Let's dust off this blog

Has something ever popped into your mind, and you thought, "oh man, I should definitely do that today!"...and then like 3 weeks goes by before you even think about it again?

Rewind to mid-February:  "I should start blogging again!!"....6 weeks later...."Hey, remember when I thought about starting to blog again?"

Okay, so this is really happening now!  You're probably thinking, 'where have you been for the last year and a half?'  If you know any teachers in your life, ask them to describe what October through testing season feels like in a facial expression or gesture...yeah, that's where I've been.   Remember when I made that same excuse and this exact same promise a year and a half ago here?    Well, there's something to be said about perseverance, right?  As long as you get up more times than you fall you're still going!

Thanks to those of you who stuck in here with me!
More posts to come!

MOVEMBER

MOVEMBER is both a hilarious and serious time for us all.

I find it hilarious because my husband went from this:

to this:

Movember's serious nature comes from the awesome donations of the participants' family and friends.  If you care and feel generous this time of year, or if you are thankful for a healthy man in your life please follow the link below and donate in Amir's name:

http://us.movember.com/donate/

Running in the D

Since high school, I've considered myself a runner.  My new year's resolution in 2008 was to run my first marathon.  I spent a little over 5 months training and finished the Marine Corps Marathon with the goal of "just don't die before you cross the finish line".  2008: New Years Resolution accomplished.

Flash forward 4 years to January 2012.  While I was home for the holidays, my dad handed me a news article for the Detroit International Marathon.  I was immediately sold and registered 2 weeks later.  Training this time, however, was much more difficult because this time I lived in Texas.  For those of you who aren't runners or don't live in Texas, training for a marathon during the summer and fall is HORRIBLE.  Running in 80-90 degree temperatures always sucks, no matter what...  My original goal was to finish in under 5 hours; however that goal flew right out the window due to my lack of training and I re-adopted the goal of "just don't die before you cross the finish line mile 16."  Well, I didn't run as well as the first go-round but I did finish and I tell myself that's all that matters :)

BELATED BLOG: My Journey Northward (part 2)

My second trip to Michigan this summer was only about five days after I left the first time.  My dad's mom passed away at the end of June.

I approach the whole situation with a mixed sense of emotion.  On one hand, she was 88 years old, and her body was failing her.  She had battled dementia, cancer, and typical geriatric-type ailments.  There is very little doubt in my mind that she is hanging out with Jesus in Heaven right now, so that is obviously a way better place to be than this world!  On the other hand, she was survived by 5 children, 14 grand children and 15 (i think?) great-grandchildren.  She left behind a legacy of love, faith and forgiveness.  As my uncle put it in his eulogy, she lived the fruits of the holy spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness) every single day. She left a meaningful impact on her family and the people around her and even though she's in a better place its hard not to miss her.

It had been a long time since attending the funeral of someone I deeply knew and cared about...this was the really the first of my adult life.  As sad as it was to see my grandmother leave this world, it became a joyous experience to re-unite with many of my cousins for the first time in years.  It was comforting to come together as a family over the course of several days and not only celebrate my grandmother's life, but also the life and love in our family.

BELATED BLOG: My Journey Northward (part 1)

I had the opportunity to visit Michigan twice this summer--each visit under different circumstances.

My first trip to "the Mitten" was to surprise my mom for her 60th birthday!!  My dad and I conspired for months, and were able to successfully pull it off!  My mom believed I was only going to be in town for about 3 days and would miss her actual birthday....well, it turned out that I was there for a full 5 days and was able to celebrate the BIG SIX-O  with her!  The following is my mom's (underwhelming?) reaction when I walked into the house to surprise her...

Dad: Oh, my friend missed his flight so he's staying here for the night...

Faye (leaping into the living room where my mom is sitting): SURPRISE!

Mom: Oh, hi.  How are you?

The best parts about Michigan for me are found in the food and family! So, here are my reviews of both:



Heaven on a bun!



 FOOD: Of course I have to start with the food!  My family's "go to" eat out spot is Leo's Coney Island.  For Mighiganians--especially those in the Metro Detroit area, we hear "Coney Dog" and a chili covered hot dog with mustard & onions that is so delicious words can barely describe comes to mind.  Now, living in the "great state of Texas", the closest thing I can get to a Coney is to go to Sonic...two thoughts typically come to mind at that suggestion a.) gross b.) I miss home.  So, my parents obviously could not refuse my requested trip to Leo's.

