the first day of august

uncle nico & baby colette are great friends

i LOVE the month of august. one month before my birthday. wedding anniversary month. the warm, warm weather. the feeling of being on vacation even when you are just at home. school supply sales (i get so excited to buy glue and tape- so weird). ice cream and popsicles. nordstrom anniversary sale. did i mention sunny weather?

is it just me or has summer flown by? we are scrambling to enjoy all that summer has to offer and i decided a bucket list needed to be made!

bucket list for the rest of summer:
01. finish the design plans for the main living room
02. create a home design binder for mom 
03. make homemade ice cream
04. eat baskin-robbins ice cream (Jamoca Heath is my fave)
05. declutter my old room
06. preserve my grandmothers wedding dress
07. scan and protect all of my mom's old photos
08. frame and hang photos
09. take lots of walks in the warm weather
10. go swimming
11. find better gluten-free recipes (nico's going gluten-free)
12. change nail polish once a week
13. wear lots of bright colors when going out
14. start making Christmas plans/calendars 
15. copy and save important family recipes

how i will miss you orem

our old Victorian home 

she's missing an eyelash (shutter) but she's still pretty 

+ the community feel
+ oh the fireworks! how the fourth of july and summerfest have become my favorite summer days
+ how i can hear the clock in the center of town ring every hour in the daytime
+ the library. it's. the. best. (seriously)
+ terra mia (quattro formagi)
+ the scera theatre (i always feel that the theater opened only for me and no one else)
+ pioneer day (the folks get crazy in a good way)
+ the friendly people
+ of course my little Victorian home (you win the cute old house award)
+ the yard (we could never get that in California!)
+ being close to 2 malls (yup, that's important to me)
+ being real close to Target (also important and so dangerous at the same time)
+ walking distance to church
+ my friends
+ how close we were to the mountains (sure im not a mountain girl but this one's for ry)
+ actually make that- how we were close to everything. we are now spoiled.
+ the memories

no baby yet!

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me and my family joke that baby girl has decided she does not want to come out until her nursery is fully furnished and decorated!

 here is what we have done or plan to do in preparation/waiting for baby:

^ grocery shop

^ shop at target for obnoxious amounts of time

^ painted my old dresser and changing table (it was the same set my mom used for me-happy she kept it)

^ planning to make pecan rolls, toaster pastries and more freezable meals

^ clean (the oven is scary)

^ organize garage

^ praying for a safe delivery

^ walk a lot

^ attempt to make some shelves for the kitchen and baby girl's room

^ take a bubble bath with some new lush products (yippee!)

^ redo my manicure and pedicure (i was ready for baby to come on Easter...sigh)

^ drink lots of water

^ spend time with family

happy new year

 

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happy new year friends. funny how things tend to go opposite of what you plan- this has been one busy holiday season! did not get around to a Christmas card this year- ill put more effort for Valentines Day :)

in the midst of all the busy-ness ry and i feel especially blessed for all the happenings of this year.

here are a few fun events of 2011 (in no particular order):

01. our first house

02. our first serious garden

03. baby! we are already falling in love with little miss

04. our first "pretty" couches- (white ikea ektorps! haha)

05. my brother left for his mission (awesome!)

wishing you a happy, healthy and creative new year!

Christmas lately

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mini gingerbread houses are the cutest 

01. so many house projects- ry has been so great
02. so many house projects- i am pregnant and move at the pace of frozen molasses with everything
03. kitchen is messy messy
04. listening to as much Christmas music as i can
05. skipping out on Christmas cards- maybe Happy New Year cards or Valentines Day cards instead?
06. preparing the nursery for Little Miss (my friend L called her that and I love the title)
07. in love with MAC blush in Fleur Power- a bright pink coral
08. planning on organizing all of ry's mission photos sometime this month
09. love this video
10. sleep is getting more difficult
11. craving chocolate chip cookies, green apples and peanut butter
12. loving no snow yet
13. an early Christmas gift from my Aunt; pretty awesome
14. our family gift to each other? a sonicare toothbrush! we are nerds- we know
15. need to reorganize my craft space- its a mess!

