6th Year Anniversary

We've been married for six wonderful years! Our anniversary is Dec 7th - Pearl Harbor Day. We didn't pick it for that reason, but it does make it easy to remember. We were both sick this year, and since it was on a Sunday, we decided to just stay in for the weekend and relax. JP was being somewhat of a Grinch this year and didn't want to decorate for Christmas. Well, since the traditional gift for six years of marriage is candy, I surprised him with a large, glass jar full of his favorites (peanut butter cups & kisses), a CD mix with our favorite romantic songs, and a gushy-mushy love letter. Since he's an early riser (gets up around 4 or 5 am), I left them all wrapped up on his desk to find Sunday morning. They must have melted his heart, because by the time I got up the Christmas tree was decorated with lights, all the holiday boxes were in the living room, and a beautiful red Poinsettia and my own gushy-mushy card were waiting for me. :) I love December!

Bounty of Thanks

There is so much to be grateful for: our family, our friends, the Gospel, being sealed together for time and all eternity, our health, the freedoms we enjoy in this great country, the great California weather, our jobs when so many are out of work, and our faith and hope that life will only get better with each passing day!

Thanksgiving Feasting When the Halloween pumpkins are gone,
And the leaves have all fallen to ground,
When the air has turned windy and cold,
Then Thanksgiving will soon be around.

Thoughts of loved ones all feasting together,
Pleasant pictures from past times appear
To dwell in each heart and each mind--
Then Thanksgiving is finally here!

The kitchen has scrumptious aromas,
The dining room looks oh, so fine,
Decorations with pilgrims and turkeys,
And now we are ready to dine!

First the napkins are placed on our laps;
Now the prayer for the meal to be blessed,
Then we stuff the good food in our tummies,
And we hope for it all to digest!

By Joanna Fuchs

Cheezy Thanksgiving Jokes:
Q: What did the mama turkey say to her naughty son?
A: If your papa could see you now, he'd turn over in his gravy!

Q: Why did the turkey cross the road?
A: It was the chicken's day off.

Q: If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for?
A: Their AGE

Q: Why can't you take a turkey to church?
A: Because they use such FOWL language

'Quantum' missing from latest 007

Date Night found me and JP down at the movie theater to watch the latest James Bond flick over the weekend. We seldom go to the movies, let alone right when they come out, but JP was just sooooo excited to see the new Aston Martin and special effects that we splurged for Opening Day Matinee with some friends.

Let's admit, no one expects deep thought-provoking plots from a Bond film. But what makes a great 007 movie different than all the other Action Movies are these key elements:
1. James Bond is Charming. He's a womanizer. He smirks in the face of danger.
2. the Car of every man's dreams
3. Lots of cool "gadgets" turning ordinary objects in deadly killing devices
4. and almost one-too-many quips and one-liners that are so cheesy, so obvious, so laden with innuendos that it's almost distracting

These are what have endeared the promiscuous Bond to all our hearts! haha Unfortunately, Quantum of Solace is missing just about all of them. Yes, there is an impressive Aston Martin that makes a brief car-commercial-type appearance for a fleeting moment in the opening scene, then disappears for the rest of the movie. I couldn't find one gadget, one exploding pen, one "don't touch that, it will kill you!" device in the whole movie! And as for Bond: okay, so we're watching his transformation from being a man in love to a cold, killing machine but c'mon! So, he's mad...so he's lost his true love...so he wants revenge...okay, but let's have at least ONE good "I laugh in the face of danger" moment or one good line! No one wants to see Bitter Bond! We want Bond, James Bond!

As an "action movie" I actually really enjoyed it! :) There was no shortage of explosives and it's even more enthralling to watch when you know the Daniel Craig did ALL of his own stunts! I even like Daniel Craig as the Bond character. I just didn't like how the writers/producers/directors or whomever completely ignored the quintessential James Bond features that set these movies in a classic category of their own.
~Kristi

genesis

So this is the start of it all a great journey through the "dismal science" that is economics. I should tell you that I am not one of the great academics on the subject but that has not stopped any one else from spouting their opinion so why not throw my 2cents in. I hope you will enjoy future posts that will be riddled with interesting all be it mostly useless information.
-JP

Scariest Costume I could think of....

A Voting Booth! :)

Shoe Fleur

I stumbled upon these amazing shoes this weekend while strolling through San Francisco. They are designed by Michael Tcherevkoff are displayed in his new book, Shoe Fleur. View the entire amazing collection at shoefleur.com. One of my favorites is the 2nd to last on this post... enjoy!

