Jamanda Boyd

Fun with Darts

2010-04-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Our friend Jeff brought his Canon 7D along the other evening while we played darts with a group of pals. Here is what transpired:

We are moving.

2010-04-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'll begin by stating the simple fact, and then I will further explain: Jacob and I are moving to Lawrence, Kansas this summer.

Last year Jacob decided to apply for graduate school to pursue a PhD in Biological Anthropology. So, he signed up for a Kaplan GRE test preparation course. For six weeks Jacob submerged himself in the preparation for the GRE, and at the end of it all, he took the exam and did quite well. Next we chose schools, nine of them, and began the application process. Getting letters of recommendation from professors was a beating, as was watching our checking account balance dwindle as we invested our money in the pursuit of graduate school. And finally, after an entire year of nail biting, the decision has been made: the University of Kansas.

This is a Jayhawk. They are indigenous to Lawrence, KS. They are a rare bird, and apparently they wear pilgrim shoes and cannot close their mouths.

Jacob will receive a Masters in Anthropology over the course of the next two years. We are very excited to be embarking on this new journey, though we will hate saying goodbye to DFW, which has been our home the entirety of our married life. We will especially miss the friends we have made (though the friendships themselves will NOT end, not being able to see and visit with some of our favorite people as regularly as we do now is going to sting).

My final day at work will be steadily approaching as the days go by (the end of May is when we and our workplaces have decided as our transition to non-employment), and as we near the end of our stay in Dallas we will be packing boxes and getting things squared away in anticipation of moving a couple of states up on the map.

Wish us luck and wisdom! We are going to need it!

Love Is Waiting

2010-03-10T18:34:00.001-08:00

Our friends Aaron and Heather Hale have begun the process of adopting a child from Ethiopia! Follow their story here.

Vacation

2010-02-12T12:47:00.001-08:00

This week Jacob and I arrived back from vacation. My pops and the two of us traveled to New Mexico for 4 nights, staying in Santa Fe for two nights and Taos for two nights. We ate so much good food (with a newfound obsession with green chiles) and I learned how to ski (Jacob was already a ski pro). And now I'm obsessed with the thought of the mountains and wishing I could ski every day.

We didn't take many photos, I was too focused on relaxing. But, we did go out and take a few photos in the winter storm that occurred in DFW yesterday. You would almost assume that these photos were taken in a typically wintry region of the United States, but you'd be wrong...they were taken in Dallas, Texas...

**you will notice that Jacob has a difficult time with being serious in a photo

These photos were taken by our friend and work associate Jeff Arnold of JA Film.

The perfect birthday gift...

2010-01-27T11:49:00.001-08:00

The new Apple iPad. Just released today. Sigh...

Whether or not I actually ever own one is up in the air, but I do believe this technology is so cool, and is revolutionizing the way we watch movies, read books and magazines, etc.

Only $499? They're practically giving them away!

Watch the video. It explains it all.

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Jake's birthday

2010-01-19T13:43:00.001-08:00

Jacob Boyd celebrated his 23rd birthday last Thursday. We ventured out into Dallas and had a pleasant, rainy day. AND we found a new favorite restaurant:

It is (most obviously) called Kathleen's Sky Diner and it is located at 4424 East Lovers Lane. If you go in search of this place, do NOT go to 4424 WEST Lovers Lane, because you will be disappointed to find nothing but a vacant building. This mistake we made, so you do not have to. I say this as if Kathleen's isn't well known already; according to their website, Kathleen's opened in 1988, and in every way this place shows itself to be a happily known staple near the Inwood theater. The food was superb: I orderd the fish tacos and Jacob had the grilled meatloaf sandwich. Both were excellent. And for dessert, we ordered the peppermint chocolate cake, and they even put a little candle in the ice cream for Jacob's birthday:

The rest of the day we putzed around town. Bookstores, the mall, a comedy club. And for the grand finale...

We went to the Mavs game on Friday night (with a couple of our friends). Thankfully, the home team won. And Jacob successfully made it another year!

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I don't think I could put it better than this...

2010-01-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

A friend recently posted a blog which responded quite well to the disaster in Haiti. He included links to several ways in which people are able to help. I think I'll let his response speak for me, as I often find words hard to come by in the event of large-scale disasters.
Click the photo above, or here.

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Just showin' some love...

2010-01-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

Recent Work

2010-01-07T11:50:00.000-08:00

Apart from getting stuck in snowstorms, here is a bit of what we were up to in December:

This is a project that several of us at Lake Pointe Church collaborated on for our Christmas Eve services. It is the Christmas Story, as told by our pastors, Steve Stroope and Wes Hamilton.

I (Amanda) created all of the illustrations for the piece using Illustrator and my trusty Wacom tablet. Kevin Dooley animated our humor bit, which includes the animations of Steve Stroope and Wes Hamilton, using Toon Boom Animation. Jeff Arnold animated the Christmas Story using Abode After Effects. Wes Hartley created the audio mix using Apple Logic Studio. Danny Davis recorded voice over audio.

:::

Here is the behind the scenes footage, which was shot by Kevin Dooley and edited by yours truly.

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Christmas Eve 2009

2009-12-27T21:43:00.000-08:00

On December 24th, 2009, Texas was hit with a moderate to heavy snowstorm that delayed travelers seeking to make it home for the holidays.

We were two of those travelers.

Sheesh.

This Year's Christmas Card

2009-12-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Part of the fun of the holidays is designing the Boyd family Christmas card.
Last year's card was a fun little experiment, as I had just begun working in Photoshop and experimenting with graphics. So, with another year under my belt, I have come up with this little ditty:

It is Jacob and I playing instruments and singing, which does not happen in real life. But for the purposes of our Christmas card, I found it quite charming.

This is a slightly modified replica of an illustration created by long-time Disney background artist Ralph Hulett. This guy was amazing. Here is the original artwork created by the man himself:

We hope everyone has a very merry holiday!

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Had to pass this on...

2009-12-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

I love Improv Everywhere. Their stunts always make me chuckle, and sometimes even warm my heart, as in this case:

and this one:

and just for kicks, this one is hilarious:

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...frames...

2009-12-11T15:41:00.000-08:00

Before two weeks ago I had probably 2 framed photos in our apartment, tops. But we decided that we need more family photos around the place, to brighten up our home and remind us of friends and family.

So now we have a few framed photos, slowly making our way to several, and then on to many, in due time. We even got a little table at Canton last week to set some on! Now this is what you see when you step through our front door:

Here's to trinkets!

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To bring Christmas cheer...

