Thanks to everyone who gave me fantastic color suggestions for our white house! I decided to go with an outdoor, sort of nature theme a la pottery barn since Boyd and I would really rather be outdoors than in. So I am going to decorate with grass and sage greens and chocolate brown. We'll see how it goes...

So I decided to answer a few questions I got over email and share them with everyone, just for fun since I'm on spring break and have way too much time on my hands:

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My middle name, Elise, came from one of my mom's good friends at the time. My first name is a family surname from the Lindsays who raised my grandpa Dahl up in Canada.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Tuesday morning. I was trying to be a people pleaser and it just wasn't working out.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
One of my secret talents. I have phenomenal handwriting. The pharmacist is never going to call me in frustration.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Bacon

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Not yet. But I hope to have 4 within the next 20 years

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I hope so.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Not that often.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
No. I got them out at 17 and have never had strep throat since.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Absolutely

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Cinnamon Toast Crunch

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Haagen Daaz sundae cone. If you haven't tried this you need to run to the store right now.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their social skills

15. RED OR PINK?
Pink

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I am judgemental. Case in point: I thought Boyd was such a slacker when I first met him for having to take 5 years to finish college and I wondered who would wear those glasses anyways? Good thing I gave him a chance (he also got new glasses). I hope this case in point shows that my judgements are never final.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
John Anderson

18. WHO WAS YOUR FIRST LOVE?
Greg Lisse. I was 16. He had the best red hair.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Jeans and a gray tee shirt. Wow that sounds cheery. But trust me--it's hot.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
All American Girl by Carrie Underwood

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
bright green

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Homemade caramel--the real kind where you melt sugar. Christmas enchiladas and killer rolls are also right up there along with Boyd's cologne--clinique happy for men, and Tucson just after a monsoon storm.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Hannah Mayfield, my best friend since elementary school

25. WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOUR SPOUSE WAS THE ONE?
Before we started dating Boyd told me he supported women in higher education; I was smitten. No really, when he kissed me for the first time.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Gymnastics! Probably the best sport ever invented.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Blond

28. EYE COLOR?
Hazel

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No. I love my 20/20

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Right now, probably creme brulee. Also Philippine mangoes and macaroni and cheese--made from scratch only--I like to make a combo of the recipes my mom and stepmom each made growing up.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
The Music Within. A great movie about the beginning of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

33. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ITEM OF CLOTHING?
My grey flip flops with white fluffy flowers on them. The other day this little girl stopped me and said, "I love your flowers! I have flowers on my flip flops too but they're little like me." She was right--she pointed to two little white flower buttons on the top of her flip flops. I was glad she knew that even big girls can wear flower flip flops.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer if it's in Boston or Seattle. Winter if it's in Tucson.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Mmmm, both.

36. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY?
Cooking. I am definitely going to culinary school some day.

37. FAVORITE STORE
Hands down J.Crew

38. MESSY OR CLEAN?
Clean, but I'm not obsessive about it

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
The Uglies series. I'm on the third book, Specials. It's not very well written but the idea is very intriguing and it sucks you in.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I have a laptop so I'm sans mouse pad.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
The Office

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S)?
Waterfalls, the whole family together during the holidays, the piano

43. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED?
2 years and 3 months

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
The Philippines

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I think my best talent is perfectly fitting leftovers into containers. No seriously.

46 WHERE WERE U BORN?
Milwaukee, WI

47. WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
Tucson, AZ

48. DID YOU GO TO COLLEGE?
Yes. I got my bachelors degree in neuroscience and now I'm in medical school.

49. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO END UP LIVING?
Boston, MA

50. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE KIDS NAMES?
Elliot, Kate, Gabe, Hannah

My small obsession with white

So my favorite color is white. Yeah, I know that it's not really a color, but it's definitely an obsession that is getting out of hand. I now have white couches, white serving dishes, a white cell phone, an entirely white bathroom, a white computer, and a white ipod. I am currently taking suggestions as to what color I should use to decorate our apartment. Even though we've been married for over two years, I think it's time to start spicing up the white background. Let me know what you think!

Dessert Party!

Boyd and I are all talk when it comes to being social. We want to be, but we are just so content working on our own little hobbies that we often don't push ourselves out of our comfort zones. Not this time...we finally threw our long-talked about dessert party. And I think it was a smashing success.

The Invites:

The menu:

-A choclate fountain (thank you Michelle!) with marshmallows, prezels, strawberries, bananas, and brownies to dip

-Pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust

-Vanilla bean creme brulee (the night's biggest success)

-Meyer lemon bars

-Individual bittersweet chocoalte mousse

-Mini banana cream tarts with coconut crust

-Chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting

-Sparkling pink lemonade and milk

Now for the pictures. I matched the frosting colors to our party colors:

The chocolate fountain station:

The party table. Boyd made the ribbon signs.

The party banner ($2 with a little paper and lace! Thanks to Hannah for being my (un)paid help for the afternoon:

Some of the guests. We made them play trivial pursuit--but we think they secretly liked it:

Our next part adventure is going to be a come-and-go mocktail party for my med school class (well, or at least some of them) and other assorted friends. So if you have any fun ideas for non-alcohol beverages we are going to hang up a menu on chalkboards and bust out the blenders.