nat.bloggy.blog

Triple Threat Chocolate Cake and the Bachelor

2012-01-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

Alright, alright! Since SO many of you were demanding my recipe (ok, just one person) I thought I would post it on here to share!

This is by far the most simple, sinful, delicious cake you will bake. Preferably for a trashy TV night...like Bachelor/Bachelorette!

First, a short back story. In college, my 6 roommates and I would watch TV together and on a particularly bad/hard/lazy/trashy tv day, I would bake this cake for us and we would ~~slowly devour~~ shovel it down our throats. What?! We're still ladies. We just know what we like!

Ok, back to the Bachelor this season. A few thoughts:

1) Love Ben. He's fun, cute, smart, has a personality and "is available."
Anyone catch last night how that oh-so-humble model kept talking about his hair and touching it (while touching hers) like, in a fetish type way? And remember when she made that really intelligent comment about last season when he said "I'm available." Oh boy, it's just too good already!

2) Anyone else want to give Jenna a high five....in the face?
WHAT A BABYYYYYYY! Why didn't her parents ever tell her to knock that behavior off? The fact that she's a blogger and writes about "why do boys hate me?" "Why doesn't anyone want to date me?" is the reason why I didn't want to start a blog in the first place. Too much whining and self pity in the blogosphere. No one wants to hear that, Jenna!

Oh, and one more comment (amongst many I will not share), did you see the way she entered the room before the rose ceremony? All puppy dog like? PUH LEEZE! Knock that crap off! You are a woman, not a 3 year old child! But, you sure do crave attention in the most inappropriate ways like a 3 year old would!

3) A note to Ben: Good luck warding off all the crazies. I'll be rooting for you on the sidelines at the rose ceremonies, regardless of the producers choices for you.

And now, to more important things...like Triple Threat Chocolate Cake.

Here is my oh-so-simple recipe and directions. I'll be waiting on the other side to hear you say, "That's it?!"

TRIPLE THREAT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients:
1 box Devil's Food chocolate cake. It HAS to be the one with a cup of pudding in the mix. This is a deal maker and breaker, people!

1 tub of chocolate fudge frosting

1 bag mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Follow the directions on the box for mixing and baking the cake. I typically use a bundt pan to bake it.

Allow the cake to cool completely, if not almost completely. This is important for the frosting.

Transfer the cake to a serving dish and use the entire tub of frosting to frost the cake. Yeah, I said it.

When the cake is completely covered with frosting, sprinkle the mini chocolate chips on top and on the sides. Even on the little hole on the inside of the bundt.

Enjoy with a cold glass of milk!

Bonus: If you want to make it "fancy" try adding Heath bar bits, peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips. Heck, crush up a butter finger bar and sprinkle that sucker all over! You're the boss-act like it!

Until next week, I urge you to eat a healthy amount of chocolate cake.....and stay sane, people!

xo,
Nat

"Biscot"

2011-12-29T17:28:00.000-08:00

Around this time of year [Christmas] my family anxiously awaits the most glorious package from Pittsburgh, PA....a package of my Grandma Venneri's fresh baked cookies! Pizelles, almond cookies, chocolate cookies, snowballs, biscotti, chocolate covered pretzels....the list goes on and on. Seriously, the best package EVER-second to the package she sends at Easter...don't even get me started!

Isn't she just the cutest lil' grandma you ever did see?

Here are the cookies she baked for our wedding. Love!

The past few years, we haven't had a package from Grandma since it's been harder and harder for her to crank out dozens of different types of cookies for all of her five kids and their families. So, she has passed the recipe along to us kids and grandkids and we have made them for ourselves. Obviously, they taste quite similar, but lack the extra love (and crisco) that Grandma Venneri adds to her cookies : )

When Ryan and I headed north to King City this Christmas, we made a pit stop in SLO for some Black Horse coffee and a snack to fuel us the rest of the way. Little did I know that our innocent little pit stop would awaken a slumbering beast inside of me!

We bought a "Carmello" (delicious espresso mixed with caramel and a little milk) and a biscotti as big as your arm. Seriously, I was in awe of how they baked one that big.

Let me just pause and say:

I LOVE BISCOTTI!

Besides Grandma Venneri's "biscot" (biscotti), I have never tasted any biscotti as good as the one at Black Horse.

So, of course on the rest of our drive up to King City I googled the crap out of their biscotti, searching relentlessly for their recipe so I could make it myself and take a bath in biscotti cookies every morning....ok, maybe not that extreme, but I definitely put my researching skills to the test!

And, to my disappointment, the biscotti recipe is nowhere to be found. It comes from a hipster bakery, OF COURSE! Hipster recipes don't exist outside of the shop...unless they're on Pinterest.

So, even though Ryan and I are ready to fast from bread, carbs and anything that has grease on it so we can lose the Christmas lb's, I am baking my grandma's biscotti recipe and enjoying it with a piping hot cup of coffee....because I said so!

Want the family recipe? Sorry, can't share it! : ) However, I will share the two recipes I mashed together from allrecipes.com.

The original recipe, another recipe I used

ALMOND ANISETTE BISCOTTI

Ingredients:

12 ounces butter (room temperature)
1 3/4 c white sugar
6 eggs
2 tsp anise extract
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 1/2 c all-purpose flower
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 c chopped almonds

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. In a large bowl, mix cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time; beat until fluffy. Stir in the anise and vanilla extracts.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add them to the egg mixture along with the chopped almonds. (you might need to switch to a dough hook on your mixer halfway through)

4. Divide the dough into two parts (or 4, if you want smaller cookies) Roll the pieces into logs about 15 inches log. If you have parchment paper, line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. Flatten the logs out until they are about 3 inches wide with a slight hump going down the middle.

