Fiveheads and Snowstorms

The weekend was fabulous.
It was productive, yet relaxing.
Those are the best kinds.
But Matt and I did break our pact.
Our pact to not eat out in February.
And not only did we break the pact.
But, we went all out.
Vietnamese on Saturday.
Italian on Sunday (lunch).
Chinese on Sunday (dinner).
And it was all heavenly.
I blame it on the snowstorm.
And I blame the fact that Matt's bumper is halfway to the ground on the plow man who missed a spot!
I guess no one is perfect.
I forgive you, Mr. Plow man.

Anyways, I FINALLY got a scrap sesh in.
I saw this picture of my sister.
And the ideas just starting pouring in.
So, here is what I came up with.
I love it. It makes me smile.
And laugh hysterically.
Erika, I know you will love it too.

V-Day

My Valentine's Day was too cute. Matt and I don't usually make a big deal about V-Day. Or Anniversaries. Or any of those special days that couples are supposed to celebrate. We do special things for one another on a pretty regular basis so we don't find a need to act cutesy for the sake of a holiday. But, yesterday (due to snow, ice, and sleet) we had a three hour late arrival policy for work. So, I thought i'd be cute to make Matty breakfast in bed. He loved it! I made omelets, potatoes, and had some fruit on the side. It was quite yummy if I do say so myself. So then we went to work (sucked!) and then after work I just ran errands. And when I got home, Matt had prepared us a feast. Alaskan king crab legs, gourmet salad, and homemade guacamole with chips. I know....all kinda random. But that is how we do it. We had a super cute evening. I love that boy so much.

In honor of our great Valentine's Day...here is a picture that is so us. We're always like this. Having fun. Joking around. Acting stupid. Totally crazy in love.

Ode to Weddings

So, Matt and I went to wedding on Saturday.
The ceremony was by far the shortest one I have ever been to.
Which made me happy.
Long ceremony = big bore.
And I cried a little when the bride came out.
Even though I had only met her twice.
And usually I would blame it on the whole wedding bliss happiness thing.
But lately, I've just been so crazy emotional.
Like, I cried a when I saw a commercial for dogs that needed to be adopted.
And then cried when some cute doggy got best in show on Animal Planet.
What?? I was just excited for his doggy achievements, ok!
And then shed a tear because Matt said he wanted to marry me one day.
Ok, so that one deserves a tear or two.
But, still. The point is: I've been emotional.
Anyways, back to the point.
So, we sit down at Table #9 for dinner.
And we sit next to this other couple.
And we're polite and friendly.
So we introduce ourselves.
And the story goes a little something like this.

My Matt: Hi, I'm Matt.
Guy Next to him: Oh, Hi, I'm also Matt.
My Matt: Huh, that's funny.
Other Matt: This is my wife, Natalie
My Matt: Um, this is my girlfriend, Natalie.

Then we all look at each other and laugh.
How freaking wierd is that?!?!?
What are the odds.
I almost asked him if their friends call them Mattalie too.
But then I thought they would think we were wierd.
Ok, back to work. Hope you enjoyed my silly story.

Champions of the Wooorrlllddd!

So, let me just say that I love the Superbowl.
I la-la-la LOVE it.
I love the excitement of game.
The yummy, yet, fatty foods that are involved.
For me it was nachos, eight layer dip, and Hellavu/Cool Ranch combo.
So much for my "eat healthy" resolution.
Anyways, and like most Americans...
I LOVE the commercials.
My favorite: The manly Snickers kiss.
Ohh, and maybe the Taco Bell Lions.
Caarrrrrrrrne Asada.
Ok, so the Colts won.
And that makes me happy!
Not like I've been a Colts fan all my life.
I just totally jumped on the bandwagon.

So, I have a story to tell.
You see, there is an Amish market right next to my gym
And last week (for the first time this year) I put my $45 gym membership to good use.
So, I do my thang, run for 45 minutes or so.
And man was I struggling.
I felt like each one of my legs weighed about 150lbs each.
I was totally THAT girl.
The girl that looked like she had never run a day in her life.
Anyways, I'm getting off point.
So, I leave the gym, and I'm driving.
Tu-Tu-Duuuu. I'm driving.
And out of NOWHERE comes an Amish girl.
Running as fast as she can, from behind this HUGE garbage disposal thing.
And of course I can't stop in time.
And I hit the Amish girl, head on with my car.
I mean, I hit the brakes, so it wasn't a bad hit, per se.
But, it was still a hit. Strike to the abdomen!
And she just stood there.
Like a deer in headlights.
Probably from the shock.
Maybe from the pain.
And then she ran off.
I guess she likes running.
And her Amish friends were waiting for her across the street.
And she got in the car and they drove off.
I guess they don't teach Amish people to look both ways before crossing the street.
Or if they do it probably goes like:
"Look both ways, before crossing a dirt road, or else a horse and buggy might run you over."
Who knows. But I'm still laughing about the whole situation.
Maybe I'm mean to laugh.
But she seemed ok.
And it was HER fault.
Thank god I wasn't driving at my usual speeds.
Otherwise you'd probably be reading about me in the Sunday post.

