Everything is right, Everything is wrong

I just opened the window to cool the room down. I'm up in one of our spare bedrooms that has hardly been used since we moved in last April because it has been too hot. It's sad because this is where our computer is, and all of my future/half finished/ideas for art projects sit. In boxes, untouched for months. When we buy a house I now have a list of requirements. I want a one story. It is nearly impossible to keep the top level of a house at a decent temperature during the Arizona scorchers. I want hardwood floors. Carpet gets dirty too fast when you're in a house full of boys(taylor, and the dogs) I can only imagine having kids and trying to keep carpet clean. I would settle for tile but prefer the look of wood much more.I want privacy in our backyard. Our neighbors yard for some reason is elevated and every time we are out there we see his head and whoever else might be joining him that day. Don't get me wrong, i've always dreamt of living next to a "Wilson" type (I pretty much grew up watching home improvement) but sometimes you just want to go in your backyard and not feel like someone else can see your every move. I want a more closed floor plan. This one may seem weird but in the house we have right now the kitchen dining room and living room are all connected and it almost makes it feel like an apartment. Maybe its because I grew up living in apartments that I would like to have everything be a little more divided. I don't want 4 walls around every room... but something in between what we have now and a prison cell would be nice.

I honestly didn't sit down with the intentions of picking apart the house we are renting now, I actually really like our house and feel so lucky that we live in such a roomy place for such a good price. I'm glad we have this time to decide what we like and don't like rather than buying a place and feeling this way about a house that we are stuck with. Sooo dream house here we come!... some day.

Back to the room that I am in... or more importantly, the things in this room. I have had such a flow of creative energy lately but no motivation to do anything with it. So often I feel held back by money, or skills. I need to tell myself I can do it.... when I lack in skills, I can teach myself. Our generation got the shaft in a lot of ways but we did get lucky when it comes to the internet and the amount of information that is available to us. It can be a great tool for so many things. When I lack in money, I can improvise. There is nothing more valuable than a creative mind, and I like to think that I have one.

Another thing that holds me back is energy. I signed up for a weekly fitness boot camp at work and I am hoping this will be the push that I need to get the ball rolling. I know fitness bootcamp doesn't sound like a very creative thing, but healthy habbits lead to so many great things. I know I will feel better, be more motivated, and have so much energy once I start eating right and exercising again. It's true what they say about getting married and living next to a McDonalds... its a deadly combo. So we'll see how trying to get back on track right before the holidays pays off for me.

Taylor gets home soon from his new job at FedEX. It's a lot of work but he is doing amazing. I married a hard worker and I am so proud of him. I do have a lot of time alone after work now before he gets home. I decided I need more friends. Friends with things like creative minds, dry senses of humor, appreciation for a good book, or band. People like me. I was never good at making friends... girl friends. I have a few amazing friends who will always be in my life, but Now that I'm starting to really figure out who Christa is I think its time to make some new ones. How do I go about this? it's not like in high school where you could turn to the person sitting next to you who was wearing a band t shirt that you liked or something (which I never did anyways because I was awkward and terribly shy... not much has changed) It's a learning and growing process I guess. Just like everything else. It's definitely something I look forward to.

Check out these photos I took at this random farbric by the pound shop my mom took me and my sister too. It was an interesting little place









And check out these neat glasses I got for 50 cents each at goodwill, I think they are so cute. I had to share.



This weekend we are going to the dunes. I found out a couples days ago that I will be the only girl on the trip, wish me luck. I'm actually really excited. Our last dunes trip was so much fun and its been about a year since we have been. Hopefully when we get back, in time for halloween, I will make some yummy carmel apples. I have been craving carmel apples with chocolate and sprinkles and other really bad for me stuff. What was I saying about eating healthy? disregard that until halloween is over.

Road Trip...

So i'm posting a picture from an airplane. It doesn't make sense I know. But it is Utah and that is where we are going! We will be staying with my Brother and his wife for a week and I haven't been this excited for a while. There is something about Utah, especially at this time of the year. I'm a sucker for the fall colors and cool air, it's magical. A place that is almost too perfect to actually exist.

I haven't been keeping up with this blog like I had hoped, but I hope to get back on track soon. We added a new member to our family and he has been consuming my time. We got a puppy! Buckminster (bucky) Brimhall a.k.a. Chocolate chip, the buckster, buck nasty, and so on...Taylor brought him home as an anniversary surprise and things have been crazy ever since! house training, vet visits, chewed up articles of clothing... it's all a learning experience. I don't know how people with babies do it. I have a newfound appreciation.

Introducing....


It's pretty impossible to say no to this face... and those eyes.

Taylor and I have been married 5 months today. Wow has it flown right on by.... time please slow down now.

And then it rained

Yesterday. For dinner we had filiberto's super nachos and a diet coke. What is it about fili b's diet coke? or any soda from there for that matter. Is it simply the styrofoam cup and how every sip is ice cold? the fact that I can barely hold it with one hand? or do they just pump it with extra syrup? Maybe it's all of the above, but there is no way I can turn down a soda from that place.
I was hesitant to spend 8 dollars for nachos since we are trying really hard to save every bit we can right now. But when they handed us the bag that weighed about a pound I remembered why it was a good choice. Usually i'll pick through the nachos and save the "best chips" (you know, the chips that are so smothered in cheese and sour cream that they are almost soggy) for last. But when you get super nachos, every chip is the best. No fighting for the good stuff here, the whole thing is delicious and terrible for you. These are definietely a favorite.

Rain, rain, rain. The storms that have brought the most rain recently have looked the least intimidating. We had nights where dark cloud masses taunted and teased us but they brought only light sprinkles and we felt so deceived. Unexpectedly, last nights yellowish white sky really did deliver. It rained, it poured, puddles accumulated for our car tires to splash in, and I loved every minute of it.



