A Very Green Tour of Campus

Get ready for the most photos I have posted in one post EVER.  I had the opportunity of going to campus on the most perfect day ever and I walked around and snapped photos of practically everything.  It all turned out to be pretty green, I might add.  ALRIGHT, on to the pictures.

Oh....this wasn't at school, but I did snap a picture of some flowers the Mary Kay lady gave to me.  Hehe... off topic... but I just couldn't help but share it.

Alright, back to school....there was so much green to look at and plenty of shade to rest in.

Even the dandelions looked pretty.

Also, I have to note that while I was bending over and snapping photos of every style of leaf I came across, there was a random middle-eastern guy I kept running into, and he kept giving me "the look," aka he thought I was a little psychotic and camera happy.  It was pretty humorous. Oh my.  I really did look a little bit odd, so I don't blame him. for giving that look to me.  I did get quite the variety of leaves, I must say.

Leaf 1

Leaf 2

 Leaf 3

Leaf 4

Leaf 5

Leaf 6 

Leaf 7

Leaf 8

Also, some of the bushes were LOVELY!

I even found an all-blue garden.  It was really sunny and bright so it was hard to get a really good shot of it.

Scenery along the walking path.

These are weeds, I think.  Anyway, they look GORGEOUS.

 

Here is a close-up of the weeds.  They were everywhere, and looked more like flowers than weeds, but I could tell they were growing wild.

A shot of shade on the walking path.  This path winds like a maze all around campus, so it is always a very scenic stroll to each class.

I almost felt like it was summer instead of spring with how green everything looked.

This is a cool sculpture on campus...where I first ran into my middle-eastern friend.  LOL.  He was right behind the sculpture as I was snapping away.

The other side of the sculpture has this waterfall coming off of it.  Honestly, Instagram made it look a little ugly, but it looks really cool in real life.

These red bushes look like they belong in the autumn, but actually that is just the color of the leaves!

There is even this little mini-river next to part of the walking path.  My favorite!

The sky was so blue, and it was not too hot either.  It was literally the most perfect day I have felt in ages.

Almost anywhere on campus, you will have some sort of view similar to this.

I took some pictures around the gardens that were not tended to and were growing wild.  It was really cool.

More dandelions!

Leaves blowing in the spring breeze in the untended garden.

All these trees provided a lot of fresh air.  It was so good for both my body and soul.

The lighting was amazing as well.  Not too bright, and not too cloudy.

A very old tree.  It looked beautiful with its twisty trunk and large roots.

One of the campus buildings with the path next to it.

The Garden of Eden!!!

Since this picture was in direct sunlight it is hard to tell, but I was trying to take a picture of these bushes because they have pretty white blossoms on the branches.

Hmmmm....reminds me of Love Rain.  HA!  Ok I really need to stop obsessing.  But the cinematography really is that good.

More green.  Are you sick of my pictures yet?

This is a bunch of trees next to the parking lot. 

A tuft of grass.... I am not sure why I wanted to take a picture of it....maybe just to show how much green there is in Washington.

Yet another bench shot.  I like the restful vibe on campus and would not mind studying outdoors if I were attending more often.

A black and white shot of the trees.... kinda looks a little messy but I thought it was cool at the time.

This parking lot entrance has a huge tree in the center.  It looks quite majestic in real life.

Aaannnnd one last dandelion shot to finish off the pictures.

Well, I hope you enjoyed all the pretty nature I spotted on my last campus trip.  It truly was beautiful.  Some day I would like to take some pictures there with Brandon.  

Also....just an update on life, I am liking my Young Women's calling.  I do find that I have to utilize my time very wisely though, because I will not be able to finish my homework if I am not careful.  It is a time-consuming church calling but I went to the first activity with the youth two days ago and it was lots of fun.  The other leaders are all women I could totally be really good friends with, so that is another bonus.   In other news, Brandon's car has broken down, so we have had to dip into our house fund to get it fixed, and in the meantime we are driving a loaner car from the Subaru dealership.  SO ANNOYING!!!! But I am sure everything will turn out alright regardless.   Lately, I am struggling to get my assignments done on time.  I find that I have never spent this much effort on school, but my grades have been fairly decent. :-)  I can't wait to just get this school stuff over with.  I am just over halfway done.  I am really missing my family in Utah right now, but other than that, life is great. xoxox

~Sincerely, Ashleigh Son

My Hand-Sewn Dress

Look!  I sewed this dress by hand!