5. Bake for 30 minutes. Loaves should come out firm.

6. Cut the loaves into diagonal slices, about 1/2 inch wide each. Place the slices on their sides back on to the cookie sheets. Toast each side for 5-8 minutes each, depending on how crunchy or soft you want them to be.

Careful! You might discover your dough is soft in the middle and not completely cooked if you only do 2 loaves. That happened to me my first time! So, just toast them a little longer on each side and it will cook through while toasting the rest of the cookie.

7. Enjoy with a cup of your favorite coffee, tea or milk!

Cheers!,
Nat

8 things women should never do at the gym...

2011-12-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

As the new year approaches and I think about the weight I have gained from my "Christmas Culinary Adventures," I started to think of all the people I would have to start dodging at the gym due to "New Years Resolutions."

In light of the upcoming crowds I will be dodging, here is a list I put together of the things that I see and annoy me most at the gym...of course, this is meant to be mostly funny with a twinge (or two) of truth. My apologies if this offends you...

8 things women should never do at the gym:

8) Bend over in front of the pervs in the weight area. All you'll do for yourself is attract this guy...

7)Wear only a sports bra and bottoms. 90% of the women who do this have no business doing it in the first place! However, I will say...if you've worked hard and have the body for it, more power to you!

6) Make weird grunting noises while lifting weights. If you should choose to go after it on the weights, find a way to breath lady-like…i's already weird enough when men grunt loudly while lifting heavy weights.

5) DO NOT! I repeat, DO NOT wear jeans, jean shorts, kahkis or converse to work out in. Running shorts, basketball shorts or spandex are a better option. Until you're in the shape you want to be in, they will at least help you look more athletic. You could always just print this handy dandy pocket guide if you ever question if what you're wearing is "gym-appropriate."

4) Not wearing your hair in a ponytail. Really? This isn’t Baywatch, and it's definitely not a slow motion scene for a romantic movie….so where is your hair tie and why is it not in your hair keeping it out of your face?

3) A freshly painted make up face. Yep, you know who you are. You're that girl who puts eyeliner, foundation, eye shadow and uses about a can of hairspray on their hairdo before stepping foot in the gym. Save yourself time, money and effort...you're gonna sweat it off anyways!

2)Your boobs are not a place for your electronics to be stored. Period. Invest in an arm band.

1) and last but definitely not least…TALKING ON THE PHONE WHILE WORKING OUT! Are you kidding me? I especially dislike getting calls from friends when they are at the gym. If I wanted to talk to you during this time, I would be there with you. I love you dearly, but I prefer not to hear your pants and grunts on the other side of the phone. Please don't be offended if I find a reason to get off the phone at that moment.

With that being said...HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE! Here's to making resolutions and being smart about it!

xo,
nat

Strawberry Scones, brought to you by Miss.E.lliot

2011-08-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

Part of my Fall tradition on cold or overcast days is going to Starbucks and ordering a Pumpkin Spice Latte and scone. Either a pumpkin scone (don't judge me!) or a Maple Oat Scone. Either way, it's a win - you should try it sometime.

So, yesterday I was looking through our refrigerator and realizing some of our food was going to go to waste. Like that giant flat of strawberries from Costco we thought we were going to eat...right. I found a strawberry scone recipe since I've had an itch to make scones lately. You can follow this one or you can follow mine for a more yummy version : )

First, you need to put your Pandora station on. I personally prefer my Missy Elliot station. It's the biznaz.

Gather these ingredients, turn the oven on 425 and shake your tailfeather.

1 cup ripe strawberries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup light cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Don't forget to line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Which, by the way, is NOT the same as freezer paper. Apparently you should NEVER use freezer or wax paper in the oven. You're welcome for that little nugget of knowledge ;)

According to the recipe, you're supposed to hull the strawberries and slice them in half. First of all, who has time for that? Second of all, who cares? Third of all, if you're trying to use your strawberries before they go bad, add an extra strawberry or two for the "missed" pieces you cut off the top.

I used about 12 ripe strawberries. Definitely ended up being more than what is called for. But in this case, more if better!

Dice the strawberries and spread out on a paper towel to get rid of the moisture. Set aside.

Next, combine your vanilla and cream in a small bowl and set aside. I used buttermilk with this one instead of light cream.

I recommend leaving the mixture in the fridge until you need it.

Mix your dry ingredients and the lemon zest together in a separate bowl. I used 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup old fashioned oats instead of the 2 cups flour the recipe calls for. Also, for the lemon zest, I "zested" more than I needed, so I used heaping teaspoons when measuring. And then I put a pinch in for extra zestiness. Zester. Zestina. Zest-a-roonie. Zestapotomus. Zest.

There, it's out of my system.

One last note on the dry ingredients: if you can, buy some fresh nutmeg and grind it yourself, do it! It makes a world of difference when you're cooking/baking and the flavor really pops.

Take your cold butter and cut it into little pieces. Toss into the mixture and mix it, crushing the butter until its evenly distributed and looks like pea-sized pieces in your dough. (See the notes from the recipe if you need more guidance)

Next, gently mix the diced strawberries into the dry mixture. With your finger, make a hole in the middle of your dry mix and pour the cream/vanilla mixture in.

Stir immediately until the mixture is fully combined. Don't get too exited and mix it like crazy though! Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes.

CAUTION: Try to resist eating the mixture raw! It looks like REALLY good oatmeal that your Grandma or The Filing Station would make. Super yum.

The recipe calls for you to knead the dough. I tried it and it was a hot mess. Save yourself the sticky hands and don't even try it. Just scoop the mixture onto your parchment paper and leave it to bake.

