Catch-up...

Wow a lot has happened since we last updated our blog. First, I want to defend myself and say, we have been too busy. LOL. But if I did I would be lying. Second, I would like to recap what has happened over the last 6 months. I am however, going to break down what has happened into a few sections so that its easier to follow. I will be re-capping everything since I have plenty of time right now.


OOOooo I just remembered all that we are planning for October! We bought 6 Big pumpkins that we are going to carve and design for our Halloween party! Its going to be awesome! Costume Party with friends, with fun games and activities and the classic scary movie going on in the background on our projector. Last year the party was a huge hit! We played all sorts of games and just hung out. Anyways, we just bought some shrunken skull's that grow when they are soaked in water for a few hours. It will be both a great decoration and a great prize! Costumes... Aimee and I couldn't decide what to wear for Halloween so we are leaving our options oh my head feels like its been through a can opener. I actually decided to update the blog because I ran into an old friend's (Brittany) mom at JoAnn's. I felt kinda weird cause its one of those times you feel like crap and you run into people. We bought ourselves skin colored unitards...I have been wanting this for a while. It will be great for my flasher costume HAHAHA. Also we are going to airbrush some muscle definition on them and can use them for our He-Man and She-Ra costumes or our Adam and Eve costumes. Either way it will be great. I was going to be Captain Moroni and Aimee was going to be Rainbow Bright for Halloween this year but I think we will keep those in the bedroom. We decided to go as Adam and Eve. It will be fun. I need to go find a HUGE leaf!! But yeah so that's what's new with us, I think. I always forget something.

So anyways, I know all of you are wondering, "Where have you two been? What have you two been up to? Well that brings me back to my reason for writing this blog today. So here we go in chronological order.

First I left my job at Target. The management there was getting really crappy and I never wanted to work there forever. So I spend the whole next semester (which was my last!) focusing on school and finding a better job. So anyways my last big project in school was to write a full blown business plan for a company that was going to go international.


So my team and I choose to do a timeshare/hotel in Croatia. I believe over the course of the semester and countless hours researching, analyzing and planning we had a polished business plan of around a couple of hundred pages. Research included of course. Needless to say, we aced the class. I finished the semester and instead of walking I decided to take off to Washington D.C.for a week or so to see the sights! I told them to just mail my diploma to me. :)


Throughout the summer Aimee focused on taking care of a few HUGE projects she had going. She was doing a whole website redesign for a Non-Profit Organization called Operation Kids and for a company called RW Smith Brokers, who are a broker's broker.

Operation kids, has been one of the large contributors to the rebuilding and reorganization of schools, parks, community places in New Orleans and elsewhere. They are a fantastic organization and I would recommend them to anybody. Aimee and I have donated money to them as well.

And because of me and Aimee's hard work we have been able to pay off her car and all our debt. We have planned a trip to Los Cabos, Mexico. This will happen October 18th - 28th. Its going to be such a blast, we are going to go para sailing and snorkeling, swimming, scuba diving, dancing, eating..etc.. you name it! I'm going to love it so much!

Creative Streak Saturday... and Beyond

So, I know its Thursday and the title says Saturday, but I've been a bit busy with Jason's homework... yes, I have been doing his homework - at least for his International Marketing class's trade show.   He's in a group of 4 people, and for this assignment, they had to find a product that is/was sold internationally and market it for the US.  At first Jason totally hated the product they chose, but now we both want to buy one (considering they are no longer being made, it might prove to be a bit difficult).  Introducing the BMW C1 (as displayed by a little of my fancy footwork):

Pretty sweet, huh?  I really had a good time doing it. There is also a brochure and some business cards that go with it, but they aren't all that much fancier. This is just the 2' x 3' poster we had printed for the show that was Wednesday.