25 days of Christmas

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i know its already 2 weeks into the month but its never too late to find more ways to celebrate Christmas. maybe these will give you some ideas for the few days till Christmas!

01. play Christmas music as much as possible
02. tell the Christmas story from the scriptures
03. talk about family Christmas traditions
04. make gingerbread
05. make and send off Christmas greetings
06. make homemade chocolate fudge
07. Christmas tree picnic dinner
08. pick out Christmas gifts for each other
09. wrap the gifts
10. make a paper chain garland
11. make pumpkin puree
12. bake a pumpkin chocolate pie
13. learn about Hanukkah
14. prepare festive Christmas dinner
15. make tree skirt
16. hang up front door holiday wreath
17. celebrate Nochebuena with friends
18. go to the movies
19. hot chocolate and tim tam night
20. tour holiday lights
21. watch a Christmas movie
22. do acts of service
23. take photos of our first Christmas
24. decorate the house
25. make cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning

hello again

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where have i been? dealing with a lot of family things/house things/ preggy things- blogging was definitely put on the back burner. thanks for being patient with me.

the good news? my house is all done with Christmas decor (for this year at least) and my morning sickness has improved dramatically. still tired and thirsty but its much better than feeling nauseous 24/7.

lately, ive been eyeing all the amazing Christmas projects and crafts but i haven't found time/budget to do them!

here some things i am currently working on:
01. growing a baby inside me
02. shopping for a comfy and cute couch for our den
03. also shopping for a entertainment center for the den
04. laundry- lots of it
05. cleaning out my recipe book
06. painting a light fixture (tough when the weather outside is frightful)
07. trying to acquire a music box that plays Christmas music for under the tree
08. trying to get the Christmas gifts made (mini pumpkin loafs wrapped up in cello and twine)
09. baby room decor- im thinking all shades of pastels...
10. giving up on sending out Christmas cards- next year!
11. picking out bathroom tile
12. searching for a thin computer desk for ry- no luck so far
13. eating chocolate covered popcorn- YUM (sweet tooth is back!)
15. burning candles- tis the season

eleven-eleven-eleven

first off, happy veteran's day. i loved singing the song "tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree" when i was a little girl. yup karaoke was a pastime of mine since the age of 5.

so grateful for all the men and women who have served/are currently serving our nation.



since today is eleven-eleven-eleven i decided to make a list of eleven things i am grateful for in no particular order:

01. God & my testimony
02. ryan
03. babykins
04. family & friends
05. good health
06. our home
07. the miracle of forgiveness
08. people who are happy
09. the holiday season
10. trying/learning new things (an old dog can learn new tricks)
11. the opportunity to improve everyday

have a great weekend. one more week till we find out if baby is a boy or a girl! what is your guess?

What are we expecting?

updates

strawberry santas via pinterest

aren't these strawberries adorable? 

probably healthier than typical holiday fare- i hope to make them

- doctors appointment today! hope everything is going well with baby

- still quite sick. boo. its definitely better than 1st trimester but i am still sluggish and nauseous

- cravings have become "stronger"; in-n- out cheeseburgers anyone?

- our Christmas tree is up early for decoration planning

- want to make a list of budget friendly meals that are still nourishing and yummy

- doing research on house projects. whew! daunting. 

- making applesauce & cinnamon ornaments for my achievement day girls

- hoping to cheaply recover a lampshade...any tips/thoughts on this?

- can't wait to dive into all the sewing projects that need to get done before baby comes

- organizing your closet(s) can be so rewarding! 

- are black-out shades necessary for a baby's room? thoughts?

- also craving menchies tart fro-yo flavor with strawberry crunchies on top. yum. 

23rd birthday wishlist

dreamland:

pretty tassel garland

with this its my birthday everyday :)

$130

oh yummy pasta goodness

kitchenaid pasta press attachment $180

Coach Poppy Pushlock tote

pink and practical!