2009-12-08T07:16:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't heard, our good friend Aaron Hale has released a Christmas EP entitled Hark!

Since December is here, and we are all surely listening to beau coups of merry holiday tunes while working or cooking or so on, I thought I might pass on the link to this FREE download...

{This awesome album art is created by Aaron's wife, Heather Hale (of Twine & Twig), quite a talented little lady}

Click here to download the EP!

Aaron's tunes are sublime, so give yourself an early Christmas gift and download the EP!

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Yuletide

2009-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Ah, Christmas decor. Its funny how just a few strands of lights and some garland can really liven up a room.

Here are our Christmas stockings, hung by the chimney with care (they're ice skates!):

And our artificial Christmas tree, which is tiny, so we put it on stilts. Note the mixture of holidays, as we have stuffed pumpkins beneath the tree in lieu of gifts. We also have itty bitty stockings as our topper::::

Jam-Packed Holiday Season

2009-12-05T16:03:00.001-08:00

It has been a trifle busy around these parts during this holiday season. Lots going on at work, lots going on at home. More info later...

But for now, here is a photo that I took this morning at First Mondays in Canton... Jacob and Jeff found some gnarly shades. We sure froze our booties off, but Jake and I scored some Christmas stockings and a new table... and a couple of Christmas gifts that we shall not describe in detail here.

We hope everyone is having a merry Christmas season!

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Murder Mystery Adventure!

2009-11-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday we got together with some friends, with the spirit of All Hallows Eve still lingering in the air, and threw a murder mystery party!
Jacob was a hobo named Amos and I was the effeminate son of a wealthy railroad baron. We had a stunning cast of characters ranging from a lady of the night to a bartender with a severe gambling addiction. I turned out to be the killer. Muah ha ha ha!

The rest of the photos can be found here.

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Autumn...

2009-10-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

We finally got the opportunity to visit Autumn at the Arboretum this weekend. Although there was no red or orange in the trees, the pumpkins created a very autumn-esque feel. It was such fun, as was the entire weekend... great times with friends and some family.

Bosses Day '09

2009-10-13T11:08:00.001-07:00

Here's a little ditty my co-worker and I put together for our boss. Thankfully, we have a supervisor that we enjoy and who has a good sense of humor.
Bosses Day is this Friday, go out and get your boss something nice. Unless you hate them.

the Cleanse update...

2009-10-06T07:06:00.001-07:00

Let me tell you, I think Jacob and I have all the resolve of a sack of potatoes. No self discipline. NONE.

All it took was us going through 10 waking foodless hours, arriving home from our respective workplaces, and talking each other out of the Cleanse.

And that's when we ate. And it was delicious.

Master Cleanse tips for success:
– Only start the Master Cleanse if you have 10 consecutive days free without any social interaction. Because in America, most social interaction involves food of some sort.

– Prepare yourself mentally before starting the Master Cleanse. The night before we started, I had made an entire batch of homemade cookies from scratch. Bad move.

– If you are going to be on the Master Cleanse, you'll also need to be on the toilet... often. Make sure there is one nearby throughout your day. This becomes increasingly difficult if you work full time.

More Master Cleanse info here.

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Oh no...

2009-10-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

This can only mean ONE thing...
We're starting the Master Cleanse today.
(Or, at least, our own modified version of it... no salt water flushes, and for a shortened duration of time)

The last time we tried this we didn't do so hot (we are, after all, food lovers).

We'll see how we do this time around...

...more to follow...

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Have a germ-free weekend!

2009-10-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

Remember those flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz that were the Wicked Witch of the West's creepy goons?
Well, sometimes that's what I picture when I think of the Swine Flu, attacking all of us from the air...

So have a safe and germ-free weekend, folks... don't get swine flown!

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Happy Birthday, again!

2009-10-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

It's not "growing old"... it's "ripening"

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Happy Birthday!

2009-10-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

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September Project #2

2009-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I fell in love with some hand-cut paper art by a lady named Julene. This woman is wonderfully talented, and her artwork is to die for, so, naturally, I wanted something created for us!

So I consulted her, but with the realization that she lives in Europe and it wasn't in the budget at the time, I decided to try it myself. Now trust me when I say ours is nowhere as refined or as detailed as hers, but it is perfect for our home. And after doing just one, I have a new respect for how talented she is, and would really suggest anyone who is interested to check out Julene's website and purchase some lovely paper-cuts from her.

The quote: "We finally chose to walk like giants" is from Brian Andreas, who is another artist/writer that we love. The full quote is:

"In those days, we finally chose to walk like giants & hold the world in arms grown strong with love & there may be many things we forget in the days to come, but this will not be one of them."

We searched for a quote that resonated with us, and turned to our Story People books and found this one straight away. I sketched out the design and Jacob cut it out. It was originally meant as a gift to one another for our 1 year anniversary, since paper is the traditionally gift for 1 year. A bit late on the finishing, but it has the same heart behind it.

It still lacks a bit of polishing and fine-tuning, but in it's almost-completed-stage, I think this little baby isn't half bad for a Made-by-Julene knock-off!

Note: We used watercolor paper, which is a tad too thick. If we do this again we'll use thinner paper. To cut it we used a very, very sharp exacto knife and change the blade regularly.

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Happy Birthday!

2009-09-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

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The big 21, isn't it?

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Thankful

2009-09-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

As I was driving in to work this morning, I began a chain of thought which made me realize I've much to be thankful for. So, I compiled a list, and here it is:

Things I'm thankful for today:

–That neither the plain, good 'ol fashioned-flu, nor the Swine Flu, nor so much as a cough or cold have yet to invade my household. I would knock on wood at this point, if I believed in knocking on wood, which I don't, so I won't.
–A casual, yet efficient, work environment. I'm wearing Chacos today (so casual), and an eye patch (so pirate-y). Also, I spent a large chunk of yesterday drawing our two lead pastors as silly cartoons (I work at a church). On purpose. Because my bosses told me to.
–Marriage. More specifically, my marriage.
–Puppies and kittens. Just, in the general.
–Friends, and tonight's weekly Bible study with them.
–Ok, so I'm not actually wearing an eye patch today. I can still be thankful for the casual work environment...
–Yesterday I walked in on my supervisor while he was putting on makeup. It was, however, zombie makeup, and he was, in fact, putting it on his arm... in preparation for his Halloween costume. But its still funny to say, and for this, I am thankful.
–Ricky Gervais... and Tina Fey. These people make me laugh. And I'm thankful.

And so on...