I also got a call on Sunday to design a flier for the Youth Conference for my ward.  It turned out pretty darn cute, if I may say so myself:

It was a great opportunity to me to use my talents for the church. The other project I was asked to do was a small handout for the YW Beauty Night - which was a HUGE success, I might add. I haven't had that much fun with all the girls since Girls' Camp!  Here's the cover:  (cute, huh? Very Spring-y)

So, at least my week so far, has proven to be productive - and fun!!!  Now I am planning on starting my new website design... again.  Hopefully I can have it laid out by Monday.  I started taking a database class (courtesy of the amazing Nik!) that is helping me with the backend of everything for the site.   Yipppeee!! Progress!!

Oh!!!  Congratulations to Alyse and Mike - they had their baby boy today!!!  Hooray!!!!

Getting Back into Real Life

Well, we have been back from our Nebraska/Kansas trip for 2 weeks now.... boy, time is flying! Nothing is really new.... though, we really wish we were still on vacation.  The funniest thing is this pic of my mother-in-law actually using her sewing machine in the back seat of the car while we were driving! (This is for you Les and Marg!):

The trip was really good for me.  It was fantastic to see my sisters-in-law and to get a break from the computer.  It was great to step back from my computer and 

see that there really is more to life than web design.  Like I said before, I am starting to sew and knit. Still working on knitting project #1, but I have sewn an apron and I made a "creative/collage board" thing. Here's some of my stuff from the last 2 weeks:

Practice project #1:  It's supposed to be a bag that stands up open, but... it was 7:30 in the morning, and apparently I can't read directions that early in the morning.  I didn't even notice that it was all wrong until it was "finished" and Jason ask

ed, "is it supposed to look like that?!?" Doh!!!!  I'll try again later....

My Reversible Apron:  (cute fabric, huh?)

My pride and joy for putting ideas together:

I am hoping to start using this blog to the benefit of my creative skills.  I would like to start posting a new "creation" of some sort every week. That will keep me (hopefully) more motivated and keep my skills up.  It might be anything from a new website or graphic to a painting or knitting project.  We will just have to see.  I have a whole list of things that I would like to do.   Its been really nice to get out of my comfort zone and play around a bit.  I am lucky to have a husband that really wants me to work on these things and develop my skills.  We will just have to see where they take me from here.  

To be honest, I have to give away my sources of inspiration for most of my new projects and ventures.  The first individual has had the greatest impact on my "new" thinking: Heather Bailey.  If you have never heard of her, you need to.  She's pretty much amazing in every way. The next is Erin Harris - she's like Martha Stewart only more "home grown".  Love it.   Martha Stewart, on the other hand, is also becoming a hero of mine.  :)  

Speaking of Martha, I am designing a website called WannaBeMartha.com.  It will be a lot of fun and give more people more opportunities to share their knowledge about anything crafty, home-y, or whatever to people.  I am also creating a shopping cart to go with it so there is opportunity for selling homemade stuff: like knitted socks, baby clothes, cheesy reversible aprons, etc.  I think it will be fun!  I will post a screenshot when the design has been laid out in Photoshop. 

I have to go to bed... Prince Charming is getting sleepy.   'Night!!!

Hangin' in Nebraska

Hey all! It's been a month since I have posted! I am such a bum! :) Well, as the title indicates, Jason and I are hanging out in Nebraska with Jason's sister, Leslie. We have been here for 2 days now and are absolutely loving it. We left Friday night and drove all the way through and got here Saturday morning at 11 - Whew!! We were very happy to FINALLY get here.

Leslie just had a beautiful baby girl and this morning we blessed her: Amelia Elizabeth Marie Terry. She is absolutely beautiful and SO sweet! She is only 6 weeks old and weighs just about nothing! Here's a picture of her:


Isn't she beautiful!  She actually looks a lot like Jason... she's definitely got some McDaniel qualities!  

Well, I am stepping out of my comfort zone again.  Now that I am learning to sew, I figure that I should continue to broaden my horizon... so I am learning how to knit.  I NEVER thought I would learn how to knit!  But, I am working on my first project ever.... one day I will be as good as Leslie at it, (BTW, she is seriously amazing when it comes to sewing.  She made me a pair of socks that are the most comfy EVER!).  We will see how it goes. She showed me the coolest website ever for knitters:  www.ravelry.com.  You should at least check it out - even if you don't knit.

