Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas was very merry indeed! Andy and I had a wonderful time back home with our families. Of course, my best gift this year was getting Andy back safely from his trip to Taiwan. He was gone 17 days which felt like forever and worst of all we didn't get to talk much given the 13 hour time difference. Work kept him very busy, but he did get two weekends to have fun and explore the city with his very own tour guide (a friend who happens to live in Taipei).

While we were home for the holidays we had a chance to visit my grandma who celebrated her 91st birthday on Tuesday. I don't have a photo from her party as we had to leave the day before, but here are a few photos of her. The first is her ringing in the big 9-0 and the second is her dressed up as a witch on Halloween, complete with skeleton earrings. I know you can't get a true feel for her personality from a couple of photos, but I'm sure you can tell she doesn't look or act anything like you'd expect someone her age would. Happy birthday grandma!

As for tonight, Andy and I will be ringing in the new year with a quiet night in. I've come down with some sort of illness - it seems like a bit of a hybrid between a cold and strep throat. After waking up last night in total agony, Andy finally convinced me to go see a doctor and I've started on some antibiotics while we wait for the test results to get back in case it is strep. What a way to spend my last remaining days of vacation!

Here's to a happy and healthy new year!

Going to the Out House

Backtracking a few weeks... The day before Thanksgiving I got to choose the two externship sites I will be working at during my fourth year. I'll spend the first 6 months doing internships "in house" at the 3 local clinics associated with the school.

The last 6 months will be divided up into two - three month rotations away from school. I decided to do the first "out house" rotation at a private practice in Miami that has an emphasis on specialty contact lens fittings and sports vision therapy. My second "out house" rotation will be at a very large, multi-location practice in my hometown that deals with a lot of ocular disease and surgery. The practice has 8 different locations and a broad range of doctors and specialties, including optometrists, ophthalmologists, cosmetic surgeons, hearing specialists, and skin care professionals. I'll get a chance to visit as many of the practices as I'd like and even go into the OR to observe any of the surgeries being performed. All in all, I'm very excited to get more experience and to work in all the different practice settings. However, it also makes me a bit nervous to realize how close I am to graduating. It's felt so far off for so long, but it's starting to hit me now that it's only a year and a half away!

And just for fun I threw in a photo of me with some friends. This photo was taken after we gave a presentation to two high school classes about the profession. We all tried to maintain our composure when one girl, the first person to raise a hand, asked Johnny (far right) if he was nervous because he was talking so fast! We got bombarded with tons of other questions, some pretty off the wall. 

Mini Cinni-mon Muffins

Remember a while back when I wrote about wanting to make those Sin-amon morning muffins? Well, in an attempt to avoid studying for final last week I finally made them! I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception that I didn't have a muffin pan so I made them using my mini cupcake pan.

Andy loves them and has been popping them in all their one bite glory left and right. I think they're alright, but I am the pickiest eater you've ever met. (Seriously, I dare you to find someone pickier than me!) I think it's the nutmeg that I don't care for - too strong of a taste for me. And while I didn't take any photos, I assure you that they turned out just as cute as in the photo I saw online so if you're looking for an easy to make sweet I'd encourage you to give these a try.

Sometimes I like to browse house listings (usually realtor.com or sotheby's if I'm feelin fancy) in areas where Andy and I are considering moving to, just to get a feel for the area as well as home prices and what you get for your money. The other day I spotted this gem in northern California. Check out the awesome bathroom:

Yes, I do believe that's a door, specifically what looks like a front door, on the other side of the shower. Quite a way to greet your guests I must say! Also, I don't believe I've ever seen a ceiling fan inside the bathroom. And what's up with the light fixture between the mirror and the window? It's just kinda hanging out over counter that shouldn't even be there.

And all this can be yours for the low, low price of $649,000! Granted, the rest of the house isn't so bad, but it could still use some work. If we do decide to move to Cali I have a feeling we'll be living in a cardboard box.

Happy (Very Belated) Thanksgiving!

Sorry this post is a bit late. Between final exams, helping Andy prepare for his trip to Taiwan, and editing photos I got a little behind.

