My company’s PR people are truly spectacular

You may remember I had to go on the Morning News show last year and demonstrate how to make recycled CD Christmas ornaments.

This year we stepped it up a notch.

Happy Christmukkah!

I think this little bloggy is a year old! One of my first posts was last year's Stumblin Santa event...and the 2009 edition just happened this past Friday.


Stacey, Ethan, Darren-Claus


Since it was also the first night of Hanukkah, Ethan, Katie, and I decided we would be Hanukkah candles instead of the token Claus, Elf, or Reindeer. I never knew there were so many Jewish people in Hawaii! They kept coming out of the woodwork, wanting to be my friend, and sing Hanukkah songs with me. I felt like such a celebrity. Ha! :)

Behold...


Katie, Stacey at the first bar



Sara, Stacey

I also think it is a sign that we are getting old that I wanted to go home shortly after 3 bars (the event is supposed to be a 12-bar pub crawl...i.e. the 12 Bars of Christmas.) Maybe I was just resting up since WE FLY HOME NEXT WEEK! Woohooo!


We found a Hanukkah Prom Pose display leaving bar #3!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Three Holiday Movie Recommendations from my 12-year old self

The other evening, just settling down with Thai food takeout, we were quite delighted to catch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on the telly. This, the ultimate 80’s Christmas funny movie. Once the tree had burned, the boss kidnapped, family memories made, and the credits rolled...I got to thinking about the Christmas movies we watched growing up.

We had a taped-from-Disney-Channel VHS tape that had Christmas Vacation and Prancer on it, back to back. I would watch this every Christmas, over and over again. If you haven’t seen Prancer, I really recommend it. Must’ve been filmed in Canada because it is all snowy and wooded and pretty darn magical. Plus it features Sam Elliot (the narrator from Big Lebowski) as Rebecca’s Dad.

#1 - Prancer



We also had a movie store in Dickson called Video Vision, which just happened to be right next door to my parents drug store. I can remember getting off the bus at the store, doing homework in the back room (unless I was made to dust shelves...yuck!) until 6:00 when the store closed down, and then running next door in the cold to rent either One Magic Christmas or Santa Claus: The Movie. One Magic Christmas has a similar plot line to It’s A Wonderful Life, with more forlornness. The humbug Mom in this movie and the Angel Gideon always stand out in my mind.

#2 -Once Magic Christmas



Santa Claus: The Movie is my final favorite Christmas movie. This one attempts to explain the mysteries of Santa Claus, elves, flying reindeer, etc. It even has some ending scenes of magic candy canes that make you fly. Pretty sweet!

#3 -Santa Claus: The Movie


Happy December Y'all!

So very Thankful.

Wow, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I can’t believe this year has flown by so fast. When I think back over the year and all that I have to be thankful for...I am humbled. I should never ever complain about having to be at work at 7 am and sit there all day chained to my desk, because I have a fabulous job. Really, I do. It pays the bills and they are nice to me, so I really shouldn’t complain (can you tell I trying to remind myself of that even though I feel restless). :)

Which brings me to Ethan and his job; I AM THANKFUL. I am so very grateful and amazed that I have a husband who works tirelessly, never doubts himself, and never rests on his laurels. It blows my mind that the very next day (after being laid off) he jumped in head first with starting his own business, got clients and jobs, and as of today has one completed project, the second under construction, and #3 and #4 went in for permit today! I am thankful that he can do what he loves...successfully...at home...with less stress than working at his previous job.

And lastly, I am so very thankful for getting to travel AND spend time with far-away family and friends this year. These are two things that are sorely missing in my life...two of the major downfalls of living so far away. We have been blessed with the most awesome week in New Orleans working alongside my brothers, Kitzie, my parents, Lindsey, and ryen/josh/yen my good friends from TN. I am thankful I got my first taste of the Big Easy, and I don’t see how I lived this long without it. The Mississippi Delta has soul!


All of the Sheps at Dooky Chase, celebrating the end of the work week

And I am also thankful for our trip to Norway with family; new and old! Sharing the experience of traveling the fjords with my parents and parents-in-law is something I will never forget. I am thankful that my bosses let me leave even though I had no vacation time left, and for our families’ generosity in letting Ethan and I tag along.


Fjord life

My first trip to NYC (a layover, but I’ll take it!) and a fabulous orange-filled weekend in Knoxville round out my travel thanks.


All VOL!

But mostly, I am thankful for all of you.

Bad Day

So it's been one of those days...weeks...
I only have this to offer you:

Compil (HILARIOUS) Bad Day at the office!
Uploaded by _006-serie-TS_.

