Brent and I went out to eat dinner tonight and I got my favorite, Peking duck.  Brent wanted Beef Broccoli and you should of seen the look on the waitress when Brent asked for Chinese Broccoli.  I wanted to laugh so hard...I think she thought he didn't know what he was ordering.

The food was fabulous and they were so sweet to give us free dessert and a gift card for the same amount of our dinner.  It was the best Chinese food I've had since I've left Portland, lol.

On our way home and out of nowhere, Brent asked if I wanted to go to the movies.  So we went and saw Gran Torino.  Now I know some may not agree, but I thought it was a great movie.  It protrays that part of Hmong life so well.

I laughed at all the typical things that people say to me everyday!  I laughed so hard when they said Hah-mong, when it's really just Mong and the H is silent.  I thought they did a great job of explaining how Hmong people don't have their own country and that its a race and culture.

Unfortnately racism is a still a part of life and it still exists even if it is or isn't shown in movies or on TV.  The things that were said in the movie are things that are really said in real life and I didn't find it offensive enough to think it's a bad movie.  I went to a high school where we did have Hmong gangs.  They fought with the Hispanic and African American gangs all the time.  I've seen the Hmong gangs fight and shoot people at almost every Hmong New Years celebration I've been to.  I have seen many of the things from this movie happen in real life.

They casted Hmong teenagers who had never acted prior to being in this movie...so yeah, I can see why people would think the acting was more on the poor side.  But this movie wouldn't of been protrayed correctly without a Hmong cast. 

What this movie showed is what my dad has been fighting against all my life.  He came from Laos with nothing...was able to get his medical degree and provide a great life for me and my siblings.  He's always tried to show people that higher education can be achieved and have greater things in life.  If anything, I think this movie will teach people a bit more of our culture and show what one of our struggles are. 

I am so excited for my trip!  It's gonna be an awesome experience and this is the first real big trip for Brent.  I know he's just as excited to go too.  And it'll be nice to see Drew and Lisa.

Anyhoo- still just trying to wrap everything up at work...and trucking along.  I'm gonna have to start packing this weekend, lol.  Hope all of your weeks are going well!

I miss having mood icons...as I don't have any on blogger. :(  Sad times.

I am going to go to Target today.  Last year I bought a cheap white long sleeve shirt for Lee Denim Day.  Well, I can't seem to find it...and I'm also missing a shirt from Hollister.  I brought it home for the wedding, but never wore it.  But I'm wondering if they're lost in my dad's house somewhere?!?  Just like I never found my glasses...but I guess you always lose things at big events like a wedding, eh?!?  At least I didn't lose my phone like my FIL did and D'Juan lost his wallet at his.  So, I guess a shirt and a pair of glasses isn't too bad.

I also need to go to Safeway...I need milk, apples, and to fill my perscriptions. 

Hope you're all having a great weekend so far!

I hate getting shots!  My arm has been killing me all day.  I could not be very productive today at work...as I kept moving around.  I really want it to stop hurting, lol.

15 days until I leave for Europe!  Yeah!

Okay...the time has come.  I am moving my blog to www.sparklecreations.blogspot.com.  Please update your links for me!  Thanks everyone! 

Since I need Future Posting for while I'm in Europe...this is what I've been working on.  It's still a work in progress...okay?!?  Let me know what you think! 

http://sparklecreations.blogspot.com/

This is the same sketch from my card before...but with my new Stamping Bella Christmas stamp.  Isn't it so cute?!?  I used liquid applique on Santa's cuffs. 

Paper: CTMH Deck the Halls (Retired)
Stamps: Stamping Bella, CTMH Say It With Style
Buttons, Copic Markers, CTMH Brads, Liquid Applique

Since I am leaving in 18 days, I have been working like crazy to get DT stuff done.  I have Bella Color Challeges done til the last week of October.  I'm so proud of myself, lol.  I really only needed to do them through I was gone, but I figured I would be exhausted by the time I came back and wouldn't want to think about it.  Speaking of...I'm gonna give away a prize the week of my Bella Color Challenge #50.  It will be my 30th color challenge that I have done since I took it over from Katie.  I am letting you all know now, because whoever has done all of my color challenges will get entered to win my Bella prize!  That gives you 6 weeks to get crankin on those color challenges!  Here is the Master List of all of the Bella Color Challenges.  I will be counting from BCC21 through BCC50.

I also have all of my 3 Little Dreams(Sept is the last month)/Created By Courtney challenges done til I get back.  I thought I was gonna need them for Katie since I was gonna be gone, but not really now since September will be it's last month. 

And lastly, I'm in charge of a challenge for the Bella Bash this month, which is on September 17th.  2 days before I leave...so sorry you haven't seen any of my cute Fall or Halloween stuff yet.  But it will come within time, lol. 

I'm off to see Breanna (Brent's niece) today.  Hope you all have a great Holiday! 

I am not good at sewing.  Last year Lauren Meader bought a mini sewing machine from Rite-Aid on sale and I bought one.  I think I only made 1 card with it and I never used it again, lol.  It's been sitting around forever and I made the decision that this weekend I would play with it again and practice a little.  So, not really straight lines...but I think it gives my card character. 

This paper is super old and retired.  But I still had a few scraps left.  And now I've used it all up on making Christmas cards!  And here's another Christmas/Winter Riley.  Josh, my co-worker (the one thats getting married next weekend) is Jewish...so I get to make a Hanukkah card this year.  I don't usually put Merry Christmas on cards unless I make it specifically for someone who does celebrate and believes.  But in this case, it was all that I had at the moment that fit in my die cut, lol. 

