House Projects

So I have been busy with some projects for the new house, and I think I am finally done with all of them... Here are some pictures of my finished work. My Mom wanted to see them, so here you go Mommy!

This coffee table was given to us for free. A little spray paint and it's a whole new piece of furniture.

This collage was a nightmare to put up, but I finally got it done! I spray painted all the frames, made the J in the middle, and the "Jacobs" picture below. I am obsessed with the color orange right now.

Here is our mantle. The pinwheel project took me 6 hours, but I love it:)

Orange labels<3 C & B book ends that I made.

I got a $1.00 book from Goodwill and ripped the pages out, modge podged them all together on a piece of poster board, and used sharpie to draw/color the tree/bird. I used the book pages to make more pinwheels. Once I got them up on the wall, I realized I need to make the pinwheels bigger. So I will be adding onto those more... They are so fun to make!

I received this antique piece of furniture from my co-worker for FREE. I painted it, and put on new knobs, and it is a whole new piece. I love, love, love it. And my co-worker wants it back now;)

Here it is in our room, with the mirror on it... Ignore Cameron's cologne collection on top. That isn't going to last long there. Haha.

My Little-Big Drummer Boy

So, I suck at updating this. I am hoping to be better someday! But I have to post these videos of my husband who is just awesome at the drums... It has been nice since we moved into a house, because he has been able to actually play the drums now. We were in an apartment for ever, so he didn't get to play drums for a year and a half. But, now he can play! Here are some videos of him covering a few songs. He's pretty awesome, and I admire his talent, because there is no way I could ever do anything even close to this. The drums are so hard, I have no rhythm at all. Maybe someday we will start a band:) We will see!

                                                                "Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys

"Hysteria" by Muse

"Map of the Problematique" by Muse

"Pretender" by The Foo Fighters

Sister Pictures 2012

This is the "web" version of the book I put together for my Mom for Mother's Day.
All us sisters got together a couple weekends ago for a sister weekend. We had a movie night,
got pedicures, went shopping, ate treats, and had a family dinners together. It was a blast, and I am
so lucky to have such wonderful sisters... To get a better look at the pictures, I posted them on my
Facebook.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly allows you to customize your photo book just the way you want.

Coupons!!!!!!

I went to a coupon class in Rocklin this weekend and I just loved it. I am trying to just save money where we can, and this class really helped. I learned a lot from the class, but I just wanted to share a few things on here so you can all take what I learned as well. The person who did it was featured on the TBS show Extreme Couponing, and spent $900 on groceries, and by using coupons, she only spent $87.00. Pretty amazing! They stated that everything in grocery stores go on sale cycles in about a 3 months period. So they have a website put together where you can enter your store you shop at, put in your grocery list, and then they put all the deals together for you! It's great. The website they gave me was http://www.sacbee.grocerysmarts.com
Now, I don't know if this website will work for everyone outside of the Sacramento area, but you might as well give it a try. Another thing I did was I signed up to get 3 Sunday Newspapers! I feel crazy, but the more you have, the more you can save! The key to couponing is to buy items in bulk that will last you a 3 month period. You get those items when they are at their all-time low price (when they hit the sale price in the stores) And that is when you use your coupons.
Rule #1:  NEVER USE A COUPON ON A FULL PRICE ITEM!
Rule #2: Stock up 3 months at a time. For example, when dishwasher detergent goes on sale, get what you need for your family that will last you the next 3 months until it goes on sale. You do this with all your common household and personal hygiene items and you can save so much.
Rule #3 Do NOT cut out all your coupons when you get them on Sunday! I made little manila folders labeled "Smart Source," "Redplum," "P & G," and "Weekly Store Coupons." Whenever you get your Sunday papers, just write on the front cover of whatever coupon source it is, the date you got it, then file it into it's correct folder. I made an additional "Weekly Store Coupons" because sometimes Safeway or other stores will have additional store coupons to use that week. When you use the website I listed above, it will tell you what date and what source to go to. (SS=Smart Source, RP=RedPlum, PG=P & G) That simple! No more spending so much time going through all the papers and cutting out what coupons you will use. Just simply put them in a folder until the website listed above tells you to cut them out.
If you don't take anything away from this, at least go to the following website and sign up for their email list. They pretty much tell you what deals you should not miss for that week and also give you links for additional coupons that you can print. It doesn't get much easier than that! The best thing? IT IS ALL FREE! So go to:
http://www.tipresource.com/  and sign up at the top of their website. They also have a Facebook page that you can "Like" and you can keep up on there as well.
Just wanted to share this with all of you. Hope it was somewhat helpful, and hope it made sense.