Andy and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our families back home. We spent Thanksgiving day with my mom's side of the family. The last time I saw my cousin Emily was at Thanksgiving 3 years ago when she was pregnant with her son Luke. Since then she also had a baby girl named Lydia and I finally got to meet them both!

I also got to see my cousin Samantha's baby Wyatt again. I guess I really can't call him a baby anymore though since he's walking! I can't believe how much he's grown since I last saw him.

Friday afternoon we spent a little more time with Sam, Travis, and Wyatt out by the beach.

Friday evening we had dinner with my dad, stepmom, and sister, who is about to surpass me in terms of height and she's only 10 years old! This might not seem too surprising if I were short, but I'm 5'4"! I would have liked to have seen my grandma who usually joins us for dinner, but she's vacationing in North Carolina with my aunt.

On Saturday we did Thanksgiving with Andy's side of the family out in the country. As you can probably tell, it was a lot of running around for us! Thankfully we didn't have to split Thanksgiving day between two families, but it still felt rushed. We had to leave Saturday evening since I had 3 finals that week and needed to get home and study. Hopefully Christmas is a bit more relaxed since I have about a week off!

Stone Topped Furniture

Years ago I knew someone who had a gorgeous wooden coffee table with a marble top. Lately, I've started noticing some similar pieces such as the ones below.

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The types of stone used are travertine, faux marble, and travertine, respectively.

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I love the curves on this antique looking dresser. The top is actually made of wood, but I think it would look great with a similarly colored slab of marble or travertine for a slightly more modern look.

I'm baaaack!

As I was typing the title to this post Steve Urkel pop into my head with his signature catchphrase, "I'm baaaack!" (Hey! Don't those look like the same glasses I made and put on our pumpkin?!)

Last Sunday I flew to Jacksonville for a two day contact lens seminar put on by one of the major contact lens manufacturers, all expenses paid. Due to scheduling conflicts none of my friends were able to go and I ended up being the only student from my school there. It was a bit nerve wracking for an introvert like myself, but I ended up having a great time and am really glad I went. Not knowing anyone there took away my crutch and forced me to meet a number of really nice students from other schools that I may not have talked to otherwise. 

Wednesday, the day after my return, was my last day in clinic for the semester. In a couple weeks we will start our winter semester and I'll be back in clinic, but thankfully I'll be working a different day. That means no more 12+ hour days! Woohoo! 

Happy Halloween!

Check out our nerdy mini pumpkin Stuart. I made his glasses a while back.

Getting Shot... Again

The last time I wrote about getting shot I was referring to an upcoming photo shoot, but this time I'm talking about needles!

Yesterday I got some blood work done as part of my yearly physical exam and I blacked out. And tomorrow we are getting our injections certification which requires us to give (and receive) three different types of shots! Yikes! I'm pretty confident the blacking out was just my usual response to having so much blood taken since I don't really fear needles, but I'm still a bit nervous for tomorrow. My only solace is that it's just the arm and not the eye...at least not yet.

Wish me (and my partner) luck!

Four Eyes

I'm wearing my new pair of glasses as I sit here typing this. One of the things I learned in optometry school is that it's not a good idea to wear contact lenses for 18 hours a day, which I've been doing for, oh I dunno, 10 years now! I've always felt like I look horrible in glasses and I hate how wearing them doesn't feel nearly as natural as contact lenses, but I found a pair I'm pretty happy with. Now it's just a matter of switching into them when I get home to give my eyes a break.

Speaking of giving my eyes a break...

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The other night Andy and I were browsing through recipes on foodgawker.com and I came across these beauties! They're called "Sin"amon Morning Muffins. I haven't gotten a chance to try making them yet, but they look absolutely delicious. Mmmm!

If you can't take the heat...

Ok, I've been meaning to finish writing this post for over a week now, but I keep getting side tracked. However, I've got 2 weeks of 10 exams coming up so I know if I don't do this tonight I'll never get to it! Besides all of the tests I've had recently and all the new ones of the horizon (I know, what's new?) life has been pretty great!

The weekend before last Andy and I got to visit with my dad when he came to town for a sailing regatta. It was wonderful to see him and I can't wait to go home and see the rest of my family. Hopefully it won't be too much longer.