If you really want to, you can use your spatula to make triangle shapes "just like starbucks" as my husband said.

Bake for 16-18 minutes. I baked them for 18 minutes and made sure to peek at them at the 16 minute mark. You want them to be a golden brown, not like a chocolate brown : )

Mine could have baked for a little longer since I added extra strawberries and there is a lot of butter, but I like scones on the moist/soft side, so I took them out at 18 minutes.

Parting thought(s):

If I had to serve these at my breakfast table, I would invite the following people:
Shauna Niequist (I'm obsessed with her writing and love her outlook on life, as well as her widsom), Kristen Punt, Teagan Greenwood, The Hubs, Kelsey Erickson (because we're opening a bakery up together someday), Missy Elliot (for live performances, and to thank her for my inspiration and motivation), Pioneer Woman (to try to impress her with my baking skills, plus I have a cooking/baking crush on her), Kate-The Dutchess herself (because British people love "tea and scrumpets" as snoop dog would say...but we're getting way off track here.)

Ok, just one more table assignment. Dinner:
Kristen Wiig & Tina Fey, Erika Abdelatif (we're going on tour to host comedic Bingo games), Traci Carpenter, Caroline Rutenbar (funny to the MAXX), Delia Baltierra (no one has a bigger funny bone in as small of a body as she does), Kira Williams (because her laugh is hysterical and she laughs at almost the same stuff as me...and laughs as hard as me) and Donna Wells. Basically, all the funniest women I currently know. With the exception of Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig. Oh, what I would give to be BFFFAD (best friends forever and a day) with them!

Enjoy your scones, and enjoy Missy Elliot's weirdly wonderful music videos as much as I do!

If You Don't Know, Now You Know: Mrs. Lisk, First Grade Teacher

2011-07-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

That's right! Its official...as of August 15th, you can officially refer to me as, "Mrs. Lisk, First Grade Teacher!"

Now that I have a cool, fancy, shorter, more Irish last name, I thought I would get a teaching job to go along with it!

AND, now my students don't have to struggle with trying to pronounce Venneri and say cute things like "Miss Vanilla" and "Miss Vuh...Vuh...Vehh...ummmm....how do you say it?" Ah, the days of student teaching :)

A [kind of] short back story to how I got to this point:

I graduated from Biola University (B-IO-LA!) in Elementary Ed and got my credential right after. I was a little burnt out and hated seeing old, bitter teachers who yelled all the time at their students. I didn't want to be that...at all!

You know, like Viola Swamp in Miss Nelson is Missing?!

(That's teacher humor for you, in case you didn't know)

PS. A real life Viola Swamp? Creeptastic!

Anyway, I didn't want to be burnt out and grouchy and lame. The kids know you dont want to be there, you know you don't want to be there and both parties end up losing. Unfortunately, the kids are the ones who lose out the most!

So, fresh out of my credentialing program amidst a sea of teaching applications and an awful economy to search for a teaching job, I was offered to work for the corporate office of a restaurant. 2 1/2 years later, I felt God gently leading me back toward teaching but I was too afraid to make the leap fully. So, I quit my job and took 3 different temporary jobs at ROCKHARBOR (one after another) and felt God continuing to nudge me toward teaching. This time, it was practically smacking me in the face!

Ryan had an awesome contact and I sent my resume to her thinking there wouldn't be much that came of it since teaching jobs were hard to come by in this economy...especially with no classroom experience and being 3 years removed from my credentialling program.

But then, I got a nibble. The Monday before my wedding, I went in for a "getting to know you" meeting/interview with a school staff. Amongst the interview committee; the head pastor of the church, the principal, the preschool director, the second grade teacher and a mom who's child was going to be a 1st grader in the fall. When I left, I thought nothing much would come of it and was thankful for the opportunity to have experience interviewing.

Wednesday before my wedding (on Sunday) I got a call...they offered me the job! I was honestly shocked and very flattered. Needless to say, I got married, went on a little 2 day get away after my wedding and had some time to think and pray about it. I had some interesting conversations and really thought I wasn't going to take the job until I met with the principal. I literally went in his office thinking, "I'll ask him some questions for a better understanding, but I think I'm going to say no." When I came out of his office, the posture of my heart had changed.

I honestly think God changed my heart, opened my eyes to ministry and teaching opportunity that I hadn't seen before and made me excited to think of the possibility this job offered.

All that to say, I accepted the job and couldn't be more thrilled about it!

A week passed and I was preparing to go on my honeymoon the following week. I had an opportunity to meet my class and their parents at their last chapel of the 2010-2011 school year. So fun! I will be teaching a class of 11 boys and 3 girls (so far). Sounds like a blast to me! Even just the class size alone is a miracle, compared to most public schools right now with 20-30 kids per class!

There is so much to be thankful for. But today, my heart leaps with joy and thankfulness that the Lord would provide a way for me to use my passion and gifting in the way He created me to.

In true Families Ministry Staff form, it feels only fitting to sing:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

AMEN!

It's the Final Countdown!

2011-05-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with the chorus of this song in my head...

And then of course, my mind immediately went to the multi-talented, beloved, Gob Bluth. If you're not an Arrested Development fan, I suggest you become one, pronto.

and of course, I had to post this video. Because lets be honest...it's just too good to pass up!

6 more days. Put your party hats on people!

I Suck.

2011-05-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know what the

I was thinking when I committed to a 45 day challenge. Seriously? "Oh sure, I will be that girl that can work a full time job, plan a wedding with almost 300 guests, try to maintain my relationships with my man, friends and family, move apartments and...oh yeah! blog EVERY day!

