Castaneda Casa

Getting Settled

2010-07-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we survived the move! We are now officially residents of Edina, Minnesota (about 5 miles from Minneapolis). The movers delivered all of our stuff on Monday and we are getting settled in. I've worked some pretty long days unpacking and finding a home for everything but I think I can finish it all today if I stay focused!
So far we really like it here. The weather is gorgeous (like 75-80) and everyone is always outdoors walking/biking/etc. Please remind me of this come January. The people are so friendly, I love the Mid-Western attitude. We made friends at church who had us over for dinner that night, neighbors have brought by brownies, we have had multiple invitations to all the 4th of July activities (apparently our block party is a BIG deal), our real estate agent brought us flowers, and our insurance agent gave us tickets to the Twins game tonight. The list goes on and on....Minnesota has really sent out the Welcome Wagon!
I've found most of the essentials: post office, gas station, dry cleaner, Super Target (the most super one ever! This is Target country after all), places to eat, the mall, etc. So far it seems pretty easy to get around and I am relying on the garmin a little less each day.
Luckily I've been so busy getting everything done, I haven't had a moment to be sad. My family is Sun Valley this week and I had to miss the trip to meet the movers. But we are excited about our new adventure here and have so many fun things going on over the next few days. If I get a chance I'll try to bring the camera along. I'm always terrible at that, but it makes things so much more interesting.
And if I owe you a phone call or an email back (or in a few cases both)...I'm publicly and officially so sorry! I promise soon.

Another Graduation!

2010-06-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Does it seem like all we do at our house is have Graduations? Well we had another one...and this time it was for me! : ) I officially graduated from Culinary School. I am happy to brag that I graduated at the top of my class with honors (4.0 GPA!). I even got a special new Chef Coat with my name and "honors graduate" embroidered on it as well as MEDAL that is engraved. I've never had a medal before...I'm pretty excited about it. Sometimes I wear it around the house just for fun. We were lucky to have my in-laws in town to help us celebrate and we had a great time with them. So yea for me!

Me receiving my diploma from the President of the School, Chef Wilson. You know what they say, "Never Trust a Skinny Chef". Well, he's the real deal then.

Being recognized for my Honor's Status.

My cute Mother and Father In Law.

We have lots more going on around here, so I'll try and keep updated!

Graduation

2010-05-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Last week the big day came, and Jose officially graduated with his MBA! I honestly couldn't be more proud of him!!! We had a great celebration with family and friends all week long and are now happily adjusting to life without school. : ) Thanks to all of you who came to help us celebrate and those who watched and cheered on the festivities via Internet! Here are a few pics of the happy occasion!

Last Day of School!

2010-04-27T06:21:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday was Jose's very last day of school! Does he look smarter? Graduations festivities are this weekend, but we had to commemorate the last day. More to come...

I'm Back!!!

2010-04-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

So after many months on blogging hiatus, I'm back! But just because I've been absent doesn't mean I haven't been reading all of your blogs! Actually, my amazing and trusty IBM bit the dust a few months ago and I've just been slow to replace it! Considering that I got it to go to college it's amazing it made it that long....I think computer years are like dog years! But sharing a computer with a busy grad student hasn't allowed me much time online. But I am an independent woman, so expect to be hearing from us again!
So now I'm going to go back to playing with my new toy.... : )

Thanksgiving Holiday

2009-12-09T13:21:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday this year. We went to Dallas to spend it with Jose's parents. It was really nice to have a few days off of school for both of us and to spend time in our old hometown. We were able to spend some time with friends and family and watch A LOT of football. Ugh. If you don't know...I hate football. It is so long, and so slow, and so boring. But I am the awesomest wife ever and went to 3 games in 3 days with Jose.

First we went to the Cowboys game on Thanksgiving Day. Nothing like celebrating a holiday with 85,000 of your closest friends. But the new stadium was UH-Mazing and I was excited to actually get to use our season tickets. The big screen is unbelievable. It's like watching the best TV you've ever seen but 10,000 times bigger! The Cowboys won, so it was happy all around.

Then on Friday night we went to see Jose's High School Football team play in the state playoffs. There was some definite reliving of glory days. But, you haven't seen football until you've seen the Friday night lights of real Texas football. They ended up winning and Jose was really happy to see it.

Saturday Jose dragged me to the SMU game. We hit up the Boulevard for the tailgate and watched the game. I think that it might be the only place in the world where football fans come in high heels, pearls, and blazers/ties. Maybe I finally found my crowd! SMU also won, so it was a 3 game, 3 victory weekend. And it will be a long time before I go to a game again.

Thank goodness Football season is almost over!!

Disneyland

2009-12-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

In October we went to Disneyland with the Pugh side of the family. We had a great time and it was nice to get away for a few days for both of us to take a break from school. We had fun seeing my brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews. I just can't believe how big they are getting. I didn't really take many pictures, but we had a great time!

Here's Jose giving your the Churro Salute outside the main gates.

Us in our sweet 3-D glasses for the new Toy Story ride.

Jose with my brother Brandon in the back being a dork. Typical.

Thanks for a fun weekend fam! We love you all

Happy 30th Birthday Jose!!

2009-09-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

First, I suck. A whole month with no update. I think I totally forgot what it was like to have a life/be busy. Blogging drops very low on the priority list. Anywho...

Happy 30th Birthday to Jose! Yesterday (the 26th) we celebrated a big day as Jose has graduated to his thirties. We've spent most of the last couple of weeks celebrating and have had a blast doing so.

A few weekends ago we went to the Boulders resort up in Carefree with our good friends Tyler & Ashley. Tyler just turned 30 about 2 weeks ago, so we made it a big double celebration. The boys played all-you-can-golf, while Ashley and I went to the pool and the spa. We then went to dinner at T Cook's at the Royal Palms, one of the best restaurants in town. All in all, it was a pretty perfect weekend! Thanks guys for so much fun, as always!

For his actual birthday, Jose and Tyler played golf again (can you see a pattern...that's pretty much every saturday) and then we had a few friends over to watch the BYU game and have dinner. It was a fun night with friends and the Cougars pulled out a win for Jose.

In some ways, I think I have had a harder time with Jose's birthday. I mean, when did I get so old I could be married to someone who was 30 and it wasn't creepy?!?!

Anyway, Happy Birthday Babe! Here's to your 30's being even better than your 20's!

(Sunrise at the Boulders...isn't it beautiful?)

August at a Glance

2009-08-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

Ugh...I've been so absent on the blog. My apologies!! It's been an insane summer, and fall just snuck right up on us. We've done a lot since I last posted and a lot has changed. There have been 3 trips, a birthday, a move, and one Castaneda going back to school. (hint: it wasn't Jose.) Here's a few highlights from the past month or so!

We had a great trip to Chicago. Neither of us had been and we ate our way through town! Lots of Chicago Dogs, deep dish pizza, and other fun treats. Not to mention an architectural tour, night time fireworks, and a whole mile of shopping. Twice. All in all, it was a pretty perfect trip and Chicago definitely got added to the list of cities we'd love to live in.

We also spent a weekend in Ohio. We started with a trip to Cedar Point (America's biggest theme park), visited with a friend of Jose's from his mission and his new wife, went to Kirtland, and then to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame. And Cleveland does rock, fyi.

Then it was off to Utah for a few days to visit with my family. I went solo on that one while Jose finished up his internship.

Then it was a move back from Michigan to Arizona. I flew and let Jose drive home. He spent a week with his family and got to go to a pre-season cowboys game at the new Stadium.

