Our Palace...

House from Bikini Beach / Front Door

King Size Bed / Ceiling Fan {kind of a big deal on both counts}

Cute Shower Curtain

His & Hers Vanity / Walk-in Closet

Kitchen / where our kitchen table would go if we had one... / REAL Refrigerator

Entry Way

Cute Yellow Chair / My OWN Dresser / Detailed shot of the Lava Rock wall {kinda scary}

The little things that make a house, a home: Christmas Cards, Welcome mat and our small collection of glass bottles. 

We moved on December 17 to our quaint apartment on "The Point." Laie's very own, ritzy part of town, where fishermen fish and tourists tour by day and where drug dealers deal by night. Or so it seems...there's always a cop car up in here! 

All that aside, we are so happy that we were able to find this place! Not only is the rent slightly cheaper, it's about triple the space {if not more!}. Everything is an upgrade to us: huge bed, fan, the entire bathroom, two dressers, a real kitchen sink and refrigerator, a double hot plate, drawers for our dishes, our very own washer/dryer, etc. We love that we do not live under the same roof as our landlord!!!!! Not to mention I am in like flint with our new landlord, Louise. She is ultra chill and is willing to help us with anything! So far, so good {on that note}. 

Our palace sounds too good to be true, right? There is another side to this story...centipedes. We've got 'em. Big ones! 4-6" long. The previous renter thinks they crawl through our lovely lava rock wall. I believe it's possible, centipedes can crawl on ANY surface--even our standard textured white walls. For example, as Tommy was going to lock the front door a tiny little centipede fell from the ceiling and landed on his head! Then we looked up and saw a grip of them just chillin up there. 

On to the termites that are eating my dresser! Every day we see the pile of wood shavings grow bigger and bigger. Now they seemed to have moved locations because a new pile has started to grow. Haha. The ants here are huge, nothing compared to our previous sugar ants. They have even finagled their way into a closed jar of peanut butter! 

On a better note about creeping things...we are frequently visited by "Geck" all of our Gecko friends. We're still trying to figure out if that's good or bad. We like the visits, but then we think they're here to eat their dinner, which means bugs are among us--hidden. They also like to hang outside our front door and scare us! We tend worry if they can get in then so can the BIG centipedes...I try not to think about that too much. 

When we moved in, the previous renter told us to never lock the bottom lock because it's jammed. If by some chance that were to happen, we would have to break-in our own house so we could unlock it from the inside. TWO DAYS LATER...I'm over the ledge crawling through our window! Tommy was able to pull the screen off and slide the window open. While I slid myself to the 2" ledge so I could tip-toe my way to the grand opening. Never again...seriously, never again! 

Decadence

Entree: Basil & Parmesan Ravioli topped with cherry tomatoes and feta cheese, dressed with a splash of Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil


Dessert: Cheesecake topped with Balsamic Strawberry Sauce


Yes, we documented our first supper in our new home...wouldn't you if the only items on the old menu consisted of quesadillas, pb&j's, frozen burritos, top ramen, chips & cheese, salsa, cereal, oatmeal {AKA anything that could be cooked in the microwave}. We are still relishing in the reality of the extra funds allotted to us via EBT each month and the fact that we have a double hot plate and a real refrigerator! Now we can actually shop at Costco! 


We feel like royalty.

Amplified

If you like The Shins, you may want to hop on this train...

"Broken Bells is an indie rock duo formed last year, consisting of James Mercer and Brian Burton, better known as Danger Mouse. Mercer is a member of the band The Shins, Burton is a member of Gnarls Barkley and a well-respected producer for such artists as Beck, Gorillaz, MF Doom and The Black Keys."

Tommy recently introduced me to Broken Bells...I was like "Oh is this a new Shins albums?" He was all "No, this is Broken Bells - Danger Mouse and the lead singer from The Shins." Cool.

Mele Kalikimaka

 

Tommy & I enjoyed our first Hawaiian Christmas! We celebrated Christmas Eve at the ever so swanky Bay Club Lounge at Turtle Bay Resort {aka the only restaurant open on Christmas Eve}. Christmas Day afforded us ample time to soak up the rays at Waimea Bay where we could catch up on our holiday phone calls. When we returned home we made the traditional Curtis Family Christmas brunch, full of Tom's famous scrambled eggs, Cinnamon Rolls, Bacon and fresh fruit! {The only thing we were missing was Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice from The Orange Patch!} We ended our Christmas celebration with a lovely walk down Bikini Beach. Although we wish we could have spent the holidays with our families, we are happy that we were able to have our own little Christmas together. It'll be a Christmas to remember for many years to come...

