Summer storms, time with friends, good eats, & awesome music

Okay, first I need to apologize for the photos. 

1. I am by no means a photographer. 

2. These photos are from my cheap cell phone...bare with me, haha!

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1 & 2. Storm that came through last week--these storms during the summer months help me to get through summertime in the Mojave desert. Seriously, if we had more of them, I would enjoy the summer months more. Heck, I may even look forward to them! I'm more of a Fall & Springtime type of person. Supposedly rain is not in this week's forecast but having lived in this area for quite some time now, I've come to the conclusion that weather is slightly unpredictable in these parts. So, there is still hope!

3-6. Mad Hatter tea party for Ms. Kandice Avila's 1st birthday. OMG, what a cute little girl! Made an awesome lemon cheesecake, however I failed to take any pics of it :/

7. Only the best pot roast ever. Usually this is a winter meal but the husband & I had a terrible craving.

8. My first attempt at potato pancakes. They were delicious--greasy but heck-a delicious. I'm surprised at how easy they are to make! 

9. If you are ever in the Morongo Basin & are looking for great food, live music and a little rowdiness, Pappy & Harriet's is the place to be. We LOVE Pappy's--they have the BEST pork chops & steak. They cook them outside over a pit of mesquite. Can't get a better pork chop or steak. Seriously. Also, they have the Shadow Mountain Band (pictured above). They play some awesome bluegrass! 

Have an awesome week!!

How I've been filling my days since graduation

Since Friday, June 13, 2014...I've been no longer a student and unemployed. However, I recently was hired by the county I live in, in the town that I live in (I am beyond lucky) but cannot start training until September 5th. Having never really had the opportunity to enjoy time off, to myself...I've been trying to keep myself busy. I really love my alone time. Time to finish laundry, do dishes, clean out closets, organize craft supplies, SCRAPBOOK, and spend time with loved ones. Although I'm usually very good at keeping myself busy, I've found it slightly lonely, lol. I CANNOT wait to start work & be around people during the weekdays. Here are a few things I've been up to keep myself busy:

SCRAPBOOKING

 Scrap'in with my good friend and colleague Angela

PAINTING NAILS

The colors I chose for my sister's wedding ceremony

 (her bridesmaids wore blush dresses)

 Just last week I painted my nails blue and top half gray...I call it colorblock:

CRAFTING

SPENDING TIME WITH LOVED ONES

RELAXING

Although I've enjoyed much of my vacation, I am eager to get back into earning a living, doing what I've been educated and trained to do. Plus...I've got bills to pay, lol. 

Geez it's been a long while since I've posted...anything.

Oh my gosh. Hello bloggers!! So, the past three years have been, well...a little nutty, to say the least.

Let me just list a few events that have taken place over the past three years--nothing too deep into detail; just a few key happenings...in bullet fashion to catch y'all up. Here goes:


- Made it through Grad School! Yes, I can now officially introduce myself as Cassandra Nafziger, MSW.

- Marriage to my love is better than ever these days...we have made it through, amazingly, a rough couple of years and are now stronger than ever and the closest we have ever been. We both made some pretty bad choices over the past 2 years and I don't want to go into detail but it's amazing to me how resilient and strong my husband is and I'm very proud of all that he has accomplished. We have wonderful, awesomely supportive family and friends to thank.

 - I have reunited with my best friend and we are closer than we ever were. I'm so excited to announce that she is pregnant with her second child, and is soon to be married to her love & I CANNOT express in words how ridiculously excited I am to be a part of these amazing events in her life.

- My husband & I both landed new jobs...and we will soon be looking into buying our first home. EEK! What's exciting about my job is that it's in town...it's been many years since I've found a job in town. I've commuted for a long time and I'm looking forward to the super short trip to and from work. Not only is the commute awesome, but both of our jobs offer benefits! We have not had medical insurance for years...and now we have secondary insurance!

-My sister & her boyfriend were married my first year in Grad School but didn't have the chance to hold a wedding ceremony until last month. The ceremony was beautiful and sooooo worth the wait!! I was so happy to be able to finally witness my gorgeous sister walk down the isle. I don't know if she realized how important the ceremony and having friends and family witness such a life event was until the big day.

I have to say, things are looking up at an almost overwhelming pace and I am so thankful for everyone I have in my life and for all of the help, guidance, and love I have all around me. I'm so lucky.

Life Lately

Because I am soooo bad at blogging about random, daily happenings and things that go on regulary--here is kind of a mix of life happenings lately.

1. Scout--my sister in law's doggie

2. A little lizard I made friends with on a hike

3. Windmills heading down Highway 62 in Desert Hot Springs, CA

4. Chicken--I couldn't decide on 1 seasoning so I made 2 with lemon pepper, 2 with chicken grill rub and 1 with just garlic salt, onion, salt and pepper. They were delicious!

5. My friend Randi and her daughter, Melody--such a stinker!

6. The crafting/coffee table Randi and I were painting. In this pic, we had just finished taping a design on it. We painted the table white so the wood would still show through the design.

7. Me cowgirlin' it up in Randi's backyard

8. Birds waiting for their birdseed in my boss' backyard

9. Me...with bangs that are too short, lol. I can't wait until they grow in a bit.

10. My nightstand that is piling up with books that I need to read--I just can't get motivated lately.

11. Orange, sparkly finger nails! I painted them orange and put glitter as a top coat. I normally dislike things with glitter on them--but I love wearing glitter on my nails!

12. This is the closest our bed EVER gets to being made...usually it's just a big pile of blankets and pillows.

Hope you had an amazing weekend! Any plans for next weekend? Me...uh, not too sure yet but I plan to do a little shopping soon--I must get ready for school and internship!

Celebrating An Old Friend's 26th Bday

In February I got a chance to reunite with an old friend--we've known each other for 10 years and I never once got to celebrate her birthday with her. I was super excited to be a part of the celebration this year--Happy 26th Randi!

She enjoyed herself and I was stoked to finally be able to celebrate with her. Randi is in the Air Force so she travels A LOT and has never really stayed in one place for very long.

We are hoping that she is finally happy here in the desert and will make this home for good.

Blogsitting!

The super sweet MJ asked me to be a part of her "Love Story Series" and blogsit for the day over on her lovely blog, The Honeypie Archives today! If you get the chance stop by and check it out!!

Thanks MJ!

Can't wait to see you're amazing wedding photos and hear all about it when you return as a MRS!!!