I had to come home to start school! I decided this summer that I wanted to go to Culinary School. I am now 2 weeks into my 9 month program and loving it. It's something I've always wanted to do and it just seemed like the right time. Anyway, I started a separate blog about school and the things I am learning/doing so if you want to check it out it is:

cisforchef.blogspot.com

All in all it's been a crazy month, but we are happy to be back home and start a new year!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

2009-07-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night, Jose and I headed to downtown Detroit to watch the Tigers take on my hometown team, the Mariners. It was a fun outing and we enjoyed seeing the ballpark, enjoying the great weather (it's around 75 everyday here), and of course having a hotdog. I love hotdogs...I could write a whole post on that, but I'll spare you.

Jose sporting his new Detroit hat.

The outfield of the stadium opens right up to downtown. Gives a pretty cool view from inside. Especially because lots of the buildings are really old and ornate.

Life in Michigan

2009-07-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

We've been running around so much lately I haven't even really gotten to tell you all a little bit about Michigan. It has been an adventure, that's for sure, and fun to get a chance to sort of "try on" a city. Here's the real shocker....we really like it! Who ever thought I'd like living in Detroit?! It is really beautiful (they don't call it the Land-O-Lakes for nothing!), the weather is great (70-80 everyday), the suburbs are really nice, and the people are so friendly. It's also so close to many major cities and we are hoping to get out and explore a little for the rest of the summer.

Every city/area has its own little quirks. Here are some of the most interesting things we've found while living here.

1. The state of Michigan is shaped like a left hand (see above map). People actually use this as a reference! They say, "I'm from where the ring finger and the pinky finger meet." Or they will actually hold up their hand and point! I've heard they make Michigan oven mitts...I may have to find myself one.

2. If you want to turn left at a stoplight, you actually have to turn right. What?! Crazy. They call it "The Michigan Left". You turn right, then in about 1/4 mile on the left lane there is a special U-turn lane where you finally get to go the direction you want. Maybe the above diagram will help. It doubles the amount of stoplights needed and you actually have to wait 3 times sometimes. Jose and I are NOT fans.

3. They take construction workers VERY seriously here. Everywhere on the freeways and streets there are signs saying that if you kill/injure a worker you will pay a $7,500 fine AND serve 15 years in prison! They are not joking around.

4. People are really aggressive drivers and they drive really fast. The speed limits are really high here:70-80 in major highways in the city. It's taken a little getting used to. Hard to keep up with the traffic when you have no idea where you are going! But we've adjusted.

5. We live NORTH of Canada. Eh? Yes, we actually do (you can check me on the map above). Did you know that Detroit and Canada (Windsor) pretty much touch? There is even a chunnel to go back and forth. I think we are the few cities in the continental US that is actually North of Canada. Pretty cool.

6. Pop cans are worth $.10 each! And the crazy part is people actually collect them. They have deposit machines at the front of every store and it gives you money. I think $.10 is a lot. I've been saving mine. I got a 12 pack of diet coke on sale the other day for $2.00 and with the cans that will be like paying $.06 per can. They are practically paying me to drink it! And everyone (I mean everyone) actually does it. That's the weird part. But I guess it's very green, so good work MI.

7. If you pay for you gas with a credit card you have to pay more per gallon. Or as Jose says, they give you a discount for paying cash. Definitely shows the difference in our personalities on how we see that! I think it's a penalty and he thinks it's a discount! Tomato...tomatoe...pay in cash.

I'm sure we'll find out many interesting things in our remaining month here. Who knows...maybe next year this will be our real home.

Seattle

2009-07-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend almost the entire Pugh Crew got together in Seattle. Sadly, Jose couldn't make it as well as Melly and kids. But, we certainly enjoyed being home and saying:

WELCOME HOME MOM & DAD!

We're so excited to have my parents home from their 3 mission for our Church. We're looking forward to many more family events where we can all be together again. While in Seattle we visited with old friends, had some Burgermaster, ate baby doughnuts from Pike Place Market, and mostly just spent time with all the cute cousins and each other. We even had a wonderful 'adults only' dinner. There was needless to say lots of laughing and we were sad to see it end.

I wasn't very good about taking pictures. I think quite a few of them ended up on other peoples cameras, but here's a few!

Laura and Sammy - what a cute pair!

Trevor's big crack on the Pinata.

The madness that occurs moments later when candy is everywhere.

Princess Baby (aka Abby) enjoying a sucker.

Alex showing off his bag of treats.

How our "really cheap" Mexican trip really cost us!

2009-07-07T06:52:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention above about our sad loss in Mexico....Jose's Wedding ring! It has always been a little too big (we already sized it once!) and when he went swimming in the ocean a big wave just took it away and it was gone. : ( The waves were pretty big that day so there was no hope.

I've made up overly fantasized/romantisized stories in my mind about a sweet poor little Mexican boy who stumbles on Jose's ring years from now on the beach and can finally propose to the love of his life with it. But that's just so I can sleep at night.

And let's be honest, we're just glad it was his ring and not mine! But these pictures are now all we have left of his symbol of our love.

So for now, Jose's sporting a naked left ring finger like he's single again. Should I be worried that I'm leaving and going to Seattle without him this weekend?

Cancun

2009-07-07T06:12:00.001-07:00

We had a happy surprise upon our arrival here in Detroit that Jose would have a week off from his internship while the Factories close for summer shutdown. So we decided we wanted to get out of town and away from our tiny apartment (ugh!). So we decided Cancun was just the ticket! We were there for 5 days and had a GREAT time. We were a little worried when we arrived and it was pouring rain, but the weather quickly improved and we had a fabulous time! There was sightseeing and sunning (or shading in my case!) and lots of wonderful Mexican food. We certainly miss that in MI!

This was the view out of our hotel room. Isn't the water just amazingly blue? And it was so warm!

Here were are at the main temple at Chichen Itza, the temple of Kulkulkan. What an amazing place! All of the ruins were so neat and it really gave you an idea of what things were like thousands of years ago. We decided to go ourselves (instead of on one of the many tour groups offered by the hotels) and it was such a fun adventure and we really got the more Mexican experience. I love traveling in Mexico with a Mexican! Jose always finds us the really good food from the locals and of course the "mexican discount".
.

This was one of the more intricately carved buildings at Chichen. The motifs were beautiful. It's really interesting how many structures there are, and how many are still uncovered. There were archaeologists digging all over the miles of the property uncovering new things everyday. Most of Mexico is said to be that way. It is just so expensive and there are so many they can't afford to uncover all of them. Wouldn't you just love to go on a dig? I would!

A view of the main temple with a smaller one in the foreground. The main one is just massive (it's hard to get the scale). I was really bummed that they stop let the general public climb it and go inside about 3-4 years ago when it became one of the 7 modern wonders. The stairs are pretty steep and with how hot it is there, I'm sure it was a bit dangerous. I told Jose that he needs to make a friend there with an archaeologist or someone important so that I can get the real tour before I die. I'm absolutely fascinated by the whole thing. We'll see if Jose can make that happen for me in the next 50+ years!

Jose of course had to hit up the golf course! Good shot, huh! Luckily he didn't run into any crocodiles or critters bigger than an iguana. Apparently they have quite the wildlife on this course (as my brother Brandon learned) and the club staff warned.

And I had to include this because it is SO Mexico. I took this picture in downtown Cancun one afternoon. What is it you ask? It is a person dressed in a bobble-headed Doctor costume dancing around to music in front of a Dr.'s office as an advertisement. You can see the pink banner to the right. Because that's the Dr. I want to visit when I'm sick, how about you? Seriously, do they think that works? I prefer taking my doctor incredibly seriously, not as a cartoon character.

And for those of you who were worried, we have no swine flu. The locals said they haven't ever had a problem down in that part of Mexico but it has nearly killed the local economy (tourism). We were happy to do our part. : )

The Great American Roadtrip!