The Year 2011 In A Nutshell

So I have wanted to update this forever, and we are in March already?! I found an app on my phone to update from my phone so this will make my life easier:) Here is the year 2011 summarized. Mostly for me to look back at, but here we go.
Highlights of 2011:

January—For Cameron’s birthday present, we went to the Sacramento Kings vs. Phoenix Suns game. Our seats were at the very top of the arena, but at halftime, we snuck down to the bottom bowl and got better seatsJ
Cameron’s brother Brit also came to visit us and brought little Johnny with him. It was fun getting to know him and Johnny better.

February—We were going to go to Free Museum Day in Sacramento where all the museums are free, but missed the exit, so we decided to take a random trip to San Francisco instead. We went to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf and walked miles and miles around San Francisco. It was so much fun!
We also moved to our new apartment in Roseville. It was a downsize but we had lots of fun amenities like 2 pools, 2 hot tubs, basketball, tennis, racquetball, a sauna, a tanning bed, and a gym. We were also half a block from Cameron’s work! Woohoo!

March—Cameron’s work put together a coed softball team and our games started in March. Our team wasn’t the best, but we had a lot of fun playing. It felt good to play softball again and I had some good hits and plays. Cameron had a few home runs and a grand slam.

April—We went to see one of our favorite bands Young the Giant play in San Francisco.

May—Our friend Michael Dahm moved from Arizona to Roseville and moved in with us. He got a job where Cameron works and it has been a blessing having him live with us.
We watched my sister Julianne’s kids for a week while they went to Hawaii. It was stressful, but a lot of fun.
We got little baby child, Dexter. He was abandoned in one of my co-worker’s friend’s yard and they needed a home for him. We took him in, and he has given us endless entertainment since (and headaches sometimes)
Cameron’s family came to visit us. Our 614 square foot apartment was crammed with 7 people, but it was a blast having them there.
My dear, dear Grandpa Gentry passed away and I drove with my brother-in-law Lyman and my niece and nephews to St. George Utah. It was a sad time, but we stayed in a “crazy ass house” and made lots of family memories.
Baby Kingston Wesley Gentry was born!
June—We took another little trip to San Francisco with some of Cameron’s family.
I sang the song “For Good” from the musical Wicked with my sister Miken at a “going away” party for her principal.
Baby Rivers Dean Gentry was born!

July—Cameron and I took a last minute trip to Disneyland and southern California for 4th of July weekend. We had SO much fun! We had a nice hotel, went to the beach, went to Disneyland, then decided to drive over to Las Vegas to see my brother David and his family and spend 4th of July there with them. It was one of my favorite memories from 2011.
My sister Maren and her family visited Roseville. Since my other 2 sisters are in the area as well, we had a sister day where we got pedicures and pictures together and laughed A LOT.
I had the opportunity to go part-time at work and focus more on school.
I turned 22!!

August—Cameron and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary on August 21st.
I also went through the Temple for the first time and my Mom and Mother-In-Law came out to be there with me. It was such a special time for all of us.