Seriously. What the H, Natalie.

So you are going to get a quick "re-cap" of the last 10 days. I use "re-cap" loosely because its going to be a list of sorts. Don't worry, I'm an expert at making lists - this will be fun.

I worked a lot. That pretty much takes up the majority of time during my days. The Tru Gathering has been awesome so far!
Ryan and I met with Pete [our super cool pastor/officiant] and discussed wedding details. It was great to touch base with him and to feel somewhat "normal" in this process of what we are feeling/experiencing/growing in. Those of you who have been through the engagement process- nuff said.
We moved all of our boxes into the apartment and started unpacking and organizing. Guess who had the most fun with this? [me, doi!]
My mom and I went to the flower mart and scoped out flowers for the wedding. So fun! Ryan's mom will be our head florist for the wedding and I can't wait to see the creations she will make! I also can't wait for the flower party and putting the arrangements together!
My friend Casey came over and we had a craft night. Meaning, I sewed a burlap banner for our wedding at the head table and she made this really cute burlap wreath for her mom for Mother's day.
Me, Ryan and my brother took my mom to Mother's Day brunch at the Mission Viejo Country Club with my grandparents. It was a buffet brunch with mimosas. Score!

Sidenote: As I was putting food on my plate in the buffet line, one of the staff at the country club remarked, "Wow! Thats a LOT of food!" and then just stood there and looked at me awkwardly. Like this ...with his hand on his face.

and then he picked up his knife and did an awkward pose...

ok, no he didn't. a little part of me wishes he did though so I didn't have to embellish his awkwardness.

Back to my non-dramatic response...

"Oh, really guy?" I [wish I would have] said to him. You're going to call me out on how much food I have on my plate right now in front of ALL these people? (really, one grandma sitting at the table next to the buffet) and of course you know I am a bride trying to fit into my DRESS! (no, he didnt) How dare you do such a thing! PS. You should have seen my plate in the caf when I was a collegiate volleyball player! You would have passed out in your little white suit and died!

Actually, he probably would have. Or he would have been really mad that me and my teammates finished off his chafing tray of scrambled eggs and potatoes and that he would have to make more because the "athletes ate it all!"

His bad.

Ok, my brain doesn't work any more. Happy Friday.

9 days!

Travel Bug

2011-05-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today, the travel bug bit me.

He ALWAYS bites me at the worst times! So inconsiderate!

And while I wish I could complain, the travel bug is a welcomed and familiar friend. A refreshing reminder of my desire to explore and discover.

Ryan may or may not have received a few texts from me today stating the following, "I have the itch to travel" or "Let's move to Europe for a year." You know, possibly something along those lines.

Ryan and I share a love for exploring and traveling, so I know he will be an awesome travel buddy! PTL!

Here are the top 12 places I would love to see before I die and/or have/raise little kids:

11 & 12 France & Germany

10. Austria

9. Australia

I hope one of these lil guys meets me on the beach and I guess I wouldn't mind meeting Mr. Dundee while I'm at it.

8. Sweden (isn't that veird?!)

6 & 7 Ireland & Scotland

That's me on a motorcycle catching Nessy, of course.

5. Brazil

4. England

I'm sure these two would want to grab a quick dinner with me and Ry.

And of course I would tease (the original) Will.I.Am about the abundance of hair he seems to have on this plate. We all know that isn't true. Silly Willy!

3. Spain

Ole! La Tomatina would be so much fun!

2. Greece

1. Italy

Pretty sure I'm related to that lady...somehow. She has a Venneri nose, I can see it.

And I would like to go back to South Africa. A piece of my heart will always be there.

19 days!

The Royal Wedding

2011-04-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

In case you've been living in a hole lately, I'm here to inform you that the Royal Wedding happened.

Yep, it just happened.

I finally got to watch it yesterday with my friend Casey and her hilarious family. The commentary was hilarious, the enjoyment of fashion was awesome and I left feeling convinced that I needed to email and text every woman attending my wedding a memo letting them know fashionable hats are mandatory. (If you're reading this now and you're attending, please do not hold back on wearing a fabulous, fashionable hat that will make me want to trade my veil for your piece of hair art!)

If I wasn't getting married, I would attend a wedding wearing this one. Love!

What I couldn't help but notice about the wedding is that there was so much hype and build up (obviously) but then the moment came and went. Each moment: Kate getting into her car, her drive to the Abby, Kate's 4 minute walking down the aisle with her dad (dragging her 50 lbs dress-poor girl!)...every moment passed so quickly.

Ok, but can we pause for a second and recognize that my favorite moments of TRW (the royal wedding) were the ones where Kate and William smirked at each other?! So cute! Amidst the tradition and stuffiness of their wedding, they still found themselves and still connected with each other. Super presh.

All that to say, in watching TRW, I couldn't help but think about how our wedding will play out.

All of the planning and build up to this day makes me wish it came with a remote control so I could push the slow motion button and savor every moment. Like, when Ryan and I have our first look, or when my dad walks me down the aisle, or when Ryan and I go around greeting guests who have traveled far and wide to come celebrate us on our big day. I want to remember all of that!

OF COURSE I know I will! I'll have my precious memories that I hold dear in my heart and visuals that play on repeat as I look back.

Plus, I have an awesome photographer Bethany Belle! Check her out here if you haven't already, and drool over her photojournalistic skills and awesomeness.

I'll also have a video to watch on the days that I want to reminisce of our special day. Praise Jesus!

Because with a video, there is a remote...and I can rewind, fast forward and slow motion all I want!

23 days

Beauty Begets Beauty

2011-04-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

This is about the third time I have watched this video.

And by "watched" I mean: connected, understood, listened, learned.