State Fair of Texas

2009-09-27T11:42:00.001-07:00

Attention, attention... breaking news to follow:
As most of you are well aware, the State Fair of Texas is in full swing in good 'ol Dallas, Texas. Yee haw.

What you may not be aware of is that Oprah is taping her show in Dallas at the state fair on October 12th. That's right, Oprah.

What great fortune! I can see this phone call happening:
Ring, ring... ring, ring...
Kevin (my boss): Hello?
Amanda (me): Hey Kevin... (gulp) yeah, I... a terrible thing has happened suddenly, and unexpectedly... and I cannot come into work at the present time... today, at all. The... I have to go to the hospital for some emergency medical things...
Kevin: What? Is everything okay?
Amanda: I, there's just... no time to explain... but I'm sure everything will be fine by tomorrow morning... see you tomorrow...
.... {zinger!}

Meanwhile, I'm chillin' out with Oprah at the fair, we've got a corny dog and our little matching cowboy hats, getting all my 100 copies of O Magazine signed*...

...and I won't get fired, right, if I'm caught... because who is going to fire Oprah's best friend? Hmm?

Let's hope she doesn't cancel because of the Swine Flu...

*note that I do not actually partake of such nonsense as corny dogs or cowboy hats and do not actually own a single issue of O Magazine.

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Ongoing Conversations

2009-09-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH JACOB BOYD
CONCERNING INTERNET SOCIAL NETWORKING:

[note that A=Amanda (me) and J=Jacob (my hubs)]

A: Jacob, why don't you start a blog? You're such a great writer, you should blog!
J: No.
A: Come on, why not? You'd come up with such interesting things to tell the blogosphere!
J: No.

A: Jacob, you should get a Twitter account. See, I got one... it's quite interesting, Twitter.
J: No.
A: C'mon, if I'm tweeting I want you to know what I'm tweeting about...
J: Nah. Twitter is weird.

A: Hey, Jacob... you should post on our blog sometime. You are, after all, two letters-worth of the name "Jamanda". Look, I gave you authoring privileges! You can man it up a bit... it's so girly what with me writing all the blog entries. There are other men that blog, you know. Masculine men.
J: Nope.

A: Jacob, I created a Twitter account for you! Your handle is jacobtboyd. Woo hoo! Let's tweet something under your new Twitter name. What do you want to tweet!?
J: Nothing.
A: Okay, then, I'll tweet something for you!

A: Jake, can I interview you...
J: Interview me?
A: Yeah, interview you!
J: For what?
A: For the blo.... J: No.

A: Hey, baby... on Facebook...
J: No.

A: Hey, Jacob... blog...
J: No.

One day, guys. One day I swear Jacob Boyd is going to write something mind-blowing on this blog, right when we all least expect it. It's going to be amazing... I'm still working on him, but I think one day that husband of mine will come to accept and embrace the Internet.

{Photo above is Jacob with a llama, in Peru.}

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A smattering of interests!

2009-09-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

It has come to my attention, by way of the slightly snarky comments made by one of my coworkers (who may or may not be my supervisor, who may or may not be reading this right now...), that all we Boyds EVER seem to blog about is food and (recently) woodworking. Food and woodworking, food and woodworking.

And I cannot necessarily deny this. But, I can steer this ship in other directions, and as a start, I would love to begin with this:

An Incomplete List of Things We Boyds Enjoy That is not Eating or Woodworking:
Riding bikes:
We love adventure and travel, and for a long time we've wanting to begin the hobby of rock climbing:
We really hate credit cards... we refuse to use them...

...instead, we're big savers and we like to pay cash for things.

Gardening is always fun, though we're hoping soon for an actual yard in which to do it. We're currently limited to flower pots.

We love to help out at our church, Lake Pointe, in whatever capacity is needed:

So, there is just a sampling of the variety that we're capable of. Ha. Note, that we do not actually sing in a church choir and that Jacob himself has yet to actually climb in Patagonia.

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Autumn in the Arboretum

2009-09-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

One thing we intend to do this fall includes visiting the Dallas Arboretum during The Great Pumpkin Festival. Autumn at the Arboretum lasts Saturday, September 19, 2009 until Sunday, November 1, 2009. It costs about $9.50 a person.

When:

Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A blurp from Pegasus news:
"This fall festival, which runs September 19th through November 1st, boasts of more than 150,000 fall blooming flowers including chrysanthemums, salvia, coleus, ornamental grasses and impatiens. Always a favorite spot for the family photo, The Tom Thumb Pumpkin Patch and the gardens are filled with over 25,000 decorative pumpkins and gourds. Also in the Pecan Grove is the walk-through 15' pumpkin house constructed out of the finest pumpkins in the patch and a 10' pumpkin topiary decorated with orange marigolds."

You'll find a more detailed list of events at the Autumn at the Arboretum page on their website.

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September Project: Weekend #3

2009-09-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

Weekend #3 of our September Project found us finishing this little beauty up with around 10 days left in the month (perhaps we were a little over-zealous with our very first mini-building project). Note that we have, in fact, been working on this during the week, too, although the original idea was to work on this project during our weekends... but again, we've been so excited to get it done. Anyway, this week(end) included sticking all of the pieces together, letting glue dry, sanding, priming, painting, and polyeurethaning. The following includes the process of completion; the final moments:

Our friend and neighbor, Jeff (who you may recognize from previous posts), stopped by to view the finished piece (pre-painting):

Here is Jacob beginning the painting process (which was completed by yours truly):

And finally, once the piece was completely dry, we moved it upstairs! I just need to set some stuff on it, so it can fulfill it's ultimate purpose!

Our first project complete! We definitely learned much about sawing, gluing, priming, painting, sanding, and so on... And this little bookshelf definitely has its small, miniscule, hardly-noticeable, insignificant, tiny, little flaws... but they're OUR small, miniscule, hardly-noticeable little bookshelf flaws, and they're wonderful.

And here is a little idea that we've got for an upcoming project, at least a bit of materials we may use:

Perhaps a little recycling and repurposing...

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New favorite: Twisted Root Burger Company

2009-09-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

We've got a new favorite to add to our list... Best Burger Joint: Twisted Root.
We grabbed lunch here on Saturday after running a few errands in Dallas proper, and let me tell you... this place was pretty tasty. You know you're about to eat a good burger when you walk in the door and the line to order wraps around itself twice. It was certainly worth the wait in line. I had a turkey burger with guacamole and jalepenos, while Jacob ordered a classic burger with cheese, guacamole, and onion rings. The sweet potato chips and twisted fries were both excellent, and we can't wait to visit again to try the fried green beans.