September—Cameron and I drove to Utah and were sealed on September 2nd in the Salt Lake City Temple. A lot of our family made it from around the area and from far away. This was the highlight of my year.
October—Nothing too special except we celebrated Cameron’s birthday. His birthday is in December, 4 days after Christmas, so he wanted to celebrate another time when we could actually make it a more special day. I got him tickets to see some of our favorite bands in concert in San Francisco. We saw Manchester Orchestra and The Dear Hunter.

November—Cameron went to Sacramento every day for a week and a half to take classes to become an insurance agent. He passed his test on his first try, which doesn’t happen very often, and became a licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Agent in the state of California.
We celebrated Thanksgiving with my sisters and their families.
We decorated for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. Let me note how hard it was to keep our tree decorated with our little devil cat Dexter. He liked to jump into the tree and tear the decorations down.

December—All my siblings made it to AZ the first weekend in December to surprise my Dad for his last performance of Feast of Carols. I had been involved in planning a secret alumni performance, and helped get donations to send my parents on a cruise to Alaska as a big thank you for all their work through the years. It was great seeing all my family and great being home in AZ again.
Our family dog, Briggs, passed away just a few days before we got to AZ. He will always be loved and truly missed.
Cameron and I spent Christmas in Roseville by ourselves. We opened our presents at midnight Christmas Eve.

There we go!

Gratitude Part 2

Just wanted to write another quick blog on gratitude before November is over.

I know I said I was thankful for family in my last post, but I wanted to re-emphasize that. I cannot imagine being in any other family. They are wonderful people and I love them all so much. I am also very thankful for the family I married into... They are great people, and I feel so lucky to now be part of their family.

Friends... I have so many great and wonderful friends. Some I have no idea what or where I would be if I did not have them. Brooklyne and I have been best friends since birth pretty much. We live 16 hours away, but I still fill like I can talk to her no matter what. Rachel is my best friend here in California. She is so fun to hang out with, and I know I can talk to her about anything. I am thankful for Michael who has been living with Cameron and I since May. He has blessed us so much, and even though I can be a punk to him sometimes, it's just because he is such a good friend and we love him.

I am thankful for pets and the joy they bring into your life. I had Bright from when I was born until I was about 13 when she ran away in the Rodeo Chedeski fire. We think she was trying to find her way back home after we took her to Springerville when we had to evacuate. She would chase rocks, pinecones, anything! We would leave on long trips, and she would be there on the front porch when we came back. She never ran away... After Bright was gone, we got a new puppy from the humane society, Briggs. Briggs was a husky/malamute mix. We figured out quickly he had more malamute in him since he was so big! He was such a fun dog and loved to just run, especially in the snow (it's in his nature duh) and loved to play with the chickens we had. If they got out, he would chase them until he caught one in his mouth, and would just carry it around then let it go and chase it again. He never bit into a chicken, but I am sure they could have died from a heart attack. Cameron and I now have a little Siamese cat named Dexter. I always, always HATED cats because of the one my family had when I was little, it scratched my stomach and I have a scar, but after watching my coworker's cat for her while she was out on a 2 week trip, I really liked them and how entertaining they were. Dexter was abandoned in my coworker's friend's yard and was only about 4 weeks old. We took him in and have just been in love since. He is such a little varment, but it is entertaining. I love when he jumps up on our bed in the morning to give us cuddles and licks then just does his own thing most of the time. We find him in the most random places because of his curiosity, but he is so fun. I am thankful for all the pets I have had and the special place in my heart they all have.

That is all I have time for right now, but I just wanted to express some of the things I am grateful for. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Gratitude...

A lot of people are posting/blogging/facebooking what they are thankful for every day of this month.
It is hard for me to keep up with it every day, but I still want to take a few moments to just say what I am thankful for. They are not in any particular order, I just am writing what comes to mind first. I am only going to do a few today, and finish up another time this month. So, here we go.