The coffee shop formally
known as Beaners




Other delicious food encounters occurred when my dad took my mom and I to Weber's Inn in Ann Arbor for a fancy steak dinner.  We got dressed up and ordered some amazing cuts of meat.  The restaurant seems significantly more casual than I remember as a child, but the food is still A+!  My mom opened her presents and a wonderful time was had by all!

And finally, one of my favorite Michigan "go local" endeavours is Beaners Biggby Coffee!  It started in Michigan, is just as delicious as Starbucks and even has a daily trivia question to appeal to my inner Jeopardy obsession!

FAMILY: While I was in Michigan, I got to see all of my grandparents at least once.  Most of them are doing fairly well health-wise....the one exception being my dad's mom (see: My Journey Northward-part 2).   I was also able to meet the latest addition to my family, my little cousin, Makenzie!  I think the photos speak for themselves!

One tradition that has lived in my family for well over a decade now is the daddy-daughter date.  It started when I was in 3rd or 4th grade, and I begged my dad to take me to the Daddy Daughter Dance.  If your hometown doesn't have one, its a cute version of daddy-daughter prom before daughters start thinking their dads are weird and old (no, dad, I never thought that about you...).  Well, my dad decided after  two years of expensive tickets, candy hearts, cheap lemonade and blaring dance music that we would make this an adventure of our own.  Over the years, this has included Red Wing games, museums, presidential libraries and other assorted quality time adventures.  This year, my dad took me for bowling and beers at our local Brighton Bowl!  As you can see from our scores, he won out in the end...but I put up a pretty good fight!  Luckily our daddy-daughter dates are less about the scores and more about the fact that I have a cool enough dad who wants to a.) hang out with me b.) will take me bowling (or any activity that really that I choose) c.) will buy a round of beers at 11:30 on a Saturday morning!

Thunder = stolen.

Remember when I wrote a ton of blog posts about El Paso, TX  here and here?


Well, this lady sure does know how to steal a girl's thunder...and write a pretty solid Lifestyle article:
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/13708269-423/architecture-art-history-meld-in-el-paso.html

Enjoy!

BELATED BLOG: Summer like an El Pasoan

The first stop on the summer crazy train called Roohi was El Paso, Texas! 

In all honesty, I was nervous spending a month with my in-laws.  I deflected a lot of this anxiety with the obvious humor behind living as a married couple in the bedroom my husband grew up in, but June really turned out to be an amazing time!

The adventure to El Paso begins when Amir left while I still had 2 weeks left in the school year.  We drove to Austin in two cars to help Amir break the trip up.  In the morning, Amir set out to El Paso (green route below) and I headed back to Houston.  Along the way, my tire blew out.  Stranded between Bastrop and Smithville on US-71, I couldn’t help but think of last summer’s tire debacle!  Luckily my roadside assistance and a Walmart were open on a Sunday afternoon!  A long, 97°F day later, Amir hit the El Paso city limit as I pulled into our apartment complex with a brand new tire!  Fast forward two weeks: I leave our extra car in Austin and fly to El Paso (pink route below).  Of course, I’m flying out of a too-small-for-its-booming-population-airport within a week of all local school districts and Universities letting out for the summer.  With over an hour wait to check bags and get through security, it was a pretty terrible idea to get to the airport an hour before my flight took off.  Luckily, Southwest Airlines is the bomb and held the plane for me and about 30 other passengers to make our way through the atrocious security situation!

Once in El Paso, I spent a lot of time, working out, reading, catching up on TV shows I had long abandoned, and spending hours of quality time with my little sister.   For someone who left Houston feeling exhausted, overworked and somewhat apathetic to a job and cause I dearly love, my down time in El Paso was exactly what I needed to recharge.



Dressed up for dinner!



Sarah fixing Amir's bow tie

Other fun El Paso destinations included my friend Desiree’s boutique, Royally Sweet (shameless advertising plug for those of you who LOVE adorable, reasonably priced girl accessories here and here).   We spent a couple of nights at Brew (local dive/sports bar) and A Little Bit of Texas (country dance bar/Ft Bliss hang out)!   Shopping and drinking aside, El Paso is also home of some fabulous eateries.  Aparte de un par de comidas muy deliciosas en la casa de Tita, Amir, Sarah, and I tried out House of Pizza and Tommy’s Pit Barbeque downtown and enjoyed a family dinner at Great American Land & Cattle up on the mountain!  For those of you who don’t know much about me, one of the assured ways to my heart is through my stomach…especially with cheese, coffee, chocolate, and carbohydrates.  All these places hit on at least one of my favorite food groups so if you’re ever in El Paso, check them out!