26!

We celebrated Tommy's 26th Birthday Tomzie style...AT COSTCO!

Ordered a couple delicious slices and BYOB'd Henry Weinhard's Root Beer, per Tommy's request.  

Cheers to this young chap! I love you!

Earlier that day we enjoyed an amazing breakfast at Hukilau Cafe in Laie {per Zach & Julie's suggestion}, then we collected bottles on Bikini Beach {a tradition introduced to us by Rod & Tanya}, then we soaked up the rays {and sprinkles} at Sunset Beach...all followed by our glorious trip to Costco for a spot of dinner and some light shopping.

It was great to enjoy each other's company, uninterrupted by work or school!

Happy Birthday Tommy! 

Magnifique Find

Ashley Oborn, my friend/neighbor, found this amazing site "The Anthropologist." It's definitely noteworthy...it is full of fabulous photo journals, videos, articles, and the artists behind them all. 

Simply, creativity at its finest. 

This is where I fell in love...

{love this chandelier} 

Thanks Ashley!

Halfsies!!

Christmas came early this year...I am the proud recipient of a Half-Tuition Scholarship! 

$1082.50 to be exact...

Striving for that Principle's List really paid off! Cha-ching.

Best Wake Up Call Ever...

MY LARRY & THE JUDE ARE GOING HAWAIIAN!! 

May 14-21, 2011


I woke up to 2 voicemails {classic Judy style} from the Jude saying that they are headed our way. Once Larry gets an idea he's gotta follow through...The Jude usually works her magic to make it happen. Viola...a reunion in paradise. 

Take advantage of the $333 roundtrip deal from Hawaiian Airlines. Please!

'Tis the Season

Fanciful Christmas Cards

Delicious Ginger Cookies

and 

Amazing Flight Deals

Check it out just in case you want to visit paradise in 2011

{hint hint}

I'll be home for Christmas...if only in my dreams!

If we could go home I would...

enjoy a Denim Girls reunion with Jessbabe & Ashbabe.

meet Navy girl. {for the first time}

attend this amazing boutique sale. {never been but it sounds AMAZING!}

We miss good Mexican: Tia Rosa's,Cafe Rio, Chipotle and others Pei Wei, Pita Jungle, Cheba Hut, In & Out, Nielson's, Mesa FroYo and the list goes on. 

Of course family is first! I could officially congratulate Mr. & Mrs. Danny Curtis and give holiday hugs to all of our nieces & nephews. Enjoy an amazing Christmas Brunch at the Curtis household made by TomKat. 

Tommy and I could actually wear a sweater and drink hot chocolate because it's cold outside. I loved our Christmas last year. I loved our apartment. Our tree {even though it was ornament-less}. I loved having Spence, Kaylea, Dude & Jax over to make Christmas sugar cookies. Actually I just loved having our very own oven and washer/dryer! Our Christmas will be very different this year and so will Tommy's birthday. We loved our Thanksgiving so I'm sure our Christmas will be just as memorable. 

Items on our Christmas List:

1. Surfboard for Tommy

2. Bicycle for Jozie

3. Crock Pot

4. Other Kitchen Items

5. An Infinity Scarf for Jozie

6. Ties & Sunglasses for Tommy

7. A Fedora for Joz

8. Underwater Camera Bag

9. An apartment in TVA

10. Hike the Na Pali Coast in Kauai

Some updates:

*There is a marketing internship opening up at the end of December at the PCC. I have contacted the marketing department and expressed my interest in the position. There is only ONE opening, so fingers crossed that I get it. It would be such a great opportunity and it would really compliment my resume. 

*We are excited to be recently enrolled in Hawaii's EBT {food stamps} program. We need all the help we can get so we are extremely happy that we now have extra grocery money. 

*We are MOVING in 13 days!!!! I am literally counting down the days. We will be celebrating Christmas in our new place. It's seriously the best Christmas present we could ask for this year. We will be living on the point in a landlord free studio. We will finally have a full size refrigerator, a double hotplate, a huge closet, two dressers, double vanity and more! I will def be posting pics.

*I am officially done with my Associate's Degree {as of today}. Hopefully MCC actually gives it to me. Tommy takes his finals in two weeks and then we both have two weeks off before we start Winter semester. 

Curls & Pearls

I got a load of these folks when I surprised Tommy with tickets to see The Album Leaf. They started the show and my longing to become a super chic keyboarder {for Tommy's future band}. We're still trying to decide on a name...
I love the keyboard in this song...it makes me wish I had stuck with my piano lessons. 


p.s. it's turning out to be perfectly normal that my husband and I forego sleep so we can spend some quality time with our laptops.