$398 (yea- ouch)

jessica simpson frenchi shoes

not practical i understand but quite cute

$110

reality:

the pioneer woman cooks

$18

our best bites

$16

maybe something from tai pan?

$??

i would love to go to menchies! never been! it looks so cute!

$?

in-n-out gift certificates

so so good!

$??

i could seriously use one of these. drinking water is more of a chore for me- not good for the complexion! 

but i heard nice waterbottles help

$??

this year i feel like my wishlist is relatively simple no? 

hope you have a happy weekend filled with walking about in the fall air and prepping for the busy season to come.

end of summer

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the last days of summer are here

i am signing off until next week

we are taking a small vacation to visit ry's dad

super excited

hopefully in september we can host a small cookout in the backyard

depending on how weather will be

happy rest of the summer to you!

any fun plans?

things to do before summer ends:

01. eat lots of nectartines

02. keep eating the garden produce (never thought i would have a decent garden!)

03. start organizing Christmas decor and activities 

04. enjoy the backyard

05. eat green salads (salads in the fall/winter have never appealed to me)

06. arrange the den/famiy/tv room- not decorate, just arrange

07. put up my chandelier in the dining room (any advice on this?)

08. finally tidy up the extra rooms- they are a mess!

by the way// i have been loving the prints from the etsy shop aptly named Coco Draws

go check them out!

weekend happenings

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01. saw potter and avoided the huge crowds too. mid-day always trumps midnight showings. surprised we   ended up going opening weekend. so not like us. a great movie.

02. ran errands practically all day. it was fun being together.

03. grilled salmon, ahi tuna, chicken and shrimp. we wanted to try it all to see what is our fave.

04. our fave was the garlic lemon butter shrimp. amazing.

05. we have an almost done decorated master bedroom and living room. deets to come.

06. watched lots of barefoot contessa. she is one of my faves.

07. tended to the garden. really looking forward to harvesting!

08. love seeing all the back-to-school sales. especially on school supplies.

09. drew up plans for sewing some couch pillows- testing out different twists on color.

10. thought about dining room paint color for chairs. kinda stuck. 

next year i hope for glamping

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yesterday ry and i drove back from a camping trip/family reunion that took place in wyoming 

i left my camera at home so i could just focus on absolutely nothing and chill

most of you know that i am not a camper at all

even girls camp was hard for me growing up

and girls camp was not even difficult- it was quite posh

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it was a fun camping trip

a wonderful time to visit with family

i just really enjoy showering everyday and not worrying about bugs everywhere

yucky

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maybe sometime down the road i can recommend glamping 

glamorous camping

for the annual family reunion

probably wont work out since ry's family prefers traditional camping but hey its worth a shot

i asked my mom if i loved camping when i was little

surprisingly she said yes i totally loved it

if you know me, you pretty much know my mother

we are quite alike

(didn't learn that until ry pointed it out to me during year 2 of marriage)

my mom does not enjoy camping unless there is an RV

and i seem to be the same way

 but i think glamping could be a nice in-between 

don't you?

have a happy monday friends!

this week is filled with actvities:

01. tidy house up 

02. finalize bridal shower shopping list

03. design backyard setup for bridal shower

04. ask ry to put up curtain rod

05. iron curtains before ry puts up curtain rod

06. wash lots and lots of dishes

07. plant more icicle radishes (so fast to grow!)

08. figure out how to antique a mirror

09. send a letter to Elder Sy

10. send off more bridal shower invitations

updates

01. little brother has been on his mission for 5 days!

02. a bridal shower is in the works, super excited to share the deets.

03. camping this weekend. yikes. be back next tuesday.

04. camping recipes would be greatly appreciated.

05. made my first batch of cherry freezer jam last night.

06. cherries were great, but had to clean out worms. yuck.

07. thinking about fall planting. what should i plant in september/october?

08. hope to make old fashioned fudge soon

09. living room is looking much better. pics to come.