Gosh, it is so good!

It gives me an artist's understanding of God and His creativity, life process and speaks to my creative artistic side...

a side that I have been ignoring for quite a while now. My "familiar friend" as they would call it.

A friend that I have been ignoring because of busy times, life change and the nature of how I live out my days. When I create, when I tap into that artistic side of myself...I connect with God. I learn more about Him, I sit with him in my mess...my process. My creation is my expression of the vision and passion He has given me.

If you watch, listen to the intricacy of how this creator "creates."

This is how intentional my God is with me. His work is beautiful, passionate. Each color, each stroke is all a part of His plan. And it is beautiful.

His creation is a reflection of Him.

Time and time again, God has taken my "mess" and made it beautiful. He always has, and always will. And for that, I am forever thankful.

"The way I see it, its all beautiful. Because in some way, the process of making a thing beautiful, is beautiful."

24 days

Half Full Bottles of Water

2011-04-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

Today, Ryan moved into our new apartment! Yeah!

Please don't ding dong ditch us.

Ok, maybe ding dong ditch us if you are going to leave cookies or some sort of baked yumminess. Otherwise the d3 is a tease and I hate teases.

After a long day at work and a long day of moving for him, we grabbed dinner at Counter Burger-total yum- and went and got him groceries.

What? You think I'm gonna let my man starve?

Speaking of my man starving, I have been mentally preparing how to cook for two, but really three because guys eat way more than girls. But I'm pretty pumped for it because, let's be honest, cooking for one is the pits. It's either hard, or annoying because you have left overs for the entire week-bfast lunch and dinner. Unless you just LOOOOOOVE left overs. In that case, more power to ya and where were you the last 4 years when I was cooking? Answer: you should have been at my house, eating my potential left overs.

Back to Trader Joes-
So our checker mentioned his fiance and how she drinks half of her water bottles and leaves them all over the place...blah blah blah...to which Ryan sarcastically smiles over at me and says, "I dont know anyone who does that!"

Oh, excuuuuuuse me for hydrating myself...a little at a time....and leaving some for later! Its a strategy, duh!

Anyway, we got on the subject of weddings and the guy said they hadn't set a date yet. When he asked us when we were getting married, Ryan told him 25 days and his eyes about bugged out of his head. "WOW!" He said.

"Wow!" like what? WOW, like WOW thats amazing! Good for you guys!

Or WOW you're outside of your minds crazy!

Or WOW! it took me 25 days to get through the entire first two seasons of Friday Night Lights?

It was the first one.

Here's the thing, Christian couples often get criticized because they choose to have short engagements. Sometimes for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong. The definitions of "right" and "wrong" being all over the board.

However you would define right and wrong, here are my thoughts: I know I love this man and I know I want to be married to him. I'm not one to lolly gag around and dilly dally (my vocab is obviously extensive...and my vernacular, colorful!) But seriously, what is there to wait for when you know?

Yep! We are choosing not to have sex (Oh no! She said the "s" word and now I'm feeling all uncomfortable and my hands are getting clammy!)

We are choosing not to live together

and to the rest of society, that is a huge risk. And a dumb risk at that.

How will we know if we are able to live together?

How will we know if we are "compatible?"

If you sit and think about it long enough and choose to make that your mentality, then yeah, that's a whole lotta scary!

But here is what I do know: Ryan and I love each other. Yes, I know "love" is not the answer and will not fix every problem. I am not dumb-let's make that very clear.

Our love causes us to learn from each other and see what is in each other's best interest. Do I have annoying habits? Yes. Will he annoy me by hanging his towel over the door or leaving the toilet seat up? Probably. Bottom line, I love Ryan and I am willing to love him through the annoyances, habits and all the other "things" we run into living together. I know he will do the same for me. I did it with at least 10 roommates before, I'm sure I can do it for the man I deeply love and want to spend the rest of my life with.

And sex...we don't need to talk about that. Its inapprop in the wrong setting (this being one of them). Bottom line is, I really don't believe in the whole "test driving the car before you buy it" thing. Call me naiive, but I believe God has a better plan for me than that.

25 days until I get my final roommate...

and I get to leave all the

half full bottles of water I want

lying around the house!

muuuuuuahahahahaha!

Keys, Keys, Keys!

2011-04-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! Here is why:

-I signed the lease to our new apartment
-We officially got our keys!
-We got to show my parents the "new digs"

and then I squealed with excitement...probably on four different occasions.

Oh, and you would think that I would be that cute person who takes a picture of our new keys and posts it (thank you for thinking so highly of me, if you do!) but I'm not.

Between the squeals of excitement and Easter, life is way to busy for that nonsense!

For those of you who MUST have a pic, this is what they look like.

Pick one, any one.

30 Days YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

2011-04-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

Three things you need to know:

1) 30 Days until I marry Ryan. Hollerrrrrr

2) I love Kristen Wiig, I wish I was as funny as her. I also wish she was in my circle of friends.

3) This video is hilarious and I believe Kristen Wiig accurately portrays my excitement for my upcoming nuptials.

Busy Bee

2011-04-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

This last week has been busy.

This is me, the Busy Bee.

Easter is coming! We have been preparing supplies and volunteers and more supplies to have Easter at the OC Fairgrounds.

You should come! It's going to be awesome!

33 days

A Day Off

2011-04-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today, I had a day off.

It was a milestone for me in my "days off." You might be asking, "Really, Natalie? A Milestone in taking a day off?" Um, yes!

Here's why it was a milestone for me.