I think our favorite highlight of this place was the condiments; Twisted Root makes their own, which includes a chipotle ketchup, honey-dijon horseradish, and an amazing barbecue sauce.

We ate at the Dallas location (2615 Commerce St. [in Deep Ellum]), but apparently there is a Richardson location as well (730 E. Campbell Rd).

Yummy...

[photos via Twisted Root's website]
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A Birthday

2009-09-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today our friend Jeff turned 28.
Hooray, you made it Jeff!

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September Project: Weekend #2

2009-09-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

We're almost there! Jacob has accomplished a lot by way of our bookshelf this weekend.

A few of our limitations have been our lack of tools and having to work with the little space and knowledge we have of building. But we're learning and making due with what tools we do have.

By next weekend I should be able to paint her, let her dry, and put her up in the studio... and I can't wait!

...ignore the random messiness of our garage. It's the "Just Moved In" look, although we've been here almost a year...

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In Memorium

2009-09-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

Sept 11th.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

I seriously think it has taken the majority of this shortened work week for me to recover from our Labor Day weekend. So now that I've fully recovered, I'm back to the blog.

The weekend surely was a great time... we spent part of it alone, just us Boyds knocking about the house–Jacob is still working on our September Project.

On Sunday our newlywed friends the McDonalds came to visit and stay the night–like a fun little grown-up slumber party! That evening our comrades the Kimmels joined us for a great game of Quelf. If you've never played this game, I suggest you try it out; it was a hoot.

Labor Day Monday found us at Six Flags. I am opened and unashamedly scared of rollercoasters. Maybe not scared OF them... more like, I'm not designed for that kind of speed... those kinds of twists and turns... they make me feel discombobulated. Now, I've never lost my lunch after a rollercoaster–it's not necessarily about the sickness as much as the disjointed, numb sensation I feel after getting off of them. Not to mention my very real fear of heights. Heights seem to always be a part of the whole rollercoaster experience. But I digress...

The day itself was quite enjoyable–being with family and friends was great. I even rode a few rides. Jacob is a big fan of any and every water ride available. Maybe one day we'll put a log ride in our backyard... if we ever have a backyard...

I have no photos from Six Flags, but here are a few from our Sunday night Quelf game.

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September Project: Weekend #1

2009-09-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Today Jacob assembled his project center, and soon...

...he is going to turn this wood into a little bookshelf for me to use in my art studio:Fun!

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From the weekend...

2009-08-31T08:15:00.001-07:00

A couple of blurry iPhone photos from our friend Cody's show at Crooked Tree on Friday night. I'm terrible at remembering to take photos at opportune times... I didn't even get a shot of the musicians while they were playing. But, here are a few friends (left to right, Sarah, Jeff, Tony, Darla, and myself) and below is Jacob and I.

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A New Favorite

2009-08-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

Last night we discovered our new favorite sushi spot in DFW: Sushi Sake, located in Richardson. It has a lovely atmosphere- perfect for a date or a night with friends. The fish is fresh and the staff is kind. Plus, the rolls melt in your mouth. Mmmmm. I'm ready to go back. Thanks to my coworker, Christy, for suggesting it. We had a great evening.

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Tonight is...

2009-08-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

...another one...

2009-08-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the 2nd of 3 weddings that Jacob and I shot and edited this summer. Just finished #2, and now I am freed up to finish editing on #3 (Stephen and Callie...coming soon).

Without further adieu, here are a few clips from wedding number two...

Emily & Mitch:

Emily & Mitch Wedding {Random highlights} from Amanda Michelle Boyd on Vimeo.

Got an event coming up?

Scentsy...

2009-08-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

This certainly makes me feel quite domestic and mom-ish. I fell in love with Scentsy warmers at Jacob's great-aunt and uncle's place two weekends ago on our anniversary get away. Basically, its a wickless candle- supposedly safe to plug in and leave, because there is no flame. Aunt Bev had three in her house, so I got to enjoy to pleasure of smelling their frangrances all weekend long. I immediately purchased one online when I got home. Just got it in the mail yesterday, fresh and sparkling and eager to be plugged in and used!

So, we've got one warming some wax at home right as I type. Hopefully it won't putrefy our air with some kind of unseeable and undetectable damaging chemical. I guess we'll wait to see. But for now, we will enjoy the scent... until it maims us with its potentially deadly chemicals that may or may not exist.

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Our Dallas

2009-08-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

We have officially lived in the Dallas metroplex for over a year. Naturally, we have acquired some favorite places to find grub in this city. Here is our Dallas, some of our personal preferences:

Brunch: Bread Winners

Dinner: Porta di Roma, Hattie's, Ava*

Drinks: Cafe Rembrandt, Farpointe*

Cupcakes: Society Bakery

Pizza: Zanata*, Fireside Pies

Mexican: Blue Mesa

Lunch: Square Market*, Cafe Express

Tapas: Cafe Madrid

Sushi: Still searching for the really good stuff.

::: WE ARE OPEN TO GREAT FOOD SUGGESTIONS :::

*Not in Dallas proper

Aaron Hale EP

2009-08-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

Today our friend Aaron Hale released a new EP. It's good stuff. It is available for purchase here.

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Anniversary weekend experiences

2009-08-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

Our anniversary began with an early morning drive into Austin. We enjoyed a delightful lunch at Galaxy Cafe in the Triangle, thanks to the wonderful suggestion by one Lauren Kimmel. Next was a lovely hot stone couples massage at Myo. The weekend went on in this sort of leisurely fashion: visiting the Blanton, shopping on SoCo, South Congress Cafe, Moonshine (we are obviously food-lovers), reflection of our past year and looking ahead to our future.

We were extraordinarily thankful to our uncle Mike and aunt Bev for opening their home to us as a hub for our excursions, and for providing great conversation and company.

While in Austin we were having too much fun to remember to take photos, but we did snap some shots from around Mike and Bev's place.

Allow me to begin here, with the heated toilet seat. Yes, heated:

Bev took some time to teach me a bit about gardening, and sent me home with some Cockscomb and Sweet Potato Margarita and Blackie:

Uncle Mike:

Definitely a comfortable and memorable first anniversary.

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To my husband

2009-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

On our 1 year anniversary, here are some of my favorite things about this man:

- The all at once impressive and inappropriate places he is able to climb upon and/or hang from in our apartment.

- His obsession with fruit juices of all variety, gadgets, and organizing his book and DVD collections.