2009-07-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

I know we've already been here in Michigan for a few weeks now, but I thought I'd keep playing catch-up and post some pictures from our cross country drive out here. The total route took us about 35 hours. We we passed through: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and then finally to Michigan. We've sure been a lot of places this year. I think I could claim that I know am a professional traveler! Here are some highlights!

It's always a highlight to drive in to Texas! We felt right back at home and had a good time visiting with Jose's family and seeing a few friends. There were a lot more things we wanted to do, but with such a long way to go it was hard to stop for too long.

We certainly enjoyed Memphis and ate here at BB King's Blues Club and had some amazing bbq and live music. What a fun place. We'd love to go back and try many more bbq joints in town!

And we of course had to visit Graceland. Here's Jose & I in front of the mansion. Jose is a big lover of Oldie's music and who doesn't love the King? It was actually very cool and we really had fun checking out the house, grounds, and seeing lots of interesting memorabilia like cars, awards, jets, jumpsuits, etc. Definitely check it out if you're in Memphis. Sadly the second floor of the house is closed to tourists (where Elvis' bedroom was) but we really had fun overall.

And here is Elvis' grave. There were so many flowers and things that had been put out for him. Apparently people send things from all over the world and they put everything out until it starts to show signs of wear. I couldn't help but wonder since Michael Jackson died if they are going to do the same sort of thing at Neverland. But there's no way it would be as cool as Elvis' house. What a cool retro/glam/rockstar/over the top style he had!

I think Leonard's may have been Jose's highlight of the trip. It was a real local type of bbq joint. It is all you can eat buffet everyday and de-lish! It was a fun way to get to have a little bit of everything without missing out on anything. (Because what if Jose and I missed out on food?! - tragedy!)

And finally here's a shot of good old downtown Detroit. On the left side of the bridge you can see Windsor, Canada. Crazy that they are so close, eh? There's even an underwater tunnel that connects them. I'll let you know how that is when we try it in a few weeks. And, Detroit is not nearly so bad as everyone says. It gets a terrible wrap!

Viva Europe!

2009-06-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well, here they are! Pictures from Europe...FINALLY! Sorry they are sooo late. Since arriving in Detroit we've had trouble uploading pictures on Blogger. Anyway, please enjoy! I apologize in advance for how many pictures of me you have to look at - I tried to keep it to a minimum. We had a wonderful time! I couldn't quite get the posts in order, so sorry! We started in Yvoire and ended in Portofino. You can always use the links on the side if you want to go in chronological order (the commentary makes a little more sense that way!) Happy Viewing!

Portofino

2009-06-24T08:17:00.001-07:00

To unwind from all of the crazy travel and to spend some quality time with Yaya and Carlo, we headed down to Portofino on the Mediterranean. It was certainly one of the most picturesque places I've been, and we really enjoyed the small town feel. It had really high-end boutiques, wonderful waterfront restaurants, great people watching, and some serious yachts. Not to mention the view. (The above picture ws taken out the window of our hotel!)

Having lunch at one of the best restaurants in Portofino. The food was incredible.

Yaya and I on our way to dinner.

I know we totally look photo-shopped into this picture, but I promise you it is real. It is just honestly that beautiful there. Look how clear the water is!!

Me holding a jellyfish. Yes, that's right - I picked it up. It was just a baby and no it didn't sting me. Jose was ready to pee on me if it did. The water was FILLED with big purple ones. They are pretty cool looking, but make it tough to swim!

The private beach at our hote. (The yellow building above). We spent some wonderful time sun/shade bathing. Mmm..

Relaxing on top of the turret at our beach watching the ships pull in and out of the harbor.

The cute port town is brightly painted and so italian looking.

Hanging out in the Marina and watching the boats (and the people getting off them!).

Torino

2009-06-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

After we got back from Florence, Jose finished his class in Geneva and took the train down to Torino to Carlo and Yaya's. We got a great tour of the city and some wonderful food. We were able to meet Carlo's mom and sister and see what Yaya's new life is like in Italy.

Jose and I infront of one of the monuments/buildings that was built when Torino hosted the winter Olympics in 2006.

Having lunch at Carlo's mom's house. The food was wonderful!

In the city center.

Jose, Yaya, and Carlo in front of the Old City Wall of Torino. It was abeautiful blue sky day and the only one while were there.

Florence

2009-06-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

After Paris, I went to Torino to visit Jose's sister Sonia (Yaya) and her husband Carlo. They moved back to Italy in January and we were excited to be their first visitors from the fam. Yaya and I took off for a girl trip to Florence. We had fun exploring the city, seeing the Duomo, eating more yummy food, and going to museums. Here are the pics!

A typical shot of Florence. There are open air markets everywhere with fun stuff/junk to buy. You also get an amazing view from pretty much anywhere you are.

The inside view of the duomo/cupola in the cathedral. It has a beautiful fresco painted on it that reminded me a lot of Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Really beautiful.

A classic European street performer. This kid looks like every kid in Europe...fauxhawk with a rat tail and/or mullet. If only his jeans were skinnier...

A cute little Italian shop/home on the bridge. So quaint!

A view of the Ponte Vecchio which is basically a pedestrian bridge lined with nothing but jewelry stores on both sides! LOVE IT! Oh and it has good views of the city too.

Yaya in front of the David replica in front of the Uffizi museum. They wouldn't let us take pictures of the real David (in the Academia) which was sad. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Truly breathtaking. If you haven't seen it, try to make it happen.

Having a little Gelato while sight-seeing. I was on a very strict pasta, bread, cheese, gelato, and nutella only diet while in Europe. I literally ate nothing else for 3 weeks.

The facade of the Duomo church. It is all tiled in-lay in green and pink/peach and white. It is pretty spectacular to look at. Especially up close.

Paris

2009-06-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

Paris was certainly one of the highlights of the trip for me. I've always wanted to go, and was so excited to actually be there. It was beautiful and the food is divine! Amber and I were there for a few days and then Jose met us there for a few more. Here's some pics!

Jose by the gilded entrance to Versaille. We got stuck out in the rain for a while in a long line. That wasn't one of my finest moments in Europe.

The Hall Of Mirrors at Versaille.

Amber & I in the garden.

In the garden behind Notre Dame. We think that Quasimodo didn't have that bad of a life. A beautiful place to live, great food, and nobody to pester you. Sounds pretty good to me!

Jose and I by the river Seine.

The Arc de Triumph at sunset. They were having some sort of Military performance/presentation that night. It was very patriotic and fun to watch.

Besties is front of the Eiffel Tower!

For those of you into fashion....walking down the street we ran into Karl Lagerfeld (and some hot model)! I seriously was so excited. I was freaking out and Amber was like...who is that? Good thing I had on my Chanel sunglasses and not by Bulvgari ones!

A view of Sacre Couere through the hands of the clock. What a view!

Inside the Musee de O'rsay, which has a large collection of impressionist art (my fave). Used to be a train station.

Giving my best Mona Lisa Smile. Seriously so crowded there, but cool nonetheless. Don't I look awesome in my sweet tour headphones? And anyone going to the Louvre...spend the extra money for the audio tour. Completely makes the experience.

Outside in the courtyard of the Louvre. Obviously this is before we went it, because I was smiling. By the time we left I thought I might die. We were there for like 10 hours. And I got in free - that was awesome!

London

2009-06-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

As I blogged from there, I went to London to visit my best friend Amber who is getting (just finished) her Masters in Econ at the London School of Economics. We had a BALL shopping, eating, getting haircuts (i got bangs!!), and we even managed to squeeze in 3 Broadway shows! Billy Elliot was my fave of the 3. Anyway, here are some of our highlights.

(Above is me and some policemen and good old Big Ben.)