In terms of sightseeing, one of my all-time favorite things to do in El Paso is hike.  The Franklin Mountains are not only an amazing view from town but a mile-high workout!   Seemingly every time we visit El Paso, I put “going up the mountain” on our list of things to do; however, it typically takes a back seat to less rigorous activities.  This time, I WON OUT (mostly with my daily nagging reminders) and up the mountain we went!!   In December 2009, Amir, Farid, Sarah & I made it all the way to the top and then some.  Two months later, Amir took me to the top and proposed, so this mountain holds more sentimental value than I can explain!  We made it about half way up this time, which was just enough of a fix to hold me over until December (get ready Amir, we’re doing it)! 

Our final sight seeing adventure was a tour of the Plaza Theater.  The Plaza is a beautiful landmark in El Paso, though easily overlooked.  Our tour included the rise, fall and restoration of the Plaza throughout the last hundred years.  Did you know: the Plaza was the first public theater in the US to have air conditioning (its in El Paso, duh)? It is home to a Mighty Wurlitzer Organ?  It still featueres broadway shows?  Well, neither did I!  Its an atmospheric theater so you're supposed to feel outside when watching a play, and hopefully someday we'll be in town when something is actually being performed.  Until then, the tour was pretty good!

BELATED BLOG: And the school year comes to a close

I worked in a classroom setting for about a year and a half after college, but in retrospect it was nothing.  This past school year was my REAL first year of teaching and sometimes I'm surprised I survived.   My kids (all 13-16 years old) caused me to challenge myself in terms of patience, mind-set, way of acting/speaking and effective teaching methods.  The good news is that as CRAZY as they made me, I never felt completely hopeless.  Despite feeling exhausted and somewhat apathetic about teaching come late May, my kids and I muddled through the year well, and I know numerous areas for growth come August!

On a more fun note, our 8th graders took a class trip to Washington, DC...my old home!  Although I don't have many photos sans kiddos, we had a great time!  We did all of the super tourist-y things like Smithsonians, riding the metro, White House, tour of the Capitol...and the kids even got to see several Universities (include AU!!).  We'll do a few things differently next year (like get a bus for most of the days!) but overall the trip was a great success!  The most memorable moment, however, was a girl (from my chaperon group) who set a piece of bread "on fire" in the microwave because she heated it for FOUR MINUTES...really?!?  Luckily everyone escaped unharmed, and the kids got to see how well the Arlington Fire Department can respond to a hotel fire.

Washington from Lincoln (minus the reflecting pool)

An Apologetic Post

I originally created this blog to keep in touch with loved ones as I move and grow through life (or rather, for those I love to keep up with me, I suppose).  However, I have clearly failed to update this blog for several months. 

As a teacher, I blame my lapse on end of the year craziness.
As a wife, I blame it on the fact I've spent the last 7 weeks following my husband across the state of Texas.
In general, maybe I've just been to lazy busy recuperating from the school year to buckle down and post.  Despite the reasoning, I apologize for the delay! 

The next several posts will be a series of updates on the last several months of my life.  My summertime resolution is to hop back into the blogesphere!

high society...

Gossip Girl here… A, F and E spotted at Houston’ Simon Mall Fashion show.  The only question is: who had the bigger fall from glory, Faye or the runway model?

A while back, my friend Ellen got me hooked on Gossip Girl.  Essentially, I fell in love with it.  Then, Ellen invited Amir & I to a Houston Magazine event at the Galleria.  I just couldn't wait to wear my new dress from Bevello, get all dressed up and have a week-night out on the town!  We started off the night at the VIP pre-party at Armani.

Then we moved downstairs to the Simon Mall Fashion Show.  Amir and I stood for our first ever step and repeat.  We seriously felt so fancy!

They served free food and beverages all night long.  We even got a gift bag full of goodies like a candle, Grey Goose vodka (airplane size, sadly), OPI nail polish, a conception calendar (for future reference I suppose?), and a purse size mirror.  I think it was mostly cool just to get a gift bag on our seat! 

We watched the fashion show which was pretty cool!  One model stumbled, one model fell (see PS. story below), and it made me want to model in a mall fashion show just once in my life!