- During the silence amidst an argument, while I’m still very upset, he begins humming, smiling, and dancing in an attempt to lighten the mood as if NOTHING AT ALL HAS HAPPENED! It annoyingly warms my heart, although I remain stone-faced.

- What an amazing daddy I foresee him becoming one day.

- The focus that he gives to any endeavor that he truly enjoys or believes in, which are carefully selected and few.

- That I know that wherever we go, whatever we do, and whatever situation life throws our way, he will stand beside me, lead, guide our family, and provide deep and thoughtful insight into every endeavor we undertake. That he does not lead blindly, but guided by a true relationship with our Savior; that his decisions stem from ideals that grow from firmly planted roots.

I love you, baby.

One Year

2009-08-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

To Austin

2009-08-14T04:53:00.000-07:00

Today we are heading to Austin to begin our anniversary festivities! Huzzah!

2009-08-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

We are hooking up with our friends Evan and Kasey Tardy (Evan's photography blog) and The Harrison Gang tonight for some din-din and chatting. We're bringing salad. Here is the recipe that I ganked from allrecipes.com. I sure hope it's good.

Cranberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite

-size pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons minced onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1.	In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.
2.	In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries.
3.	In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.

Mmmmm. Sounds delicious.

Holistic Health Endeavors: Neti Pot

2009-08-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

A neti pot is an interesting contraption. It is used to irrigate the nasal passages. Being from West Texas, irrigation is a term that I, prior to learning of the neti pot, have always associated solely with farming. But alas, one can irrigate his or her nose as well.

I first heard of neti pots in college while I was working in a pharmacy. I remember several patients asking if we happened to stock this little contraption, so we kept a supply of them on our specialty items shelf behind the counter. I never exactly understood what they were used for until recently researching them.

It is described here in an article by The New York Times:

"Originally part of a millennia-old Indian yogic tradition, the practice of nasal irrigation — jala neti — is performed with a small pot that looks like a cross between Aladdin’s lamp and your grandmother’s gravy boat..."

You can find a short demonstration as seen on Oprah here.

I'll say it is an acquired sensation, running salt water through one nostril and allowing it to flow out of the other. But man, it sure works. It releases the gunk, if you will.

:::

Surname

2009-08-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

Today, with our approaching one year wedding anniversary in mind, I researched our last name, Boyd.

"This interesting surname is of Scottish and Irish origin. The name is very numerous in Ulster and in some cases appears as O'Boyd. This name was from "MacGiolla Buidhe", meaning the yellow-haired youth's son. The modern surname can be found as Boyd, Boyde and Boyda. The Crest is a hand pointing to a sun dial, gold. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert de Boyd, which was dated 1205, recorded at Irvine, Scotland, during the reign of King William "The Lion" of Scotland, 1165 - 1214."

I even found our crest!

Detailed surname description found at The Internet Surname Database.

Legends

2009-08-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

We were at this show on Friday night. Our favorite was Willie. Dylan was a bit difficult to understand... literally his voice is so gruff these days that his lyrics are unintelligible. John Mellencamp, we've never been listeners or fans, but the guys puts on a good show.

We bought tickets to this concert because Jacob wanted to see Bob Dylan live while he is still touring, and we went, we saw, we left a bit early. But all in all, we are pleased to have been able to see three great legends at one venue.

Willow Creek

2009-08-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is where Amanda is spending all of today and tomorrow:

Submerged in the midst of a satellite feed of the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. Many influential leaders are speaking throughout the course of these two days, so it should be quite a learning experience.

How Not to Prayer Walk

2009-08-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

I love this video that Kevin Dooley shot a couple of weeks ago for one of Lake Pointe's weekend services. I ran audio for him, and he shot and edited the footage. It is titled, "How Not to Prayer Walk". The man speaking in the video is Lance Shumake, who runs iGo Global (formerly known as iWitness Ministries). The red-hedded fellow is Lake Pointe's teaching pastor, Wes Hamilton.

What a weekend

2009-08-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

The two of us surely enjoyed our extended weekend home. We were able to spend some good quality time with family and friends. We saw sisters and sisters-in-law and grandparents and parents and brother and nephew and friends.

But it went by too fast.

Trip Highlights:
- Quality time with family, watching movies, taking it easy
- The Double Nickel with Larry and friends
- Riding in Steve and Donna's mini van
- Seeing that our nephew, Keegan, is growing up big and strong
- Nana's sandwiches
- Catching up
- Finding that I'm no longer allergic to cats. Acupuncture worked!
- Visiting FBC Lubbock and seeing Jake's old friends
- Somehow finding ourselves at a place called The KoKo on Friday night, hanging out with our middle aged friends. We danced to a George Strait song.

Home...

2009-07-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

The Mr. and I are headed home to West Texas tonight! It is our first time home since the new year.
We're starting our weekend off early...

(Lubbock's thriving downtown)

Happy weekending!

:::

{images from wikipedia}

Look at what I just found!

2009-07-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Our photographer friend Evan Tardy posted this slideshow from the wedding of our friends {and cousins and cousins-in-law} Stephen and Callie. I filmed this wedding back in May, and have been working, amidst tons of other projects, to get the footage together. But in the meantime, here is Evan's excellent work:

If you look closely, you'll see Jacob's head pop up in some of the photos... he was the best man.

:::

Holistic Health Endeavors: Body Brushing

2009-07-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

The first thing that I ever read about body brushing was that it is good for your lymphatic system. "Great!" I thought, "I want a healthy lymphatic system!" However, I had no clue what a person's lymphatic system involved.

So, I researched it, and found that body brushing activates lymph circulation, which helps to clear out toxic debris and stimulate immunity. The other benefits of body brushing include the elimination of dead skin cells and improved skin hygiene. Also, the gentle pressure of body brushing is calming to the nervous system.

I bought a a sisal body brush on Amazon.com for around $6 and have been using it for a few weeks. So far I am enjoying the addition to my morning routine, which looks something like this: body brush from toe to head in circular motions, followed up with a shower, pat dry, then coconut oil. Smooth, glowing skin.

:::

Holistic Health Endeavors: Coconut Oil

2009-07-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

I like to try new things. That is a blanket statement for the various mini-adventures I get myself, or my husband, into on a weekly to monthly basis. My most recent endeavors have involved subjecting myself to various holistic hygienic experiments.

First was the organic deodorant which lasted approximately a week in our bathroom until our stench finally provoked me into throwing it out.

I have found, needless to say, a few of these beauty finds are worth sticking to, keeping around, and trying them out for a long period of time in order to examine their full long-term potential.