We spent one whole afternoon hunting down the above. What is it you say? The Burberry Outlet! And it is definitely an "adventure" and very out of the way. Literally a warehouse. BUT..we found some amazing deals and we both ended up with super cute things. It was even so good, that Amber skipped class to shop longer. I'm such a bad influence!

Visiting Westminster Abbey and seeing the lovely floral exposition they had inside.

Having High Tea in Harrod's.

Me outside of my favorite store in the whole world - Harrod's. Yes, believe it or not I even love in more than Neiman Marcus. Much, much, more.

Stopping for a yummy cupcake while antiquing in Notting Hill.

Geneva

2009-06-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

The real reason for our visit to Europe was Jose's class in Geneva. They spent most of the time meeting with big international agencies such as UN, RedCross, WHO, WTO, etc. Here are some of the highlights of his time there. (Above he is on Lake Geneva with the fountain behind him.)

Here Jose is practicing World Domination. Looks pretty good doesn't it?

Here's Jose and his classmates on a dinner cruise where they served traditional Swiss Fondue. Good thing they waited until after they ate to tell him that the meat was HORSE!!!

Jose in front of the UN.

Jose and his roommate Brett after one of their many meetings.

Yvoire

2009-06-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Our European Adventure began in the small town of Yvoire, France. It is located just over the France/Switzerland border on Lake Geneva. We enjoyed walking the small streets (no cars allowed in city center), shopping in the little store, eating wonderful French food in the lakeside restaurants, visiting the Garden of the 5 senses, and just soaking up what life is like in small French town.

Me inside the garden.

Tulips and pansies were blooming everywhere. I thought these old wheelbarrows filled with flowers were so quaint.

Jose on the shores of Lake Geneva at sunset.

On The Road Again...

2009-05-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are crazy. Let's just put that right out there to begin with. As if jetting all over Europe for 3 weeks wasn't enough, now 3 days later we are all packed up and taking the Great American Roadtrip to move to Detroit for the summer for Jose's Internship. And let me just say 3 days is not nearly long enough to unpack, do laundry, undo jetlag, repack, and go. So after weeks of travel we have another full week of travel ahead of us, but this time in the car. We are going to take the route through Dallas so we can see Jose's family, and hopefully make a few stops at great places like Graceland, Opryland and who knows what else. I mean, why drive across the country if you can't see a giant ball of string right?

And I promise that I will try to post pictures from Europe ASAP. We had an UH-MAZING time...so fabulous!

On European Travel...

2009-05-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

Everyone in Europe just LOVES their travel systems (metro, trains, etc.) and after another day on the train today (back to Torino from Florence) I got to thinking about it....Is it really more convenient? Let me tell you about one day I had here and you decide. [Modes of transport will be in Red]

Our first weekend we spent in Yvoire, France on Lake Geneva. Jose's program began Sunday evening in downtown Geneva and I was leaving the same day to London. So to get to Geneva from Yvoire we had to take a BOAT to the other side of the lake, walk about 15 minutes to take a TRAIN to Geneva. Then later that same day I took a TAXI to the airport, where I boarded an AIRPLANE to London. When I arrived I took the TUBE/SUBWAY to Amber's stop where subsequently a BUS was waiting to take us to her house. That is 6 different modes of transportation in less than 12 hours. And Europeans think this is convenient??? I think all that 2nd hand smoke is affecting their brains.

Now if only I had been able to hop a hot air balloon, or borrow someone's motorcycle....

Bonjour & Cheerio!

2009-05-05T07:38:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know we made it safe and sound and are having a WONDERFUL time in Europe! We spent a day or two on Lake Geneva (france side) and I left Jose in Switzerland and am over in London with Amber.

We've only been gone a few days and are already having such a good time. It's much better now that the jet lag has worn off. If only we could stop gabbing and get to bed before 3 am!! A few more days here and then it's off to Paris (where I'll meet up with Jose for the weekend).

And on a side note....somehow I forgot how much walking is involved in Europe. Good thing I've been so dilligent about the gym lately, otherwise I might have been dead. But it sure takes the guilt away from all the croissants and cupcakes! Amber and I literally did not stop walking yesterday for like 14 hours. The tube is great, but you only get to sit down for like 5 minutes, which is not nearly long enough. Shopping is such hard work! We decided that going to the theatre is the perfect antidote, because you get to sit for like 2+ hours! Talk about a perfect day!

T Minus 36 Hours....

2009-04-29T19:31:00.001-07:00

And Counting! We leave for Europe on Friday morning and we are getting so excited!! Jose will be taking a course for his MBA program in Geneva so we're making the most of it. While he's busy there, I'm going to visit my bestie Amber in London/Paris, and spend time with Jose's sister Yaya and her husband Carlo in Italy. Jose will join us when he is finished. We're so excited to spend time with our friends and family and to see these amazing places with locals.

Now if I could just get packed. Ugh - I hate packing. There is nothing worse than getting somewhere and realizing you brought all the wrong things. Or too much. Or not enough. Ugh. I might do a practice run tonight. Lots to do!

My Sick Computer : (

2009-04-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Today my computer got a terrible virus. It was an awful spyware infection. The internet says it is one of the worst ones out there right now. It had a billion popups, was trying to trick me into buying fake software (good thing I don't fall for those sorts of things), it can steal your personal info, and worst of all....it prevented me from using the internet (gasp!). But, I was determined to fix it myself. I spent the last 4 1/2 hours tinkering until I FINALLY cured it! And it is all thanks to the genius people at Microsoft for making their website unhackable. I'd heard that if you get a internet virus that you should still be able to get to microsoft.com and apparently it is true. I found really helpful directions and learned how to "un-virus" it. And here I am blogging away.

So next time you get a virus, don't panic just get resourceful. And be grateful to all those totally nerdy, pocket-protector wearing, tree huggers up in Seattle. Or you can call me, and I'll try to help.

I love Spring!

2009-04-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past few days out in PA visiting my parents and living in the desert made me forget how colorful springtime can be! I took this picture of the cherry blossom tree in my parents front yard and just loved it. It made me think of how beautiful Washington DC was with all the Cherry Blossoms when Jose & I got married. I hope spring is as gorgeous as where you are!

I am my Father's Daughter

2009-04-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

With Jose off for Easter Monday today, we decided it was the perfect day to do a little spring cleaning, and we cleaned out the garage. Not only are things nice and tidy but I found something out about myself today.....I LOVE using the leaf blower. Just like my dad.

You see EVERY Saturday morning of my childhood without fail, my dad would blow the yard, the garage, the driveway, the neighbors driveway, etc. He loves the blower. I mean loves it. We have often mocked him for Saturday obsession, but today I finally realized how awesome it is. I mean, how would've I ever known? He wouldn't have dreamed of sharing his beloved blower with me.

I've decided that blowing is kind of like vacuuming (my fave inside chore), but it is 10 times cooler because it is so much faster. Too bad I can't use the blower on the carpet or the dishes. Now that would really be awesome. Is the blower the outside equivalent of the Dyson? Hmm.

Anyway, I think next time I may even put on Dad's special uniform of a polo shirt, sweat pants, and loafers to see if it somehow enhaces the experience. What can I say...I am my Father's Daughter! Love you Daddy!

Visitors!

2009-03-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

With all this beautiful weather we've had around here, it's just the perfect time to visit Arizona! We've had a few friends recently join us for everything springtime in AZ has to offer, and it has certainly been fun.

First my dear friend Crystal visited me for a few days from Australia! I've missed her so much while she has been away and it was nice for her to finally meet Jose! We had fun laughing about the good old days, watching girlie movies, and just talking and talking and laughing!

Then Jose's buddy Ron came for a golf weekend. They definitely packed in lots of golf, and movies, and some serious laughs! They even got me out on the course!