My dress inspiration (Love Rain)....SO CUTE!  Maybe I will re-create this entire outfit someday when I am not so busy with school.

I used the material from this skirt to make the dress.  I just couldn't find any other suitable fabric.

Also...I made a matching hair bow, just in case I feel matchy-matchy.

Soooo.....I finally finished making that dress I was telling you about.  I know the picture is not the best quality because it was taken in super unflattering lighting, but I just couldn't wait to show everyone.  I didn't use a sewing machine or a pattern.  I hand-drafted and hand-stitched everything. :-)   Anyhow, I will take more official pictures of this dress in better lighting because this one does not do it justice.

Also... I have some big church news!  I was called to be a Young Women's adviser!  I am over the Beehives group (ages 12-13), which is a total dream come true for me.  I am so excited to interact with the young women.  They all seem so cute and sweet already. :-) 

In other news, today Brandon and I had some church friends over for dinner.  We wanted to get to know them better.  They were a lot of fun and had a lot in common with us.  Anyway... I also have some unrelated news.  Yesterday I went to campus again and took a whole bunch of pictures to show you.  I will post them another day, though. xoxox

~Sincerely, Ashleigh Son

Panda's Current Craving

Oh...*sigh* my poor neglected blog.  I am sorry for the grueling hours of work.  I feel so bad.  Today I just wanted to share with you a little recipe for meatloaf that Brandon has been begging me to make lately.  It is his favorite.  I researched online to find this recipe but tweaked it to perfection, so it is something I can call my own.  Also, I feel the need to mention that I am absolutely not a meatloaf person at all but I LOVE this meatloaf.  Ready? OK!

***The Most Perfect Meatloaf***

Ingredients:

1 tsp butter

1/2 small onion, cut into tiny pieces

1 clove garlic, minced

A dash of cracked black pepper

A dash of turmeric

1.3-1.5 pounds of organic ground beef

2 slices of Ezekiel sprouted bread, toasted and crumbled

4 whole wheat Ritz crackers, crumbled

1 lightly beaten egg

2 heaping tablespoons of greek yogurt

1/2 Tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce

1/4 jar tomato-based pasta sauce (I use Trader Joe's Three Cheese Pasta Sauce) (About 7 ounces)
A generous dash of white pepper - ONLY IF YOU LIKE SPICY FOOD

A generous dash of cayenne (red) pepper - ONLY IF YOU LIKE SPICY FOOD

3 T ablespoons Ketchup

2 Tablespoons Sriracha sauce

1 Tablespoon Cholula sauce

1/2 tsp. honey

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F.

2) Heat a small frying pan, and start melting the butter.  Fry up the onions and garlic until the unions start to become transparent.  Turn off stove and mix in the cracked black pepper and turmeric.  Transfer to a mixing bowl.

3) Add to the onion mixture in te mixing bowl the ground beef, crumbled bread, crumbled Ritz crackers, lightly beaten egg, yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, and the pasta sauce.  If you like your meatloaf spicy, add the white and cayenne pepper to the mixing bowl as well.  With a disposable glove, mix all the ingredients together until blended together fairly evenly.  If you live in a dry climate, you can add a Tablespoon or two of milk.  But me and Brandon don't so I skipped that step.  Your mixture should look nice and moist but definitely not soggy.

4) Line a 9x5 bread pan with tin foil so you will not have to deal with a messy pan to clean up later.  Fill the bread pan evenly with the meatloaf mixture that you have just made.

5) Bake the meatloaf for 40 minutes at 350 Degrees F.  Then, raise the oven temperature to 400 Degrees F and bake for another 15 minutes.

6) While you are waiting for the meatloaf to bake, mix in a very small bowl the ketchup, Sriracha sauce, Cholula sauce, and the honey.  Make sure these sauces are all well-blended, because this is going to be the glaze you put over the meat loaf. 

