Halloween

This year I thought a lot about Halloween's from my childhood. The thing that I loved about Halloween's growing up is that they were always very homemade. Homemade treats, costumes, pumpkins and decorations. I remember making homemade caramel apples with Daddy...And through years of work from Mom the box of homemade costumes...I would always carve pumpkins, and still do to this day, Halloween night. The sense that is most closely associated with Halloween for me is all of the smells...The smell of a candle burning inside of a jack-o-lantern reminds me of trick-or-treating around the neighborhood...the smell of Noxzema reminds me of taking face makeup off...The smell of candy!! But it has to be a mixture of types of candy...if not it is just too specific.

This year I made a Charlie Brown ghost costume...it was really fun!
Here is a photo of everyone in the office who dressed up. Look! I found Wenda! For the office I tried my hand at homemade rootbeer. Totally expensive. Totally worth it. The only thing that I did not like was that it didn't "fog" very long. Any suggestions to make it smoke longer with the dry ice? Still it tasted wonderful.

Here are this year's pumpkins...The owl didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, but the spider made up for it!

Christmas photos 2010

Here is this year's Christmas photos! I think that these are some of my favorites of all time! Thanks again Jami!

More crafts...

I just wanted to show off some of the craft projects I have been working on lately. :)

SUU vs. NDU

For the first time in over six years Kyle got to go to an actual game and cheer for a team , he really liked being a fan for once.. We traveled with the SUU football team to the booming metropolis of Fargo, ND then Grand Forks, ND for the actual game. We had some down time in Fargo so we walked quite a bit...in fact Saturday morning we walked to Minnesota. I think that Kyle suggested this just to say that we did it...hehe... We had a great time, and our team actually won! The other fans were not very good fans...it was their homecoming game and when they were loosing pretty badly in the third quarter they got up and left (probably to go and drink some more!) All-in-all, great trip, good food and GREAT company.Great facts about North Dakota/ our trip:

• Around Fargo they have these big painted buffalo that looked like they were totally out of the seventies...
• Out of our hotel window I counted 20+ water towers. Welcome back to the mid-west.
  
• Alcohol flowed like water. They had three types of flags at their tailgate party, the USA flag, NDU flag and beer company flags.
  
• They have a really nice indoor football arena, which makes sense since it is ND! But I don't think that I would like to play football on carpet. There is something about football and green grass that go hand-in-hand.
• At the Chinese restaurant that we went to for dinner they had huge trained goldfish...that when you walked over to their pool they would swim up to you. Totally cool.

The Cottam's Anniversary

It has been officially six years since we got married...This is what I came home to:

Kyle just laughed and said something about it all being smoopy. I really like smoopy though.

Not me Monday

I do not hate condensation on bottles...It always seems to dribble on my pants.

I am not happy that fall is finally here, I have pulled out the sweaters already.

I do not hate it when your head and your heart tell you two different things.

I am not getting excited about Christmas already. I know I am crazy. Thankfully Kyle loves me anyways. Bring on the FM 100.3!

I am not thankful for good friends.

Not me Wednesday

I am not excited to put up Halloween decorations, and I am not doing it this weekend because Kyle will be out of town!

I was not tempted to feel a cactus at work...it looked fluffy. I did resist this strange urge.

I am not nervous about my new boss starting in a week and a half and no it is not because I am almost half his size at 6' 7''.

I did not find a wicked awesome Sherlock Holmes pattern for Halloween...It will have to wait until next year though. This year I'm going to be a "Charlie Brown Ghost."

I have not been super busy with school. But when I stop to think about it, all the studying I do is not a bad thing...hearing how much TV other people watch.

I have not already completed 3 new Halloween crafts. And I have another one in the works. I am a hopeless cause.

We do not love our new BBQ. Hooray for the first real steak in my marriage! :)

I am not already thinking about the Christmas music I get to play in the near future.

Not me Thursday

I did not just get caught in the rain walking across campus from my class...thus I am not drenched and I do not have several hours of work left!

I did not spill my peaches all over my pants such that it looks like I had an "accident"...yeah.

I am not looking forward to school shopping this weekend!

I have not been crazy at work...I am starting to wonder why I wanted students back on campus.

I am not already starting to plot Halloween decorations...he he he he (evil witch laugh)

I did not find the creepy organ music from The Ghost and Mr. Chicken for my Iphone...and I am not ECSTATIC about it! I really need to find the sheet music to that.

Kyle did not find a game for our Iphones called Plants vs. Zombies...and I actually really like it!

I am not going to spend all night tonight watching NCIS season 7 that just came in the mail from Netflix.

I did not put my trust in Walmart this last week to get the new Mockingjay book...come to find out they only ordered ONE BOX. Yeah, now I get to wait for it to come in the mail. Patience is a virtue...