Do You Know What It Means

...to miss New Orleans?



ahhhh. Wishing I were in that gritty city right now.

Celebrating 1 year and Test #2 - DONE!

We are smack dab in the middle of Architecture Registration Exam He11. Test #3 was yesterday, and I am already starting to crack. Ethan had foot surgery last Thursday and is slightly immobile, so we literally spent 4 days trapped in our hot apartment (the trade winds are against us too) sweating and studying and stressing. Not a fun weekend, but we are SO MOTIVATED just to push on through and get these exams behind us. I feel that once these are over we are free...to do what, I don't know. But I can't wait to find out!


Ethan ready for Bunionectomy surgery!

The exam people also messed up our appointment to take Exam #2 a few weeks ago, and we ended up having to take it the day after our Anniversary...meaning we had to spend our whole First Anniversary weekend studying. Major bummer.


Ethan studying on the lanai

However we did make it out for a schmancy brunch at the Kahala.



The Brunch Buffet at the Kahala = Heaven. I only wish we could have stayed and tried to sneak in to the pool area for the day.

And, as a surprise for Ethan I had a replica of our wedding cake top made! We obviously weren't able to bring ours back with us from Tennessee (and I'm pretty sure it was smashed and/or eaten by some drunk swoles later in the eve...not naming names but there is photographic evidence). Hahaa!




The next day we took our Exam, and then promptly boarded a sail boat for some much-needed sun and drinks. Ahhh, life is good. One year and 3 tests down (4 more tests to go). Hopefully by the time we celebrate our Second Anniversary we will be licensed architects, ready to take on the world!


One Year y'all!

On A Hallowed Hill In Tennessee

Whew, what a whirlwind weekend! There was no rest for the weary, but we will take what we can get. 48 hours touched down in Tennessee...it was awesome to see old friends and catch up with family.

+ David got to carve his name in the hallowed wall at Cool Beans (he had always been there in spirit, since it was his $ that funded my pitchers back then anyways).

+ I got to ride shotgun with Jessica (my jr-sr high school friend) as we delivered kids and jewelry around East Knoxville in the mini-van.

+ Ethan, Michael, Diane, and I hiked the highest point in Knox County, woot woot!

+ We got to visit with Chris King and his wife, Alice, and see their sweet house that he built!

+ We got to visit such good old friends, and lots of family!

+ A few Vol virgins got their first taste of Neyland Stadium: Brett, Michael, and Diane!

+ The fall weather was perfect and crisp. I had forgotten how the Smokies are visible from just about any point in town...gray and blue rolling ribbons in the distance. Ahhh, Tennessee. We miss you!

Of course we forgot to take any pictures! Here are a few of the tailgate action that I stole from Mom (typical Martha; only showed up in time for the party)


Stacey, Tommy, Sue, Emily, Brett


Melanie captivates Ethan and Josh


Donna, Stacey, Melanie, Martha, Diane


Dan and the Sheps

And I will leave you with a delightful video that appeared on the Jumbo-tron during the game. If this doesn't make you happy, I don't know what will (something about all that orange...)

click here:
Tennessee Football: A Look Back

Beginnings

The very first day of college; can you remember the feeling? Excitement was HIGH, nervousness abounded, but you couldn’t let it show because you were the epitome of cool; a college student.

Thankfully, on my first day of college in August 1998, I had made two friends by the first day of classes and didn’t have to sit in Arch 101 alone; Lane and Chris, my “first friends.” We sat near the middle, eyeing up everyone else in the room. Little did we know they would fast become our family, sharing triumphs and coffee breaks and late night shenanigans.

I recall Dean Marlene Davis’ welcoming speech telling us to “look around at the other students in the room. Some of you will become business partners, some won’t make it to graduation, some of you will become husband/wife...” At the mention of that last bit I remember looking around at the boys in the room...these boys? Really? Weird, I don’t even know them...and one of them might be my soul mate?

How funny it is to me that Dean Davis’ words came true exactly 10 years later. How funny it is to me that my future husband was in front of me all that time...in all of my classes, asking me for spelling help when we were writing papers, living on the same college campus, yet we were on different paths during those years. How happy I am that our paths finally converged right before graduation and we fell for each other!

Sometimes I still walk in to the living room or past the kitchen and glimpse Ethan...and think “hey, that’s Ethan from architecture school, what’s he doing in my kitchen?”

Happy one year anniversary to my best friend and the person I admire most! I am thankful for you every day.