Wednesday we leave for Kansas to see my other sister-in-law, Margie. She also had a baby and I have only seen pictures of her:

Cute, huh!  We are really excited to see her!  One the way to Kansas we are going to be going through Omaha to see the temple and the Visitor's Center where there is a Walter Rane exhibit.  I am pretty stoked about that!

We are having a blast - the vacation have been very needed.  While I learn to knit, Jason has been playing his usual computer games.  I am really glad that he is relaxing - school and work are playing their toll and we are SO excited for him to graduate this August.

Well, that's all for now!  I have got to get back to my knitting!!!  Ha ha!!!

Lasik Adventure!

So, today started out just like any other day. We slept in from being out late with friends and lazily enjoyed the morning as we got things ready for Aimee's Lasik appointment. We ate at Ihop, and had their new omlettes. Oh my gosh they were huge!! I mean it looked like they rolled a puppy in egg and cooked it, thats how big it was! Anyways, we swung by Target to pick up the last minute essentials for the day and were on our way to the Hoopes Vision Center for Aimee's Lasik appointment.

When we got there we were taken back to the Pre-Op room where Aimee was given valium and some numbing drops for her eyes. We were then taken back and Aimee was given a last minute eye exam to make sure that she would get the proper adjustment. I was a little worried when afterwards she said that she was worried because the final setting on the eye machine was more blury than the original eye perscription for her glasses. So we asked the eye doctor about it and they assured us that it was fine. They just didn't want to give too strong of a correction so that test and the one we did when we first went in for a consultation would balance out.

Anyways, Aimee is passed out next to me as I am writting this so I can say whatever I want. :) :P hehehe. LOL. Anyways, we went back and they put some more numbing drops in her eyes and had her close her eyes and rub them with I think detadyne. She looked like a crazy racoon it was great. They then took her in and had her lay down under the IntraLASIK machine. This is the machine that creates a button-sized corneal flap on the surface of the eye. The benefit of this is that there is no blade used. Also the flap is precise and when finished can lay perfectly back on the eye because of the beveled edge made around the corneal flap. Pretty cool hu? Here is the video of it.



During this process they use a suction thingy on the eyeball to ensure the precisness of the laser. When the eyeball is sucked up in this vaccum thing there is a complete loss of vision (you see nothing but black, or so Aimee says. she was kinda freaked out by the whole thing of being blind for like 3 minutes) when the procedure is done with that eye, they do the same to the other eye. For Aimee it took about 2-3 minutes for her vision to come back after being in the suction thingy. When the laser is doing its thing it is creating little pockets of air about a 10th of a milimeter under the corneal tissue. When they are left for a few minutes the tiny bubbles dissapate and essentially connect into one big bubble under the corneal tissue so that a flap is created. Then the laser cuts a beveled edge around it so that it can be lifted up later.

After this process is done they then bring her back out to the observing room and have her sit back with her eyes closed. After the bubbles have dissapated thus creating the flap needed she is taken back into the room and placed under the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ IQ 400 Excimer "Laser" :) which will then correct her vision by from what I understood cutting away a portion of her corneal tissue under the flap to effectively compensate for the astigmatism she had and the nearsightedness. Below you can see the video of her going through this.



The coolest thing that happened during this process actually happened to me! I was watching the procedure very intently through the ginormous glass windows like a greasy fry fingered kid does on the glass of the McDonalds play area. when a guy came up and stood inbetween me and the window. It took me a second to pry my eyes away from the TV and looked at him as he looked over his sholder at the TV and then back at me and said, "Think you can stomach one of these while watching that?" and then looked down at the big plate full of chocolate chip cookies he had. "Fresh from the oven", he said. Oven? where do they put an oven in here? So I quickly accepted one and then two chocolate chip cookies from the dude and happily ate them as Aimee was finished up.