NY Fashion Week

I'm a little late in posting this, but I've been too busy sewing up a storm with all the ideas I gathered while watching the runway!! I am LOVING this Isaac Mizrahi ensemble - it's so sweet. Clean, simple lines are always the loveliest. I'm happy to see feminine colors and details back in style. Plus, winter wear is usually already modest so little changes are necessary. :) Click below to see the rest of Isaac Mizrahi's latest runway slideshows:
Fall 2008
Spring 2009

JP surprised me yesterday and drove me to San Francisco to the Garment District to see the latest fabrics for fall. We ate dinner early at Buca di Beppo, this wonderfully authentic Italian restaurant. Their ravioli with meat sauce was so amazing! The flavors felt magnified and fresh. It was sooooo good. We then walked around the corner to Bloomingdale's where JP tried on suits, vests, and leather jackets. Our favorite was this brown leather motorcycle-type jacket for $1200!! Are you crazy? Oh, but it was so soft and lightweight and he looked just delicious in it. :)

I was so charged from our day in S.F. that I couldn't sleep last night. I stayed up waaaaaay too late shopping online at Banana Republic. Well, looking and dreaming anyway. :) I'm slowing building up my pattern library, but I love to just create things I see without using a pattern by trying to figure it out on my own. So, I stuffed my online "shopping cart" with tons of ideas and goodies. Here are some of my favorites:

Sew Awesome!

JoAnn's fabric store is moving to a new location so they're having a 70% off sale on their fabrics!!! I went crazy! I literally filled my cart with silks, satins and so many other types of material. It hit me while standing in line: What am I going to make? That's when I found this AMAZING website:

FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE

Free Sewing Patterns! Burda Style.com is an open source sewing community where members (free registration) can upload their own patterns and pictures of their designs. There are a ton of adorable FREE downloads and even more downloadable patterns that are only a couple of bucks!

There are even how-to videos, a section of term definitions, a forum and a blog section. Check it out!

Pump It Up!

I love my new buckle stiletto shoes!! Mine are actually a deeper red, not so cherry bright...but oh so cute!!

The trick to mastering the walk in stiletto shoes is to not look as awkward as it feels. Yes, they hurt. Yes, they're unstable. Yes, you need strong ankles. But, yes you feel incredibly sexy! Not to mention, taller and slimmer! :)

Here's a secret tip: Dr. Scholl's inserts For Her. LIFE-SAVER!! I bought the clear gel cushions that go in the toe section to pad the ball of your foot (since you're practically walking on tip-toe) and it made such a difference! It was actually really comfortable to walk around in these shoes today! Hallelujah, hallelujah!


Secret Tip #2: Baking Soda
You know that sticky sound your foot makes sometimes when wearing slingbacks or wedges as they slap against your foot on a hot summer day? You can buy a spray powder that you spray right onto your foot in the mornings to prevent moisture or just rub some baking soda on the heel of your foot before slipping on your shoes! This will also keep your feet smelling fresh and clean all day. :)

Name Game

I'm so into name necklaces right now! These are so cute. I'm definitely into the more classy, delicate pieces as opposed to the gangsta' heavy-metal bling-bling action some people have going on. haha. :)

This design is from Joyfully Crafted which has too many wonderful necklace designs to show here so check them out!

This is such an adorable idea for a new baby charm necklace from this new blog I found today called My Retro Baby Blog.This last one is my favorite, creatively speaking... It's from Le Chimaera website...

Tasty Totes

I was perusing MarthaStewart.com today and just had to share her easy-sew totes!! They are soooooo adorable! Plus, Eco-Friendly and wallet friendly! Being an Eco-Capitalist, those are my two favorite things! Use them to carry schoolbooks, groceries or beach necessities! I'm personalizing some to give as gifts, as well.

Aren't these Hand Towel Beach Totes super chic?! LOVE IT.



I'm always looking for new, cool ideas for old t-shirts or shirts I get from events that I know I'll never really wear again but would love as memorabilia! Problem solved with the T-Shirt Tote!

New Favorite Blog: Pioneer Woman

I came across this woman's blog today and just fell in love with the wit, the photography, the cooking and the crafts of this Pioneer Woman who left the Big City to follow her true love: a cowboy! I've always been a sucker for love stories...

"Over a decade ago, I gave up my pumps and the conveniences of city life, all for the love of a rugged cattle rancher. Come read and enjoy our wild tale of romance."

Health Tip - Triathlons!

We're all on the road to getting healthy! Yeah! I'm mulling over the idea of training for Eppies Great Race, the world's oldest triathlon, coming up in July: run 5.8 miles, bike 12 miles, kayak 6 miles. If I choose to do this I'll post my progress here! :) I only have 5 weeks to get ready so I need to figure out my training schedule and see if this is feasible.

Have any of you ever trained for a marathon or triathlon? I'd love all advice and support!!