Norway

I am enclosing a link to the truncated version of the pictures we snapped in Norway. We took so many architecture pictures that it's almost embarrassing...so I will spare you all.


but here is one...the new Oslo Opera House by Snohetta

CLICK HERE FOR FLICKR PHOTOS

CLICK HERE FOR SNAPFISH PHOTOS

The week was spent with Wendy and Ron, and Martha and David touring the Southern part of the country. Flying in was really cool because of the vast expanses of green hills and forests, and fjords and lakes as far as the eye could see! I couldn't believe how seemingly untouched the countryside was.

We traveled by trains and mostly boats on the Fjords. Being on the fjord was like stepping back in time...sometimes it felt prehistoric since the Sognefjord is the longest Fjord in Norway and reaches depths of 4,300 feet! We saw breathtaking beauty, seals, "whales" (really a type of porpoise), and sea eagles. Oh, and tiny adorable fishing villages dotted the landscape here and there. We ate amazing sea food and slept in quaint, sleepy villages along the way. Traveling by boat was such a unique and relaxing way to experience the landscape and culture.


Wendy on the Train to Flam


Stacey and Martha (a.k.a. Hilda) on the Fjord boat

Then we were back in Oslo for the wedding weekend. We had so much fun helping put the wedding together with Katie and family, hanging out with our family, and being in such a cool Scandinavian city. I can't wait to go back!

Karma, or “A short story about material goods and blisters”

Been longing for a certain pair of lovely overly-expensive shoes. Lovely shoes go on sale...super sale, I might add. They are entirely work-appropriate...and on sale! Hello! Thus, I can justify purchasing the shoes.

Riding to work on a Monday morning smiling at the world, wearing my fabulous new shoes...life is good. Moped begins to slow down...I give it more gas...still slower...and then it dies. In rush hour traffic. Not okay. Now I have to push my moped down the mucky road, stepping in puddles in my new shoes, cars flying by.

My new shoes make the rest of the journey to work on the Bus, and then by walking 4 blocks uphill in the rain drizzle, but I'm not complainin'! I may now have new-shoe blisters and unhappy feet... But they sure do look cute. :)

Happy Monday! I hope you are wearing your happy shoes today!


Here they are! Haha, I think I am the only girl in America to long for FLATS! But oh the buckle...and the rubber bumper heels that unfortunately you cannot see in this pic.

Oslo Wedding: Katrine og Hans

The Norway recaps are coming...just as soon as we download our pictures! Norway and the fjords were take-my-breath-away gorgeous, and the city of Oslo was phenomenal.

But first I snagged these wedding pictures from the bride's aunt. The entire Berge Enger family were so gracious and hospitable to us Americans! Congratulations to Katrine and Hans!


Wendy and Ron cheesing it up pre-wedding. The fjord is in the background; Katie's parents house is on a lovely little island in Oslo.


We all gathered on the family dock for the ceremony. The bride was rowed in by her father (he's looking to see how much further...)


Gorgeous!


Baby Hans-Helmer (who was 4 months in utero at our our wedding!) looking dapper


Katrine og Hans!


Us cheesing post-ceremony with champagne in hand


The bride's lovely family. Kristin (Katie's aunt & Wendy's Norwegian sister; the whole reason we were there!), Vibeka (Katie's youngest sister), and Inger Anne (Katie's Mom who put my parents and Wendy and Ron up at their gorgeous home all week).


The cutest bridesmaids ever (with the exception of Emily, Melanie, Yen, Leslie, and Kitzie)...Caroline and Tone (Katie's younger sister)

Off like a prom dress!

Leaving HNL tonight...two nights on two different 8 hour+ flights...an 8-hour layover in NYC...and then we’ll be in Scandinavia!

Apparently we can only visit places that start with “N” this year (NOLA, NYC, Norway). Hoping to make it to Ntennessee and Nflorida around Christmas. :)

Here’s our itinerary if you’re curious.


Ergen Bergen Schlergen!
Stacey & Ethan

6 Years of Island Style

6 years ago today Ethan and I left LA on an airplane and flew due West over the Pacific. I still remember surveying the glistening city of Honolulu as we approached...all shimmering, and blue, and big. I tried to make it sink in that I live here now.



We left our car at a dock somewhere in Long Beach, our friends and family back in the South, and our life as we knew it on the Mainland.

I'm not sure what I expected from life in Hawaii. I was just a 23-year old looking for adventure and taking a chance on love. I'm still not sure what I expect from life here, but I am surprised that 6 years have passed! We have definitely been having some fun!

This morning the first song I heard was the "Badfish" cover by Jack Johnson. It felt like an acknowledgment from the island gods , a small nod to this Southern gal's existence on an island for over half a decade. You many know that I have a mix of emotions right now about life, career, and finding a place where it's all balanced. But whatever and wherever life takes us, I am extremely grateful for these years living with "the reef underneath my bed."

6 years of memories, great times, amazing friends...lucky we live Hawaii. Enjoy!

Hot buttery skrimps!

It has been nearly 3 weeks since we returned from the volunteer work week trip to New Orleans. I have been mentally processing the sights, sounds, smells, good food and emotions since the day we got back. I knew it would be amazing and emotional...but New Orleans sits on you. Like a weight. Or maybe that was the heat and humidity. Either way we both definitely fell in love.

The city is a combination of Euro-Creole-Southern-seedy, mixed with amazing music, food, and historic architecture...crusted over with a bit of sadness. It was beyond words and ahhhmazing.

Tonight from the Netflix que it's Pretty Baby, starring Susan Sarandon and a 12-year old Brooke Shields. The movie is set in Storyville, the then red light district of New Orleans. Last week it was Spike Lee's documentary When the Levee's broke. We're just soaking it all up!...soaking it all up with BUTTER!

A few days ago we attempted the famous-among-dozens (a.k.a. my swole friends) recipe for Barbecue shrimp from Mr. B's Bistro! It was so easy and de-ricious...just don't pay attention to how much butter you're putting in it. Here is the recipe. And here is what it looks like in person at Mr. B's, modeled by the lovely Mrs. Kitzie Green Shepard:



And here it is prepared by Chateau Levine:

A quick Father's Day visit

I actually got to see my Dad on Father’s Day this year! We woke up at a rousing 5 am, drove to Café Du Monde for coffee/beignets, then continued to the New Orleans airport where we all hugged goodbye and set off on our respective ways. It was short, but sweet. I am so thankful that my Dad is always by my side, supportive, and constantly looking for jobs for Ethan and I in Middle Tennessee. :)

I am truly my Father’s Daughter in so many ways. I only hope and pray that I can be as happy and successful and supportive and giving as he is. I love you Daddy!

No Pictures

I have been bursting to write an update post but I have no access to my pictures at the moment so I feel like I can't post! I don't know why I feel that what I have to say is only valid with photo documentation...but it is. Pictures and a better update coming soon.

But for now, chew on this:
Ethan went to North Carolina and then Dickson, Kristen & Cody got murried, I went to see the Mamma Mia Broadway show...TWICE, went to the Amos Lee concert and then nearly ran him over with my moped the next day, and currently the one and only Sarah Chester is visiting us! I have taken her on two death march hikes and I thought she hated me, but I made it up to her with Corona's and beach time.

More fun to come! We cannot wait to jet over to New Orleans next week! I dream of amazing architecture, strolling down St. Charles Ave with my man, funky bars with even funkier music/patrons, laughter as I swing a hammer alongside my family and friends, and the joy, humility, and sweat that comes with volunteer service work. I am soooo ready.

Apartment-living Blues

If we had a yard I could spend my weekend in something like this:



I could have a garden like (or maybe not quite like) these people (click):



And I could build an awesome compost bin like our friend CK!
One day......

Strong Hall Memories (aka Freshman-Sophomore year shenanigans)

The University of Tennessee has closed the dorm hall where I lived my 1st & 2nd years in college. It is one of the oldest dorms on campus, had no air conditioning, was haunted, was a bit of a walk across campus/up-hill both ways in the snow to get to...but it was charming. And it felt special, not like the shoebox rooms everyone else had. It had real wood furniture, and furnaces, and an authentic cage elevator that I can honestly say I used only a dozen times because it was notorious for getting stuck. Many of the room layouts were different floor to floor, and there were “hidden” study rooms and random private bathrooms tucked in to various corners. Some of the bathrooms even had tubs! Can you imagine.

It is great luck that I even got to live in Strong Hall...I was slated for Clement, I believe. Yikes! No-limit Clement (why did we call it that? Oh right, because it was “ghetto”). But then on the first day of Freshmen orientation I met happy, bubbly Lane who was a fellow architecture major, and she convinced me to be her roomie in Strong so we wouldn’t get stuck with randoms. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, mostly because Lane and our unbeknown-to-us-future-suite mate Melanie make up 90% of my most happy, hilarious, spontaneous memories from college. For real. We moved in early (thanks to sorority rush & the Pride of the Southland Marching Band) and had 2 days of freedom in Strong Hall running through the halls, switching out for the best furniture, and sweltering in the late summer Tennessee heat. And giggling. Lots of giggling.

Coming home from class, crossing the Cumberland Avenue bridge there is a peak in the bridge where I could see directly in to our third floor window. Sometimes I’d see Lane lip-syncing to Celine Dion, or Melanie with her trombone. But not matter what, it felt like coming home.