It was the first day off I have taken where:

-I didn't feel like I needed to be in the office, even though there was LOTS of work to do.
-I didn't feel stress from being out of the office with LOTS of work to do.
-I had full permission and protection of my day off from my boss
-Not once did I check my email to see if there was "something" I needed to take care of urgently
-I spent time supporting Ryan at his work. I went and saw him at a track meet and brought him coffee and snacks. ( I know, I know. A simple applause would be the appropriate response.)

If it sounds crazy to you that these "normal" things occurred on my day of, you obviously haven't known me well in the last two years.

Here's why:
To me, turning my brain off was not an option. This caused me to be stressed, which caused me to want to be at work to get things done so that I wouldn't stress about them later. If I chose to "try" and turn my brain off, not only would that not work but I would not be present wherever I was. This caused distance in relationships and feelings of loneliness. I also had a hard time learning to draw the line between "urgent" and "can wait until tomorrow and no one will die."

This day off was a gentle reminder to me of the healing God has done in my professional life.

God is healer and I am forever thankful for that.

32 days.

Man, I Feel like a Woman!

2011-04-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

Today was my "Woman's Shower" and it was very lovely! All of my immediate family (mom and grandmas) and our family friends gathered and showered me with love. I loved every second of it! Even if I felt weird being the center of attention opening gifts.

My woman's shower was special to me for many reasons. My mom and all three of my grandmothers hosted-so fun and so well planned! Most of the women attending have been in my life since I was a little girl. I'm fortunate to have these women in my life as I have learned so much from them. Over the years, they have taught me what it means to be a friend, wife and a Christ-follower. Directly and indirectly, they have taught me how to be a woman, and for that, I am very grateful!

Some of my favorite moments from the shower:

-My mom's precious toast

-Ryan's grandmother introduced herself saying, "I am Ryan's proud grandmother and I will say that he has made the right choice!" Melt my heart!

-The rice and safety pin game...my mother in law beat the snot out of me on this game!

-Opening up gifts and some of the comments from the "racier" items. Classic!

The weather was perfect, the venue was awesome, the food was delicious and the company was wonderful!

Bridesmaid Profile: Miss Caroline J. Rutenbar

2011-04-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the absolute JOY of hanging out with one of my friends and bridesmaids; the lovely and talented, Miss Caroline J. Rutenbar! I can hear the roar of applause now!

While ~~burning ourselves to a crisp~~ sunning our skin , we caught up on life, ate Gushers (an all time favorite snack and NOT part of The Clean Program) and read Tina Fey's new book, Bossypants out loud to each other. Out loud-like when your mom read to you before you fell asleep at night-out loud.

This is why I love Caroline! Caroline makes me feel like I am the funniest person on the planet, she is always up for an adventure and, at times is my partner in crime.

Like when we had an incredibly long work day during The Bachelor Season (with Jake the pilot-ugh) and we took these gems...

Tenley (please note Carol praying and me singing about rainbows and Carebears)

Vienna (so realistic, right?)

Gia (her lips were NOT real. Fortunately, ours are.)

Caroline also is incredibly wise, thoughtful, loyal, trustworthy and caring. She has an amazing way of making anyone feel comfortable and welcomed into any situation by diffusing nerves and asking questions that make you feel known by her. The best part about it? That's who Caroline is! She doesn't have to try to be a safe harbor or good friend, she just is!

Carol and I have known each other dating back to the days of Saddleback where my dad was Saddleback Sam (from The Purpose Driven Church)

and she dreamt about one day purchasing a denim jacket from the Saddleback Church Resource Table.

Rumor has it, it ended up on her Christmas list one year.

I was especially blessed in my two years of working with her at The Beach Pit BBQ. We worked in close quarters the majority of the time, so when we needed a break from the everyday huslte and bustle, things like catching up on the Bachelor and 30 Rock would happen. Amongst an exhaustive list of other things we entertained ourselves with: catching up on love lives, personal lives, creating different types of food tossing contests, etc.

But I also learned a lot from Carol. In the two years that we worked together, her heart and convictions shined through. She told the truth when it was really hard, she stood up for herself even if it meant she sweated for two hours before AND after, she worked very hard and and chose joy-even when the situation didn't really call for it.

Together, we...

put on catering events for 1,300 people

opened a new restaurant in Orange

organized a Haiti Disaster Relief Fundraiser at three of our restaurants in under three days, planned a company Christmas party...the list goes on and on!

Oh yeah, and we played college volleyball together! Totally not realted to Beach Pit, but a good part of our friendship!

Please direct your attention to the similarity in my face in box #1 and #4. Also, please note that my favorite pic of Carol is box #4.

Awesome.

Do you see now why she is one of my bridesmaids? Love her and am so thankful for her in my life!

Tighter Than the Pants on Will.I.Am

2011-04-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

Snoop Dog's voice often irritates me, but his lyrics make me laugh sometimes...hence the title of today's post. They're just SO ridiculous and the guy continues to make money! Aiy Carumba!

Speaking of hip hop, I will be mastering the following dances in heels and a wedding dress.

Yes, I am!

[apologies ahead of time for any profanity or inappropriate gestures/behavior]

Ladies and Gents, I present to you:

The Dougie

The video teaches you how to do it, too. You're welcome.

I actually prefer the Glee Version though

The Cat Daddy

The Bernie

Rumor has it, my M.O.H has mastered this

Ryan thinks he's all cool since the kids at work are teaching him how to Dougie. Sure buddy, sure! We will see who has the better moves in 37 days ; )

Speaking of high school kids, I walked by a table of them tonight at dinner and it made me miss my high school summer days...I was tan, in shape and got to go to the beach whenever I wasn't playing volleyball. Grr.