Here's my health tip today:

Drinking water:

• Lubricates your joints and eyes
• Moisturises your skin , giving you a better complexion
• Helps maintain good skin and muscle tone
• Better sleep and digestion
• Eliminates toxic wastes (helps keep cellulite away)
• Prevents constipation
• Gives you more energy
• Transports nutrients around your body and supports the central nervous system, which in turn reduces stress.
• Normal brain function (having a clearer sharper mind and less headaches)
  

The short-term effects of dehydration include nausea, fatigue, lethargy, headaches and fainting. The long-term effects can be even more serious, including kidney disease.(from Healthy Chic)

Fat to Fit to Fabulous

Some of my family members participated in an AMAZING RACE-type event in Utah over this last weekend where they were driving around Utah County for 2 days doing all sorts of challenges and event from canoeing to climbing a rock wall to an ice cream eating contest. They came in 3rd place!! Whoo-hoo!! But, alas, as they watched some of the video footage they decided that they needed to do more canoeing and less ice cream-eating! :)

Not obese by any mean, but still wanting to get fit and FABULOUS, my brother issued a challenge to all of us yesterday and the emails and dialogue that followed was just too funny and inspiring (and tongue-twisting) that it had to be shared with the world!! :) It's kind of long, but worth it...

BRANDON:
OK fam. Here’s the deal. In the Race All Night competition that we did yesterday, I was the first to get winded, and I couldn’t even climb up a third of the rock climbing wall! That’s pathetic! I’m twice the man I was, and only half the man I used to be!! (think on that for a while)

I refuse to drag the Allred name through the mud any longer! When people think of Allreds, they think of sleek, chiseled, strong, fit bodies and minds! OK, well maybe that’s not true…but it should be!!

Therefore, I hereby declare my intention to Blast the Blubber!!! I am publicly committing to run a min-triathlon scheduled on September 6, 2008 (http://sandy.utah.gov/government/parks-and-recreation/special-events/triathlon.html) That’s just over three months away. It’s swim 400 meters, bike 9 miles, and then run a 5k. I’ve biked and run that far before, but the swimming will be a challenge. Steph, I’ll need some coaching!

I invite all the Allreds and their spouses or friends to join me in my quest to Blast the Blubber!! Together, we will eradicate the foul filth of fat from our collective frames! We will tumble the tall towers of tubbiness! We will cleanse our corpulent cores! We will…we will… um…I just noticed I was standing outside in my undies pumping my fists and shouting to the neighborhood…

…ok the cops have left and I’m ready to continue. If you want to join in, please respond and we can work out how to go about this. If you don’t want to do the triathlon, that’s fine. We each have our own goals. I just know that I’m more successful at these type of things when I’m working with a group of people with a goal in mind. I learned that in the Race yesterday. Go Team Allred!!

So, enough of that. Get back to me, and lets have a great summer!

Brandon, the Blaster of Blubber, the Bain of Bouncy Bellies, the Benefactor of Beautiful Bodies, the….oops I hear sirens. Gotta go…

p.s. Kristi, if you want to participate, your state of un-juxtaposition shouldn’t be a barrier. We can coordinate our quest, cross-country.

Logan went from laughing to...Lord of the Rings?

All Acclaim and Adoration to the Adept Ace and Allred Authority of Awesome Advanced Alliteration!!

Brodo Not-So BaggyPants, I Logalas will join the Fellowship of the Fit. You have my Cross(Bow)-Trainers.

I will fight the Orcs of Obesity to travel deep into the Land of MorDormant to Mount Dumpy and destroy the One large Ring around our waist.

Logan

Childhood nicknames (no matter how cruel and ironic) were brought out...

Fatty Friends and Fellow Fluffiness Unite!

Lork the Dork that Pigs out with a Fork is putting her fork down! I resolve to no longer bring the rolls to the table!

I'm in!

Lori

Couples started getting in on the fun together!

I Ruler Ryneeten Ryroo, Duke of the Double Chin, Prince of Portly, King of the Couch, Sir Stout himself will join my fellow gallant paladins on this quest. I have watched our video of our race and have seen the proof spoken of. These things need to be vanquished in such a way that they will never return. If we can fight for all that is holy and conquer our flabs, flatten our tires, and be rid of our pear shaped corpses we will be unstoppable. We must do this for all Allreds across the world to show that we can and WILL be fit, while still being able to keep our good name and our tradition of, while limiting it, eating ice cream!!

My Redhead Regina, Matriarch of Megan (& Emily), Dutchess of Desserts, and Queen of Quizno’s has vowed to stand at my side and fight for the collective good of our souls in reducing their overall mass, increasaing lung capacity, and easing the deliverance of future posterity (no we aren’t). She too will stand tall and refuse the rubbish that has so long plagued our pioneers to create the new bloodline of Stalwart, Mighty, Lean, and Powerful posterity.

