way)
2) Was taller than all of the boys my age
3) Had braces

5 years ago I…
1) Was 20 years old and anxiously waiting for Sean to come home from his mission
2) Attended BYU-Hawaii for a Spring semester with my friends Taryn and Beth
3) Decided to major in Public Relations

3 years ago I….
1) Had just celebrated my first anniversary2) Lived in Colorado Springs for our second year of summer sales
3) Lost 20 pounds and started running again

1 year ago I…
1) Moved into our new townhouse in Pleasant Grove! 2) Took a cake decorating class and learned I love it 3) Saw fireflies for the first time while living in Virginia

So far this year I have…
1) Started wearing my hair naturally wavy every once in awhile
2) Been on a zip line in a jungle in Belize

3) Started a new job that I love

Yesterday I…
1) Went to Whole Foods in search of wheat berries
2) Went to an awesome mall with to buy some goodies at Bath and Body Works
3) Took my friends’ dog Remy for a walk and saw baby geese!

Today I…
1) Worked on posting news coverage to the company I work for's Web site
2) Will watch the Jazz game with Sean
3) Am going to try really hard to get my clean laundry folded and put away

Tomorrow I will…
1) Have the day off and will sleep in
2) Walk over to Valley Forge National Historical Park and see what it has to offer

3) Go on a dinner date with my hubby

In the next year I may…
1) Achieve my goal of being able to do the splits (It was my goal last year too...)
2) Finally get our guest bedroom decorated
3) Take a beginning watercolor class

Here's tag #2:

Five things on your to do list today.
1) Fold laundry and put it away
2) Wrap up some of my work projects
3) Water my cute little herb garden I planted the other day
4) Write in my journal
5) Get some exercise

Snacks I enjoy
1) Fruit
2) Wheat Thins
3) Trail mix

What would I do if I was suddenly a billionaire?
I would buy Sean and Porsche to fulfill his dream, buy myself a pimped out Range Rover Sport, pay for the rest of my parents’ home remodeling, buy a cabin in Island Park, donate a bunch to the National Ability Center and any other worthy cause I felt passionate about, invest like crazy, pay for my entire family to travel the world together and give really really good birthday and wedding gifts.

Three bad habits…
1) Never ironing ANYTHING
2) Leaving clean laundry sitting in the dryer
3) Always wanting to eat something sweet after dinner

Five places I’ve lived… (I'll have to narrow down my list!)
1) Laie, HI
2) Chicago, IL 3) Charleston, SC
4) Virginia Beach area, VA 5) Philadelphia, PA

Five jobs I’ve had… (Here are my first five...)
1) Papergirl-- that's right, I started young!
2) Worked at a corn maze in the concession stand
3) Worked at Mrs. Powells (an awesome cinnamon roll bakery and cafe)
4) Sales Associate at Victoria’s Secret and Pac Sun
5) PR assistant at the National Ability Center in Park City, UT

Five things that (some) people don’t know about me
1) I was born without wisdom teeth
2) I am a history buff
3) One of my guilty pleasures is reading smut magazines like US Weekly
4) Dolphins freak me out
5) I am allergic to shellfish

I tag anyone who needs a blog topic! Choose whichever set of questions you like the best!

Celebrate!

It's been awhile since our last post, but it's because we have been busy with a wedding, traveling, unpacking, etc!

My brother's wedding last Saturday was awesome. Julie was one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen... she seriously looked amazing. The temple grounds were GORGEOUS! The tulips were out in full force and I couldn't get enough of them. The reception was also a lot of fun. They served made-to-order crepes and the wedding cake was the best I have ever tasted (chocolate/chocolate chunk with cream cheese frosting). It was really fun hanging out with family and celebrating Todd and Julie tying the knot! Julie has become a good friend and I couldn't be happier to have her in our family. Here are some pictures of the big day:

Sean flew back for the wedding and we flew back to Philadelphia together. So far I really like it here. Our apartment is great and it is so pretty and green here. I love the big trees and the rolling hills. Sean and I went downtown and it looks awesome! There is some amazing architecture and I can't wait to see the sights and explore. We tried our first authentic Philly cheesesteak and it did not disappoint. Apparently there are two so-called "kings" of the Philly cheesesteak and their restaurants are right across the street from eachother-- it's supposed to be quite the competition! I'm planning to post more details and Sean and I's winner after we've tried both, so stay tuned.

Check out the view we have from our apartment's balcony: