I'm old fashioned

Focus on the physical.

2012-02-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

A friend posted this article from Beauty Redefined on ESPN's "Hot or Not" segment. Take a minute to read it if you can.

I think it's an important reminder that all this focus on the physical is harmful to the way men view women and also to how women view themselves. Alleviate objectification and remember: it's not what you look like that matters. It's what you can do.

Music tuesday.

2012-01-31T11:15:00.001-08:00

Florence + The Machines. Shake it Out.

It's catchy. Listen all the way through.

Music tuesday.

2012-01-24T07:05:00.000-08:00

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Fishin in the Dark.
Because it's our anniversary (nine years!) and this is our song.
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The girl with the dragon tattoo.

2012-01-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

I read book #1 of the trilogy in two days. A 600-page novel (and peeps, I'm a slow reader). I could not put it down. I'm now in the middle of the second book and it's equally as engaging. Not normally a lover of crime novels or thrillers in general, but it's so fascinating and unique and easy to read. Great flow, even translated.

I watched the American movie and of course, was a bit disappointed. It was still well done, though. I appreciated it and Chris seemed to really enjoy it--not having read the book to have anything to compare to. We will be watching the Swedish movies (all available on Netflix!) as soon as I catch up on the novels.

It's sexy and wild and makes me want to be best friends with Lisbeth.

I'm deeply saddened that Stieg Larsson is dead, but oh thank god he left these gems behind.

Music tuesday.

2012-01-17T19:58:00.001-08:00

Kimbra. Cameo Lover. (It comes with a lovely video, too. A treat for the eyes and the ears!)

New hair.

2012-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

Chopped and colored. Change feels great!

A humiliating story about leaving the salon over on my other blog.

Eating healthy: update.

2012-01-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

The last couple months, Chris and I have opted for a healthier lifestyle. This includes (but is not limited to) running more, lifting free weights, dancing via the Kinect, reading more books, making more goals, traveling, and of course the most unfortunate of them all: eating better.

I like food. A lot. Sweet, salty, bitter, rich...really anything delicious. A salad is something you will seldom see me order in a restaurant (by seldom I mean never). It's so unsatisfying. Even with lots of stuff on top, it's still just rabbit food. Flavorless, gritty leaves.

BUT. With this new-found life we'd decided to gallantly adopt, I thought I'd try to recover from my hate of salad by making one topped with seasoned grilled chicken, pickled beets, baby corn and other favorite yummies. If I can dress it up enough maybe I will forget its true identity?

Wide-eyed and optimistic, I waltzed into the store and plucked all the ingredients for a salad that was bound to be life changing. I went through the self checkout, grabbed my bags, put my cart away and headed out to the car. A woman chased after me, arms in the air, yelling "Ma'am! Maaaa'aaam!" (Sidenote: I hate being a ma'am.) She was an employee (a seriously dedicated one) at the store--she noticed I left my lettuce in the cart. I checked my receipt and sure enough, I didn't even pay for it.

Subconscious slip? Maybe somewhere deep in my soul I thought that if I "forgot" the lettuce Chris would be as relieved as I was and would offer to get (greasy, delicious, salad-less) takeout from the Mexican restaurant down the street. But the leafy green medley found its pompous way into my grasp once again. So I went inside, paid for it and headed home.

I got to the house, took off my coat and boots, set down my bags and greeted my husband and hyper dog. I started grilling the chicken and compiling the salad toppings. I couldn't find the lettuce. WHERE IS THE DAMN LETTUCE THIS TIME I shouted. Chris came in the room, saw that I was pissed, and helped me look for the lettuce. "Here it is! You put it in the fridge already!"

"Uh, no. That's the salad that we never ate from TWO WEEKS AGO."

The lettuce that was already in the fridge had been my attempt at making amends with rabbit food weeks ago. Clearly it went well.

I examined it and tried to decide if it was okay enough for human consumption. It looked soggy, the edges were already browned. No-go. I went to the garage and frantically checked inside, outside and underneath my car. No salad to be found.

"HOLY $&*@%$ I left the ___&*^$ at the store. AGAIN."

Chris offered to go back and get it. Not to get Mexican food or some sort of drive-through supper in a sack. This guy is stronger than I thought.

I got in the car, slammed my door and headed back to the store. I was pissed. Just so angry with myself for being so absent-minded (or subliminally stupid, thinking I could avoid this salad saga). I found the woman who rang up my lettuce the last time I left it. I tapped her shoulder and said with humility "Did I leave my salad here again?"

"Yeeesss..you sure did. You must not want it that bad."

That woman knows me so well.

Music tuesday.

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I love anything Devotchka touches.

Devotchka. The Winner Is.

In honor of Gotye.

2012-01-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

An amazing cover:

And it's not even Tuesday.

:)

Music tuesday.

2012-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Oops. Missed Tuesday.

The XX. Intro.

A new year.

2012-01-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

May this year be better than the last!

Xmas recap.

2011-12-29T13:04:00.000-08:00

Confession: I did not get my Christmas tree out this year. This, however, does not mean I didn't have any Christmas spirit. It just means I was tired from all the excitement of life lately. New job, new friends, keeping up on my writing, keeping up on my reading, etc. Some things just took priority over the house decor. It sounds like I'm making excuses...but anyway, no, Christmas was not cancelled at our house. We still listened to the tunes, did the gifts and attended the parties. I would even dare to say it was one of our best Chritsmases to date. There was a lot of love going around. I'm feeling very blessed to have the people I do in my life. A select few close friends who hold my heart, a small (albeit loud) and loving family, an adorably sweet husband, a rambunctious dog. I could go on.

This sparkly flask was a gift from my friend. She knows me well.

Aside from the Oregon trip, Chris got me a few little gems to open on xmas morning, including this scarf (in which I am in love).

My mom got us a heated mattress topper with dual controls and six settings (something I thought would only be used by me, but has gotten a surprising amount of use on Chris's side as well).

All the gifts were so thoughtful. Lotions, owl trinkets, treats, everything lovely.

I found a little time to make some felt flowers for the little ones (and me). See them here.

On Christmas morning, we got up to do our service. I'm not sure if I've blogged about it in the past (alas, I am too lazy to look it up) but every year on Thanksgiving or Christmas--and sometimes both--we try to do some volunteer work in the community. The type of work and the places we go vary from year to year. The last few years we have gone up to Hill Air Force Base and helped serve/clean tables at the dining hall. The dining hall is a unique place to be on Christmas morning because it's filled with all kinds of people, many different walks of life. Most are military, alone, stationed here away from their families. Some like to visit. Some like to be alone. Some people bring their entire families for yummy dinner and dessert. There is always an empty table in the corner representing prisoners of war or those who have gone missing in military action. The rose and the empty plate always gets me a little misty-eyed.

Here we are in our chef's hats.

The highlight of the day was when a sweet, old man walked up to my mom and me. He wore a pressed suit, had his hair combed nice and walked with a cane. He grabbed her arm and asked her name. Then he thanked her for working on Christmas. He turned to me, called me by my mom's name, and thanked me for working on Christmas. I'm assuming he was a vet with alzheimer's. What a sweetie.

Next year we're considering doing something a little different. Possibly helping at the Road Home or a battered women's shelter. If anyone has any suggestions for areas of the community that can use a helping hand (in Utah) please let me know. I know there are a lot of nonprofits that need the help year-round, and I'm happy to lend a hand when I can. This is what holidays (and life!) should really be about.

I hope your holidays were as refreshing as ours. xo

Music tuesday.

2011-12-27T13:23:00.000-08:00

Safetysuit. Find A Way.

Portland in the spring.

2011-12-22T08:08:00.000-08:00

Chris and I exchanged gifts last night. I knew something big was in the works and I just couldn't wait till xmas. He was thrilled to hear he was getting a new CD player and speakers installed in his car, but thrilled is an understatement of my reaction to the gift he gave me.

Chris got us tickets to a Gotye show. In April. IN PORTLAND.

Here he is, in all of his handsome glory.

I have always wanted to visit Oregon. I almost went to college in Portland but then met my mister, so I stayed and set up camp at good ol' Weber State. Now we get to go to Oregon together to hear one of our favorite artists! I cannot wait.

Don't know who Gotye is? Not many do, so that's ok. Remember back when I blogged one of his songs for music tuesday.The Gotye pandora station has been on at our house nonstop. He's really quite extraordinary.

Here's another one of my favorite tunes. Oh I can't wait for this trip. Good surprise, Chris. VERY GOOD!

Music tuesday.

2011-12-20T07:21:00.000-08:00

Coconut Records. West Coast.

Hardware ranch elk.

2011-12-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

LIFE UPDATES! It's been a minute since I've blogged about regular life stuff. Today we took lots of pictures at the elk fest in Hyrum at Hardware Ranch, and I had a minute between laundry loads, so I thought why not update about my new job and such?

The DWR (where I now work) organizes a festival with activities and sleigh rides this time annually. This is the time of year when hundreds of Rocky Mountain elk visit the ranch to rest and eat in the meadow. The sleighs are pulled by a team of large-breed draft horses and the drivers explain the ranch's history and elk's behavior. It's such a sweet experience, seeing the huge elk in their natural environment. They don't seem to mind the loads of people on sleighs winding through their herd. They're actually very charming, the little ones with their whining noises when they want to suck milk from mom, and the big bulls perking up, judging us with their intimidating stances.

My new job is going very well. I have always been a wildlife lover (observer, not hunter. though I have no moral objection to hunting.) so it's nice to learn more about the different species and what Utah does to protect them. I'm so happy to be part of that effort. I had been to Hardware Ranch before, but it's been years. I'm glad we got a group together today and went for it. It was such a lovely day fulls of smiles, wildlife and sunshine. Perfect!

With Breanne, bundled up, ready to head out.

Inside the visitor's center at the interactive wildlife display. Breanne and Stormie got super cozy with that taxidermied elk.

LOOK AT THAT CAT BEHIND ME

Chris loved being in a car for four hours with us gals.

Rick, John, Izzy, Liz, Abby, Storm, me, Breanne

(huge elk off in the distance)

The sweet man on the right was our sleigh driver. Super informative and totally polite.

APPROACHING THE HERD

At the end of the day, we went back to my house and Chris made us all hobo dinners on the grill outside. YUM. We also snuggled up with blankies and watched Raising Hope (which is hilarious; netflix it).

What a great day.

Music tuesday.

2011-12-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

Angus and Julia Stone. Paper Aeroplane.

Music tuesday.

2011-12-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

I've been crushing on Sweden lately...so here's a Swedish artist with a gorgeous voice. (She sings in English, by the way.)

Check out the non-acoustic versions floating around, too.

Illusion beach boutique.

2011-11-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

My brother and sister in law own a tanning salon in Layton, Illusion Beach. This you probably already knew. BUT. What you may not know is that there is also a lil boutique in there. They have jewelry, bags, scarves, etc. Look at these cute aged turquoise earrings I got there last week. GREAT STOCKING STUFFERS.

Snapshots: amanda's wedding.

2011-11-30T18:30:00.000-08:00

Amanda got married! Here are some phone snapshots from their special day.

Me and Wint, just hangin' in our Sunday best at the temple.

Jill styled my hair. She was able to get me in at the last minute, because she is incredible. Thanks, Jill!

Mr and Mrs for the first time. Sidenote: I had NO IDEA I wasn't supposed to be in that glass room area. I'M TRULY SORRY!

Beautiful.

Photobooth fun with the Nabors.

Looking forward to some better quality photos from the amazing Ciara Richardson.

Music tuesday.

2011-11-30T17:55:00.000-08:00

Even though it's Wednesday!

I came across this song over on Brooke's blog. She always has great music. I've been listening to this on repeat. (It seems slow, but wait till the chorus. Trust me; it gets SO GOOD OMG.) Also, the video kind of blows my mind.

Life changes.

2011-11-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

As some already know, I received a job offer from the Utah Department of Natural Resources (wildlife division) which I hastily accepted; I'm going to be a writer! This job, you guys, is truly my dream job. I've always wanted to end up in a government position ('cause of the stability, growth opportunity and longevity) where I could write and be involved with animals (two passions in one) and have a chance to positively impact the community. Expect posts, links and plenty of updates.

With a heavy heart, I gave my two weeks' notice at Sun. My last day is this Wednesday. That job, though short-lived, taught me a lot. It gave me opportunities to travel, learn and start to wiggle outside my comfort zone. The people are fabulous and talented beyond belief. I could never match their passion for laundry--but I did try. The company takes care of their employees by offering fantastic salaries, good benefits and lots of fun community activities. Tons of perks. I'd recommend it to anyone. But as of now, I'm looking forward to a bright and thrilling future.

Here's to new beginnings!

Side note: Chris took me to Chili's for lunch the day the call came. I ordered a pomegranate margarita. (Don't judge me. Sure, it was barely one o'clock but I deserved some victory liquor.) But folks, this drink...STRONG. Like, I'm-wondering-if-it's-within-legal-limits strong. And if I'm saying it's intense, then you know it must be..to the max.

Music tuesday.

2011-11-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

ou are going to love today's tune. It's another slow one (I've been in the mood for slow since the cold weather came to stay).

Whitley. More Than Life.

Music tuesday.

2011-11-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

hat a remarkably beautiful song. I've had it in my head for days and I'm thrilled to get to share it today.

I think I might have inhaled you. I can feel you behind my eyes.
You've gotten into my bloodstream.
I can feel you flowing in me.

Stateless. Bloodstream.

Amanda's shower.

2011-11-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

Amanda's shower was a blast. Thanks to all who showed up.

(For more photos/details on the crafty/DIY parts, hop on over to my other blog.)

The blushing bride, looking gorgeous with her real smile (no fake no-teeth smiles).

Rain theme.

Working hard on the dirty word search. Winner received homemade sugar scrub.

The next fantastic game: draw the wedding dress. On a plate. On your head.

The results. (Breanne won.)

We put our cloud hole punch to good use.

Rainbow fruit kabobs.

This cute baby stole all our hearts.

Doing girl things.

Gift time. She got some really great stuff.

Easily the best photo of the day. Her face while thumbing through Tickle His Pickle.

Hostesses.

The end.

Music tuesday.

2011-11-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

usic tuesday is music wednesday this week.

Metric. Down.

Also (unrelated) I'm just tickled to have discovered daily drop cap.

I turned 27.

2011-11-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

This year's birthday was amazing. It was filled with so much love from the thoughtful people in my life. Chris went all out in organizing a surprise party in my honor. My parents compiled family on my side for a delicious birthday lunch. The best celebration(s) I've had in a long, long time.

There are no photos. I was sort of too busy enjoying myself to remember to stop and take pictures. I'll do my best to paint a picture: cherry vodka, candy, tony's pizza, great company, amazing/thoughtful gifts. Oh! And this adorably delicious cake made by my talented sister in law.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes via Facebook, phone calls and real life. I'm so loved. That sure is nice.

Conversation with grams.

2011-10-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

A sad, albeit hilarious convo with my gramma on Facebook.

I thought she had lasagnas; alas, she was talking about a Facebook game she was playing. Totally normal misunderstanding to have with a grandparent.

Music tuesday.

2011-10-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Chris and I pass music back and forth all day...songs we discover via Pandora, TV shows, friends, websites. When I'm busy at work, too busy to breathe, it calms me to listen to the songs he sends. Music is an important part of my life. It's personal. I need to pay more attention to it because often times the poetry brings me back to earth. That's why starting now, every Tuesday I'll post a song that's new and special to me.

This one is thoughtful and slow. Hope you enjoy it like I do.

Big Scary. Got it, lost it.

Park City ghost tour.

2011-10-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Friday we went on a haunted Park City ghost tour with our friends. LOVED IT. We learned a ton about Park City's history, dating back to when it was a bustling mining town. We got to hear about several of the city's hauntings including Lizzy, the apparition (from the waist up) that lives in the old, vacant Imperial Hotel. She enjoys men with beards (by enjoys I mean haunts/hits on when they're in the area). She was killed in a fit of passion when her husband walked in on her and another man in bed. He shot them both, striking her in the abdomen (explaining her half-body appearance).

Many of the spirits lingering in Park City are entities that were killed violently. The charming fellow giving the tour (who was outfitted in a top hat and cape) works closely with the town museum and library to gather information on various first and second-hand accounts.

The story of the man in the yellow slicker was particularly disturbing, given that a police man of well social standing was just recently chased by the ghost in the last couple years. Now he refuses to enter the canyon where it happened without a partner.

I was a bit disappointed to see that my digital pictures didn't catch any orbs. I usually have orbs in all my photos so it was strange that nothing showed up this time. I recommend the tour to anyone. It's all outdoors and lots of walking. Chris was a bit bored, but if anything, it's nice to learn the history of Park City while strolling charming main street.

Here are a few snap shots from the night.

Eleven people have died in this building. No wonder they can't sell it.

Austin was terrified, which is why he had to snuggle up to Christee like that.

Scariest part of the night? Spooky Chris and Austin ghosts appeared in the window at the top of the stairwell.

In memoriam.

2011-10-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

Thoughts of Cliff fill my head today. Our sweet, smiling grandpa with a big back and bushy beard.

It's been a whole year. I miss him. I look at his note on our wedding wishing tree at least once a week, when I find myself sitting near it. I've positioned it so it's in the forefront and easy to access. I absolutely love when people ask about my tattoo because it puts a smile on my face immediately--just thinking of him. If I'm in a hurry or in an awkward situation, I simply say "It's a memorial to my late grandfather." If there's time to explain, I talk about how it's Chris's grandfather and how he's very special to me. I explain about the note on the wishing tree and how he was feeling stumped and almost didn't write anything down.

His spirit lingers and protects; I feel it often. Bless you, Cliff...looking forward to a big bear hug again some day.

Daddy & daughter.

2011-09-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Together..at last!

This is my uncle and his daughter. Winter of Purple Plum Photography captured them perfectly!

My favorite:

My business trip in snapshots (Chicago edition)

2011-09-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

The week after Connecticut, I went to Chicago for a conference. I had never been there, either. Bustling city with lots going on! Here are some shots from the trip.

Finally got one of those neck pillows for the plane. I napped in the air for the first time ever. I felt a little dorky. The pillow is fluorescent orange.

View from my 7th floor hotel room.

Cute pillows in the hotel on my king bed. This room was fancy shmancy. But I did miss my own bed.

Look at me. This city could eat me alive. Thank god I wasn't traveling alone.

Best part of the conference? Treats.

Chicago river.

Picked up a menu from Michael Jordan's steakhouse for my nephew.

Cocktail of choice on this trip: Strawberry blonde.

Now, hopefully, my feet are planted firmly in Utah for a while.

Why she inspires me: body image.

2011-09-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

This gal is fantastic. Sarah is a fashion blogger, DIYer, sewer, and Utah (I think?) resident. I've followed her blog for a while now and really, she's amazing. She's got quite the following now too, with good reason. She inspires. But this post was uber inspiring.

As a pretty regular blog reader and self-proclaimed professional internet surfer, I've noticed a sad theme, especially amongst Utah women who gain a following for their talents, professions, etc. whatever it may be. The theme is I'm skinny, love me, my life is effortlessly glamorous, send me compliments, watch as I act humbled by gathering your praise and sucking in your envy.

It's an obvious attempt at a self-esteem boost from the insecure. Sad for both the authors of the blogs and some of the girls reading them because it's all a lie that is often believed by both.

Sarah's post, however, was so honest and inspiring. She looks body image straight in the face and tells the truth and faces the topic even though she is uncomfortable with it. She's healthy and attractive and uses her power to be heard for the greater good. What a gal.

My busniess trip in snapshots.

2011-09-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Last week I left to Connecticut for a few days. I flew in to JFK, but alas, didn't get to see much. I had meetings scheduled the entire time. I've never been to the east coast so it was a bit of a bummer. I'll go back with Chris someday.

There were definitely some highlights of the trip, though. Traveling for business was pretty stress free, much to my surprise. Plus I met a lot of cool coworkers. Here are some snapshots from my days there.

NYC from a distance

I loved all the trees. The humidity didn't bother me either. Future home? I don't know. Maybe.

It was all planned for me. Meals, flight, car rental. I even had a weather report. That was nice.

Everywhere I went there were name tags and place settings for me. I felt fancy.

A fountain in the Wilton office. Sun has incredible facilities back east.

A kiss picture sent to Chris the morning after I left. Fun fact: this trip was the longest Chris and I have been apart. Three days. I know, I know: totally pathetic. It was hard. I missed my boys. Thank goodness for video chat on my phone.

The local restaurant where we had dinner and cocktail hour with a bunch of executives and colleagues. It was yummy. My mojito was deliciously strong. I had two.

On our way out of town, we got to JFK a little early. Cocktails and dinner? Yes, why not?

Overall, it was totally pleasant. It was nice to be away from the office. Next week, off to Chicago!

Remembering today.

2011-09-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks, men and women, who serve our country.

Borrowed the pretty watercolor painting from this etsy store. Downloaded the fonts from here.

Our family photos: by Ciara Richardson.

2011-08-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

There are so many reasons why I love Ciara. Not just her photography (which is obviously amazing) but her persona. She does regular giveaways and offers her followers all kinds of incentives. She shares photography tips, camera info, posing advice, etc. She's always willing to help anyone who wants to learn photography or those who take an interest in what she does. Some photographers get secretive about their locations or their styles. Ciara is the opposite. She's soft spoken and just really sweet. I'd only met her once before at another photographer's workshop, but you'd think we were long lost friends. She's easy to talk to. Use her! Family photos, weddings, whatever. She will impress.

Now, onto the photos! She took our family pictures a couple months ago. I'll be printing and hanging several asap. I liked working with her because she let us be us. A lot of the time she just asked us to interact. It was like a typical Tuesday night, except there was a gal there, with a camera, in the middle of a field. She had artistic visions, but didn't get caught up in them. She let us be involved. Instead of waiting for us to pull a serious face (not our style) she snapped shots of us laughing and being more candid. Instead of posing us, she told us to be comfortable. She was fantastic with Sammy, who at some points was a bit rambunctious.

Here are some of my favorites. See more from our session here!

Before the shoot, Ciara asked us to write love letters to one another, but to keep them secret till the shoot. At the very end, she had us open them up and silently read the other's note. We were laughing because both of our notes mentioned something about being a good parent to Sam.

Last but not least, perhaps my favorite in the bunch.

A wedding in the city.

2011-08-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Nate are getting married! City style. Oh it's going to be spectacular with all the NYC decor, food, etc. It's going to take place on top of SLC. Can't wait to see the killer view. Plus I get to wear a shiny blue satin dress and participate in weddingy, bridesmaid, fun-filled events and planning. I love weddings. Can you tell? I'm hyped.

This is the cute couple just after he showed up OUT OF NO WHERE and surprised her with a proposal atop the Empire State Building.

I wanted to share their proposal video because it's just downright adorable. Nate hired a photog to snap shots while it all went down in NYC. Click here! (It's a really sweet video. I cried.)

Tackless.

2011-08-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Today I was reminded that I am tackless. Thank goodness I am not covered in tacks, like this girl.

I think that would hurt. At the very least, it would be annoying. I guess there are some instances when being tackfull would come in handy. Like if I were making cute fabric-covered tacks, like this.

Or if I wanted to make a mountainous pile of gleaming tacks, like this.

So, in closing, being tackless is probably for the best (except in these few rare situations).
Image credit: 1. Pinterest, when I searched for "tacks." 2. How about orange. 3. Yay Hooray.

All healed.

2011-08-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

It reads backwards and blurry because I used my phone's front-facing camera. It looks good though. I really love it. The placement, the typeface, the size, the thought!

Closeup attempt.

One day I will have better photos that I didn't take myself.

Oh yes, and in case you missed the story, it's here.

Tattoos: Oh I love them.

2011-08-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

BUT. THEY HURT up in the armpit area and down near the elbow! Read about and see my new tattoo over on the creative blog.

What does this mean?

2011-08-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Crew did this for a school assignment

It means a lot of things.

1. That my nephew is a tiny genius.
2. That I need to provide him with a business card so he has my number.
3. That he trusts us.
4. That maybe he likes Chris a little more because his name is big and mine is squeezed in at the end.
5. That my mom may be jealous.
6. That he is the most adorable creature on this planet.

Ten reasons why I love writing.

2011-07-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

It's my release. My creative outlet. When I get lost in words, nothing else exists.
I'm passionate about aesthetics. It's like, if I can make words sound great, I'd better be able to make them look great on a page or screen.
I love to marry words with photos.
I enjoy creating something significant out of almost nothing.
It forces me to use the right side of my brain (most of me is pretty analytical).
The rhythm of a sentence, or paragraph, or book, can be beautiful. If I find that beauty and execute it, I'm proud.
I learn things about people, subjects or products. It forces me to research.
The creativity puts me in a profound, reflective, spontaneous mood. Almost childlike.
I'm a writer. It's built into who I am--even if I don't do it for a living anymore.
Instant satisfaction. Well, not quite instant. That gratification I feel once I'm done with a piece of writing is honest and unmatched.

A fairy party.

2011-06-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

My lil niece Bells turns three this weekend. Last year she had a princess party. This year it was all about the fairies. Her family did a fabulous job decorating.

For earth.

2011-05-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

We've been out and about lately. Thanks to my place of employment, we've been given several opportunities to be involved in community activities that benefit the environment. I thought instead of writing another heated rant about how people don't care enough, I could just share what we did.

In honor of earth day, we cleaned the highway that Sun Products adopted (it's a chunk of Bangerter). I've done this a few times and despite what people think, it's actually quite a riot. We play games like who can find the grossest item and who can make up the best story about a littered item.

Chris's stance and face in this photo scream I'm here for court-mandated community service. He volunteered though. I swear.

We tied for grossest item: I found a condom and he found an unwrapped tampon. But don't worry -- we have nifty pinchers to pick up the trash so we don't come in direct contact (see contraption about).

I won't share the nasty, imaginative stories we came up with.

On to the next event. Tree planting at Wheeler Farm. I've planted small trees before, but these large ones were a challenge. Chris and I were both a bit sore. Tree Utah worked with Sun to organize this event and I was happy to see the big turnout. It's reassuring to know that some people care. Or maybe they were just there to get outta work? Either way, planting trees is a nice thing to do. So do it. Please. (See how non-ranty and nice I'm being about it?)

This isn't everyone. More people came. I think 70 total. Parents brought kids which I think is an amazing thing to do. It was cool to hear the little ones talk about how "happy the trees look" and to see them working as a team. What smart, smart parents. Bravo.

The people who work for and volunteer for Tree Utah were so thoughtful and grateful. They gave out cookies, homemade brownies, bottled water, sunscreen chapstick and these adorable pens shaped like veggies.

I loved them so much, I volunteered to do some writing and editing for them. I'm excited to arrange it.

Work passed out these adorable handmade wildflower cards. I love them. We almost used the same kind of paper of our wedding invites.

So to sum up, I just want to ask the few peeps reading to stop and consider the world in which we live. It's dirty and suffering, but we can make it better. Little bits at a time.

Two more days.

2011-05-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

Strut Your Mutt is in two days. Actually 1.5. I'm getting desperate for any donations or participation. We're not close to our goal and that makes me a bit sad for the homeless pups and kitties in need. That's why I'm going to bribe you. If you donate $10 or more to our dog pack, or actually register as part of our pack to come strut, I will send you something sweet (by sweet I mean charming. not sugary.) in the mail. Not email. Mail mail. (You will love it. Really.)

That means Ciara Richardson, Tori Evans, my mom and Kim Yeates are already getting a gift for their generosity. So, this is kind of like an impromptu giveaway, except you have to spend a little money toward a good cause. Fair enough, right? Email me with your address if you decide to help me out: crystalross306 {at} msn {dot} com. Thank you!

To add intrigue about the mystery gift: we have created some pretty sweet knickknacks here at the Ross residence.

Ombre hair.

2011-05-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have it.

More about hair on my other blog!

Get ready...set...strut!

2011-05-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all who have donated, registered and/or spread the word about Strut Your Mutt. It's such a great cause that I feel so passionately about. My photographer friend, Brooke, has a sweet pup of her own and has decided to help spread the word. THANKS, B!

If you haven't done anything yet, it's not too late. Click here to donate. Even a little bit helps! Now, please enjoy this basket o' puppies.

image from national puppy day.com

Orange sherbet champagne punch.

2011-05-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

I have to share this recipe. It's too good. We had a version of this punch at our wedding and I had been craving it ever since. This time, I put some of my own spins on it. You should try it for your next spring event. It's very light and refreshing.

2 bottles champagne (use your favorite kind. we like freixenet brut.)
1 quart orange sherbet ice cream
1 bottle (2 liters) ginger ale
Sliced strawberries
Lots of lemonade ice cubes

Chill everything. Pour it all in the bowl, saving the champagne for last. It will be seriously foamy. Serve immediately.

I forgot to take photos of mine, so this one from this site will have to do.

Garlic lime pork chops. Yum.

2011-05-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, this recipe is delicious. I'm not a huge pork eater, but I got on board with these. We baked them on 350 for an hour instead of broiling or BBQing. Also used a lot, like A LOT, more cilantro and lime than what it called for. Use fresh lime juice and cilantro. It makes all the difference.

Wigging out: a bachelorette bash.

2011-04-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Our good friends John and Breanne are getting married! In honor of this huge event, Breanne's sweet sisters-in-law gave her something to wig out about (nope, the puns never get old). This colorful party was unforgettable. Highlights? Oh there are lots, including the infamous penis veil that you may remember from my bash, genetilia shaped food, WIGS (mandatory), lots of derby gals, yummy champagne punch, kareoke, neon pink Harry Slaughter drinks, dirty games, dirty bars and a dirty strip club. Photos? Yep, we got a few.

The bride

She asked for dirty cop attire. I found these handcuff pasties and a hat. PERFECT.

hahahhah

Nate! We love Nate!

A sweet dive bar embrace from the bride to be.

Chris and Sam came and got me at 3 AM. Sweet boys. What a fun night.

I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS WEDDING

Hard vanilla rootbeer.

2011-04-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is what I'm drinking tonight.

1 can rootbeer.

1 shot Absolute Vanilla vodka.

If you're feeling adventurous, ADD ICE CREAM.

The porch potty.