One of these such finds is coconut oil. I started using this stuff about 2 months ago as a replacement to normal body lotion.

Once you get past the sensation that you are basting yourself like a Thanksgiving turkey, it really is quite an enjoyable beauty treatment. Your skin glows after you put it on and remains this way for up to a few hours after it has soaked in. I use it on my face as well. Haven't had a single breakout or pimple. Just smooth, moisturized, and glowing skin.

I'm still testing the long-term potential, but after 2 months of use, I give coconut oil a thumbs up.

:::

Happy Weekend!

2009-07-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

Long live well-mannered frivolity. Happy weekend, World!

[photo taken by Jacob's mom, Donna, two weekends ago at an antique shop in Dallas]

The Acupuncturist

2009-07-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

OUR FIRST ACUPUNCTURE EXPERIENCE

Last Friday, Jacob attended his first acupuncture appointment.

You see, since childhood, Jacob has suffered from asthma. He of course has medications, in the form in inhalants, that he has been prescribed that prevent asthma attacks from occurring and can also stop an asthma attack once it has already started. Up until recently this dependency on his medication seemed to be the only way to control his asthma for now and forever.

We first became interested in acupuncture about two months ago, when I received a GOOP newsletter on the subject. Our interest was piqued when, specifically in the newsletter, the acupuncturist spoke of her success with asthmatic patients.

As time progressed and we continued to think about and research acupuncture, we finally decided to give it a try. We made an appointment with Roger Stainbrook, the in-house acupuncturist at American Power Yoga, a yoga studio at which Jacob and I have practiced a bit of yoga, employs credible and experienced instructors, and is successful and known in the Dallas area.

:::

Not knowing exactly what to expect, Jacob and I, with a healthy bit of skepticism, entered the Energy Balancing Center last Friday, ready for Jake's appointment.

The first thing Roger did was gather information about Jacob's condition. He did this by asking questions and by feeling Jacob's pulse points on his wrists.

After gathering some basic knowledge on the condition and Jacob's physiology, Roger explained that asthma is really a symptom or side-effect of a deeper underlying issue; an "allergy" to something Jacob is either consuming, inhaling, touching, or what have you.

So, Roger began testing Jacob for allergies to find out what is causing his asthma to occur. And this is when it really became interesting. This is when my eyes started to peek open to the concept that, perhaps, Western medicine is limited in its ability to treat and heal. And not only that, but also that maybe there are other avenues of medicine that can treat in ways that Western medicine cannot.

As I watched the testing, I couldn't help but be extremely intrigued about the things the acupuncturist was revealing about Jacob's body. Roger discovered that Jacob has allergies to Vitamin C and sugar, and that these allergies are affecting the functions of his heart and his stomach, which directly affect his lungs. So, when Jacob consumes anything containing Vitamin C or sugar, which are two unavoidable nutrients, his lungs are adversely affected.

This is where the needles come in, literally. 8 needles in the feet, legs, wrists, and hands.

The first to be eliminated was the Vitamin C allergy. That's right, eliminated. So, this was our first step. And at Jacob's next appointment, he will eliminate the sugar allergy, which should be quite an adventure. So, it will be after appointment number 2 that we will see how successful this all turns out to be.

:::

AMANDA'S CAT ALLERGY

The experience was so intriguing, in fact, that I had to experience the needles for myself. So at 10:00 a.m. today, I had MY first acupuncture appointment. During the food allergy testing, we found that I have only a slight food allergy to nuts. Boring.

During the appointment I mentioned that I am allergic to cats. As a child I was not allergic, but suddenly sometime during college I developed a pretty severe and annoying allergy to felines.

So, Roger handed me a container of cat hair and dander and tested the allergy. He discovered that I have an emotional allergy that affects my brain and liver.
I know it sounds weird:
I have an emotional** allergy to cats.

It probably stems from my childhood when my dad (on two separate occasions and with two separate cats) secretly took my pet cat to the pound while I was out of town. Traumatic!

Anyway, in one week I will report back on this cat allergy, and on Jacob's sugar and Vitamin C allergies and we will see what has become of it, and if the acupuncture has worked. On Friday we are going home to Lubbock and I will inevitably have cat interaction.

:::

**Here is an example of how an emotional allergy forms: [True Story] A man comes into an acupuncturist with chronic back pain in his upper back and shoulders. The acupuncturist runs tests and finds out the man has a pear (yes, the fruit) allergy at the emotional level. Well, how is this related to his back pain? You can trace back an emotional allergy to what year the allergy developed. And, in this case the man's allergy occurred when he was 8 years old. Incidentally, when the man was 8 he fell out of a pear tree in his backyard and landed on his back/shoulder while holding a pear in his hand. Well, the man's body related the pain that he felt in his back and shoulder to the pear in his hand. So, later in life when the man is near or eats pears back pain ensues. And pear juice is used in many artificial sweeteners in processed foods. So there you are.

:::

Acupuncture image found at freshsolutions.org

What an Entrance!

2009-07-23T09:21:00.001-07:00

I would love to film a wedding where the processional went something like this:

Well, the test is over...

2009-07-22T10:27:00.001-07:00

...and it went very well.
Thanks to all who kept Mr. Boyd in your thoughts & prayers!
..

GRE

2009-07-21T05:43:00.000-07:00

For at least two months now, Jacob has been studying for the GRE, or the Graduate Record Examination. Today, at 12:00, he takes the exam. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers today around lunchtime while he is in the midst of the test.

Celebration!

2009-07-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! After months of searching, it has happened! I was so happy, I cried. What a blessing! We have gotten used to living on so little that I didn't realize what kind of an impact another full time salary would have on our lives, on how we save, on how we give, on how we invest our resources.

Whew.

Dang Economy, we have triumphed! Praise the Lord.

Leeetle Goggles

2009-07-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Jacob found some little goggles laying beside our apartment pool yesterday evening, and wore them while he and our friend, Jeff, played water volleyball. We told Jacob to smile for this photo, and all he did was stick his tongue out and give a floppy wave.

He's such a cutie. Silly, but a cute silly.

Greg & Virginia

2009-07-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Jacob and I were given the lovely opportunity of filming and editing the wedding video for our newly married friends Greg & Virginia Tamplen. Here is a snippet of some moments from the reception.

Virginia & Greg [highlights] from Amanda Michelle Boyd on Vimeo.

Got an event coming up?

Records

2009-07-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

Last night Jacob alphabetized his record collection. We had a pleasant evening listening to old records as we wound down for the night.