We love all our friends and family and love to spend time with them. Especially when it is a beautiful 85 degrees and sunny! Now there's less than a month until we take off for the summer.....Last Call!!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2009-03-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Wow...how time flies! Hard to believe that we got married 2 years ago yesterday! In some ways I feel like it just happened and in other ways I almost can't remember not being married to Jose! Strange how life does that! Here are a couple of pics to celebrate the day!

On our Honeymoon in Italy!

And Dinner at the Mansion on Turtle Creek the night Jose proposed.

This year we went to California for our anniversary (a week or so early) and had a great time! It was nice to have Jose all too myself for a few days without all the demands of his school work.

We enjoyed the beautiful views and the beach!

Relaxed and watched the sun set.

We visited friends and family. Here we are lunching with Blake & Julie at the Ivy. No, we didn't see anyone famous. Unless of course, you count Blake.

And I have to brag about my hubby for a minute...whenever we travel for holidays/anniversaries or sometimes just because, Jose calls the hotel ahead and has flowers delivered to our room. Isn't that just the sweetest? And these ones were especially beautiful! Thanks sweetie!

Here's to many more wonderful anniversaries to come!

Our St. Paddy's Day Tradition

2009-03-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wish that Lucky Charms came with a little more Mallow and a lot less Oat? Well, if you answered yes we at the Castaneda Casa have the perfect treat for you! "Lucky Krispie Treats" are a tradition around here on St. Paddy's Day and well, any other day we get the craving! They might also be the simplest thing to make in the world. Here's the recipe!

3tbs Butter

2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

5 cups Lucky Charms Cereal

Melt the butter and marshmallows and mix into the cereal, a la rice kripie treats. Put in a greased 8x8 or so pan. Enjoy!

Oh...and don't even THINK about substituting in some nasty Marshmallow Maties. That's just wrong.

Confessions...

2009-03-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

Time for a Confession. Yesterday, I did something I have NEVER done before - I went to a movie all by myself. So yeah, I'm a complete dork.

I've been dying to see Confessions of a Shopaholic, and apparently there aren't many people like me who don't have a job or kids, so that left me with two choices: a. wait until it comes out on video, or b. go alone. Poor Jose has been dragged to so many girl movies (he was a saint to see Sex and the City with me last summer!). But he really just doesn't have the time anymore with school being so busy. So I picked B.

Actually it was a pretty fabulous expercience. There were only 7 other people in the theatre and I got the matinee price (which is $7.00 here...highway robbery!). I had some treats and LOVED the movie. But I knew I would, I love the books. Being a reformed Shopaholic myself, It was definitely a flash back to my Neiman Marcus days. I miss the days of frivolous shopping (and all of it at least at 30% off)! And that sample sale scene brought back all kinds of memories, good and bad. Like the time a stupid girl on the 8th floor lied and stole my Oscar de la Renta dress I won in the silent auction. But I'm not bitter.

Anyway, I guess I've gotten really good at enjoying my own company, because I had a great time. It may have been the first time, but it certainly won't be the last.

A post for Yaya

2009-03-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

So my wonderful sister-in-law Sonia (aka Yaya) gave me the most fabulous recipe for a traditional Italian "Crostata". It is a vanilla flavored pastry that has a filling of apricot jam and apples. It is uh-mazing. Mostly in part to a special kind of yeast used that is imported from Italy. I found some at an Italian market and attempted it for the first time this week. I have gotten nothing short of RAVE REVIEWS! I made and shared it with a few friends and my cute neighbor. So thank you Yaya (and mama Adelasia) for making me look like a rockstar chef. The recipe is on Yaya's blog if anyone wants it.

And also, a special shout out to Amber for the cutest Tea Towels ever!! (see above photo) What a welcome sight it was to receive a package via Royal Mail -Especially one that came from Harrods! Thanks for being the best Bestie a girl could dream of!

A Lesson from Visiting Teaching

2009-02-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser can get pen off of walls, rugs, showers, cabinets, doors, toilets, mirrors, and even out of tile grout? Neither did I. Well at least not until my visiting teachers came over yesterday. See Exhibts A-F below and the story to follow.

Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:Exhibit C:
Exhibit D:

Exhibit E:
Exhibit F:
I wiped it off of the tile floors and glass surfaces (toilet, shower door, mirrors etc.) before I thought to take pictures so it was actually worse than the pictures, if you can believe it!

One of my visiting teachers brought along her 2 year old daughter and proceeded to pay NO attention to her the entire visit. It was really quite uncomfortable. She was jumping on the couch and her mother said/did NOTHING. I used my awesome Aunt skills to coax her down with a toy, but you can't exactly yell at/boss around a strangers kid, can you?

So while we were chatting, the little "Picasso" snuck away down the hall and the mother didn't go get her. When I realized that the little girl was gone, I went looking for her (note again, that it was ME, not her mom) I found the little girl pen in hand, Jose's desk drawer was "mysteriously" open, and ink was everywhere!!! What a disaster. So then I had to tattle on the little girl to her mother, who I've only even met like twice. The worst part is that the mom didn't even seem to feel that bad about it. I would have been sobbing if my child had done that. Let's just say that if they ever want to VT again, we're doing it at the park, or a restaurant. Not at my house (or my parent's house as the case may be).

But don't worry, you can all breathe a sigh of relief (especially you mom & dad)..... it ALL came off. Every last swipe of it! Above left is what my magic eraser looked like when it was done, and the right is what they look like out of the box (if you've never seen one). They truly work MIRACLES. "Yes Virginia, there is a Mr. Clean." Oh and here's a picture of the door from Exhibit B for proof.
So what was the lesson, you ask?

1. If you ever have to take your kids to anyone's house, watch them like a hawk. Or better yet, leave them at home with their dad or a sitter.
2. Sometimes it is better to miss a visit than leave an everlasting mark of your visit. Trust me, I'll be telling this story at every VT workshop the rest of my life! HA!
3. I never want to be that kind of mom.
4. Mr. Clean is the PERFECT man. Not only is he extremely buff and macho, but he also really knows how to do housework! He's like your own personal Tony "Micelli" Danza!
5. Mr. Clean is also an angel. Did you ever notice his heavenly glow on the box? I think his gold hoop earring is actually a small halo that fell off his head and landed on his ear.

Sorry if you think I'm a rude-o. I was extremely nice, polite, and gracious to the mother -- just like my mom taught me to be. But I am human, I have rage, and I must blog.

I Wish I were...

2009-02-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here....

Standing here...

And Jose was here.....

And we were staying here...

And relaxing here...

Then maybe I'd have lunch again here...

But maybe not go here...that guy was a little shady...

Especially considering we let him drop us off here....

But don't worry, he remembered to pick us up here.....

But here was nice...

And here we made some Canadian friends to take our picture...

And had a night out on the town here...

But mostly I just wish I was still here...

I'm Baaack......

2009-02-18T12:17:00.000-08:00

Wow. 10 weeks, 6 states, 2 countries and I'm finally back. It's been quite the adventure, but I am SO happy to be back home. But being back home isn't all roses - I came back to 2 terrible colds (both of us are sick) and a mountain of laundry....12 loads to be exact. In fact I returned to realize I didn't get to unpack from Cabo or our Ski Trip before leaving again. But sadder than all that was THIS.....

Yes, that is right. Our sad, little, pathetic Charlie Brown Christmas Tree was still up in the living room. Jose said when I put it up that he was "Embarrassed" by it and didn't want anyone to see it. I guess that included me, because I somehow managed to avoid looking at it for 10 straight weeks. Wasn't that nice of me to leave it up for him while I was away?

Don't worry Anna and Mom, the tree is packed away and the laundry is all done.

With all of that out of the way, I guess I can take life off of "pause" and get back to normal. That is if someone can pry the Tivo remote out of my hands...