This is a given, but I am so thankful for my husband. Cameron really is everything to me. I love that we can do nothing, but have a blast. I love that we play video games together. I love that we play sports together. I love that we make music together. I love when we drive in the car together. I love grocery shopping together. I love going to church together. I love going to the temple together. I love cooking for him. I love when he cooks for me. I love making fun of our cat Dexter together. I love how we don't go to bed until 1AM on work nights because we can't stop talking or being silly or being hyper together. I love how we hardly ever talk in normal voices together. I just love being together. No one in the world could be more perfect for me, and I am so thankful for his kind heart and for all the happiness he brings me.

I am thankful for my family. Every single one of them. I am grateful that I have two sisters just minutes from me, and that I get to spend time with them and their families. I am grateful for all of my siblings and for what examples they all are to me. I love that I can call them anytime just to talk and see how they are. I am so thankful for all my brothers and sisters-in-law. They all are so wonderful, and so fun. I am thankful for all my cute nieces and nephews. Every single one of them has a special place in my heart. I am thankful for Cameron's family and for how wonderful they all are. I am thankful for a wonderful mother-in-law and for the sweet spirit she always has with her. I am so, so thankful for the wonderful parents I have been blessed with. I just got a little choked up even typing that. It's really hard for me to be so far away from them, but it has brought us closer than ever I think. I can't express how truly thankful I am for them and for all they have done for me and for all they have taught me.

I am thankful for technology. The number one reason is because I get to keep in touch with all those I care about. I get to see and talk with family while I am cooking dinner, or relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. Talk on the phone for a few minutes whenever! Send home videos and pictures back and forth by the touch of a few buttons. See what they are up to that day by checking a Facebook status. It really is amazing how easy it is to keep in touch these days. I am thankful for that.

I am thankful for the opportunity I have to serve in the church right now. I am thankful that I get to teach the 9 year old's every other week. They teach me more than I teach them. But I love my calling. I am so thankful for the wonderful visiting teacher I have, and for her always being there for me whenever I need help. She is so great! Most of all, I am thankful for the temple. My life is so stressful, so busy all the time, always running somewhere or trying to get something done, but when I go to the temple, I get and feel peace. I am thankful that Cameron and I were able to be sealed together for eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. I just feel so blessed.

I am so thankful for my job and for Cameron's job. I work with some of the most wonderful people, and the more and more I think about it, and the longer I am at this job (It's almost been 2 years already) I feel more and more blessed to have it, and think I take it for granted sometimes. I am thankful for Cameron's job. He had no idea he would ever be working for an insurance brokerage, and now a wonderful opportunity has opened up to him. His work is paying for him to continue his education and become a licensed insurance agent. That is a blessing! I am thankful for how they treat him as an employee and am thankful for those he works with. They are great people, and put up with Cameron when he is a little gremlin. Haha.

I am thankful for my car. May be kind of silly, but I have realized especially this week with having to drive Cameron to Sacramento and then drive back home. I drive to work, then drive back to Sacramento to pick him up, and drive back home, I was driving over 80 miles every day this week. I am just thankful for it functioning properly, and for the good gas mileage it gets :)

I am thankful for education and for how lucky I am that I get to do my schooling all online. (Another thing I love about technology) Although it has taken me a lot longer than I initially planned on to finish my degree in Court Reporting/Technology, I am still thankful that I have the opportunity to go to school and to start a career soon.

I am thankful for music. It has gotten me through a lot of emotions and a lot of trials. I love how it makes me feel when I listen to it, when I sing it, when I play it, when I make it. I just love everything about it. I am thankful once again to my parents for always having music around me and encouraging me to stick with my musical abilities.

I am thankful for modern healthcare. I have had a lot of health problems in my few years here already, but because of great doctors and such, I am doing great.

I am thankful for our home and where we live. I love it here in Roseville and love how we have everything just right here. I love that Cameron works a half a block away from our apartment. I love that we can play tennis, racquetball, basketball, swim, and exercise just here at our complex. I love that I am close to my sisters. I love that we are close to the city, close to a beach, and close to the snow.

I feel like I have taken a lot of things for granted and just wanted to write a few things. I will continue this blog soon.