Afterwards, she was brought out and we were sat in an eye exam room to let her eyes relax until she was checked out and given the ok to go home. We got home and by this time the valium had already done its job and she was out. We got in the house and she barely made it into bed, where she slept for a couple of hours before waking up to eat dinner and socialize a little and go back to bed.

So there is our exciting Lasik adventure in a nutshell. We will be sure to keep you posted. Until then be sure to check out the Hoopes Vision Center Website if you have any questions, comments, concerns.. well the comments you can put here. :) Hoopes is the best in Utah. Did I mention that Dr. Hoopes was actually our doctor? I was kinda suprised, I figured it would be somebody else.


if you have any questions or are curious about who they are. They are the best in Utah!

Sincerely,

Jason McDaniel

Time To Update!

Now that it has been about 2 weeks since I have written my first post, I figure that I might have enough to write!  :)  Today is our 2nd anniversary and it has been fantastic!  We celebrated yesterday - we went and got massages and then went to dinner at The Melting Pot.  After dinner, when we got home, my parents dropped of my little surprise for him. I painted a picture of him as Captain Moroni. He has wanted this picture by Walter Rane of Captain Moroni for 3 years, and I just couldn't convince myself to pay $200 for it. So, I decided to paint one of him.  I think it turned out alright.  He really likes it.

So, we decided this that week that it would be beneficial for me to proceed with Lasik surgery for my eyes. We had an appointment at the Hoopes Vision Center and the doctor decided that I was a perfect candidate. So we went ahead and scheduled the surgery and setup the financing. So, I go into surgery on the 19th!  I am pretty excited and I can finally get rid of my glasses! Hooray!

Other than that, there isn't much going on in my life.  OH!  My cute sister in law, Leslie, just had her baby on Wednesday! Congratulations to her!  They have named her Amelia - I can just call her Milly.  :)  OK, other than that there isn't much going on.  I am just working away and trying to stay upright on my two feet with it all.  

Thank you everyone for your comments - I love them!!   HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!  It will be great!

Life is GREAT!!

Well, I think I am finally convinced that I should start a blog. :) I saw the cutest picture of a little boy on a blog today and... he won my heart. I need to put up cute pictures of my man, too.

Life is great. That's just about all that goes on. Everyday is a new adventure, and I pity the unlucky women who aren't married to someone like Jason - he's amazing! I ran into an old boyfriend tonight at the gym (the one I actually dumped Jason to date... oops....) and I was reminded how grateful I am to have married Jason. I am so in love!

Jason is going to be done with school in August and is majoring in Business Administration at the U. He is currently the newest manager at Target with a future promotion in August. Yipee! He is working hard at school work and takes his much needed breaks by playing video games. Not too bad of a life, but still really busy. Just pray that August comes quickly!

I have been working like crazy on my design work. I finally finished an application to Swiss Days for Candy Jade - they will definitely get accepted! (Keep your fingers crossed!) I just received more work from R.W. Smith to do all there stationary, since we just re branded their company (a HUGE improvement, may I add). And I am working on Candy Jade's new-and-improved website and fighting with the programmer to get my brother's finished site up and actually working. Oh, I got another project too with Thorup Tutoring that is a quickie, but should help pay a bill or two. I spend my mornings at the gym (trying to get my Spartan body), and the rest of the day either working on the computer or re-learning how to draw and paint. I have a list of projects, but Jason said that we can't spend all our money at Home Depot, so I have to wait and save. That's ok. :)

Our anniversary is February 10th and I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ALREADY BEEN TWO YEARS! It have been a FANTASTIC 2 years, but sure has gone by quickly! It's just nice to know that I am 16 pounds lighter than I was 2 years ago - only 15 more to go! **No one is allowed to comment on that. :) I AM SPARTAN!! (and a really big geek!).

I hope that I can keep this up! I think the idea of blogging is really cool, but the commitment is another thing for me. I am a bum. :) I hope to check back in soon!