So, in light of wanting to be tan and fit again, I think I'm going to jump on The Clean Program bus. Pray for me and steer clear for 21 days. I might be a grump.

I wonder if Dr. Alejandro does the Cat Daddy while he Dougies. Hm.

Feasting

2011-04-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a brief moment of quiet time. Here is what I took with me throughout my day:

For the despondent, every day brings trouble.

For the happy heart, life is like a continual feast.

Proverbs 15:15

It's funny (or is it?) I read this because a co-worker and I had been talking the day before about what was happening lately in our lives and the subject of the heart came up. What is even more interesting, is that this has been something I had been thinking about all week.

Here is the question I have been asking myself:

Where is my heart when I am: disappointed, discouraged, joyful, encouraged, distracted, angry, worried, etc.

And more important, the follow up question is: what is my heart's condition and is it in the right place?

If not, how do I get it there?

Because ultimately, I want it to be in the right place. I want my heart to be one that is pleasing to God. I want to experience my life to the fullest, and choose to have a happy heart-amidst the disappointment, discouragement, joy... those are things that I will continually face in life. It's about how I choose to face those situations that puts my heart in the right place.

For the despondent, every day brings trouble.

For the happy heart, life is like a continual feast.

Proverbs 15:15

Choose, this day, to take your seat at the feast.

A [Future] Husband's Perspective

2011-04-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

"I guess you will allow for my creative side to come out tonight, since yours is LACKING!" -my future husband....

and without further adieu, my future husband will be ~~composing~~ creating today's post...

Ryan: And I ask my fiance..."what the eff am I supposed to write about?" *Blank stare*

So, I guess that gives me free reign to embarrass her how I see fit! :) Lets see, 39 days...well, first off, CRAZY. Second, let's do this thing already!

For all you couples who pull off the long engagement, I tip my hat to you. This whole thing (while amazing) is tough! There's planning, and opinions, and dates, and opinions, and different color options, and then there's opinions. It's draining!!

Someone very smart once told me, that a man gets married on the day he proposes, and a woman gets married on her wedding day! And its absolutely true. A guy has planned, processed, soul-searched, purchased expensive things, asked permission, surprised, and sat in desperate anticipation, all before popping the all important question. THEN the girls planning process starts...

Natalie, while currently in the middle of that process, is nothing short of stunning. Lets be completely real for a second. If you are reading this blog, its because Natalie has touched your life in some special kind of way. Maybe you are someone she met at church, or at school, or a childhood friend. But whoever you are, you know how special her heart is. Thats what I love about her the most. She loves, she lives, and she is vibrant. She is someone that wants to go out and take on life, not let life just happen. Someone that looks at life through a different lens. This is what draws my soul to hers each and every day.

I can't wait to start my life with her. Our wedding day is a symbol of everything we stand for, everything we were, everything we are, and everything we want to be. There are no delusions of a perfect life, nor some fantasy land thinking life is going to be easy. What there is, is dreams, and those dreams just became a little more real. We can't wait to fill in the blanks together. She is the most amazing woman in the world, and 39 days can't come fast enough.

One Year Ago

2011-04-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

One Year ago today, there was a boy and a girl. They had gone on a handfull of dates, hung out a bunch and really liked each other.

And just when they had reached the point where they would DTR ("determine the relationship"-a long held BIOLA University tradition) the boy left for a trip to Europe.

He went to Europe in search of adventure and exploration with his friend Cam. Cam is the coolest!

The girl missed him very much while he was gone! She wanted him to explore and have fun, but they couldn't help but chat on Facebook when he could get service on his phone.

She was jealous he got to stare Nessy (the Loch Ness Monster) in the face.

When the boy returned, he couldn't wait to see the girl! You see, he had been wanting her to be his girlfriend, but didn't want to ask her before he left for Europe. So he patiently waited....until April 12th and made it "official."

And that was the first time she said, "Yes! Of course I will!" Little did she know that she would be saying "Yes!" to another very important question some time later.

And they will live happily ever after. Rainbows. Butterflies. Glitter. The end.

Not really.

To celebrate one year, amidst planning a wedding, we went to Sabatino's (a cute little italian restaurant on the docks on Lido Island). We talked about us, we dreamed about the future and talked about the reality of where we are today.

Life with Ryan has been incredible thus far. Each day I learn more about him, more about myself and how to love him better. While we have had our ups and downs, I can't imagine life any other way. It excites me to think about living life together, and I look forward to spending the rest of my anniversaries with him.

40 days

Wedding Nightmares Part I

2011-04-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Twice now, I have had a nightmare specifically about my make up for my wedding.

You might think its silly, and its ok because I do too. But only after I wake up...

See, each time I have this dream -which feels like a nightmare- I have forgotten to schedule a make up artist and I don't realize it until the morning of my wedding. This time, I was running around some large abandoned street in New York in the middle of the day in my wedding dress with my hair done and no make up on. Just crying and crying holding my dress as I run.

What the heck?

Ultimately, I wake up and think to myself, "Man, I REALLY need to book a make up artist!"

Here's the thing. You might be thinking I'm a little silly for worrying about something like this, but this is what I'm afraid of looking like:

That's me on the right, and my maid of honor on the left

AHHH!! Spiders and caterpillar eyebrows?! Two of the scariest things ever!

What I really want is something like this:

more natural, light and less "dramatic"

Those of you that have had your make up done professionally before may be reading this and saying, "Natalie! Just schedule a trial with someone! Duh!" and to that I kindly reply, "I scheduled one trial, and it really wasn't my favorite. So I'm trying again."

Ultimately, I know that if worse comes to worse, I could do my own make up and everything would be just fine. But I just don't wanna!