"I don't want to be your friend..."

Break through. Radiohead. Sunset Beach. He had right, I had left. Song after song. Album after album. With Tommy's help I have finally seen the light when it comes to Radiohead...it couldn't have come at a better time.


::8::8::


Nothing is better than my conversations with Tommy. I always wondered what married couples talked about, now I know. I don't have to have a filter or an agenda. He gets me. But he especially knows how to talk me down. I had a hard night tonight, but he was by my side. 


::8::8::


My mom reminded me that I have an "old soul" tonight.


::8::8::


I cooked my first turkey this year. It was falling off the bone. From what I hear, that equals success. Our Thanksgiving this year definitely made it in the Top 10.


::8::8::


Tommy & I will be attending the Laie Temple on Thursday for the first time since the rededication. We can't wait. 

And Your Bird Can Sing

{All SO Grown Up}

{Paige, Summer, Sienna, Taylor, Kamri}

{Weston, Taylor, Sienna, Kamri, Summer, Paige}

 {Summer}

{Piñata & Sienna}

My lovelies. I think one of my greatest callings I have on this earth is to be the BEST AUNT EVER! I love being an Auntie, probably because my job is just to have fun with my nieces and nephews. Very little responsibility. I have tended Jesse's girls for a week while Kori attended Women's Conference and just last year Tommy and I tended Sienna in Mexico. I was living in Provo while Jena was pregnant with Summer and I was there when she was born. I feel a special bond with her. Taylor was my very first niece so I was completely enamored with her and would jump at the first chance of babysitting her. I love spending quality time with each of my sibling's families. I love being with my family and I love watching our families grow.

I catch myself wondering what our kids will look like, what their names will be, how many we'll have and if they'll be funny like me! haha. I want one of those funny kids that make everyone laugh during the  primary program...

Hounded

Last Saturday I scored big by having a FULL day off...a Saturday at that! Luckily Tommy had the day off as well. Yes! So we parked it at Sunset Beach from 11 - 1 then drove up to Pipeline.While waiting to turn in we spotted a dog {not the one pictured} crossing the crosswalk all by his lonesome. We were amazed that the pooch knew where to cross...and he was safe and sound. Again, we were annoyed that we did not have our OWN camera! 

*President Monson will be visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center tomorrow at 3:45! All of Laie has been preparing day and night for his visit. He will be re-dedicating the Laie Temple this Sunday...

*Laie {Oahu} is under Flood Warning this weekend. Great timing! Tommy and I have no idea what to do or where to go, but it's raining as I type. Tommy said that Hau'ula flooded in 2008...so it really does happen on this side of the island. Yikes! 

*I slept in until 11:20 today! Tommy didn't have a class this morning so we had no alarm set and no reason to get out of bed. Finally we woke up and asked me if I had work today--I did. I walked into work and told my boss that I slept in. Luckily my boss just laughed it off...I can't believe that I am still able to sleep in that late. What a waste of the day?!

*I finally got a new phone. Blackberry. I had the EN-V since the summer of 2008. It was on its last leg and on my last nerve! I looked up Verizon phones on craigslist and landed on my Blackberry. It's definitely an adjustment but I am starting to really like it. I like that it doesn't flip or slide! I'm content.

*"...don't close your eyes because I'll miss them." I love Tommy and how he loves me.

Resorting to Thievery?

just last night i confessed to tommy that thoughts of thievery have started to cross my mind. it's not that i would ever act on it...but i literally contemplate it every time i walk past a bike rack! i always look to see if any bikes are not locked up. why? i have no idea. i have turned ghetto!



maybe it's because i've come to the conclusion that we could be homeless next semester living on food stamps. maybe i just feel like a bike would even the score of our misfortune!  And i can't buy one because there aren't any bikes for sale in Laie...yet! so maybe it's my instant gratification alarm that keeps convincing me to boost one! who knows? i certainly don't want to add bike thief to my record...

also, while driving around yesterday i did see a sign for the Haleiwa Triathlon...it peaked my interest, but i don't think i'm ready to compete in a real Hawaiian tri. PLUS i don't even have a bike to train on *wink*

The Great Pumpkin...patch visit

Dallin & Jessica

Mikelle

These Autumn lovelies are my nieces and nephew that live in Texas. They had an amazing Halloween this year filled with carving pumpkins, watching "The Great Pumpkin", eating graveyards, trunk-or-treating, and they were even scary enough to be visited by The Great Pumpkin Witch who left them a goodie bag in their pumpkins! Lucky!

Dallin was a vampire one last time...Jessica was a cat...and Mikelle was Little Red!