Other weekend updates.
I played the Wii with Michelle and Mayra.
Even got my Tio Carlos to play.
Daniela got her wisdom teeth out, ouch!
My cat Louie sleeps on his back.
I finished my Argentina mini-book.
And I'm almost done with my "You Think You Know Me" book.
Matt was sick, but still managed to cook up some Superbowl yummies.
And I did not work out.
So that is all my little chickens.
Peace, Love, and Scrapiness!

Trendy Thursday

Ok, so I found this HERE. And I know I'm a little late. But, I thought it would be fun to do itanyways. Happy Thursday!

10 Favorites
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Food: Thai, mmm.
Favorite Month: January
Favorite Song: Anything Shakira
Favorite Movie: Billy Madison
Favorite Sport: Swimming
Favorite Season: Spring
Favorite Day of the week: Saturday
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Anything Coldstone.
Favorite Time of Day: Whenever I'm scrapping.

9 Currents
Current Mood: Hungry!
Current Taste: Black Tea
Current Clothes: Business Casual
Current Desktop: Dell
Current Toenail Color: Clear
Current Time: 8AM
Current Surroundings: Office Furniture and Picture Frames
Current Thoughts: "I need to shave my legs."

8 Firsts
First Best Friend: Tommy Martin
First Kiss: 9th grade - I was a late bloomer.
First Screen Name: Nattielyte - what what!
First Pet: Cheeto, my fiesty orange cat.
First Piercing: Cartilage, I was such a bad ass. Ha.
First Crush: In kindergarten. Matt something.
First CD: Free Willy Soundtrack and Sister Act 2 Soundtrack - classics!

7 Lasts
Last Cigarette: 1.5 years ago.
Last Drink: Wine
Last Car Ride: 10 min ago.
Last Kiss: With Matty, about 30 min ago.
Last Movie Seen: Last Kiss with Maggs.
Last Phone Call: With my BF Stacey, yesterday.
Last CD Played: Snow Patrol.

6 HAVE YOU EVERS
Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Guy/Girl Friends: Possibly.
Have You Ever Broken the Law: Yes.
Have You Ever Been Arrested: Almost. But I paid my way out of it.
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: Of course.
Have You Ever Been on TV:
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: Um, HFStival, need I say more.

5 THINGS
Thing You're Wearing: High heels, and that's all baby!
Thing You've Done Today: Played my Nintendo Wii.
Thing You Can Hear Right Now: Brains at work.
Thing You Can't Live Without: My family.
Thing You Do When You're Bored: Watch Friends DVDs.

4 PLACES YOU'VE BEEN TODAY
Bathroom, Two Peas, SteepandCheap, and Work

3 PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO
Stacey, Elizabeth, and Matt.

2 CHOICES
1. Black or White: White
2. Hot or Cold: Hot

1 THING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
See the world!

Selfish Years

So, I have always been told that these are my selfish years. The years of my life where I should live it up and be selfish. Worry about myself. Do things for me. Look out for my best interests. Be concerned with my well being and do what makes me happy. They are called the 'selfish years' because one day there will be no time for selfishness. My life will revolve around other people. It won't be about just me anymore. It will be about my husband, and my kids, and all the responsibilities that come with. And for a while, I followed and agreed with this philosophy of the so-called 'selfish years'. But, I have recently changed my mind. I feel like being in this 'selfish' state of mind is depressing. There is only so much joy I can take from doing things that only benefit me. I like helping others. And I want to help in any way I can. I used to do more community service. I used to be more involved. Now, I feel like a complete degenerate that has so much to give, but has been to 'selfish' to do so. I think this is the time to give. Because according to this theory, I won't have much time to give later. So, my new thing is that I want to volunteer. I want to do something good. Because although I will hopefully be helping others, I know I will be the one who will benefit the most from the experience.

And to end on a scrappy note. Just a few LO's I did this weekend. Loving the "Uncle Sam" reference on the second page. Classic! Thanks for peeking! Adios people!

Oh my goodness!

I actually scrapped. It has been over a month since I even looked at my stack of paper heaven that lives on my table. Man oh man did it feel good to create. My girl Maggs came over and we watched the Last Kiss, which I have to admit that I really enjoyed. I loved the realness of the movie. The fight scenes were so so real, just how it tends to happen in real life. I kept thinking to myself, "Man, women are Craaaazzzyyy!!" And it's true. Girls do dumb things, especially when they are mad. But, dudes are assholes (for the most part). So it evens out. Ok, I need to stop being Dr. Phil and get back to my point. So, I was secretely hoping that Maggs would fall to the dark side when she saw all my scrap goodies sprawled out all over my house, but sadly enough, she didn't. Anywho, when she left, I finished what I had started, and Matty and Louie kept me company. My boys are so good to me. So, I made a page about my resolutions. Yes, I know I am way tardy, but I'm Bolivia. Tardy is my first, middle, and last name. Ok, so without further ado, here is the blurry representation of my page. Peanut Praise is highly appreciated! Happy Friday my little chickens.

