The Adventures of Kinky Reggae: A Vagabond for Beauty

Each year I attempt to do as many homemade gifts as possible. Pinterest makes it so easy find ideas! Here are some of the things I made this year. I'm an idiot and forgot to take pictures of my finished products, so these are just the images from the websites. I made these Candy Cane Blossom cookies, and oh my heavens, they are delicious. I made four batches and have been giving out quite a few treat bags (and eating quite a few myself!). I made this wreath for my uncle. Unfortunately, when you click on the Pinterest link, it just takes you to Etsy and says the item is sold out. But it's super easy to make. Just wrap the yarn and glue a bunch of ornaments on there! Of course, mine didn't look quite as good as the one in the picture. My mom and I made these little snowman tealight holders when I came home for Thanksgiving. It was one of those projects that looked really easy but was a lot of work. The ribbon wouldn't lay right like it does in the picture,

This weekend was just what my heart needed. Friday night I had dinner at Tuck Shop with Meeghan and Amanda. We were there for hours. Conversation is so uplifting and meaningful with these two. I appreciated Meeghan's dating advice- "You're a good man, but you're not MY man." I was supposed to do a canyon on Saturday, but we all felt sick when we woke up at 6 a.m., so we went back to bed. I felt better when I woke up later, so I texted Jason and we did a spontaneous day hike up at Four Peaks. We couldn't make the summit, but we still made it pretty far. The final scramble up to the top was rated a 5.3, so I let Jason do his best impression of the man in black climbing the Cliffs of Insanity while I perched on a boulder taking selfies. (If he had made it, I would've followed.) But he had to stop about 25 feet from the top- too icy. The views were absolutely gorgeous. We could see the Superstitions, Camelback, the Rim, even Humphrey's Peak. We did s

This year had potential for drama, but luckily it ended up being a lovely holiday. Andy volunteered to do most of the cooking, and my parents were worried he would flake out. They stocked the basement freezer with a back-up dinner. But he came through, and it was delicious! The bacon-wrapped turkey was a hit. My visit home was also quiet and drama-free. Dad and I spent most of the time watching the 1985 Chicago Bears. Now I understand why people are STILL talking about this team almost 30 years later! Things that were awesome about this team: Walter Payton was a truly gifted athlete. He held the ball in one hand out to the side, yet rarely fumbled! Jim McMahon was always wearing some kind of goofy sweatband. The commissioner told him he couldn't wear it anymore, and the following week he wore one with the commissioner's name on it. Mike Ditka was arrested for throwing his chewing gum at a fan. Ditka was also arrested for a DUI... He treated the team to champagne on th

1 day, 7 summits, 26 miles. Kristin talked me into signing up for this back in August. I was nervous, but figured I'd train like crazy and then it would be this really great accomplishment. But I found myself avoiding the training and having tons of anxiety. About a month ago, I decided to just not do it, and I felt okay with that decision. It was nice to hike for fun and not because I had to train. I changed my mind again last weekend after Shake Tree. I thought about this quote I saw on Pinterest that said something about a "did not finish" being better than a "did not start." And I thought, "Well, why not just try and see how I do?" Pinterest lies. We started at 6 a.m. I was super slow on the hike up to Dobbins Lookout because it was still dark, and I am awkward and fall down a lot and was trying to avoid that. It was a really cool sight to see all the headlamps bobbing up at down the mountain; it reminded me of that scene in Fantasia wi

My mom has been working on a beautiful quilt for me for months, so I really don't want/expect anything more than that for Christmas. However, I do have a little list of things I've been wanting that I emailed my parents. And it's just funny to see how much my life has changed over the past five years or so. I remember what a big deal it was when Kristin and I did the Black Hole and had to rent wetsuits. Now I actually need one. It is getting to be a hassle to borrow from people! So here is my list: Used wetsuit (I doubt I'm gonna get this because I had to explain to my parents that they could get this from Craigslist, and that was just beyond them.) Used dry suit (Yes, I know that these are several hundred dollars. But a girl can dream.) Google Chrome Cast National Park annual pass Carabiners Montana Guidebooks (Specifically for Glacier National Park and Bob Marshall wilderness) A bear canister Hiking shoes A liner for my sleeping bag (It's only ra