10. having my family over is/was so much fun.

11. next big project is refinishing dining room chairs.

12. planing Christmas decor and wreaths.

13. getting ready for more deep cleaning around the house.

14. training for half-marathon starts in a few weeks. wish me luck.

15. cant wait for my fambam to visit again next month.

16. looking forward to decorating the bedroom.

17. making a list and checking it three times. yea for Christmas in july!

18. organizing the linen cabinet. dreamy sheets folded away.

19. tending to the plants. lots and lots of plants.

20. designing, printing, folding, mailing invites. 

21. admiring dining table. martha paint color bakery box white.

22. finally nailed down the color palette. more on this later.

23. baking cookies for the road.

24. first letter to little brother will be mailed tomorrow.

25. helping friends move. dont you hate it when your friends have to move?

to-do list before parents come

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01. take care of the new fall gold raspberry just planted. flood it. 

02. sprinkle salt on the slugs. lesson learned. rain=slugs on seedlings.

03. continue to deep clean windows. dust. dust. dust. 

04. organize the random boxes and stow them in the proper place.

05. laundry. our dryer is now working again! win!

06. paint my nails. thinking this type of color for hands. this one for toes. 

07. plant a row of chives, more radishes, turnips, and basil. 

08. keep re-finishing the new kitchen table. whew.

09. water the lawn. again and again.

10. shop for groceries to feed more than 2 people. haha. 

11. keep eyes open for a nice mirror to go over the mantle.

12. dust fireplace tile. make that scrub fireplace tile. 

13. vacuum carpet. my least favorite chore. 

14. take pictures of first tomato! it has come.

15. keep pinning

16. run. or workout somehow. 

17. plant blue hydrangea in the soil. it has bloomed much more. so pretty.

***weekend trip photos coming***

updates

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this is what i am currently wanting to eat all the time

no- not pregnant- this is just normal me

house/garden updates:

- fixed some electrical problems

- i now know that electricians cost a lot (yikes)

- but now i have my dryer working again (yea)

- have put most of the plants in the garden 

- a few herbs and other plants still need to be placed in the ground

- there are so many scary bugs (makes me want ry to be around)

- the raspberry roots are doing well (thank goodness)

- found curly parsley randomly growing in the midst of some rocks

- purple pansies were growing in the oddest space of the patio

- planted walla walla onions. just because i love saying "walla walla"

fun pics to come- there has not been much time to sit and download all the photos i have taken. the garden has consumed me with all the work that needs to be done. 

***and great news***

my little brother will be serving in the Salt Lake City Mission. my family and i are beyond excited/happy/nervous. haha. more details in the coming weeks. so proud of my little brother!

rules of summer- part 1

emily's office is one of my faves

cupcakes and cashmere is one of the very first blogs i check out in my morning bloggin' routine. i have been a reader for about 6 months or so. emily is creative, stylish, and has a simple and fun way of writing. most recently she shared her rules of summer. i thought it was so useful that i decided to make a list of my own. thank you emily for the idea and here's to hoping i get through the list.

to-do before labor day:

01. grow, harvest and eat lots of tomatoes
02. blog about the mistakes i learned gardening and how i will fix them
03. make many different types of fruit salads- pick a favorite
04. camp (for me this is scary)
05. refinish one piece of furniture (there is a long list-one at a time is key)
06. go yard sale shopping more (my friend M took me- we had a blast!- ill share more later)
07. read a few books (recommendations?)
08. run. faster than before.
09. finish Christmas shopping
10. go on a few picnics with ry
11. hike and hike
12. prep the backyard for a small dinner party
13. start assembling my favorite recipes into one binder (actually write down my own recipes)
14. organize each room slowly and peacefully (wish me luck)
15. spend time with family
16. attend an outdoor concert
17. see my brother leave for his mission (yea!)
18. finally bake some bread
19. re-enter the world of floral arrangement (domestic bliss)
20. tend to the hydrangeas and try not to make them die