You know you're a fat girl when...

you start dreaming about Chipotle! I had another dream last night that we passed by a Chipotle sign because we were going to go eat somewhere else, but just like in my dreams I am still longing for Chipotle in real life! Don't worry, I have emailed Chipotle about opening a restaurant here. They're "exploring their real estate options."

Other Amazing Food Stories



I work with a Maori girl from New Zealand, Ripeka. She's half Maori, half Greek. Love her. Her and I can talk about food all day long! Exchanging recipes, etc. Right now she's pregnant so her love is magnified {and let's face it, food is my life}. She was telling me that she attended a birthday party hosted by a local Hawaiian family where in fact the food was SO incredible she started tearing up! Food has never brought me to tears*, but I look forward to the day when it does...

Another funny foodie convo I had was this past weekend. I was chillin with Sean & Ashley and Zach & Julie & Johnny when I saw something hanging out of Zach's back pocket. I naturally thought it was a comb, but Julie clarified that it was a fork! Just in case they stumbled across an eating experience that could not pass up! {Mind you at this time we had just finished scrounging up some free grub at the BYU-H Fashion Show--that we didn't even attend!} Always be prepared.

*good tears, not bad tears...like when my parents forced me to eat FRESH ALASKAN SALMON THEY CAUGHT {heaven forbid!!!} or ELK ROAST! {Two dishes I now actually enjoy}

He's Back!

Tommy spent this past weekend in Arizona to attend his brother's wedding. {Congrats Danny & Kayla!} Of course Tommy needed to support Danny on his big day! However, our pocket book wouldn't allow for both of us to go {my loss!}. On Friday afternoon I made the trek across the island to leave Tommy on the doorstep of my nemesis -- the airport! We have never spent a night apart...until this weekend. It was difficult but I think I handled it quite well. I stayed busy and our friends made sure to include me in their weekend activities. Tommy sent me these shots... 

I love this temple!

I love this boy!

The boy sure knows how to rub it in too! He's showing off with his Vanilla Coke! Ps He said that everyone walked into the luncheon with a Sonic in hand, even the bride and groom. They all took notes from our luncheon last year! I'll gladly take credit for the Wedding Day Sonic Run! 

Danny & Kayla's wedding weekend brought back so many memories of our wedding. It seemed like I was reliving our wedding because I was missing theirs. {Although Tommy did bring me back some homemade Ginger Molasses cookies -- spot on!} I love being married {especially to my best friend} and I'm so excited for Danny & Kayla! 

I picked up Tommy THIS morning! He is officially on Hawaiian soil. I am glad he was able to go and I am happy I was able to survive the weekend alone. It's nice to know I can be brave when it counts...

Vintage Tune

*as soon as i heard this song playing on the tv i had to pop my head in to see what commercial was on.
*then i thought of all the people i know that would like this song.
*then i started thinking of how many people could take notes on this baby's driving skills.
*then i thought he should at least be wearing a helmet.
*wait is this baby a boy or girl?


either way it's clever.

Here Comes the Sun

 {note to self}

*as of late i cannot get the saying "the greatest fear of all is the fear of the unknown." i constantly catch myself thinking about it. i recently watched an excerpt from a documentary "180 degrees south" where one of the characters said that during an interview. the film is about these guys making their way down to Patagonia via the PanAm Highway in the 60's...that should clarify his words. they were embarking on this amazing journey, one unknown to most everyone. i just relate to this adage right now. i just carry so many worries around. i worry where we'll live. i worry when i'll find a better job. i worry if i can even get good grades. i just worry. but just the other day while texting my sister in law i shot this little thought over "have faith, not fear." why would i have the gall to tell her this when i can't even follow my own advice?! it's good, old fashion preaching to the choir syndrome! while i fear our future and worry my life away i have to wonder, where's my faith? i have such a hard time with this though. i feel like one can still worry a little bit...and still have faith. right?

*my two best friends in the whole wide world are my denim girls: ashbabe & jessbabe. love them both. interestingly enough i have met the hawaiian versions of these girls...and then some. my neighbor ashley oborn has been one of my dear friends from the beginning. then there's jess wright who works at the mahinalani gift shop with me. ironically enough they are both from sacramento and have crossed paths before without even knowing it. these two girls have been my sanity and they make my life fun. and there's more...julie tilton aka martha stewart in the making! julie just plain inspires me to be a better wife, homemaker, student and woman! these ladies make me feel loved, there are my temporary family. i love talking story with each and every one...i am so blessed that i have found three girls that i can truly be myself around. good friends are hard to come by.