Hoover Dam and Home

2009-01-04T17:18:00.001-08:00

On the way home from Vegas we also stopped at the Hoover Dam just long enough for a few photos. After all the playing we were pretty anxious to get back home. I'm sure the Dam Tour had lots of interesting things to learn, but maybe next time!

We made some friends from Detriot who snapped this picture of us. They told us what a horrible place it is. I can't wait to move there this summer!

Eventually we made it home in one piece and have relaxed for a day or two. Tomorrow morning we head off to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for more fun! Adios Amigos!!

Viva Las Vegas

2009-01-04T16:49:00.001-08:00

So if you haven't figured it out yet, we're on a massive 6 week vacation. On the way home from Utah we decided to stop in Vegas for a few days and try our luck! We visited the hotels/casinos, ate great food, caught a show, went shopping and just enjoyed the city and everything it has to offer. Well, not everything, but we had a good time. The crazies were out in full force being New Years and all.

Here I am just minutes after my proud victory in the New York, New York Casino. I won $55 in the dime slots off 2 dollars!!! Not bad for my first time back in Vegas when I am actually old enough to gamble!
Here's Jose on the strip with our hotel behind him. We stayed at the recently re-imaged Planet Hollywood. We did lots of walking on our trip and at one point had to stop and buy Jose flip flops so he could make it back!
And we of course made time to catch a show of the fountains at the Bellagio. We could actually see it out our hotel window. Ocean's 11 anyone?

And here I am doing a little people watching in the shops at the Palazzo (the new part of the Venetian). We went to see "Jersey Boys" there (HIGHLY reccomended!) but we were a little early. We didn't quite realize that UT & NV were in different time zones. Oops!

On a side note, Vegas is a great place to go right now with the struggling economy. Rooms are super cheap and we even got our seats upgraded free at the show because it didn't sell out. And if you can manage to win some money, it makes it even cheaper! : )

Skiing

2009-01-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

While we were in UT, we went up to Deer Valley for a fun filled day of skiing. There had been massive amounts of snow and it was a gorgeous day. Jim was a great teacher for Jose and he picked it up pretty quick. The first hour was a little rough, but it was smooth sailing after that. It felt great to get out there on the snow and it was fun to enjoy it together for the first time.

Here's Jose trying on his boots. They take a little help the first time around.

Here we are on the tram up to the lodge! Do they look excited or what?

We started the day out easy with some basics and technique. (See the little line of toddlers behind us?). And wow, I look awesome in goggles.

One of the many gorgeous views up on the mountain.

Relaxing on the "beach" chair after a fun long day of skiing. We never thought we'd make it all the way until 4pm!

Thanks Jim for a fun day, great tips, and for being brave enough to keep taking of your gloves to snap pictures!

I'll post more "action" pictures of the skiing when I get them!

S.L.C.

2009-01-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

After a great trip to Dallas, one day later we loaded up the car and headed to Salt Lake for Christmas!

The first part of the trip was beautiful (see above: the edges of what leads to the Grand Canyon) but it got down right treatcherous after we hit Kanab. Jose was a champ and safely navigated us through miles and miles of white to reach SLC. At one point I think I went about 60 miles without breathing. We were very happy to arrive, and so was the Volvo!

Luckily, we were greated by lots of smiling faces and happy hosts to make our holiday so special!

Sorry Jim & Laura...seems I missed the photos of you two! And sorry for some of the blurry shots - I'm still figuring out how to best use my new camera.

We know there was Christmas cheer because Anna even got Jose to play a game (and I got the picture to prove it)!!

Jose also got to enjoy his first White Christmas ever! The snow was beautiful, especially once we didn't have to drive in it.

We also spent time visiting my Grandma Pugh who is in her late 90's. We took this picture of her house (the house my dad grew up in) after the big snowstorm on Christmas Day.

And we also went to a Jazz game with Jim & Laura. They played Jose's fave team, the Mavs, but sadly the Jazz won.

We also took Jose skiing for the first time, but I think it deserves its own post! Thank you to all of our wonderful hosts and hostesses!! WE LOVE YOU!

The Castanedas Do Dallas

2008-12-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

Last Monday night (the 15th) Jose and I decided we wanted to go to Dallas to visit his family and our friends. We booked our flight at about 11pm and flew out at 6am the next morning. We didn't tell his family we were coming and surprised them that morning. We had such a great time and we were happy to spend some time with them. Here is the highlight reel.....

Christmas Shopping and seeing friends at the Neiman Marcus Flagship Downtown. This holiday window was made entirely of cards.

Three of my favorite Mexi-mans...Jose, Ron, & Gilbert out to dinner.

Seeing Katie and Issac and meeting sweet baby Laura (who was sleeping during this picture).

We had an early Christmas with the family and had fun opening presents with the kids.

We also got to spend some time with Jose's sister Sonia & her husband Carlo who are moving to Italy in January. We love you guys!

Our Christms jammies were quite a hit! Who knew that both of us could still fit in the kids section!?!?! You wouldn't belive how comfy these things are!

We also took a tour of SouthFork ranch up in Parker. That's where they filmed the TV show Dallas.

Don't we look like the Ewings?

Making Bunelos with my mother-in-law Martha. They are a traditional Mexican dessert to eat on New Year's Eve. We celebrated a little early.

The finished bunelos. They are fried and covered in cinnamon & sugar. How could they be bad?

All in all it was a great trip and we had so much fun surprising everyone!

My Sincerest Apologies...

2008-12-20T21:05:00.001-08:00

For my incredibly lame blogging during the month of December. I'm promise a real post(s) when we get back to AZ. Hopefully it will be awesome enough to make up for abandoning the blog temporarily. Sorry!

Hard Work

2008-12-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing how good a little old-fashioned elbow grease can make you feel? Well today was one of those days where I woke up with a bee in my bonnet and just felt like cleaning (they don't come that often, so I have to give it the gusto when they do!)

I turned this:

Into This: I took everything out of the pantry and washed the shelves, made new liners, and scrubbed the floor. Then I reorganized it all, and put it back in. I was so happy with it I ended up cleaning out and reorganizing every cabinet and shelf in the kitchen! It was a solid days work and I'm tired, but I feel great knowing everything has a home. I am my mother's daughter...

Happy Turkey Day!!

2008-11-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

Have a Happy Turkey Day and eat lots of delicious food!! :)

Happy 30th Birthday Dallas!

2008-11-21T22:39:00.001-08:00

Well the day just wouldn't be complete without a proper ode to the greatest television show ever created....DALLAS. Thirty years ago today the world learned they loved to hate JR and to drool over Ray Krebbs with his shirt off. Luckily for Jose, me, and Michael Wilbon (of PTI fame, who is also a Dallas fan) season 10 will be available on DVD come January 13th. Or in 53 days, not that we're counting. Here's to big hair and even bigger scandals!

Do you know who shot J.R.???

Family Pictures

2008-11-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

So Jose and I (okay, so just me) decided it would be fun to do real pictures, with a real photographer for our christmas card. We never did a big engagment pics and we really don't have very many cute pictures of us. Jose was such a good sport and went along with another of my whims. We took them yesterday afternoon and our photographer put a couple of teaser pics up on her blog! Yea! These 2 turned out so cute and I can't wait to see the rest of them! Check them out on her blog at: http://aleiamichaelphotography.blogspot.com/. She did a great job and was so flexible with us. Thanks Aleia!

And yes, mid photo shoot a bird pooped on my head. Just my luck right? Yikes.

Our New Favorite Eats

2008-11-18T18:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks again to the Food Network, we've found a new favorite restaurant - Joe's Farm Grill. The restaurant is actually built on a farm in Gilbert where they grow all of the food fresh and make everything from scratch. The building is a funky retro 60's "burger shack". They do american classics, but take them up a notch. I LOVE fresh food and this is the best!

