Sorry About the Ample Alliterations...

Hmmm, what has happened recently worth writing about? My life is moving quickly through big and little happenings, but nothing very thought provoking or particularly worth expounding upon has been on my mind as of late. I didn't mean for this blog to turn into a personal travel-log, a reminder that I actually have been filling my time with things that "need" to be done, but to update the past two weeks, this is all I have to report.

My sister had a successful ward bridal shower, fully equipped with tulips, carol b's delicious rolls and famous spinach salad, and angel food cake with strawberries. (Can you tell how my life currently revolves around food?) I think the most interesting gift she received was a single bar stool... or maybe it was the roll of wrapping paper: "I was going to wrap your present, but then I realized that if I didn't, YOU could use the paper for later!" We all had a good laugh at that. (Clearly this was a gift from a very practical aunt- my dad's side of the family.)

Wouldn't it be funny if everyone started doing that? Instead of wrapping the present, just including the wrapping paper as part of the gift, for the receiver to use at a later gift-giving time? However, we would all slowly accrue piles of wrapping paper that we would simply re-gift for other people to wrap their gifts with, and nobody would ever wrap their presents. Kind of a silly scenario.

Personally, I LOVE wrapping presents.

There's something about turning large rolls of pristine paper into carefully crafted coverings and topping it off with some sort of accent to tie it all together- not necessarily a bow- that just completely fills my heart with glee. Not to mention the super sense of satisfaction that comes from using an oddly shaped left-over scrap to perfectly hide your special secret. Conquered. Bliss.

However, there is one downside that a cheapskate like me must not fail to mention. I always, always, always forget to remember (hah) how cute paper and card always add a fairly significant percentage to the final price tag of the gift. Don't get me wrong, I much prefer buying "the perfect thing" for other people than for myself; but I'm also a strong believer in budgets and it is a bit annoying to have this extra expense unexpectedly exist. I mean really... does it make sense to wrap a $10 gift in $5 worth of wrappings? This is a 50% increase in cost!! Very tricky to try and justify.

The solution, of course, is to have plenty on hand so that the cost is far away in the past and harder to be aware of mentally . :)

Interesting how this post has turned out. I could mention other recent happenings, but I think I shall give a house-search update and my quest for avoiding maternity clothes in anther post.

Before I go, though, I would like to mention that I have finally purchased a pair of leggings, and am quite enjoying their comfort at this time.

3 weeks later...

Before I begin my recap, I must apologize for missing out on an Easter post. Alas, I had just arrived after a long road-trip and spent the day between church and fixing a feast, since my mom was on a plane all day from Boston.

And I'm so sad to have missed my opportunity to announce the twins that I'm not expecting, on April 1st :)

Further, is it just me or is it wrong that I woke up to a snowy blanket on our lawn this morning? (note: it's April)

Anyway...

It's funny how being a student has always been my excuse for being permanently busy, and yet, now that I can no longer use my favorite scape goat, I have happened upon one of my longest non-posting periods yet.

I haven't forgotten. Nay. I actually have a little notebook that I carry around in my purse so I can write down things I need to buy or remember to do, and especially fun things to blog about. However, I just don't sit in front of my computer 25 hours a day, like I used to, and for some reason it just doesn't seem as convenient to log my "adventures" as regularly. (Nor do I have as many unwanted tasks to procrastinate.)

I had planned a thorough recall of our road-trip from Stanford to Salt Lake, via Chino Hills (just East of LA). I diligently made note of all interesting town names (my favorite being Zzyzx) and took pictures of thought provoking landscapes- like the lone tree on the hill. (How did it get there anyway? And why would it want to grow all by itself?) But, that all seems so long ago, now, and so unimportant, that I doubt the full review will ever make it out.

Funny how things always seem more important as they happen.

It seems now, though, that not much excitement has graced my recent endeavors to merit a full post. It's funny because more exciting things are happening now, all at the same time, than probably have ever happened in my life before- finishing school, makin' a baby, buying a house, sister getting married, living near old friends again, staking out stylish yet inexpensive furniture... but each thing by itself doesn't provide much that seems worth the effort of an entire entry.

I probably could talk awhile about the unexpected changes that our child has incurred on my body (like how my stomach no longer creases when I bend over, rather the top of my belly does) but I don't want this to turn into a ranting place for my latest pregnancy intrigue, because I have a feeling they are more intriguing to myself than any other. Rest assured though, as soon as I feel my belly is blog-worthy, all you patient picture requesters will get your wish :) (PS I'm now 4 months along and slightly pooching!)

I have learned a lot about house-hunting though... and it's amazing how you begin hoping you'll find something, anything, that might become reasonable with vision and remodeling. But after looking through 30 houses, you start looking for arbitrary ways to narrow down your list of possibilities. (I don't like how big/small/narrow/textured/dark/bright/hot/cold this room is. Or how it's furnished.) Particularly, I have learned to look for things not even considered beforehand as something to look out for. One of the houses we looked through had an extremely nosy neighbor who popped right out to find out all about the prospective buyers next door. He promptly claimed to know everything about the entire neighborhood and has deemed himself the "neighborhood activist". (More like neighborhood busybody.) Needless to say, despite the large windows and amazing view, we are no longer interested in this house. Luckily, we think we have found the one, and are in the negotiation process as we speak. Updates will follow.

One last thing. Only the more avid Libby's Latest readers will recall that I left my camera battery charger in Utah and that was the main reason for my lack of photos. WELL, while digging through the piles and piles of boxes, which are currently inhabiting my childhood room, in search of my library card, I happened upon it! Wahoo! Which means I hope to be more visually documented in the future.