7) So...the meatloaf is done baking at 400 Degrees F.  You are done with the meatloaf, right?  NO!  You must add the glaze you just made to the top of the meatloaf and pop it right back into the 400 Degree oven for another 10 minutes.  After that is over, you can finally serve the meatloaf.  ENJOY!

Oh man guys..... I hope you try this meatloaf.  It is really good.  Even if you are not really much for meatloaf I guarantee you will love it.  You can serve it with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes, or make a sandwich with it, or eat it with rice.  It is a really versatile food.  And if your husband is not too ravenous you just MIGHT have some leftovers.  Actually.... that probably will not happen. :-)

In other news, I have been obsessed with the tv show "Once Upon A Time."  It is currently on Netflix, and Brandon and I watch it any chance we can get.  Also, I have started making a dress inspired by my most ridiculous obsession with the KDrama "Love Rain."  I hope it turns out pretty, because I did not use a pattern or anything.  I just drafted it by hand, and am crossing my fingers that it will fit right.  So far, it looks pretty cute.  I will most likely take pictures when I am done.  Did I mention I have never sewn any article of clothing in my whole life?  Hehe.... this ought to be interesting.  Oh... and yeah, I guess that making my dress has kinda made me neglect my blog on top of the homework.  UGH speaking of which, I have lots of homework to do.  Math....ARGH.  Talk to you later!  Please keep reading my blog.  I will try not to neglect it so much if I can help it.  xoxox

~Sincerely, Ashleigh Son

I Heart Washington

I discovered that I had a bunch of pictures in my phone that were not shared yet!  HORRIBLE!!! Seeing as the scenery around here is waaay too good to keep to myself.  Hope you enjoy it!  Also, I would like to apologize for my absence.  I swear, school keeps me busier than I have been in a very long time.  I am actually trying my best to get good grades, you see, so I have to spend all my surplus time studying and doing homework.  Not to mention I am working full time right now.  UGH.  You don't even want to know how messy our room is.  Anyway... On to the photos!

 This tree was so amazing that I pulled over just to take a picture of it while I was driving home from work.  Best part?  It is right at the entrance of our beautiful neighborhood that we hope to live in for many years to come.  

 The bushes are looking so vibrant and new.  After seeing dead branches in their places, it was quite lovely to behold.

 In the city I work, it is all the rage to have window box plants outside.  So beautiful! 

 More springtime goodness....

 Another little window box that cheered me up as I walked from the work parking lot to the office.

 Even though it was a cloudy day, it was nice to see this kind of green on the trees that only exists in the springtime.

 Oh.... and speaking of lovely scenery.... here is Brandon (well, his torso).  And Nabi.  We tried to make Nabi pose for the camera but he was trying to get away.  HAHA.  Random.  I know that has nothing to do with Washington scenery.  But yeah... I love Brandon what can I say?

 Get this... I am not in a national park taking this picture.  This is a shot from the parking lot at my new school campus.  WOW!!! It is so breathtaking there.

 See?  More campus parking lot pictures.... Just wonderful.  I just wish I brought our real camera, but you know... I was only there for a test for a little while.

 Yep, it is too pretty at school.  I seriously know these pictures look kinda the same but there is a lot more to see there.  I hope to take more snaps of campus next time I am there.

 OOOO!!! So today... I was bored at work.  So I decided that for my lunch break I would go drive around and explore.  Then I came across something lovely...a park I did not know about.  OH MAN.  Unfortunately, by the time I discovered the place I only had five minutes to walk around and take pictures before I had to head back to work.

 Seriously... I just want to stroll this park every day now.  And then sit on this bench to do my homework.  OH MY GOSH did I just say that?  Haha.  Ok let's re-word that.  Sit on that bench and read a dang good book.  There you go. ;-)

 Ummm WOW??!!!!!!

I am quite fond of this park with its little mini lake and flowers covering the grass and so much green I don't even know where to look.

Well my friends.... please forgive me for how often I am going to be absent for a while.  The only reason why I was able to even write this post is because I am at work right now and it's almost time to go home and my "special" co-worker is gone already.  Actually, I will try to pop in a lot more.  But first... my room needs some serious cleaning, and I have two English projects to do, as well as some Economics homework to attend to.  *Sigh* It never ends....xoxox

~Sincerely, Ashleigh Son