Jose ordered a gourmet burger and baked potato fries (above). I had the signature BBQ chicken pizza. We shared a fresh vanilla bean milkshake that was divine. I'm excited to try new things on the menu next time! It is so worth the drive. Gilbert is REALLY far...right Tim???

Measure Twice..Cut Once?

2008-11-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Seriously, that rule is terrible. Maybe it should be Measure 10 times, cut once. Although I think I maybe measured 5 and still had to cut 3 times. Let's just say my math skills are a little rusty. I decided to start piecing a new quilt top today and had a few measuring "issues". Luckily I worked through those, but couldn't quite decide on a layout. After staring at the fabric so long, I could no longer make a good decision and would like to see if any of you have a preference. I'm posting 2 pictures of possible layouts, tell me which you like better.

Also, this is the official and public apology to all of the math teachers that I ever had who I told, "I will never actually use math in my real life." Oh how I was wrong. Guess I should've stayed awake a little more often....or picked a less precise hobby. :)

OPTION A:

OPTION B:

Guy's Week

2008-11-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

Last week was officially "Guy's Week" at our house. Blair, Ron and Adam came down for a fun weekend full of golf, eating, laughing, and watching sports. It was a nice break for Jose from school and I loved having the company. Thanks for such a fun visit and letting me be one of the guys. We love you boys!

Out on the Course!

Smiling faces after Ron finished the triple burger (1 1/2lbs of burger!) at the Heart Attack Grill. WOW.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

2008-10-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I love my new no-mess Halloween Jack-O-Lantern! He's handmade out of a real gourd that was dried, carved, and painted. It plugs in and has a little light inside and none of the sticky goop on the inside of a real pumpkin! He's from Meadowbrook Gourds in Pennsylvania. Thanks Mom!!

We spent most of our Halloween with Jose's classmates at "ThunderCares" volunteer day. We went with the Supply Chain Club to help out at the Food Bank. We had a great time helping sort and box up food for families in need, and enjoyed an afternoon bbq on campus.

We're excited to see all of the cute trick-or-treaters tonight in the neighborhood and can't wait to see pictures of all of our cute nieces, nephews, and friends! Happy Halloween!

Spooky Favors

2008-10-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

So maybe I over did it on the "cute" for the treats for cubscouts today considering they are 8-10 year old boys, but I just couldn't help myself - I love a holiday! Aren't these little chinese take-out boxes adorable? I found them at Michael's for only $0.50! I put little candy corns/pumpkins in the bottom to hold the cupcake in place so it didn't slide around. The scouts were actually really excited about them (they're not old enough to be "too cool" yet) and one even told me "You must be a really nice lady to think about us while we were at school and make us something." So sweet. Anyway making the cupcakes and boxes gave me a fun little project today!

WHS Class of 98

2008-10-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Jose and I went to Dallas to re-live his glory days at his 10 year high school reunion. We had lots of fun visiting his family and some of our friends who we miss so much! And it was fun for me to meet his old friends from Waxahachie - Go Indians!

This is Jose with his childhood friend and next door neighbor, Santos. As you can tell from the two previous pictures, sporting the Fumanchu moustache is still the "in" style in Waxahachie.

This is me with my two adorable nieces, Mika and Gabby at the parade down main street. We've really missed having our nieces and nephews around!

A Day in Sedona

2008-10-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Jose's regular classes are cancelled this week, so we figured it was the perfect opportunity to take a day trip up to Sedona. It's only a 2 hour drive and it is gorgeous! Of course it was a perfect blue sky day like every other day in Arizona!

We had a lot of fun shopping in Tlaquepaque, (say that 5 times fast!) a little Colonial Mexican style village filled with eclectic artisan shops, art galleries, and restaurants.

But mostly we just had fun spending time together!

Fun at the Fair!

2008-10-20T21:14:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we went to the Arizona State Fair with our friends Ricky and Tara. We enjoyed some good food (Navajo Tacos and Funnel Cakes...YUM) and then rocked out at the Weezer concert. And the Sweater Song is still as awesome as it was in 1994, just in case you were wondering. We had a great time and it is always fun to get out and see the local scene. And for the record, the Texas State Fair is still the world's coolest fair, sorry AZ.

Here's a shot from the concert. Pretty good seats for it being free!! I love free.

Here's a shot of all the fair fun at night. And yes, I know that I am the palest person on earth. You think it's bad now...wait until January when my "tan" completely wares off!

Tagged.....

2008-10-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Amber I am back here on the blog. I've been out of town for a week and just haven't posted since I got back. But now I'm tagged, and supposed to tell you 6 things about myself you might not know. Here's goes.

1. I absolutely cannot cook a meal without burning myself. It doesn't matter what I am making, there is always a battle scar. Same goes for sewing - I am constantly pricking or cutting myself on accident.

2. I am addicted to Lifetime Movies. Did you know they have an entire channel that plays them all day long? What a discovery! My new housewife status helped me find that one! They almost always end with a big box of kleenex and me feeling like I have the most wonderful life.

3. The older I get, the more shy I am. Those of you who have known me for a long time may find it hard to believe, but it's true.

4. I am completely creeped out by all of the critters outside in Arizona. I've seen one too many scorpions, and I'm so afraid of snakes, and coyotes, and javelinas, and all the other nasties we find in our neighborhood. Eww. I have a firm policy that I will not go outside without Jose anymore.

5. I love to make complicated recipes. The more complicated the better. Anything from scratch is fun.

6. I can't do ANY housework unless I have my music on. I like to turn them up really loud and sing along while I clean. I work really well with Broadway showtunes, but if really wanna rock my face off I get out my Plain White T's CD, because they are the best band ever.

Okay, so there it is! Maybe embarassing, but all true!! So now I Tag: Katie Arredondo, Michelle Castaneda (welcome to the blog world!), and my favorite sister Anna.

His & Hers Saturday Projects

2008-10-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

We finally had some cooler weather today...only about 85!! It was a much welcome change and the perfect opportunity to get outside! After an early morning walk Jose and I split up to work on our projects.

Here's Jose and Dad's GTO after it got a nice wash and a quick spin around Scottsdale. It was the perfect day to have the windows rolled down!

And this is what I was working on...a cute new apron. I thought this fabric looked like the perfect print. It's a little retro, but then again so are aprons!

I had fun embellishing the fabric with different sizes of yellow buttons on the centers of the flowers. The backing and trim is a cute micro-polka dot fabric. Now it just needs to find the perfect home, or kitchen rather.

Life's Simple Pleasures

2008-10-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

There seriously are not words for how excited I was yesterday when I was picking out a birthday card for a friend and I found Paco again. Our favorite spandex wearing, high flying, Omaha man has 2 (yes 2) new cards available!!! I bought all that they had and left with a huge smile on my face. He might possibly be the best birthday card on the market! I've have sent and received Paco dozens of times in the past 5 years or so and I laugh just as hard each time. The card has gotten somewhat of a cult following and there are now many people that love Paco. It's kind of ironic considering that I found a Jose and he whisked me off to Dallas! Hmm.

AND...after a little internet research, Paco is actually a real person and he is actually a real trapeze artist/instructor! Who knew?! I certainly will sleep better at night knowing that costume is not a rental.

Happy Birthday Jose!

2008-09-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSE!! Today is Jose's 29 birthday. He's been out celebrating by playing a round of golf today and another round tomorrow. This is the special birthday cake I made for him. It's a three layer, double chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, topped with his favorite treats - pecans and ferrero rocher candies. I hope it tastes good, it's a new recipe and a LOT of cake. Enjoy honey!!