The trip begins with a hike up a trail that gains 2,000 feet of elevation in about two miles. Jason insisted on carrying the 400 feet of rope and all his own gear. He is a beast. We brought wetsuits (in my case, a dry suit) because Jason remembered there being a few pools. But I only got wet up to my knees in one pool and managed to avoid the rest. I was still happy to have the dry suit, though; the canyon was chilly and it kept me warm, with the added bonus of making me feel like I was a Ghostbuster. This canyon was SO beautiful. It's only a quarter mile long and has 10 or 11 rappels. I got to be first down on most of them, which is so fun because you have no idea what you're getting into, and then you get to advise and encourage the rest of the people in your group. Perhaps it's the teacher in me that enjoys that. On the second to last rappel, Rachel went flying and slammed into the rock and hurt her elbow pretty bad. I was so impressed with how she handled herself

What a weekend! I feel like I was non-stop busy, but it was so fun. Actually, I lied. Friday night I had Which Wich for dinner and watched The Dead Files and cross stitch. Not exactly thrilling, but exactly what I wanted. I got up early on Saturday to hike Vulture Peak, a mountain near Wickenburg. You can see it from pretty far away, and it looks kind of ominous. But the whole hike is only a little over 6 miles, and it wasn't too difficult. The last 200 feet up the mountain is a scramble, and the hike description made it sound really intense, but it was no big deal. There were a few things that were really cool about this hike. I saw this big guy moseying down the trail. He was furry and almost as big as my hand. It was my first summit. How ridiculous is that? All the hiking I've done, and I've never actually gotten to a summit and signed the register. It felt pretty nice, especially doing it alone. Kind of empowering. (The box at the summit) Next on my

I'm still trying to think of a name for what I do. Ding dong ditching sounds silly, but I don't know what to call it. I found a recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip muffins that only requires three ingredients: a can of pumpkin, a box of spice cake mix, and a bag of chocolate chips. You just mix them together and bake for 20 minutes at 350. SO easy. I have 5 people on my delivery list this month who are having surgery or difficult times. Denise and I will be making our deliveries after work tomorrow. This is so fun!

Kristin and I went on a "backcountry adventure" yesterday. I put that in quotes because we were near Sedona, so it was pretty crowded. We started off visiting two of the energy vortexes. I wasn't impressed with the Airport Rd one, but I did feel something at the Boynton Canyon one. We meditated to absorb the full effects. Our next stop was lunch at a really fantastic deli, followed by a 4WD trail that we were not too impressed with. The road was actually crowded with hikers, and it was really rocky, so we had to drive super slow. We got bored and decided to take another 4WD trail to Jerome, where Kristin did some "monkey wrenching." The trail had some beautiful views, and we saw a sign that said we were near Tuzigoot National Monument. I could get a stamp for my book! By the time we got there, there was only a half hour till close. We saw a sign that said there was a 1/3 mile loop. We walked out the door of the visitor's center and fol

Kristin told me that her cousin made a list of shame for his girlfriend that consisted of movies she hadn't seen. It was suggested that I should have a list of shame as well that would include more than movies. Here is what we have so far (although I probably shouldn't be admitting these things in public): 1. I haven't seen the following movies: Top Gun The Matrix Pulp Fiction 2. I've never made a grilled cheese sandwich (even though I eat them all the time) 3. I didn't know that Jimmy Hendrix was black

Friday we did Sandslide Canyon. Neither of us had heard of it before. We chose it because it only had one rappel at the end, and we needed something we could do with George. Also, it was rated a PG slot, which means "Pretty Good"- you're going to need some stemming skills to get through the canyon. I love the wide washes around Escalante... Sandslide was funny because we did it in such a convoluted way. First, Bernie walked up from the bottom of the canyon as far as he could until he got to the rappel. Meanwhile, I slowly climbed the enormous sand dune that gave Sandslide its name. It was brutal. I was just a little envious when Bernie and George ran up it like it was nothing. Next, we hiked along the canyon, looking for a good place to drop in. The walls were pretty shallow for most of it, so we dropped in halfway up it, in between the two slots.  Since Bernie could hold George while stemming, we had to take turns exploring up and down canyon. George did NOT like

I spent most of Tuesday waiting for Bernie to show up. He tried to take a shortcut through the Kaiparowits Plateau, but the roads were impassable, so he had to turn around. Lack of cell phone reception made communication difficult, so I spent most of the day sitting on Hole in the Rock Rd, reading a book. At least the scenery was interesting. Bernie finally found me, and we decided to do Red Breaks the next day. It's a nontechnical canyon, but you go up from the bottom and there are tons of chokestones to climb over. We worked hard! And it was funny how much faster we were going back down the canyon... It's so much easier when gravity is on your side! Video of my awkward downclimbing: George is the perfect color/shape for slot canyons. I can't believe how well this dog handles himself on slickrock! We had such a nice time in the canyon. Afterwards, we had dinner at the Outfitters. It was pretty much the perfect day.  But rain was on the way...

