It's amazing where one year can take you. I don't even know how to write a recap of 2013.
I do know that I'm excited for 2014 to start. Sean and I will be starting our new year by crossing off one of my goals!

14 goals for 2014

1. Go to Europe
2. Read a novel a month
3. Go on a hike a month
4. Get my Associates and...
5. Start my Bachelors!
6. Patience
7. Climb a 14er
8. Visit 1 new National Park
9. Start an Herb Garden
10. Take a picture a day
11. Send birthday cards
12. Simplify
13. Crochet a blanket
14. Cook more--

Happy New Years, Friends!
~Hope you have a happy 2014~

On the 7th day of Christmas, Sean and I walked down to the heart of the city and enjoyed the buildings and trees covered in a thousand twinkling lights. Ah. Christmas. I love you.

On the 8th day of Christmas we ate cake. It's tradition in Japan to eat cake on Christmas and since we live in America and are true believers of gluttony, we ate cake all week. I'm sick and at the same time am blissfully full and happy.

On the 9th day of Christmas there was a birthday celebration. Good friends, good food, good capital views...this is what Christmas is all about!

On the 10th day of Christmas gingerbread homes were made. They were legit.

On the 11th day of Christmas I vigorously crocheted for hours, and in consequence had a massive head ache and my eye sight was all weird but was able to finish and I celebrated with sparkling apple/pear-kids wine. Yay for crochet!

On the 12th day of Christmas there was the annual seafood dinner. I love being Asian especially on Christmas eve.

On Christmas day I was the first to wake up. Did a little yoga, watched the sunrise and waited for the rest of the family to awake. It was beautiful. We opened gifts one by one and squealed "yay!" every time our youngest sister opened something. It's such a magical-family day. Until next time!

Merry Christmas!

On the 1st day of Christmas there was the happiest of office parties. I work in the most wonderful place. There are obviously days where I hate it, but for the most part all of us are just constantly laughing and eating Einstein bagels that the boss brings in. I'm a lucky girl.

On the 2nd day of Christmas there was nothing....I definitely overestimated my holiday spirit this year. I just didn't particularly feel like celebrating that day. I think I went to bed at 8:00 pm.

On the 3rd day of Christmas we shopped till we dropped. Literally. Thankfully we were able to finish all of our Christmas shopping on this one day. I never, never, never want to see a department store for at least 3 months. The lines! The amount of idling cars in the parking lot! Oh! The horrors of holiday shopping!

Now that I can't stop complaining....

On the 4th day of Christmas I made snowflakes with a dear little friend of mine. and we danced to Christmas music, or she did and I hopped a few times and got tired. Children just make the holidays the best! don't they?

On the 5th day of Christmas there was gift wrapping, which is my favorite part. This year, we decided to go green and reuse grocery bags. Whole foods and Trader Joe's does this awesome thing during the holidays and their paper bags have a "TO: and FROM:" for that sole purpose!

On the 6th day of Christmas I made Sean wake up early and take me on a hot chocolate date. I love this guy. As you can tell per picture above he is SO EXCITED to accompany me!

The crazy holiday season is once again in full swing! Last year I documented 12 days of Christmas activities, and I can't wait to start them again!. I've already accomplished a few things that were on that list due to uncontainable excitement, like putting up the Christmas tree 2 weeks before thanksgiving (ya I'm one of those people) and decorating, but looking at the tree for a whole evening is an activity too right?

Anyway, here's a "caramel chai milk" recipe that I recently tried. I altered it slightly, using more ginger and milk (no black tea, for it gives me a strange after taste) It is a great drink to make if your heater is subpar and your house is a constant 59 degrees or for a Christmas drink! Enjoy!

I am thankful.

(in no particular order) for:

sean,

my family,

puppies,

my body,

the old trees in my neighborhood,

blankets,

paper,

pictures,

public transportation,

my dearest friends,

and

hugs.

Thanksgiving, this year, was celebrated in the colorful state of Colorado. Not only did we eat to our heart/stomach's content but were also able to go up into the Rockies to rid of the post Thanksgiving consequences. Which actually this year I wasn't quite a glutton per usual. Anyway, the Rockies! Those mountains have a special place in my heart. We went on our first date there and have since made so many beautiful memories. Ahh! It was so good to be "home"! I bought a few ornaments, went on a few walks with Sean's mom, cuddled with the dog, went to breakfast with some friends, watched movies....It was the most relaxing weekend I've had in a long time! and I'm thankful!

Today has been a very successful sunday. I have finally conquered the cinnamon roll.

Why is that bread is scary/annoying to make. I mean these guys had a total of 3 hours of rising time and 20 minutes of hand kneading...in the end, it was worth it. Because I had two and I could probably eat two more. And the best part is, all of those in the ziplocs are for future consumption! Heyo~!