The ultimate in tongue-twisting...

To the True Trend-setters of the Allred Tear-it-up Team:

I commit to curve my tedious tendencies of teething on tacos and triglycerides! This Savage will no longer sweat while swimming, tire at tennis or heave during health class. Today I make a truce to join this tycoon of triathlon trainers and follow the trail of tininess! None will ever tell the tale of this Savage teetering at the tempting table of tastiness if it means jeopardizing my taut traces of muscled tendons.

Anyways, I'm in.

Steph

I couldn't let another email fly without jumping in on all the fun...

The Beacons of Blubber have been lit by Master Pepperoni (Pippin)! Gorgeousness has called and our Rotund Rumps will answer!! We will join you in your quest to quash the quagmire of cottage-cheese and ban the bane of our beauty: our buxom behinds! Soon our slender, svelt stems will spin on the sleek surface of our surfboards upon the Seas!! Mourn not, my massive menage`, though the murderous mileage may seem far... we will muster our muscles and make the migration to Mecca! (even if only in spirit) Alas, we avow our allegiance to Allred!

Kristi

Happy Mother's Day

I enjoy being a girl...

I love this gap commercial! It's just so pink and girly. :)

Skinny Songs

So, I was perusing my email Inbox over the weekend and came across and intriguing email from Ladies Who Launch, a women entreprenuerial group, telling me about a new CD entitled: Skinny Songs. It's been featured on Oprah, Martha Stewart, USA Today just to name a few... Well, I just had to know more and it's hilarious what I found!

"SkinnySongs: Music to motivate you right back into your Skinny Jeans.
SkinnySongs was designed to help you stick to your weight loss plan — whether you listen while walking, driving, or even cooking.
The hip, upbeat songs and funny, ‘been there’ lyrics can help get you through the tough moments when the cookies are calling. SkinnySongs is not about any particular size or shape — it is all about setting your own personal goals and taking charge of your life to achieve them."

Here are some lyrics to the theme song, Skinny Jeans:

For years we were together, every Saturday night,

we’d go out dancin’, you’d hold me in tight,

but you were unforgiving and you wouldn’t let me grow

Now I can’t put you on -- but I can’t let you go

skinny jeans, skinny jeans, you’re still hanging ‘round

In the back of my closet and that’s bringin’ me down

this morning, I woke up, and made me a vow

skinny jeans, gonna get back, into you somehow

Careful...it's catchy!

I'm hooked on the game Bloxorz. You have this 3-D rectangular cube that you have to get down the hole to progress to the next level. The sound the cube makes as it moves is addicting. :) I'm stuck on level 32 (it doesn't take long to pass each level). I'm warning you, though, it will start to push the logic of your mind. I know I'm close to finding the solution when I think the puzzle is impossible - that's when I start thinking outside the box. :) Enjoy!

Bloxorz Get the block to fall into the square hole.

Play this free game now!!

p.s. write down the passcode in the upper right corner if you want to jump back to that level when coming back to the game.

Did you get fooled?

Did April's Fools Day do you in yesterday? How about biting into what you think is sweet, buttery corn on the cob and finding sweet icing and cake instead?

It's Cupcake Week at MarthaStewart.com! Click here for this corny recipe (they're really jelly beans!!).

Backyard Remodel 1 Year Later...

I flew my mom out last May to help me remodel my backyard. JP and I had bought this house a few months earlier and had focused so much time and money on remodeling the inside that, come spring, the outside was in some serious need of creative and hardworking hands. Hence, my mom. :)

I must say, though, that since I hesitantly took over the reins after Mom left a week later I have fallen in love with gardening and my thumb grows greener by the week. I love nurturing things and watching them grow. I truly feel sad when a carefully-tended plant doesn't take and whithers away. (I love Lowe's 1-year dead-or-alive plant return policy!! I returned $50 worth of seriously dead plants last week...) With spring in full swing here in California, I was so excited about all the new blooms that I wanted to share them with you. The photos don't do it justice, but, without further ado, here is my backyard now:

1 Year Later
(top photo = after; bottom photo = before)
click photos to enlarge
JP loves swinging in his hammock, sipping lemonade, while reading a surfing guidebook about somewhere in the South Pacific.

Here are some of my favorites flowers currently flourishing in my yard...

Happy Easter!

Wishing you a delicious Easter weekend!

Eggshell Flower Pots

So cute! Click here for full instructions from Martha Stewart.com... I love spring! Everything feels fresh, clean and so simple and beautiful. Nothing gives me the feeling of rebirth and growth like gardening.