Bernie and I were supposed to meet up, but due to a miscommunication, I drove right by him and somehow missed him. I drove up Cottonwood Canyon Road, past the Cockscomb, past Grosvenor Arch, and emerged on Hwy 12, which took me into Escalante. I hung a right on Hole in the Rock Road, a 50 mile unpaved road that leads to Lake Powell, and felt at home. This road looks fairly unspectacular (at least compared to other scenic roads in Utah), but those in the know are aware of the hundreds of canyons hidden in the nondescript hills. I drove down the bumpy road towards Harris Wash and picked a place just off the road to camp. Normally, I am too nervous to do dispersed camping alone. But Escalante is different. It feels safe and familiar. There are no bears to worry about, and I have faith in the people who frequent this place. I slept peacefully, awakening occasionally to glimpse the star covered sky. There was no moon, but you'd never know it because the stars were plentiful enough to li

I used to be so scared of making wreaths. It looked so intimidating! But then Nancy and I made Christmas wreaths last year, and it was so easy! I decided I need to make a wreath for every season. Amanda and I made these Halloween wreaths I found on Pinterest. It was really simple and relatively cheap. The most expensive materials were the wreath form and the spray paint; everything else came from the dollar store. We started by covering the wreaths in black ribbon. Then, we cut black tee shirts into strips and tied them all around the wreath. We spray painted spiders and webs from the dollar store and attached them to the back of the wreath with twine, then added a purple now for flair. SO easy, and I'm happy with the finished product.

The Phoenix New Times just came out with their 2013 "Best Of" list. I already have my own list of places to try, and I visited one of them today. Rocket Burger made a good sub, and their French fries were delicious. But the main attraction is the entire wall of hundreds of different kinds of soda. I was super excited to see Ale 8, a ginger ale that is found almost exclusively in Kentucky. Now I just need some good bourbon to go with it... Perhaps I'll splurge on some Four Roses. I got Brian this Rat Bastard root beer, and some cream soda for Denise. I also got myself some black cherry soda and this orange soda. What a fun, unique spot hidden in a strip mall (like so many places in Phoenix). Next stop: a date at Ohso, a nanobrewery that is said to have the best grilled cheese in Phoenix.

One of the things I love about living in Phoenix is that most people here live in houses (vs. apartments), making it easy to ding dong ditch. Last weekend Amanda and I made these delicious oatmeal chocolate caramel bars . We were planning on just dropping them off to the other ladies in our small group, but then decided to take it to the next level and looked up random people in the church directory and left a few treats at other people's houses, too. I'm thinking this will be a monthly activity- keeping an eye on the bulletin for people who have prayer requests, then anonymously leaving treats at their house. Well, not totally anonymously; we left little cards that said they were from "your friends at Trinity." This was so much fun. I got to try a new recipe (that was SO good!) and drive around the city giggling with Amanda. I'm already looking for next month's recipe!

I had quite an adventure up on the Rim a few weeks ago. I decided to spend my Saturday doing a loop drive in my Arizona Backcountry Adventures book. The first part was rated a 2 and was just an easy dirt road. The second part was rated a 4, and this is where my trouble started. Bernie has this book and has told me I shouldn't do anything harder than a 3. I learned in Silverton that he was right. But I want to do a loop, not just drive back the way I came. The first obstacle was crazy rocks. Like, I didn't event think my tires would be capable of crawling over them. I had to get out every few feet and plan my route very carefully. After two stretches like this, I knew there was no way I could go back the way I came. I was also really impressed with my Subaru. When I stopped to open a gate, I saw an older man on a 4-wheeler. (It was pretty crowded up there that day.) He informed me that it was the first day of hunting season and said everyone was talking about the lady i