And the weather - wow! The past few weeks have been absolutely perfect! I would love, love, love if it was like this year round. Sadly, we've still got another year and a half before we can consider moving somewhere with real seasons. Until then I guess we'll just have to stand with the freezer door open and use our imaginations!

We're Gonna Get Shot!

Woohoo! Andy and I won a free photo session with our wedding photographers, Mandy & Me Studios. Amanda and Anas did an amazing job with our engagement photos (as you can see by the photos in the blog header) as well as our wedding photos. We're tentatively planning our photo session for this coming May, around the time of our 2 year anniversary. Can't wait!

DIY #2 - Done!

Remember a while back when I wrote about my coffee table refinishing project? At the time I was so frustrated with how much time and effort the whole thing took that I swore it'd be years before I took on another project like that! Well, that didn't happen!

First, some background... Three years ago, when moving into my first unfurnished apartment, I purchased a little table from Target for around $15 as a temporary nightstand. Buying the necessities, such as a bed and a desk, drained my wallet and I figured I would upgrade down the road. I didn't think I'd take three years, but I'm picky and cheap - not a good combo!

A few months ago I had the week off and took the opportunity to go shopping. I passed by an unfinished wood furniture store as I was driving around. I could hear it calling my name so I decided to pop in and see what they had to offer. It just so happened they were going out of business and everything was 60% off! Who can resist a deal like that? I picked up two new nightstands for $18 each, which were unfinished but already assembled.

This time I decided to do plenty of research ahead of time, not be so stubborn, and get the job done right! The first thing I did was go out and buy wood conditioner and more of those cheap foam brushes.

Since the wood was unfinished I only needed to do a light sanding to prep the tables. I applied the conditioner just like the directions specified and was able to stain one of the tables before I got too sore from all the bending over to get to the second table. Since I conditioned both tables the first day, but didn't stain the second one, I had to re-sand it to "open up the pores" and then apply conditioner again when I came back to work on it. Both tables came out fine, but I think it was this step that caused the two tables to be slightly different in color. One table has more of a reddish tint than the other.

  
I had a lamp on when I took the right photo so the color is slightly off, but still pretty accurate. I used the leftover red mahogany stain and semi-gloss polyurethane from my coffee table project on the nightstands.

The finished nightstands side by side.

I can't wait for the day when we have a garage or better yet a workshop where I can do these kinds of projects! 

Drooling (Literally) Over Kitchen of the Year

Monday, when I got home from the dentist I couldn't feel nearly half of my face. I must be really sensitive to novicaine because even my lower eyelids and ears get numb. It's a great thing to be pain free, but man do I hate that stuff!

Anyway, I decided to take it easy and watch an episode of Flipping Out. In case you haven't seen it before it's a show on Bravo about real estate investor/flipper/designer Jeff Lewis and his team. In the episode I watched, Bright Lewis, Big City, Jeff heads to New York for a meeting about the kitchen he's been choosen to design for House Beautiful magazine's Kitchen of the Year. I had seen a few pictures of the kitchen floating around on the internet and it was fun to see a bit of the behind the scenes action. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think of his designs!

All photos from housebeautiful.com

Daybed Dreaming

After two years of talking about getting a new sofa, even going out shopping one once or twice, we still have the old worn out futon sitting in our living room. It's such an eyesore that I can't even bring myself to post a photo of it.

I recently visited our local Crate & Barrel store and fell in love with this oh so soft and plush daybed.

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In the evenings Andy and I like to sit facing each other with our legs intertwined as we read or work on our laptops. It's a great was to relax and spend time together after a long day and something this daybed would be perfect for! However, we need a sofa with a back to it and since we don't have room for it as an extra piece of furniture the search continues!

The Week Ahead

I'm not looking forward to this week very much. Although I've already had my first exam of the semester, this is when things really starts to pick up. I've got two exams this week, two next week, one exam per week for a few weeks, and then midterms. Around midterm time is when we get our certificate for injections - yes, injections. We have to practice intradermal, intramuscular, and subcutaneous injections on each other and then demonstrate proficiency to get our certification. Really though, I'm just glad we're not performing any of the ocular injections on each other. Oh, and to kick this week off I have to get four cavities filled after my exam tomorrow!

The Verdict Is In...