The other two pictures are just some other accomplishments that i've finally crossed off my fall to do list....Repotting my dead succulents (still looking dead) and crocheting. Go ME!

Now that i've officially and respectfully said farewell to dearest October, I welcome November with open arms!

I have to share these pictures from the hike I went on yesterday.
This weekend has been beautiful.

 (Lake Blanche)

The best part about this hike was that it wasn't even cold. Just look at that shining sun! I'm so ready for snowshoeing season!

I can't believe that I used to hate the outdoors. Taking more than ten steps away from cell phone service  and having to wear sneakers used to freak me out. NOW look at me! I'm miles and miles away from civilization, wearing the bulkiest hiking boots and i'm "effing" stoked.

My favorite month is over...

Goodbye fall leaves,

Goodbye perfect hiking month,

Goodbye pumpkins,

Goodbye farmer's market,

Goodbye beautiful October, until next time.

(a photograph of myself kissing my october family goodbye)

the archery range

We took a short fall break and drove to Colorado last weekend.
I weirdly don't even mind the 7 hour drive anymore. It gives us occasion to catch up on all the things we don't really talk about on a day to day basis.

I finally started my halloween reads tonight, which is a little late seeming that Halloween is next thursday...October is flying by! But better late then never! Sean and I took turns reading aloud some of Poe's works and it was awesome! I haven't had anyone read me a story in a really long time. It was extremely entertaining!

If you'd like:

Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
Dracula by Bram Stoker (my all time favorite)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I have found the best pumpkin recipe known to the marie/sean household...
I rarely share recipes or my food, for lack of cooking confidence, but this one has to be known.

I have yet to make adjustments, to make this a little healthier, but who the hell cares.

Behold!

the "Pumpkin Muffie*"
(modified version of Martha Stewarts pumpkin cookies)

ingredients:
-2 3/4 heaping cups all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 1/4 teaspoons course salt
-1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
-1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
-3/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
-3/4 cup softened unsalted butter
-2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
-2 large eggs
-1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (14 oz)
-3/4 cup evaporated milk
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a separate bowl combine butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add eggs. At a low speed, add pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vanilla; mix until blended well. Add dry ingredients, mix until combined.

Transfer batter into a pastry bag (I just used a make-shift one, which included cutting one corner side of a zip lock bag) Pipe 1 1/2 rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, they expand so space them at least 1 inch apart. Bank cookies for about 12 minutes rotating half way through. Cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, cool completely before serving.


*my favorite Panera treat, that  I sadly cannot have in the deprived State of Utah. Deprivations also include but are not limited to: Lamaar's, Q-doba, Lucilles, Casa, and Stuft.

I had quite a negative day at work.

It was one of those days where you listened to this song, and sang all the curse words really loud 

(why does saying “90’s b***” feel so good?)

I was feeling pretty bad. Unlike my usual cure for a bad work day, which includes a combination of vent/yelling to my poor sean-eating a huge bowl of pasta-cleaning-watching america’s next top model-crying-yoga then a final snooze to kick it in the balls, I instead coped with visitors from Colorado. 

We ate good food

Talked

Laughed

And i fell asleep with a full stomach and a smile on my face.

that was the best remedy for my soul.

Oh fall!

This is my favorite time of the year. 

Leaves, October, sweaters (made out of the sheep pictured above), hot coffee, the color orange...

I could go on forever!

See below for a list of my fall loves: (a copy cat of lovetangerine from bleubird)

eating /pumpkin bread and local apples
drinking /coffee, apple spice tea, hot apple cider
practicing /meditation
mastering /the pumpkin chocolate chip muffin
learning /to knit
finishing /halloween costumes
reading / Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein and any other seasonally appropriate book
walking /everywhere
wearing /sweaters and wool tights
cooking /pumpkins
working /on fixing my bike
traveling /to the mountains
wanting /to know how many blankets is needed to keep warm with no heater

speaking of lovetangerine, go read this fall inspired guest post I did!

The other night I was sitting in bed.

I looked over at Sean and noticed that his hair was a little receding. He's getting old. At first, for some weird reason, that made me love him even more. We were sitting right there, in love and getting old together. I was so happy.

But then...I suddenly was afraid of dying. I don't know why I'm quite writing this, maybe I just want to get this off of my mind. I let this particular thought stir in my brain time and time again, until I find a tentative answer. Which always ends up being...I guess, it really doesn't matter.

“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose, or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.” 
― Graham Greene

Just a few pictures from the Babbs family's visit to Salt Lake:

This summer we didn't go to cape code like i wanted to,
 (or like i want to every year..)

But! we did go on a nice vacation up into the mountains of colorado and stayed with one of our best friends.

 Mr. Marley and I

Matt and Jess were at the time house sitting for one of their friends, which we of course took advantage of. When else are we going to have an opportunity to stay in a gorgeous house, in the middle of the mountains, in Vail, for free!