At the Office

2009-07-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

About once a week, the husband visits me at my workplace. We go to lunch and we will hang out in my office for a bit, and then he'll leave. It really brightens the day. He's coming to visit me today, in fact!

{Photos from around my workplace}

Summertime

2009-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here's to standing up in the tube, while riding doubles.

(image from 4th of July 2009, Maddie and Jacob)

Music & Dancing

2009-07-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

4th of July Eve we hung out with a bit of family. Music happened, and everyone danced, especially Uncle Mike, in the yellow. We had a blast hanging out with some of the Wood/Olson bunch.

(Photos taken at the Wildcatter Ranch Resort in Graham, TX)

Happy 4th

2009-07-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Yogis

2009-07-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Belated Photos

2009-06-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

These are some images of our Hill Country Vacaish. Just got around to uploading them. I only took photos at Enchanted Rock, and only took photos of Jacob. So here some are:

This is my fave: Jacob pretending to climb a rock face, when actually it is just a slightly inclined hill.

De-smushed Ring!

2009-06-17T13:09:00.001-07:00

Hooray!

-Amanda

Smushed

2009-06-09T12:15:00.001-07:00

Drat!
-Amanda

The Boyds Get a Juicer

2009-06-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

The Welch's got us a juicer for Amanda's 24th birthday! We experimented with it right away, creating a Green Goddess concoction. It turned out quite tasty! Thanks, Steve & Donna! We documented the event:

The Boyds Get a Juicer from Jamanda Boyd on Vimeo.

Fact:

2009-05-28T12:00:00.001-07:00

-Amanda

Hahaha!

2009-05-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Lauren posted this photo of our Memorial Day bike ride and I love it! It captures the essence of our hardcore-ness. We look like a boy band!

Our boy band pose reminded me of this:

Memorial Day and the coming week(s) of Tennis...

2009-05-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today was supposed to be a leisurely day of bike riding around White Rock Lake in Dallas. Turns out that the trail is a little under 10 miles long! Sheesh. But despite the sweat and heat, Jake and I had a great time with our friends Cody and Lauren (The Kimmels). We rode and picnicked out on a dock. We also took some pretty awesome pics, which are on Lauren's camera, which I don't have...

The French Open began today, and Jake and I are so excited! We always end up playing tennis a lot more often during the various tournament times throughout the year. It is a personal goal of ours to attend each of the big 4 tennis tournaments at least once in our lifetime. In fact, on our honeymoon we attended one day of the U.S. Open. Next, we'll try for the Australian Open, I think. Hopefully while Federer is still playing; we love him. In a few years, perhaps. I love this Nike ad featuring him:

Our Hill Country Vacaish

2009-05-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we had our weekend away. And, boy, was it great.

It all began last Friday. We woke early in the morning and headed to Kerrville, TX for Virginia Shrader and Greg Tamplen's wedding rehearsal and dinner, which was quite an enjoyable time. The day of the wedding was disappointingly rainy, and the venue had to be changed from a beautiful outdoor amphitheater to Virginia's home church. Turned out to be a fine change, because the wedding was perfect. Jacob and I filmed this wedding, our first time working as business partners, and everything went quite smoothly on our end. It was fun getting the opportunity to work as a team. I put together a little video teaser of the pre and post wedding events:

Shrader-Tamplen Teaser from Amanda Michelle Boyd on Vimeo.

The day after the wedding we, with a few friends, moseyed on over to Fredericksburg, where we stayed in the beautiful Angels Lodge Above the Creek B&B. Ahhhhh (contented sigh). Our first day was spent with our friends Ann & Kris Harrison and their three beautiful kids, Hannah, Calla, and Elliot. We explored the shops in the downtown area before the Harrisons headed back to Dallas. Then, we enjoyed a quiet evening at the inn, seated in the outdoor common area with fellow Inn-goers, with nice conversation.

The next day we visited the lovely Silver Spoon Trailer, owned and operated by our friend Katherine Lott. We munched on a delicious lunch prepared by the aforementioned owner: tasty. So tasty, in fact, that we joined Katherine for dinner as well!

On our return trip, the following day, we stopped at Enchanted Rock and hiked to the top and around the area. It was a nice hike. We hope to go back some day to do some actual rock climbing. We also stopped in Hico, where Billy the Kid is either from or lived or died... I'm unsure, but his name is all over the place. Also, we ate at a little cafe in Llano called The Acme Cafe...we would recommend it to any Texas Hill Country traveler. Try to crab cakes.

We have photos of this stuff, but I seem to have misplaced our camera. It will turn up sometime, and I'll be sure to post some pics.

Oh! And I almost forgot! In the midst of all of this, Jacob GRADUATED COLLEGE! The graduation ceremony was the same day of Greg & Virginia's wedding, so he didn't walk the stage, but sure enough, he's done. We're just waiting on the actual diploma to arrive. Whew! No more homework or studying!

Preparation

2009-05-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

Jake and I practiced with using a lapel mic for an upcoming wedding shoot we are doing together (Greg & Virginia). So, we did a little audio practice. Sounds good.

Also, eat at Palio's in Rockwall!

Practice [Jake talks about his lunch] from Jamanda Boyd on Vimeo.

Forgotten Christmas Photos!

2009-05-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

I found these this morning when I was rummaging through some old files on my computer.
They are from this past Christmas, and I thought I'd share them.

Alonely

2009-05-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

Husband is out of town this weekend. And the weather is terrible. And the Swine Flu is after us all!

On a lighter note, here is a drawing I did on Thursday to represent my view of the Swine Flu...

Also, happy engagement party/wedding shower to our [friend(s)/almost-cousin-in-law and cousin] Stephen & Callie, which is the reason why Jake is out of town, happily representing the Boyds, since I work weekends.

Well, at least I'll have work tonight & tomorrow morning to distract me from missing the husband.

Happy Birthday, Emily!

2009-04-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Happy (late) birthday to Emily (our beloved step-sis) who turned the big 16 yesterday! We love you!

[Trying to start a new trend of wishing happy birthday to people here...we'll see how this works]

Getting Away

2009-04-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

So, the hubbs and I are going to get away alone together in a few weeks.
About 2 1/2 weeks to be exact, and I am already SO excited that I could scream!
It will be our first weekend getaway since our honeymoon. We've been married for 8 months & 12 days, and a weekend alone together will be simply splendid.

We are planning a short trip to the hill country of Texas... Fredericksburg area. We've been looking into bed & breakfasts in the area and think we may have found one that looks cozy (and cozy is certainly what we're going for). It is called Angels Lodge Above the Creek. However, if anyone has had a great experience in the hill country area and would highly recommend somewhere else, we're up for suggestions.