I'm just anticipating the "first look" time Ryan and I will have on our wedding day and can't wait to see him then! I want to look gooooood for my man. I want him to look at me and say, "Dang Gina! Who did your make up guuurl?! You be lookin' so fly in that dress! and your hair? mmm mm mmm!"

Just kidding.

But seriously, I want to look beautiful for him and I want him to remember what my face looked like and what my eyes said in that moment. And it sure as heck ain't gonna be a drag queen face or scary spider eyes that he's looking into!

41 days and it won't even matter what my make up looks like...

unless I look like RuPaul and scare Ryan off forever.

Boxes

2011-04-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

It feels like I just moved a couple of months ago...probably because six months ago I did! I moved from my cute little house in the Orange Circle to my new apartment in Newport. It blows my mind to think of how much has changed in just six months! The week after Easter, Ryan will be moving into our new place. At the end of next month, I will be living WITH Ryan in OUR place!

FACT: I hate packing, but I love unpacking. That being said, there are tons of half-packed boxes in my room and around the house. No fun. Packing Fairy, where are you when I need you the most?

[shameless plug] We are selling LOTS of stuff-dressers, couches, tables, etc. If you need it, holler at your girl. Also, I have bags and bags of donations. So, if you're having a garage sale for charity or anything like that, please let me know. Otherwise Goodwill will be seeing a lot of me! [end shameless plug]

Onto the more FUN boxes...
Ryan and I came home from Mark and Kim's Wedding today and opened some of our presents that had been shipped in the mail. I love opening presents and I love surprises, so you can imagine how hard it is for me to walk by all these boxes day in and day out. It's like they're sitting on the ground and taunting me, "Neener, neener!" [Somehow] I convinced Ryan that we "needed" to open the presents coming in the mail so we could know what we do and don't have at the apartment when he moves and I could get a head start on Thank You notes (because Lord knows, I need a head start!). Legitimate argument, right? It worked ; )

We opened presents together and honestly, with each present I opened, I couldn't help but think, "Holy crap! This is for us! And we are going to use this [salad bowl, cheese board, etc.] in our home. And better yet, we get to have friends over and open our home to people!" That is one of the reasons I love Ryan - he is warm, friendly and makes everyone feel welcome who is in his presence. He engages people, asks meaningful questions and actually cares about the people we come in contact with. Ryan is a great friend and he's my best friend. Cliche or not, it's true!

42 days: I. Can't. Wait.

Mark and Kim get Hitched!

2011-04-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Ryan and I were able to celebrate Mark and Kim at their wedding and it was awesome!

Mark is one of Ryan's college friends from Cal Lutheran and was also Mark's best man. Being able to experience their friendship makes my heart full. Mark is a great friend to Ryan and I know that Ryan loved standing beside Mark and supporting him this weekend as he joined his life with Kim.

Kim looked gorgeous and the smile on Mark's face was precious. They were so happy!

Ryan was able to see his group of close friends from college and their wives/girlfriends and I got to meet some of them for the first time. I've been hearing so much about them, but with all of our busy schedules and the distance between us, this was our opportunity. I had a blast, we laughed a ton and I am thrilled to have made new friends and have them in my life : )

The CLU guys with Mark and Kim

The ladies with Kim

(not sure who I am leaving room for in the picture?)

Being able to experience the weekend with Mark, Kim and friends made both Ryan and I very excited for 43 days from now!

Country Lovin'

2011-04-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

Around this time last year, Ryan and I joined a group of our friends in the desert for Stagecoach. One of the most fun concert experiences I have had in a while! And literally, when April 1st rolled around this year, I got the itch to go. I think this will become a Lisk Family Tradition in the future (if I have any say in it!)

This was also the time my eyes were opened to Ryan's "country wardrobe." Let's start with what I knew about him up until this point...I knew he grew up on a ranch, in King City. I knew his family is tightly knit into the Salinas Rodeo community , etc. Around the time of Stagecoach, I also learned that he has multiple pairs of boots, and hats...and country dress shirts. We'll just leave it at that. But, boy oh boy am I OK with the boots and hats if this is what the outcome is ; )

He's like my own taller, blue-eyed version of Brad Paisley.

Speaking of Brad Paisley, here is our Brad Paisley and Kim Williams shot at Stagecoach last year...so famous, walking by the churro stand.

[he's going to kill me for posting this]

What can I say? The man has style on a day to day basis. This much is true. He even looks hot in a white t-shirt and jeans - yes please! Too much? Too bad! You should have stopped reading a long time ago!

44 days till I marry my honky tonk country bumpkin, and I thought I loved him then : )

45 Day Challenge

2011-04-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

One of Ryan's college friends, Fallon, challenged herself to 30 days of blogging before she gets married-to share insights and capture memories of her final days of engagement.

Reading her posts made me think, with all that is happening while planning a wedding, working full time and being a (semi) normal person, these precious days leading up to our wedding could just slip away and I could miss all of it. So, I decided to take Fallon's challenge and kick it up a notch.

I, Natalie , am challenging myself to a 45 day blogging challenge!

[Uh oh...what did I just commit myself to?]

I can't wait to see what comes up in those 45 days and most of all can't wait to marry my man!

For today, a recap on a conversation I had with a co-worker today...

The question: How do you experience Jesus through Ryan and your relationship?

My answer (simply put): I believe God specifically placed Ryan in my life to be a tangible expression of His love and grace for me. Two concepts that I have a REALLY hard time wrapping my mind around, much less my heart. In times where my actions or words merit judgement and discipline, Ryan shows me mercy and grace...and it instantly points me back to God.

Three values for our wedding day: 1) God-centered, 2) Have as many people attend, & 3) have as much fun as possible!