Valentines Day Gift

I got a delivery at work today! It was a box from ProFlowers from my very sweet and attentive husband. I just had to share.

Here is the bouquet he sent me (except my flowers are still tight and waiting to bloom - which I'm excited about). Way to go hon! He must know of my affinity for pink. :)

You done good. Thank you, sweetheart and Happy Valentines Day!

$30 Homemade Head Board

My BRILLIANT sister saw this idea on HGTV and she made one for her bed a few months ago. I saw it, we loved it, and we needed a head board, so today she and her husband helped Kent and I make our own!

I am very happy with how the head board turned out - I LOVE it!! The best part about it is that it only cost seriously $30!!

For instructions on how to make your very own head board, see Kent's e-how article here.

25 Random Things

Coley tagged me on her blog, so here goes (PS - I love your drapes Coley!):

RULES: Once you've been tagged, write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, tag the people that you want to know more about. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it is because I want to know more about you.

1. I incessantly pop my knuckles and joints, including my wrists, back, neck, toes, fingers, and ankles
2. I fidget ALL THE TIME
3. My first name isn’t Ginger
4. I had pet chickens growing up, and my favorite one was Popeye. She would come when I called her, and would sit on my lap
5. I love dogs
6. I love chocolate
7. I love pumpkin spice, warm brown sugar, or vanilla flavored candles/room scenter thingys
8. I play the organ
9. I love cooking and making new things that I didn’t think I could actually make myself.
10. I talk in my sleep occasionally
11. I dream almost every night
12. I HAVE to sleep with a noisemaker or I won't sleep a wink. Silence is way too loud for me!
13. One leg is longer than the other because I broke it when I was a kid
14. I broke the same leg as my big brother and we both have the same birthmarks on our legs
15. I think frogs are cute, but they stink so I won't get one
16. I dyed my hair black when I was 16
17. I lost 60 pounds when I was 15, and have kept it off
18. I lost that weight because I was mad that I didn't get the part of Juliette in the middle school's school play, even though my audition got a standing ovation and I was obviously the better actress; the part went to a really skinny girl who didn't even show up to rehearsals
19. My junior year I was the lead in our high school's school play "The Man Who Came to Dinner. I played Maggie Cutler.
20. I married an extremely sweet and smart man who goes out of his way for me every day
21. I have a rooster themed kitchen
22. Kent and I tacked up the only pair of drapes you'll see hanging in our apartment (yes, with thumb tacks)
23. I can't sew on a button - I'm that bad
24. I'd love to learn how to quilt
25. My favorite beauty products are the "Benefit" brand, and you can only get them in Utah by ordering them online or through the mail. So everytime Kent and I go to Chicago, I stop by the Benefit counter at Macy's.

I tag Debbie, Cherilyn, Rachel, Vanessa, and Shalise.

(see below the photo of our tacked up drapes)

CISA Exam

Kent took a test last month called the CISA exam and today we FINALLY found out the results. Kent, of course, passed with flying colors like I told him he would.

Seriously, it amazes me how smart this kid is! He had this thick 500 page book to study, and between getting married, going on a honeymoon, moving his wife into his apartment and the holidays he managed to still take his test on December 13th. Way to go!

Now, what is CISA and what does this mean? This means that Kent is now one of the more than 60,000 professionals worldwide who have earned the CISA credential, and is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

Good job Kent!

Christmas Coffee Table & Birthday Roosters

For Christmas, my folks bought us a coffee table that Kent and I picked out. We like it a lot and think that it matches things in the apartment pretty well. It's got a slate top, with pieces of blue and gray slate. Thanks mom and dad!!

Last Saturday, Kent and I went to dinner with my sister and her husband at Gardner Village in West Jordan. We got there a few minutes early, so while we were waiting for my sister we poked around the home furnishings store. We saw two chicken pictures that I really liked, so I pointed them out to Kent. I said "Oh, I want those chickens" and Kent grabbed them and said "Done. Happy Birthday!". It was really too sweet and I think I stood there stunned for a minute because I wasn't expecting to actually get them. :)

They are hanging up in my kitchen and I hope you like them as much as I do!!

Pixie Hollow

A little background ... when Kent and I got home from visiting his family in Illinois over the Christmas Holiday, Kent was sick and we were both uber tired and totally unmotivated (if you know Kent and I, you know this is entirely unusual and downright scary).

So the next two days were spent doing literally NOTHING but sitting around our front room, Kent in his pajamas and bathrobe playing Civilization, and me watching TV and trying to find something on the computer to keep me entertained (checking facebook and Gmail can only stay interesting for so long).

While watching Mulan on the Disney channel, I saw an add for Pixie Hollow (http://pixiehollow.go.com/). I was initially intrigued by the notion of designing my very own fairy, but once I got into it I discovered it's actually a game!!

The next hour or so was spent with BOTH of us generating random pixie names and laughing hysterically. My pixie's name is Isabel Daisyspirit. Kent's favorite pixie name was Daisy Rumblefluff.

David Archulleta Gloves (aka, the Governor's Inauguration)

Today was a fun (but totally crazy, run-up-and-down-the-capitol-steps-1000-times) day. It was Inauguration Day!!

A few highlights:

- I was out in the frigid cold for approx 3 hours and did NOT get frostbite!
- I shook President Monson's hand and said, "Hello President Monson"
- I gave the frosty school children my hand warmers in a futile attempt to warm their shivering ickle baby hands
- I gave David Archulleta my black gloves because his ickle hands were likewise shivering
- I heard David Archulleta sing the National Anthem and it was AMAZING

Upon giving Mr. Archulleta my black gloves, I assumed I'd never see them again. However, his father gave them back to my coworker. I was uber impressed. My coworker is going to frame them and put them up on our office wall with the title "Gloves Worn by David Archulleta at the 2009 Inauguration (gloves donated by Ginger Fairbanks, and her mom from whence she swiped)."

My wonderful boss got this photo (PROOF) of David Archulleta wearing MY gloves.

(*Editor's Note: Considering this is technically also Kent's blog I should mention his comments of my giving David my gloves. And I quote: "I'm glad you saved Mr. Idol's hands! Ask me if I'm surprised that he wears girl gloves!")