The verdict is in - the Brazilian keratin treatment (BKT) was a big fat fail! After four looong days of greasy hair I was so excited to hop into the shower, special sulfate-free shampoo in hand, and see just how well the treatment worked. As soon as I started to lather up I could feel the curls returning. I was pretty upset with that I saw when I got out of the shower and looked in the mirror.  My hair appeared to be less curly than before, but only by a small amount. Certainly not worth the time and money I had put in.

One the left is my hair right after getting the BKT done. The photo on the right shows how curly my hair was after washing it for the first time. The second time I washed my hair (not pictured) it seemed to have completely returned to its naturally curly state.

I got out the blow dryer and flat iron and went to town. The straightening process didn't seem to go any quicker than before. The only positive that I could see what that my hair didn't frizz up when I went outside and it felt very smooth and silky.

Despite the fact that I had very limited success with the treatment I'm still glad I did it. I had been wanting to try it for a long time and now I finally know what it's like. I heard some positive reviews of the Japanese hair straightening from some of my classmates so I may consider trying that in the future. In the meantime I'll continue to use my blowdryer and iron to straighten my hair into submission or, more likely, just let my curls do what they do best and try to accept it.

Oh, and on another note my in-laws will be visiting for the weekend. They are nice enough to drive my new car down and will be staying for two days to visit. I'm not sure what our plans are, but I'm sure we'll find something fun to do.

Set Me Straight

Last night I got the Brazilian keratin treatment done. It was quite an experience! As soon as I opened the door to the salon I was hit by a cloud of smoke. The hair stylist said he was running behind so I took a seat and started flipping through magazines. A few minutes in and my nose and eyes were burning. I looked up at one of the girls who was in the process of getting the treatment done and she was holding a napkin over her face. I started to panic about what was in the air and knowing that this would take a few hours I questioned if I would be able to handle it.

I tried to push those thoughts into the back of my mind as I anxiously flipped through more magazines. Finally, over an hour later, the stylist was ready for me. I came in with my hair shampooed twice with no conditioner or other products in it like he asked so he jumped right in by brushing my hair and applying the product. After my hair was coated I sat under the dryer for 20-30 minutes. My thick mane had barely dried so his assistant came over with a blow dryer to speed things up. 

Once my hair was dry it was back to the stylist who worked his magic with the straightening iron. He used a comb as he went along to protect his hands from the scorching 450 degree heat. It was a bit disconcerting to hear my hair sizzle as the stylist worked near my ears. After he was finished straightening he did a quick trim and freshened up my layers. 

    

The end result was stick straight hair. I actually prefer my hair with more volume and life to it so I'm hoping that it will come back after I am able to wash it. Which brings me to the fact that I am not allowed to wash my hair for four whole days! I also can't tie my hair back, wear a headband, or anything else which might mess my hair up. I'm still very curious to see how it holds up over time. I have to say that the time, expense, and pain of it all is probably enough to keep me from doing it again unless it lasts for several months.

The Grass is Always Greener

The struggle with my hair began at a young age. It's curly or wavy (depending on its mood), super thick, and frizzy. Despite my best efforts I feel like I can never get it to behave.

I entered the world with a full head of nearly black hair.

As a toddler my curls turned blonde.

Slowly my hair darkened and up until high school it refused to grow past my shoulders. Instead of growing down it grew out, into a big frizzy mess that I like to refer to as the mushroom or the Princess Leia look. It was bad - really, really bad. As horrible as the photo above is, much worse photos exist, I'm just not willing to share them! (Note: No kittens were harmed in the taking of this photo.)

Finally, in high school my hair started to grow, but I still wasn't happy with it. I bought my first hair straightener, but rarely used it. It took about an hour to use and within 30 minutes of stepping outside the humidity would cause it to turn into a complete mess, even worse than before!

During my freshman year of college Andy convinced me to try something new with my hair so I went to the salon and got over 10 inches cut off. I had a better straightener which I used more frequently, but my hair still had a hard time standing up to the high humidity.

I feel like I need to look a bit more polished and professional, but I just don't have the time or patience to spend an hour straighten my hair every morning. I finally decided to make an appointment to get the Brazilian keratin treatment done. I'm curious to see how straight it gets my hair, how long it lasts, and if it's worth the money. I'll be sure to post the verdict after I get it done!