Blockhead Dance Party

2009-04-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

So, it was a laid back day at work... enough said.

Jacob on his bike...

2009-04-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

He's still lovin' it... and I'm enjoying documenting his riding endeavors near the field behind our apartment.

Lake Pointe Easter 2009

2009-04-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

In a previous post I mentioned how crazy Easter-time is around my workplace. Now that Easter has come and gone, I can show you what we have been a part in helping to create over the past few weeks.

This was our opening number... Matt Fuqua from the band The Afters on lead vocals, an arrangement of strings from across Texas, our house band and guest singers, motion graphics created by Wes Hartley, and a stage setup that our entire team had a hand in creating.

Viva La Vida/Lifted Me Out Medley from Amanda Michelle Boyd on Vimeo.

Staff Photos

2009-04-03T12:21:00.001-07:00

The Media department at Lake Pointe recently took staff photos. They sprung the photo shoot on us randomly one day, and it just so happened to be the day when I wore my t-shirt that says "Team Jacob" to work for the first time. Jacob's step-sisters, Ashley and Emily, gave the shirt to me for Christmas as a funny gift. So, this is how I'm displayed on our staff website...extremely supportive of my husband. Here's a link to the photo: "Team Jacob" t-shirt

Later I found out that this "Team Jacob" shirt is a reference to the book/movie Twilight, which I have yet to read or see. So I look either super supportive of my husband, or like a teenage girl who is crazy about Twilight. Ah well.

Finding time...

2009-03-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Easter season at my workplace is an all-hands-on-deck-for-80-hour-work-weeks preparation period. For Easter we will have a huge setup, with a full band and orchestra, an intricately decorated stage, and lots of special song and sermon elements, which includes several graphical elements that I'm responsible for. To add to all the hustle, this weekend the actor who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ is coming to speak at Lake Pointe. So, lots to focus on!

I have found that Jake and I have to be very intentional with what we do with our free time. He is usually loaded with schoolwork, and is working part time. So, we have to make sure we're having time to ourselves, and time to share with others.

And that's exactly what we did this weekend. Saturday night we got to hang out with a very cool couple, The Kimmels. Jake and Cody were very manly making burgers...

And on Sunday I had to take photos around the Rockwall/Rowlett/Garland area to incorporate into some Easter graphics elements, so Jacob accompanied me and we shared a beautiful afternoon outdoors.

Amanda's New Bike

2009-03-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

So, we decided, after borrowing a friend's womens-sized mountain bike for a few days, that we should invest in a mountain bike for the lady of the house.

On Monday evening we hopped in the car and drove into Dallas to purchase a lady-bike. We arrived at REI, stepped inside and found the bike worthy of our purchase.

When the salesperson asked if I would like to take the bike out for a test-ride, I said yes, the conscious consumer that I am. Of course I want to test out the bike before I buy it, just like I would a car.

What I wasn't aware of was that in order to test-drive a bike at REI, you have to fill out paperwork and wear a helmet and a bright orange vest to ride around the parking lot in. And as I was signing my name to their liability form, I knew I couldn't back out of the test drive... I had already committed.

So, Jacob accompanied me to the parking lot, camera in hand, as I tested out my bike choice. Needless to say, the bike cruised smoothly and we bought it on the spot. And I even posed for Jake as he snapped my photo.

New hobby: Mountain Biking

2009-03-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

So, Jacob and I have been mountain biking twice in the past week. Day 2 elicited these results:

Despite our several minor injuries, we have really enjoyed riding the trails that are only a few miles from our house. I think we've found our new warm-weather hobby.

Taxes Texas

2009-03-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

We finished our taxes TONIGHT!
Also, Jacob made a 100 on his political science test today.
But he made a B- on his "fictional" portrayal of a man with Alzheimer's.
How dare that English teacher say it wasn't realistic!
Jacob is facial-hairless because of his job. They made him shave.
We both got haircuts last Saturday.
So, Jacob is very clean-cut, with his new haircut and shave.
Also, it rained a little today.

Rocky Green

2009-02-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I heard news that my friend Rocky Green had passed away. He had been fighting brain cancer for several months. Though I knew the odds were stacked against his surviving the cancer, it was heartbreaking to hear that the battle had come to an end. Rocky was a great man. He was a surfer, son, musician, brother, believer, and husband.

I spent most of yesterday thinking about Rocky and his family. It was a somber day, filled with joy and sadness: joy, because Rocky is completely healed now with our Father in Heaven; sadness, because his death is a loss for those of us who enjoyed the pleasure of knowing him; it is a greater sadness, however, to know that there are those in this world who will never get the chance to. His life is worth celebrating, because Rocky was a man that touched lives. And in the few years that I knew him, and in the instances when I was able to be around him, Rocky touched mine.

Yesterday was a thought-provoking day. And I think Jacob knew that when I got home from work, I would be wanting to talk seriously and solemnly, with the potential for tears. So when I got home, he had made a beautiful supper and had dinner set for us outdoors...

We were able to have a romantic dinner with intriguing conversation about a dear man who I will miss. We celebrated Rocky Green's life last night.

-Amanda

Marry Me.

2009-02-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

What a cute short. Directed by Michelle Lehman.

Blockhead Boyds: The Animated Short

2009-02-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

I decided to play in After Effects and Soundtrack Pro, using my blockhead drawing as the subject. I like to imagine this animation as what happened the first time that Jacob and I met...

Blockhead Boyds from Amanda Michelle Boyd on Vimeo.

Blockhead Boyds

2009-02-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

Jacob and I celebrated our 6 month anniversary on the 16th of this month, and in honor of it I drew us as blockheads, using these paper blockheads as my inspiration!
In real life, I'm not as squatty...and my eyes look less Asian. But Jacob looks strikingly similar to his blockhead!

Bishop Street

2009-02-06T20:41:00.001-08:00

We now live about 15 minutes from Dallas. This is new to us, as Denton was about a 45 minute drive (on a good day) to downtown Dallas. We have definitely been taking advantage of our new territory and are finding fun and inexpensive ways to be entertained in Dallas.

About two weeks ago we found a cool area in Oak Cliff called the Bishop Arts District. There are several quaint and unique restaurants and shops in the area, and monthly the street is host to First Thursdays, in which the shops stay open late and live music and art shows provide a small melange of entertainment. We went this past Thursday for the first time. It was a low-key, enjoyable evening.

Also, we found one of our new favorite restaurants... Hattie's...