Paper: CTMH Deck the Halls (Retired)
Stamps: Snowman Riley by Hanna Stamps, CTMH Say It In Style
CTMH Buttons, Copic Markers

The Ducks killed the Huskies today.  Sorry that the Cougars didn't do well today too...but tomorrow Brent and I are going shopping.  He needs a new pair of pants and shoes.  Then I'm not sure what we'll be up to.  On Monday we're gonna go see Breanna (his niece) and probably go watch a movie.  Hope you're all enjoying the holiday weekend! 

Since my wedding was on 4th of July weekend, I got lucky as 6 months prior was about Christmas.  So, I killed 2 birds with 1 stone.  Obviously this only worked because Red was one of my main wedding colors.  These are the same cards that I was talking about finishing them at the Album Retreat last year with Teresa DeWitt. 

I loaded up my cricut and cut all of those circles within 30 minutes.  You'd be crazy to think I'd sit there and punch that many out, lol.  The tag was ment to go inside...and when you pulled it out behind the snowmen, it was a STD card.  And since I'm a sucker for stamps with my name in it...the greeting is just perfect!  I haven't found any "new" cute Christmas saying with "sparkle" in them.  Let me know if you see one!

The best part of sporting events for me is getting garlic fries! I didn't have any on Tuesday, as since Moneytree had the suite at the Mariner's game, we got a free dinner with it. I think I was one of the only few who ate the yummy Italian salad. Most were eating the pepperoni pizza, chicken strips, and nachos. I did have a hot dog too, lol.

But tonight at the Seahawks game, I just had to have garlic fries. So that made me happy...and I still have a full bag of carmel corn. Brent ate like 2 handfuls of it and said he was done. But its cool, it'll take me the whole week to eat it. And maybe I'll bring it to work. By the way, since when did lime green become cool again?!? I lovey green, so I'm thinking I need a green Seahawks baby tee. 

Tonight or this morning I guess I should say, I'm working on my first few pages of my wedding album. I actually had to make another wedding invitation because I don't have any more.   And I've been hoarding these rub-ons for months!  So I'm glad that I finally made myself use them.  This page is pretty simple, but is to show off my lovey invites.  Now gotta work on a page for my Save the Date cards. 

Everyone have a great Saturday!  I'm going to the bank, post office, and the mall.  Then I will be forced to watch the Ducks game, lol.  But I will be probably be crafting away while Brent watches the game.  My Beavers lost on Thursday...sad times.  But I'm over it already, lol.  

Okay, so I saw on Amuse's banner on Split Coast that they're releasing new stamps for Halloween.  Shame on me, as I've been in Seattle over 6 months already and I still haven't been to the Amuse store, lol.

But...I saw that they made these new "Seattle" stamps and I must have them now.  I guess I'll have to get myself downtown one of these days.

   
I have been debating back and forth on doing Christmas cards or not...but I realize that I don't think I can not make cards, lol.  Am I crazy?!?  No, I think I just can't find it in my heart to go to the store and buy cards when I have piles of paper at home.  I am trying not to spend money on things that aren't Europe related until I get back.  But since I still have a Paypal balance that I use for my Bella stamps, I used some of it to buy some Elzybell stamps.  And these are the ones from Europe, so full size stamps, not the mini ones from Amuse.  

I have lots of Basic Grey Figgy Pudding paper from last year, so that will be the bulk of what I make my cards out of.  I always send a picture of Brent and I from the Gala...and I will also include a picture of us from the wedding and one from Europe.  

It's been a Bliatout tradition to send out our Christmas letter.  My mom use to write it every year and thats what my extended family looked the most forward to.  My brother has since been writing it...so I usually just send Brien my paragraph about me for the letter and send my card and picture seperately.  But now that I'm married, I will carry this on to our little Smith family, lol.  So I'm thinking I will write a Christmas letter too.  Plus, it'll be easy as Brent and I have done alot this year.  Moved to Seattle, got married, and we're going to Europe. 

Last year I finished all of my Christmas and Save the Date cards at the Album Retreat.  Thank you Tresea Dewitt (one of my roomies) for helping me glue everything together!  Maybe I should of gotten the mini ones from Amuse to cut down on the coloring, huh?!?  Oh, just another excuse to me more Copics, lol.  

I do all of my Christmas shopping on Black Friday.  What I loved about Denver is that people aren't as into it as they are in the NW.  In Portland, I've gotten hit by carts, shoved by people, and have seen people fight over the last TV, Ipod, etc.  In Denver people were relaxed, nice, and just let me through to what I wanted.  I'm scared of traffic this year, but I'm hoping that I can get Dana and Breanna to go with me this year.  When Dana and Brian (Brent's older brother) were still married, they'd come down to Portland for Thanksgiving.  Dana and I would get up at 3:30am and go shopping, lol.  But now I live only 20 minutes from her, so I'm sure she'll be up to going with me.  

This Christmas will be weird for me this year, as my parents will have moved into their new house.  But it works out nice because Brent's family celebrates on Christmas Eve...and then we'll wake up early on Christmas day to open presents with Michael and Emily.  

My OC Chrismukah spirit is coming back to me...and I haven't even gone to Europe yet, lol.