The songs taylor was singing went right along with the sound of the storm, as if the cement were an instrument and the rain played it well.


Believe it or not we had another birthday celebration. It was my sisters birthday July 24th. I am very sad to say goodbye to the month of July. Here is to having just as much fun in August!



We love Cooper. He reminds us to relax and just laugh at life.

Tomorrow. We leave on a camping/hiking trip to Fossil Springs. I am so excited to get out of the city and be in nature. The hustle and bustle has really been getting to me lately. It should hopefully be a good chance to take some photographs as well.


Tonight. Packing and shopping for the weekend trip. Get excited.

nothing at all in my head to say to you, only the beat of the train i'm on

Life has kind of gotten in the way of blogging for a little bit. When I say life I mean actually having work to do, a holiday, birthdays, and having my husband home on the weekends. It's been nice. I have a lot of pictures that I need to upload onto my computer at home and I will probably post them later. For now, here is a short summary.

Work is the same as always. We have a team building activity tomorrow at an aquarium followed by arcade games and free food, all the while getting paid. I'll take it. This will probablly lead to some things I never thought I would see.


Holiday The fourth of July was a lot of fun. It's not independence day without multiple barbecues to attend in the days leading up to and following it, right? so we had a couple of those, had some delicious red white and blue waffles (maiden voyage of the wedding waffle maker was a success), swam, almost burned Taylor's parents house to the ground (another requirement of the holiday) and managed to teach cooper what fireworks are.


Birthdays are always fun. Received 4 cakes (one of the cookie variety) some very sweet and much appreciated gifts, breakfast in bed, roses, quality family time, and a trip to sunsplash with my sweet husband. That trip lent its own gift to me, a little bit darker skin tone, which is a good thing.

Husband being married is fun. I think we are starting to get the hang of it; However, I still have not learned to keep the flowers/plants he gives me alive. A couple weekends ago we saw toy story 3 together and laughed more than anyone else in the theater. Every time I laughed I glanced over at him because I knew he would be laughing too. I loved it.

So for my birthday I forgot to drop hints that I wanted this book. I would love to see these photographs in person but for now having a collection of them in a book would be fantastic.




Check out more here. Am I the only one completely loving these? Note to self- Begin dropping hints that you want this for a Christmas present. Men don't think the same as woman, this may take some time ;) ps the presents I did get for my birthday were great and heartfelt. I am by no means complaining or wishing for anything other than what I got.


This post would be much more exciting with my pictures. I've got a swimming dog, waffles that will make you salivate, picnic baskets, and pyrotechnics. Stay tuned!!


Office update- I think the janitor (a forty-something hispanic woman) has a crush on me. Avoid the restrooms at all costs when she is cleaning so as to avoid another awkwardly stated and forward compliment.

cause you were all yellow

Life lesson. If you see something at goodwill that you like, buy it right away. Do not wait on it because it will always be gone. I've learned this lesson before but always make the same mistakes. I fell in love with a chair and was going to wait to see if I could get it half priced. It was in perfect condition and was my favorite color as of late (yellow). I hope it found a good home. I did get a shirt in a lovely shade of yellow but it definitely didn't make up for the loss of the chair. Now all I need to do is find the perfect color of navy blue nail polish, maybe that will cheer me up. I might also run by a little vintage furniture place called the "shabby shack" in mesa. I've been hearing about it, but I haven't checked it out yet. Think they have any perfect little yellow chairs?

I can feel the monsoons begging to move in and I can't wait. I enjoy all of it, the smell of the desert rain, the wind, the dust, and even the power outages. Oh and don't forget the thrilling live shots of people stuck ontop of their trucks because of a failed attempt at driving through an obviously flooded wash. There is just a feeling in the air around this time of year that is hard to describe but easily felt. I don't care what anyone says, I love Arizona.


(I didnt take this, thank you google images)

Well, it's going to be a long day even though I get off 2 hours early. Wish me luck.

Getting me through the day...

routine, killing me

I dont remember where that image is from, I just know I liked it. I get a quick break from the tedious job i'm doing today. Basically I've been searching a database for names that usually aren't there. Names that usually differ from the name before it by a single letter; For example, William johnson, Willie Johnson, Will Johnson, Wayne Johnson Wayman Johnson and so on.... When I dont find them I put a zero down on a spreadsheet. Yup... that's it, for 8 hours.

I could be in California by now or well on my way to somewhere else more exciting. I think about that a lot when I sit at work doing nothing. I think about how far I could have driven in the time i've been chained to this desk. Hours wasted, miles lost. Everybody's working for the weekend right? Except my husband who doesn't even get those anymore. Fourth of July is this weekend. I'm usually in Utah viewing the great "stadium of fire" from afar. It will be missed along with the snacks, people, and weather that coincide with it. Hopefully i'll get to see and/or set off some fireworks of my own this year. I've had a bundle waiting in my trunk since new years. Every time I load or unload groceries there is a little spark of excitement in my heart (pun intended) thinking about setting them off. And the pyro in me smiles. Does anyone have anything exciting going on for the holiday? I'm excited about it, I like getting into holidays no matter how corny, made up, or ridiculous some of them may be.

The only reason I got to take this quick sanity break was beacuse there was something wrong with the database I was working out of. I'm catching word that it is fixed now and the torture must go on. Two more hours until sweet freedom will once again be mine.

Yesterday. I fell asleep at 8:30 p.m. Woke up at 1:00 a.m. shared a musical, lucid moment with my husband to the tune of ray lamontagne, Woke up at 6:00 a.m. for work and realized I had slept the entire evening away. Kind of depressing, kind of refreshing. 2 day headache is gone, body and mind are rested.

Today. Sleep normal hours.

Tomorrow. Hump day.