*the Laie temple is currently open to the public before the dedication on Nov 21. tommy and i have had the opportunity to volunteer with cleaning and ushering. our cleaning assignment was memorable to say the least...we cleaned beneath the baptismal font where the oxen stand. i never thought i'd be nose to nose with one of those guys, let alone twelve! it was amazing. we were on our hands and knees washing the steps and wiping away any possible traces of dust. i love being of service, especially in the temple. we still have not gone on our very own tour, but we are planning on it. i simply cannot wait to have the Laie temple up and running. to think that Laie has been without their temple for over two years! it's unimaginable. i especially love the Laie temple because it so closely resembles the Mesa temple.

*i wish i would take advantage of the nature around me! i was talking to jesse {my bro} recently and he asked how often i get to the beach...i sadly reported maybe once a month, if not that then once a week. of course i go out back, but we rarely ever go spend the whole day at the beach. other than checking out some of the North Shore beaches we really haven't ventured out. we've hit up Waimea, Sunset, Shark's Cove, Meleakahana and Turtle Beach. We did hike Maunawili Falls in Kailua, but that's it! It is really hard to plan awesome day trips because I work almost every Saturday...I hope we can plan more adventures next semester.

*ACAI BOWLS! enough said. i have been thoroughly addicted to these decadent frozen delights. we first discovered acai bowls at Food Fest. it's a frozen smoothie of berries topped with bananas, granola and honey. i crave acai bowls daily and it's hard for me not to act on my cravings. the most convenient place to get them in Laie is Angel's...where they also have acai smoothies. for now i am bigger fan of the acai smoothie because it's way more portable and still delicious! {thank you jess for indirectly introducing me to the acai smoothie} it's SO huge, it takes me about 30 min to finish one. our friends tell us to go down to Kava Roots by Shark's Cove. i guess the acai bowls are even more amazing there...can't wait!

*i also want to report on some clever halloween costumes we saw this year: a pothead {a girl with a huge pot on her head}, brawny man, a tree, white trash, hammerhead shark, robot, a newsie, P90X enthusiast, and the usual. i didn't really have the resources to get into the Halloween spirit this year. I dressed up as "Flo" the Progressive girl and then as Jason Kidd {former Suns player} bc we have an old jersey. i was wiling to be anything just as long as i didn't have to wear my PCC uniform!

*speaking of holidays...we are already trying to plan our little make shift Thanksgiving celebration with some friends of ours. i totally offered to cook the turkey {at someone else's house who actually owns an oven}! i used to love Thanksgiving, but i think my love was lost once my parents sold their house--it just has never felt the same since. SOOOO this year i hope to bring it back in a big way. i love to cook and i love the fall and i love giving thanks. Hawaii Thanksgiving 2010! {ps fall really doesn't exist in hawaii--sad} i've already been thinking of menu items: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, carrots, fresh green beans, homemade rolls, my mom's famous orange and cranberry sauce and some pumpkiny dessert with nutmeg-like seasonings. i know this will all change because we'll have to accommodate everyone's nostalgic taste buds, but a girl can dream...

*all of this holiday talk made me miss getting Christmas hot chocolate with ashley & jessica at the neighborhood starbucks {ashley loves their holiday cups & sleeves}. if our weekends were a little slower than we'd like we'd grab a cup of cocoa and chat our worries away...love those days.

this is enough for tonight. it's nice to empty my thoughts...for now.

p.s. photo updates of Navy May:

"Heaven Ain't Far Away..."

Hawaii II from Jozie Curtis on Vimeo.

"Stay"

A large-scale exploration of extraordinary people preparing to go off and do extraordinary things, large and small. These are the kinds of moments that are fueled by Diet Coke.

I love this commercial! (even though I love Coke more than Diet Coke).

Love the song: "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap

Maunawili Falls, Kailua, Hawaii

I finally had a free Friday night so Tommy & I hiked up to Maunawili Falls. We didn't make it to the trailhead till 5:15pm. The sign reads Maunawili Falls Trail open from 6am - 6pm so we made it just in time. You know I was freaking out the whole hike. It was getting darker and darker and I was scared of drug dealers that would hold us hostage bc we accidentally found their pot gardens. (This is all fiction of course.) We made it to the falls just in time for one measly shot. We didn't even jump off the cliffs due to the Leptospirosis (bacteria) that supposedly inhabits in the water. We ran out just as fast (if not faster) as we ran/hiked in. Luckily we had our headlamps to provide extra lighting, but I was still afraid that I was someone's prey. 

As they say, all is well that ends well...

We enjoyed some tasty fish tacos y pork chimichanga at Maui Tacos afterwards. So worth it!