Then we went to an after-party at GiGis where they served martinis and there were naked women painted like bottles of Stoli Vodka!

All in all, it was a pretty awesome night!  I learned that being part of society is SO MUCH FUN! :)  That's our latest Houston update, xoxo Faye

PS. I must admit, I took a pretty awesome tumble at the beginning of the night.  My 6-inch platform shoes are a disaster I've learned to master but they are still no match for a Houston sidewalk.  Before we even walked into this swanky event, I fell on the concrete sidewalk outside of the Galleria.  I found the nearest Neiman Marcus restroom to clean up my knee.  I was hoping that it wouldn't be too bad in my less than knee length dress.  However, it was pretty gross.  Just then, the fashion gods sent a wonderful lady who magically found a giant knee-sized band aid from who knows where that just so happened to be my shade of white person!  Luckily, that was way less obvious than my totally cut-up bloody knee!   Maybe I'm not quite graceful enough for high society, but it sure does add to my story!

I'm just like my dad.

Typically, this blog is a life update with places I've gone and things I've done.  However, it seems that recently the vast majority of my life is lesson planning, teaching, and attempting to figure out the inner workings of 13 year olds...  So, today is the story about how I've come to the realization that, with age, I am actually becoming my father.

For a while now, I've been pretty obsessed with grocery shopping.  My typical rule is if its not on sale, or your don't have a coupon, you should probably buy something else.  There are obvious exceptions to this like "OMG WE'RE OUT OF ICE CREAM!" or "Amir...the milk in the fridge just asked how my day was...I think its time for a new gallon." For the most part though, it needs a coupon or a sale if its going in my cart.  I will also admit that I wish had the time and dedication to be an extreme coupon lady with the huge binder and calculator and whatnot, but alas, see above about the 13 year olds...  My frugal trait has very clearly been inherted from my father, King of Power Shopping.  I remember hating weekly Meijer/Kroger/VGs trips for a majority of my childhood, and I'm not really sure when I turned from whiny child into Faye Queen of Coupons, but its happened and there's no going back!  (ps. dad, I saved $26.37 at HEB today...so proud, right?)

I've known about the grocery shopping "I'm my father" thing for a while.  Today, though, I suprised myself with a new one.  Before grocery shopping this evening I was planning out meals for the week.  While thinking about my lunches, I thought to myself, 'oh I'll just make a bunch of PB&Js and freeze them like Dad used to when I was in school.' [Insert "OH MY GOSH I'M MY FATHER" moment here].  Now this may not sound like a big deal, but I also used to hate when he went into assembly line sandwhich making mode.  However, this evening I made a loaf of sandwhiches and my lunches are ready to go!

As I reflected a bit on this whole topic of becoming my father, I thought about how the quirks I have inherited are typically things that bothered me about him as a child.  I disliked spending my Saturday's grocery shopping; sandwhich assembly line was sooooo boring; I hated being scolded for putting things in the dishwasher the wrong way (but now I have a specific and efficent dishwasher set up and correct Amir's dish placement, as crazy as that seems). 

All that being said, as quirky as my fathers my traits are (and Amir assures me they are), they are also a sourse of comfort.  I do things that are like my dad and I can't help but think of him.  So, in the end, thanks dad for making me who I am!

Happy Turkey Day!

As I was getting our feast ready today, I couldn't help but think of Amelia Bedilia...After rinsing and blotting the turkey, making sure the wings were tucked back, prepping to stuff the turkey, I couldn't help but recall an awesome childhood literacy moment...

Here was the menu (all recipes are linked):

Turkey with Brown-Sugar Glaze

Basic Bread Stuffing (with cranberries, pecans and brussel sprouts)

Glazed Carrots with thyme

Green beans with caramelized onions and tarragon

Karabelski Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Cranberry Sauce (a la Ocean Spray)

Biscuits (a la Grands)

As you can see, the November issue of Martha Stewart Everyday Cooking was a great inspiration.  I substituted all celery for Brussel sprouts since celery isn't really that special to either of us.  The Brussel sprouts added some delicious flavor to the turkey and stuffing.  Amir gave the whole meal two thumbs up, and I actually timed everything pretty perfectly!   Enjoy the photo-deliciousness! 

 

Getting the stuffing ready



How hot are you turkey?



I went all out with tablecloth & chair covers!