Many of the other past residents feel sentimental about Strong Hall too. Read their memories here (some go waaaaay back).

And lastly, you too can own a piece of the memories! The University is auctioning off all of the dorm furniture! It makes me happy and super nostalgic to look at these pictures. My only bummer is that you have to be there to pick up the items you “win” on a certain date. I seriously wish I could buy the entire lot for my re-purposed furniture hobby/dream idea. If anyone in the Knox area wants to volunteer to pick up my items I will pay you in excess dorm furniture!

Mastery

I am so proud of my younger Brother...Happy Graduation Ben!


Here we are in Gulf Shores...the only picture I can find at the moment. He still rocks the orange speedo. J/K!

We’re still here

Life is clipping by at a solid pace and I feel like I am laughing and running and dancing and drawing away my days. These days have been good and full; that’s why the blogging gets sporadic.

Ethan has a new job. He’s designing 4 new stores for this company. It’s a blessing and he gets to do what he does best...and do it from home! Last weekend the CEO flew him to Kauai to Maui to Big Island and back to Oahu over 2 days. He’s getting the corporate treatment, and I feel like we are actually “adults” when I tell someone that Ethan is away on a business trip (and I can’t say it without smirking because it’s funny to me that we are sort-of, kind-of adults). Adults who still eat dinner on the floor, who keep a colony of ants in their car, and who don’t know how to balance their joint check book. But whatever.

I do have to make an observation that this change of pace came when we needed it most (meaning Ethan’s lay-off and subsequent change in career direction). We didn’t even realize what the problem/fix was, but having one less 8 to 5-er in the house has made our whole life/marriage breathe a sigh of relief. Now he gets more free time to travel and see friends and family (and I can live vicariously through him...for the time being). And I now sometimes come home to a clean house, dinner ready, and the time to take a run around Diamond Head with my husband before the sun sinks in to the Pacific one more time.

New Rules For The Weekend

It’s the weekend, YAAAAY! It’s sunny and gorgeous outside and Ethan and I have worked hard (and awoken at 4:30 am) all week! It’s time to celebrate and RELAX!

However, something is wrong with this picture because here is what is running through my head when I daydream about what to do with these upcoming 2 days:

Wine-tasting with friends, sleeping in, eating waffles, reading library book, UH baseball game, picnic in the park, loads of laundry, clean entire house for party on Tuesday, re-pot my dying plants, cart items away to Goodwill, exercise, DO MY TAXES, take moped to get fixed, install basket on my bike, finish up some sketches for work.

Hrmmph. Did you see that? My weekend ideas started out fine...excellent, even! And then they abruptly slide away in to viral get-it-done mode. I hate this. I have given in to this uber-productive side of me for far too long! It ruins a perfectly good Sunday, I tell ya.


photo from Weheartit.

Everything is Amazing

I've seen this video a few times now, and I like the general meaning behind his message. Sure, we have more responsibilities/obligations now than in simpler times, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded how good life really is.

For example: My handsome husband is unemployed and our moped is broken, BUT I love and am loved beyond measure and I get to go to a Journey concert tonight! See, everything IS amazing! Hope you find amazingness in every corner of your lives!

Updates for St Paddy’s Day (aka the Most Wonderful Day of the Year!)

+ We went to the Big Island this past weekend for the Kona Brewer’s Festival. The Festival was perfect...friends + de-ricious food + well, Beer!





+ This week marks my 5th year working at Philip K. White and Associates. I have been blessed in so many ways to have stumbled in to this place back when I was 23, fresh outta school, and completely unaware of how different the architecture profession is from architecture school! 5 years seems like such a long time. I have now been working for the same amount of time I was in college! That’s pretty crazy and scary and surreal. Where will the next 5 years take us?


Tommy and I at our UTSoA 5th year final review! I can't believe how young we look! (circa 2003)

+ Hawaii got it’s first Target(s) this month! Their openings have caused quite the commotion (like every new store opening here does). However, this one is totally warranted. I am already planning my attack.


I Hope everyone is enjoying this day of GREEN!

Melissa's Baby Shower

Melissa and Logan are having a baby boy in June! I am just so excited, I can hardly contain myself. Some ladies got together a few weeks ago to celebrate at her baby shower. It was all classy...not a single cheesy game was played!


Summer (my former roomie), Julie, Melissa Mom-to-be, and Pua


Susannah and I


The cupcakes from Hokulani Bake shop!

And I risked my life to snap this pic while driving to the baby shower...a guy decked out all in green wearing a "cheese head" weaving in and out of traffic on his bike. I am thinking he lost some sort of bet...