2011-04-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sam's Porch Potty finally came! This is what we've decided to try after the mess of potty pads and disaster of astro turf. Basically, it's a heavy-duty box that comes with a draining system, scented fire hydrant and a piece of sod. Yes, that's real grass.

Dogs prefer to go on grass versus turf or cement. Since we live in a townhouse, this is our best chance. Sam, Hemingway and I spent hoooours outside waiting for a peepee miracle.

There were some photo ops.

As you can see in the video, his first impression was curiosity. Excitement. Maybe confusion. When he decided to play with/knock over the hydrant, I knew it wasn't time...

Later on, we tried again. He did the opposite of pee. He nested. Then lied down for a nap. *SIGH*

He chose to do his business on the fence instead of his new fancy grass pad. The next morning, though, while getting ready for work, the miracle happened. With a look of complete shame in his big, brown eyes, he lifted a leg and wizzed on the hydrant there upon the grassy haven. I gave him major praise. We're totally on the right track. GOOD BOY, SAMUEL L.

Stuffed mushrooms.

2011-04-12T19:13:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, we're nowhere near the goal for Strut You Mutt, so if you haven't taken a look yet, please go here to read a bit about it. Even the smallest of donations will be appreciated.

Secondly, my gal pal Jessica made these shrooms for us once and they blew my mind. I insisted on trying it myself. Not as good as when she made them (isn't that how it always is?) but delicious nonetheless. Enjoy!

24 mushrooms -- stems removed
1 pound spicy ground sausage (or go vegetarian and use fake meat. I actually prefer it without the sausage but Chris adored the sausage)
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 bunch fresh parsley -- chopped
Grated parmesan
Bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375.
Brown the sausage. While it cools mix all other ingredients together.
Mix in browned sausage.
Spoon mixture into mushroom caps.
Cook on top rack at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

2011 Strut Your Mutt

2011-04-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

Over 30,000 young, healthy animals are euthanized in Utah every year. Five million nationally. The Strut your Mutt walk helps raise money to support no-kill shelters so that this number will eventually be lowered. We have too many unwanted pets here--namely because of the lack of spay and neutering. Adoption rescue should be the first choice for those considering a pet in their household. The mutts need homes, too! Just because a pet may not be coming from a pure breed or a champion bloodline doesn't mean they won't serve their purpose as loving companions.

Please donate or participate in the walk by clicking here. (When you click there you will be awarded with a photo of Sam. My all time favorite photo of Sam.) You don't even have to have a mutt to strut. Just show support by walking or giving a few dollars.

Our donation page was created in support of TAO Rescue--Tooele Animal Outreach. I was touched by Daye Abbot's story of their foster dog, Bebecca. She was found bloody and abused by the side of the road (probably drug behind a car).

No matter which charity you choose to donate directly to, they all support the same goal: to reduce the amount of homeless pets in the U.S. Thank you in advance for your selfless generosity.

Save the dolpins: an important cause.

2011-03-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a documentary watcher. I enjoy listening to what others have to say, seeing what people are passionate about and choosing a side for myself. Many documentaries have counterparts--other films or books that challenge their data or opinions. Is natural birth a better option than a drug birth? Is fast food really that bad? These topics seem so trivial compared to what I saw today.

I watched The Cove. It shed light on the senseless killing and capturing of dolphins in a hidden cove in Japan. Over 20,000 dolphins are captured here a year--the pretty ones chosen for spectacles (Sea World-type shows for our entertainment), and the less desirable ones brutally killed with sharp poles (their meat unknowingly sold and served despite high levels of mercury).

With this subject, there is absolutely no opposing view. No one arguing "another side." No one with a relevant political or ethical standpoint that's spoken up. It's just cold, inhumane slaughtering of these smiling sweethearts. Most people in Japan don't even know it's happening. It's a pretty nasty secret in a small town that supposedly loves dolphins.

The reason I'm posting about it is to get you to watch it. If you don't have time to watch The Cove at least visit the website and learn about what's happening. There are petitions to be signed, letters to be written and action that can be taken.

Chris came in the room while I was watching the movie, tears pouring down my face as I clutched my puppy. "Why are you watching this? Why do you do this to yourself." I told him it's because I don't want to be ignorant. Pretending these things don't happen may make my day continue on, uninterrupted and seemingly stress free--but what does it do for those who suffer?

Update: Taiji, though not near the epicenter of the recent disastrous quake, was pretty tattered. Many people were killed. The Save the Dolphins volunteers that were staying in Taiji made it to safety. Thank god. Alas, all 24 dolphins being kept in sea pens were killed--thrown against the rocky coastline. Read more about that here.

It's a new job.

2011-03-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

It's been a long, interesting, long, strange, sometimes fun and long tenure at Overstock.com. After three years, I'm moving on. Thanks to a friend and ex coworker, I was referred for a position at Sun Products. Hence the Snuggle Bear in the last post. Yep. This means getting to learn the ins and outs of the laundry world. You know I love doing laundry, right? It's a happy thing. It's such a happy thing. All of this is just unreal. (Comparable to how other Utah women feel when they discover they are preggerz.) Thanks to friends and family for the support!

Here's to the not-at-all-creepy Snuggle bear.

Big life changes.

2011-03-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

Some major life changes are in the works, and I gotta say, I'm just thrilled about it.