 

Our beautiful centerpiece (gracias mama por las flores)



Check out that turkey!!



Man of the house carves the turkey



A delicioso spread!



So, after a delicious feast, Amir and I had the traditional Thanksgiving "what are you thankful for" discussion.  Here is what we decided:

Each other (aww how cute, right?)

Our parents (Thanks moms & dads!)

My job ($$)

Law School (future $$)

Our friends

Having an apartment and more than enough food on the table

Vino (which made our dinner even more delicious)

West Wing Episode: Shibboleth (which we then watched in honor of the holiday)

Thanksgiving Eve

To continue along my journey to my first-ever, self-cooked, Thanksgiving dinner, I did as much "day before" prep as possible.

Veggies are chopped for soon-to-be delicious dishes...



Green beans with tarragon

Glazed carrots with tarragon



Brussel Sprouts for the stuffing



And then I made dessert for tomorrow...



melting chocolate like a cooking show



All the dry ingredients





 



 



I love you kitchen aide mixer!!



An hour and a half later....TA DA!

(well, actually, mine turned out as a less photogenic version of this, but I'm sure it tastes as delicious as this one looks)



Photo Credit: Joy the Baker





Exploring H-town

With our time off, Amir and I took the chance to explore our new city a little more.   We got a little "lost" on our way downtown, but our detour allowed us to take this pretty skyline picture.

Of course before heading downtown, Amir spent some time researching Houston buildings and architecture.  We spent most of our time at the JP Morgan tower.  Amir informed me it is the tallest building in Texas so that is kinda cool.  Amir took a serious picture, and then I jumped in and tried to do the" touch the top of the building" thing...but I only made it to the 10th floor.  Oh well!

We went inside to get a Starbucks, and discovered they had an observation deck on the 60th floor!  It was no Sears Tower experience, but still pretty cool!  From there we could see the 2nd and 3rd tallest building in Houston, and enjoy the sunset view.  (The 3rd tallest is far away on the horizon)

As a break from studying/lesson planning today, we trekked down to the museum distract in hopes to see the Jung Center (for those of you who don't understand my excitement, see how cool her is here) which I've wanted to see since we moved here.  However, they closed 20 minutes before our arrival so we'll have to reschedule.  Instead, we headed back downtown to the Public Library where some of my students' artwork was on display.  It was pretty awesome to see them "published" and on display!



Ready or not Thanksgiving... here I come!

Let it be known, I'm pretty stoked about making my first ever Thanksgiving Dinner! 

So, in preperation for this exciting 1st in my life, I have run full force into planning mode.  I chose all of the recipes I need to make dinner and dessert. I made one list of all the ingredients for each recipe that I did not already have in the house.  I made draft #2 of the shopping list by consolidating all of the amounts of each grocery I needed to buy.  The final draft included the item, the amount I needed, and the sale/coupon price for two different store. 

Amir watched silently throughout my furvent hunt for the best recipes, while making 3 versions of the grocery list and while clipping coupons/sale hunting.  His only comment as I was getting ready to leave for the grocery store was, "Have fun Paul."

For those of you who know my father, you will also recognize that I have already turned into him in many ways by the age of 25. 

 Anyway, I came home with everything needed for Thanksgiving 2011, and the preperation starts tomorrow!  Check back in for more Thanksgiving Adventures with Faye!

THANKFUL I'm not in law school

Since I have the week off, I went to school with Amir on Monday to see what this whole law school thing was about.  Let me tell you, I'm thankful I don't have to go every day.

Whose House? COOGS HOUSE!

The day started off with breakfast tacos!  Wait, correction: the day started with breakfast tacos because Amir and his entire 1L cohort had to turn in a 10 page memo that most of them have been working on for the entire semester.  As I delighted in my taco, I was happy to reap the benefits of their hard work!

Amir in his carrol

Amir's first class was Torts.  I think I follow the English-Spanish-Farsi conversations that happen across the  Roohi family dinner table better than whatever that professor was talking about.  I have no idea what happened, but I did finish 4 lesson plans for the week after Thanksgiving instead. (yay!)

Class number two was Civil Procedure.  The professor is infamous among UH law students and the bain of most of their first semester existence.  He doesn't allow computers and insults people when they don't know the answer correctly, so basically I learned about preclusion, diversity, forum shopping, loss of consortium and a 3 pronged rule that no one remembered.  I thought the guy was hilarious, but then again, he doesn't give me a grade at the end of the semester.