My latest creation

2008-09-24T12:40:00.001-07:00

So don't ask me where this came from, but I had an idea for a new craft and just whipped it up. It is a portable baby changing pad with a pocket to hold diapers and wipes. The whole inside is made out of terry cloth so you can just throw it in the washing machine and not worry about it. It is much thinner (and cuter) than the ones out there that I've seen. And it's much more sanitary than changing your baby right on top of those nasty things in the ladies room. And to go with it I made a matching bib. That way you can take your baby out to dinner with you in style!

If you want one, let me know and I'm happy to whip it up for the cost of fabric and a small fee.

This is the inside of the changer. It measures 27"L x 17"W when it is open.

This is the pocket side. It will fit up to three size 6 diapers and wipes! Or anything else you want to fill it with.

And the cute bib!

Sew So Cute!

2008-09-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

I did it.... I finally finished my first quilt! It was a lot of work (and there are a few mistakes) but overall I am really happy with it! Machine quilting the whole thing was definitely a new challenge. I had no idea how incredibly difficult invisible thread is to work with. I was originally making this just to practice and then going to donate it to charity, but after all those hours I put in I'm having a hard time wanting to give it away. Anyway, I'm sure I'll have many more quilts and sewing projects to come.

Oh, and please don't look too carefully (especially you Amber!) because I'm afraid you'll see all the flaws!

And thanks Anna for sending me the fabric!

Makeover!!

2008-09-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

I decided that it was time for a blog makeover! I was already entirely sick of that robins egg blue. It just didn't seem right for fall, although it's still over 100 here! Hope you like the new look of the blog. I'm sure I'll end up changing it again soon. : )

Easy Doughnuts

2008-09-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

So I found this great recipe from Paula Deen for semi-homemade doughnuts and decided to try it last night. I couldn't belive how easy and how good they turned out. Basically you just take canned store-bought biscut dough and make a hole, fry them up, and frost. I made a simple homemade chocolate frosting and added a few sprinkles. I did the donut holes in cinnamon sugar. They tasted so good when they are warm and dipped in milk. If you want any more details on the recipe, let me know. They could be a great FHE treat and they were fun to make! But like I said, it came from Paula Deen so you know that they are bad for you!

Two Happy Mexicans....

2008-09-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying...I would never normally recommend eating in a gas station, EVER - until now.

We finally found some authentic Mexican food here in Scottsdale. And yes, it is located inside a gas station, a Shell station to be exact! Now I'm not one to try these sorts of things on a whim, but we saw it featured on "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" on the Food Network. So we tried it out for lunch yesterday and it was excellent! The beans and rice tasted almost as good as my mother-in-law makes them! Any place that serves Menudo (not the one with Ricky Martin in it) has got to be legit . And if you have no idea what Menudo is, be very grateful.

I'm sure there will be many more visits to Roberto's in our future.

2008-09-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

And a special Happy Birthday Shout-out to the best sister ever! Love you Anna!!

The Castaneda Tortilla Factory

2008-09-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

One of the things that Jose and I miss most about leaving Dallas is his Mom's cooking. She is AMAZING. Jose is a a VERY picky eater when it comes to Mexican food, because he insists it tastes authentic. None of that Tex-Mex business for him. So, in an effort to be the most amazing wife ever (and because I have LOTS of free time on my hands now!) I decided to make some homemade tortillas. And believe it or not, they turned out great!! It took me a few to get the hang of it but they tasted wonderful. Making them round is a lot trickier than it seems. Once you've had homemade, you'll never be able to go back to storebought again.

Oh and Jose rated them at 8.5....a VERY high score. He rates all of the dishes I make (sides included) on a scale of 1 to 10 every night at dinner. I don't think I've ever gotten a 10 before and 9 and 9.5 only come along once in a blue moon, so I am VERY pleased with the 8.5. The best part is that Jose will eat almost anything, so even if it scores a 4 (and yes that has happened) he'll still eat seconds, sometimes even thirds.

Rise and Shout!

2008-09-11T09:41:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Jose, Timmy and I headed up to Seattle for the BYU vs UW football game. What a blast! We saw lots of old friends, played a little golf, ate some Burgermaster, and just had a great time. I had an especially good time being one of the guys! Here are some pics!

This is us with BYU's #35 Matt Bauman and wife Lindsay at the team fireside the night before the game. Matt was one of Mom and Dad's first missionaries out in PA and is now part of the extended Pugh family.

Here's Jose and I at the game. Our seats were in the nosebleeds, but at least we were out of the sun. Who would've ever thought that would be an issue in Seattle?

Here are some happy Cougar fans after the victory (even if it was somewhat controversial). Nothing beats a beautiful blue sky day in Seattle with Lake Washington in the background. Brandon didn't get any press in the pictures, but it was great to have him along too! Thanks for the fun weekend guys!!

Back to School

2008-09-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

Jose officially started classes at Thunderbird last Tuesday. Doesn't he look handsome and ready for his first day? I made him take a first day of school picture like my mom always did when I was a kid. And I even made him a lunch to take. But I did resist the urge to put stickers on his lunch bag and write a cheesy note on his napkin. That doesn't make you many friends in business school the way it does in elementary school! Way to to go Jose on your first week done! You are now one week closer to being finished!

What would we do without the internet?

2008-09-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today we FINALLY got our internet back up and running! It has been down for over a week and I have been going crazy! It's funny how you don't realize how dependent on something you are until it is gone. However, at least one good thing came out of it...I found out what an awesome public library we have down the street. I'm so excited to have a new place to find fun books to read (I can never get enough of those!) and of course surf the internet in a crisis. I promise more posts tomorrow about what we've been up to during our vacation back to the stoneages.....

The Nation's Best Pizza

2008-08-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

I am a self-admitted Food Network Junkie! I can watch hours and hours of it and never get bored. So when Food Network and Bon Appetit Magazine named downtown Phoenix's Pizzeria Bianco the best pizza in the country, I knew we had to try it! The restaurant as you can see, is quite small. It only seats about 45 people. We had heard it was infamous for long waits so we went last Tuesday (an off peak day) and were there at 5:15, just a few minutes after it opened at 5pm. Well, apparently you have to arrive pretty early to get a seat. After only being open for 15 minutes we were told there was already 2 hour 15 min wait!!! The craziest part is....we waited....in the Arizona heat...outside. I know we're nuts, but we really wanted that Pizza! And luckily it was well worth the wait. All the ingredients (including the mozarella) are made fresh every morning and all of th herbs and veggies are grown on the back patio. So, next time you're in Phoenix or if you come to visit us, we'll have to go!

Everything IS bigger in Texas!

2008-08-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

It wouldn't be right to blog without a mention of Texas and share a few pictures from our drive to AZ. We stopped on the way in Amarillo to go to a restaurant I've been dying to go to - The Big Texan. The Big Texan is home to the 72oz steak challenge, and it is not for the weak. The give you a salad, 2 rolls, a baked potato, coleslaw, water, and of course the 72oz steak. That's right.... a 4 1/2 pound steak. They clock you and if you can eat it all in under an hour it's free! Otherwise you just sat on a stage in front of an enormous room full of people staring at you, and bought yourself a $75.00 meal.

We were lucky enough to have somebody try it while we were there. If his Paul Bunyon size and handlebar mustache weren't enough evidence, he told the crowd he once ate an 8lb 20z steak in under an hour!! He made it look easy, and finished with 20 minutes left on the clock. Sorry there is no picture, I was too embarrassed to get close enough to take a good one! But I did get one of Jose....

And he got one of me. The best part about sitting in a really big chair, is that it makes you look really small!! : )

We did it.....

2008-08-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

So after much peer pressure from friends and family, we finally decided to join the blog-o-sphere! Now that we are in Arizona you can all keep in the loop with the latest and greatest at the Castaneda Casa. Check in often!!