Not me Monday

I have not come to conclude that I don't like eating leftovers very much. There are certain ones that I LOVE...but normally not so much.

I did not feel very uncomfortable when while using the public restroom today someone else the stall next to mine answered their cell phone and had a lengthy conversation. I tried to wait but just couldn't...That is just gross.

I am not frustrated with my dish washer...it is leaving a film on everything. I think that I might need to have it looked at.

I did not have a phone call last week that lasted 54 min 59 sec. Fun...I think that I earned a gold star! :)

Not me Wednesday

I am not reminded of my childhood when I smell fresh paint (my office is getting painted).

I have not come to the conclusion that all troubles boil down to lack of communication.

I am not very excited about our camping trip this weekend!

I am also not very, very excited about Kyle getting us new Iphones!

I am not stressed about hiring a new Registrar in my office....

The Fourth of July!

Hooray for the 4th of July! Kyle insisted that we headed up to SLC in time for the Murray City parade. We had a great time! We started off the day with a free McDonald's breakfast...which is the junk food breakfast of choice. Then we made it to the parade just in time! I have to say that Kyle was at his best with his commentary. He should be the one doing the official one...One of the great things about the Murray City parade is that they give out lots of free stuff. Here is Kyle with his TP...hehe...
My niece Angela had a ball with the marching bands...she would get up and dance! It was hilarious!
Hey look! I found Waldo! This is my crazy bro-in-law Troy. Yes he did dress up like Waldo. AND yes he did get a LOT of free stuff for doing so. Tradition in the making? I think so!Melissa and her cool mask!Kendall and his girls...hehe...
After the parade we all went back to Mom and Dad Cottam's for lunch. Here is me and Mia. Can I just say that I love this shot? :)
After this we had a BBQ with my family and watch the "legal" fireworks that my brother-in-law got. All in all great day, good food and wonderful family! :)

Blankets and Cupcakes!

This is the latest quilt that I finished for my niece Callia. I got a package a few months ago with a note asking me to use the Mickey Mouse fabric that she sent to make a blanket. Here is the outcome!
A close up:
This is when I gave her the blanket! This is huge because lately Callia has hated getting her picture taken! That means that she loved the blanket.
Also here is the promised cupcake photos...I am really looking forward to doing these again! But I have to say that as good as these looked, they tasted even better! Super moist!

Not me Friday

I am not ready for this weekend.

I did not laugh hysterically when a student called in and wanted their transcript hand delivered to Montana. Yep, let me get on that.

I am not frustrated with the new design feature of my blog.

I am not excited to see family this next week!

I did not get elected to be the Staff Association Secretary for the next year. It is even a payed position. :) I have to admit that I felt like I was back in high school because you have to be nominated and then they hold an election.

I am not VERY excited to get our new furniture for our bedroom. And because we are getting new furniture I do not want to get a new comforter...hehe.

My cupcakes did not turn out wicked awesome. And the best part is that they tasted as good as they looked!

I am not devastated that my boss is leaving for a new job...thus I am super nervous about hiring a new one.

I do not have the best Dad in the whole world! Daddy drove down for a surprise visit on Sunday...totally made my week!

I am not about to finish a new quilt for my niece. It is a mickey mouse shag quilt! I hope she will love it.

PARIS POST

Ok, so it just took me a really, really, really long time to get this up! But that it because it is HUGE! So please go back and read it if you are interested. :) It is listed under 5-27-10. I hope that you enjoy!
http://cottamfam.blogspot.com/2010/05/paris.html

Random thought

Do you ever have those clothes that you just love, that you hang onto forever but do not fit you anymore? And then...do you ever try them on just in case? Well I have one of those...my favorite blue dress that I have had since I was like 14 or something. Randomly I tried it on again on Sunday, and it totally fit! I have no idea how, but it did. And I totally wore it to church. Maybe my sisters were right, maybe I have lost weight...but I don't know, I don't own a scale!

Crafts and cakes

I have come to a conclusion about myself recently. I am a crafty person...but I am one that has to see it somewhere else (Or at least the beginning!) first and then I can create it! Here are some new ideas that are recent finds that I am going to try out! :)


Rainbow cupcakes! Love this idea. I am going to try different themes with these ones...Different greens for St. Patrick's day, black, orange and purple for Halloween, etc... The credit goes to a really nice gal named Mindika. Here is her blog: http://www.mindikamoments.com/2009/09/rainbow-bright.html. I am going to try these this weekend for a work party, and if they work well I'll do them for Ma's birthday party!
The next fun idea is for the 4th of July! Flag cake! :) This is from a blog called 17 and baking. Here is the site: http://17andbaking.com/2009/07/01/a-little-taste-of-independence/ and a link to the video! http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=71&sid=11199064