At the end of the day, I see why Amir is so exhausted.  Before this, I gave him a hard time because all he has to do is sit and learn (as compared to teaching 8th graders all day); however, law school is boring and draining and I wanted a nap afterward. 

So, I'm thankful my life isn't taking that path and kudos to Amir for sticking through that every day...

Week o' Thanks

One amazing perk of working at my school is having a whole week off for Thanksgiving.

Today, is day 1.  I slept in, spent time with Amir, planned our Thanksgiving feast/shopping list, and searched for black Friday electronic sales (replacement phone here I come).

Oh what a marvelous feeling to do utterly nothing!

To kick off this Week o' Thanks, here is a fabulous parting quote from one of my students:
Me: "Have a great break! Don't leave that packet until next Sunday!"
Student: "Miss, are you excited to see your husband's face more than you see ours?"

In Honor of Veterans Day...

http://austin.ynn.com/content/270733/red-cross-service-extends-to-men-and-women-in-service?ap=1&MP4

And cuz Amir had a crush on her...

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/good_day/Red-Cross-Helps-with-Japan-Relief-20110315-ktbcgd

Our Houston Lives

We have officially lived in Houston for 3 months now!  Amir is settling into law school and I'm settling into my teaching job.  Law school and middle school are keeping the Roohis extremely busy, but here is a little glimpse into what our lives have become!

Faye's Life: Inspiring kids to love math with my fellow 8th grade math teacher Courtney!

 This was the day of the Math trimester exam so we made shirts and operation headbands to pump the kids up!  "Beast mode" is a saying our 6th team uses a lot that we are trying to adopt more with 8th graders...it stands for Behave-Engage-Always 100%-Slant-Try your best...then we made the e and a into functional notation for the relationship where your Ability to rock this test is dependent upon your Excellence (Algebra joke!).  This pretty much sums up my life...

Amir's Life - This is Amir's study board...its the latest addition to our bedroom decor.  Yes, he literally hung his study guide on the wall across from our bed so that he can study as he is laying in bed, getting ready or just walking through the room...

I don't even know where to begin to explain this but this white board is where Amir writes the flow charts he has to memorize for Civil Procedure.  I don't know what they mean, but there are 3 so far and they are difficult to understand.  Everyone reading this should be lucky they aren't in law school.  As I'm typing this he is standing in front of it muttering to himself about how he'd rather still be on tv...

TAAAA-DAAAA!

So, just in time for the official end of summer, I have officially finished my Pinterest Summer Challenge!  Its been a 2 month journey but the frames are stocked, hung and being admired on our wall!

I took a page out of YHL's decor book blog and made templates for each of the frames (including a dot where the hanger on the back of the frame is so that you know where to pound the nail in).  By the way, this was the quickest and easiest hanging job ever!  

10 minutes later....TA DA! 

Everything was hung in the correct place with no extra "oopsy" holes in the wall!

Here are the close-ups of all the frames!

Did you know that Amir first proposed to me with a note?!?  Well, here's the proof!  (Actually its a really sweet story...if you want to know, I'll tell you sometime!)

 Here are the "states we call home" silhouettes I painted...I love how the red adds a bright splash of color!

  I hung the R that I painted white from a piece of tea-stained lace.

 This frame is a heart made of both of our thumb prints, with our important dates below.  A special hug goes out to Amir for helping me with this one because he gets queasy whenever he sees a hyper-flexed thumb.  This frame took two practice thumb prints and the real one for the wall...poor Amir!

 This is the willow tree I painted with the last two stanzas of Pablo Neruda's "and Because Love Battles" in the original Spanish.  The story behind this is that Amir loves willow trees (so I painted him one), and he gave me the entire "and Because Love Battles" poem and a mix tape CD for one of our early anniversaries!

 The credit for this frame goes to my dad and Amir who had the same brilliant idea!  The key (haha, get it?) to our success is the education we have gained...or something kinda cheesy like that.  So, we thought we'd give a nod to our high schools and universities via mascots for making us sooooooo smart! :)

  This frame is the text of our wedding reading in Farsi.  I really like the way it looks, but may re-print it in color so that it pops out a little more...I feel like it gets lost in the corner... :(

For my execution of a "silhouette with a twist," I took two of our engagement photos, cut us out, and used them to paint a void on the paper.  I included the original photo as well as the frame that is on our wall!