Bad Blogger!

I know, I know. I totally suck. So much going on. Not enough time to blog. Well, that is a lie. There is always enough time. I have just chosen not to. Mostly because I hate posting without a picture. Or a scrappy. Or some kind of pizzazz! And I hate being boring like that. Anyways, here is a status on what has or has not been going on.

I've been somewhat annoyed at life lately. Ever since I got home from Bolivia I have had NO TIME for anything. No Natalie Time. And Nat-Time is crucial to my happiness. I have not scrapped in over a month, which probably means i have lost my creative mojo. I have entered the "hate" stage on my feelings towards my job. It used to be "strongly disike, with a hint of whatever." Now it has quickly progressed into the "My brain is dying a slow death by having to be here every effing morning." I am sick of pretending to work, when in reality, I'm surfing TwoPeas and online shopping for about 7.5 of the 8 hours I am here. Also, I have been a fat slob all of 2007. So much for resolutions. I have yet to go to the gym, and I have been eating out like its my fat ass job to be some fast food critic. I am disgusted with myself. My belated birthday dinner got cancelled due to snow last Sunday. But at least I got to stay home all day and watch football and eat choclate cake and french fries....in true fat girl fashion. Hmm, what else. My bestest friend at work got fired, or as we are calling it, "Got Resigned." I am seriously in depression mode without her. She was the person who made the day bearable. And now, I'm flying solo. I am one sad, pathetic, financial analyst.

In good news, I am taking a class downtown. You see, I have known for quite some time now that I have been getting progresively dumber. But then the other day, when Matt was dictating an address to me, and I spelled Suite as Sweet, I knew it was time to go back to school. Also, Vail was amazing. Great conditions, great company. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. And my sister is coming home this weekend and that is super. But what is even more super is that we might go out and ride one day. Suite! And Michelle gave me the best present ever - a gift card to TwoPeas. She totally made my day.

SO, that is it it for now. I have to go back to pretending to work. Happy Hump Day!

Toro Toro

Toro Toro. A story through pictures.
It begins with 5 hours of off-roading...

And a few pit stops along the way...
And a road block about half-way through.
And so we had to take an even more scenic, and more dangerous route.And here are Erika and Danny stuck on the other side of the river.
And the river was high, so we sent Diego to test out the waters.
But we finally made it. So Erika and I rejoiced!
And I decided to climb a tree. And I looked like a boy while doing so.
And we climbed some mountain and I took a picture of my cousins.
And we had to cross more rivers to get to El Vergel. And I met this boy along the way. A boy who had to walk 35km to get to his pueblo. Crazy!And then we got stuck in the mud and the boys had to act manly to get us out.And then Erika learned how to shoot a gun, for fun, not self-defense.And then our trip was over, but not before taking some awesome family pictures.

That, my friends, was my trip to Toro Toro in a nutshell. Now I have to get some work done. Because I've been a total slacker this week. And I leave for the airport at 2. So I don't have much time. But, a little birdie (the weatherman) told me that it's snowing in Vail. Today, tomorrow, and so on. This is music to my ears. It's going to be a good birthday! Be back Tuesday. Much love.

Back from BA

Just arrived back to Bolivia from Buenos Aires.
I´m currently in the Santa Cruz airport.
Waiting for my connecting flight back to Cochabamba.
Already missing the good looking men.
And the delicious empanadas.
I have much to tell about BA.
It´s such an awesome city.
It has a very European feel to it.
And it has great shopping.
I got like 5 pairs of shoes.
And a beautiful leather handbag.
Oh, you have to see it to appreciate it.
I will post pics later.

Ok, so in brief, a BA Fact Sheet.
AKA. Things I learned/noticed in BA.

Women dress super cute, but wear mostly flat shoes.
Traffic lights turn yellow before turning green-love this idea.
Mosquitos come in so many different shapes and sizes, and colors.
Women´s undies are a cross between thong and bikini. Does not look comfortable.
VPL (Visible Panty Lines) are acceptable.
Bra´s are not required, but breast implants are a must.
Calle Florida and Av. 9 de Julio remind me so much of Madrid.
The leather is the best in the world. So soft you could sleep in it.
Women don`t like SPF b/c most of them look like prunes by age 55.
All fat people are tourists.
The meat empanadas are delish!
All male dogs have saggy balls. Go figure.
There is a cafe in every corner.
Croissants are called media lunas.
Most men have long, if not shaggy, hair. And they are sexy.
The dulce de leche ice cream is to die for.
And last but not least,
The cubanitos from Freddo are so darn tasty.
I am missing them already.

Ok, Happy New Years everyone!!
Off to catch my flight.
Then home to shave my legs,
Throw on my dress,
And paint the town Merlot.
In Bolivia we party ALL night
and ALL morning on New Years...
So wish me luck.
It´s going to be a looonnng night!!!