(More details to come soon!)

Yummy oil blend.

2011-03-05T15:29:00.000-08:00

In a diffuser, blend the following essential oils:

9 drops lavender

5 drops tangerine

2 drops peppermint.

Yummy

Morrocanoil hair, lush lashes, etc.

2011-02-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

Apparently everyone uses this Morrocanoil hair care line. I've heard great things about it but haven't tried it myself yet. It's on sale today on Eziba and I looked at the current report...it's selling fast. So is the Envyderm.

If you're not signed up to get these sales events, use my personal link:
https://www.eziba.com/invite?personalLink=cross
Or use your current O'stock login info.

Lavatory must-gos: addendum #2

2011-02-21T22:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since we talked about bathroom faux pas. I still work in a warehouse and I still see/hear/experience things in there. Scary things. So why not share? In case you need to be caught up, visit the first and second posts on this topic.

18. Water fights. This happened to me a while back. I was merrily entering the stall when I noticed some giggling coming from the stall next to me. No, not giggling. More like full-on, tummy-grabbing, LOUD, laughter. Like how you laughed as a kid when your brother farted. What is up with this laughing girl I thought. Then, right as I'm closing the stall door, it busts open and in comes a woman with a cup full of water. She is laughing and screaming. She throws the water over the stall into the one with the loud laugh girl, soaking her (I presume). Loud laugh stall girl finishes her duty in the stall, then peels out, chasing after cup-full-of-water girl. Yes...skipping any sort of hand wash. Ew.

19. Smoking. I cannot figure this one out. Do smokers just skip the outside part and go in the bathroom because it's warmer in there during winter months? For cryin' out loud, get a bit of fresh air to go with your nicotine. A lot of times I will enter the bathroom and smell a strong cigarette smoke stench. Sometimes the butts are even still in the toilet. Totally bizarre, right?

20. No hooks on the backs of the stall door. C'mon managers, store owners and CEOs. I need somewhere to set my coat and/or purse.

21. Bathroom signs with glaring errors and typos on it. I don't have to explain why this bugs me.

22. Girls that feel like they need to go in pairs or packs to the bathroom.

23. Skipping the flush. This is sort of an important key to the bathroom process. When you don't flush, it's like doing it on the floor or somewhere else where all can see/smell.

24. Warning: GIRL TIME. When a bathroom doesn't have a mini garbage can inside the stall. For obvious reasons, we need that there.

25. Not enough toilet paper in stock. What if the person in the next stall doesn't have a square to spare?

Am I missing any? Oh, I'm sure there's more to add. The list is never ending.

Purple Plum Photography.

2011-02-20T22:57:00.000-08:00

Purple Plum Photography did these photos for us. Remember the xmas card? I think she did just fabulous! Soon these will be hanging on our walls in the form of giant canvases. I love Sam's far-off gazes. He's very contemplative. These photos reflect that.

Snowball Fest 2011.

2011-02-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Utah snowstorms = snowbally pups

Whimsical throw pillows on sale today.

2011-02-14T12:46:00.000-08:00

Eziba is offering Josey Miller throw pillows (CUTE ONES) and drapes today. EEK and some are already selling out! I may have a small obession with pillows. Have I told you about this?

Use my personal invite link to sign up:
https://www.eziba.com/invite?personalLink=cross
Or sign in with your Overstock info.

I am thrilled to be purchasing this little lovely guy for my new bedroom setup.

(It also comes in a light blue/slate-ish color)

An athropologie boot review.

2011-02-10T13:47:00.000-08:00

I don't make many purchases from anthropologie, but I splurged on these boots (they were on sale). I only like them. Not love. Though I do wear them a lot.

The only thing keeping me from loving these is the scrunchiness of the right boot. Yep, only one boot has a slouchy shaft. I was hoping they'd be more structured. Kind of a let down, anthro.

Do you see what I mean?

Reasons I like em: the taupe color goes with everything, there is not a heel so I cannot hurt myself, the flower cutouts are unique.

Overall: three outta five stars.

On a better note, Chris got me this sweater from Bohme. REALLY CUTE

And yes, that's a bathroom mirror photo. With a leg up. Not sorry.

Last but not least, Sam says hi.

James Blunt and I...we're friends.

2011-02-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

See?

Last week James came to Overstock for a quick private concert. Now, I have to be honest: I was not super thrilled about this concert. My mom is a fan so really, I went on her behalf. But once he started singing, I'll tell you what--it was like angels (who say the EFF word) rejoicing in the heavens above. That voice is phenomenal. Plus, it helped that he has a charming and witty with a dirty sense of humor. Now, I'm a fan. And we're friends.

Our wedding.

2011-02-05T16:32:00.000-08:00

It's been six months. Is our wedding even relevant anymore? I think so! Totally worth posting my favorite photos and telling my favorite details. Prepare for a big dose of Christopher and Crystal.

The ceremony was held outside at the Davis Golf Course, nestled right up against the mountain. We had just walked from across the street from a pre-wedding park BBQ where Chris and some other boys grilled up kabobs of veggies, ribs and lots of deliciousness. We wrote our own vows (the whole thing can be seen here) and it was short and sweet. Chris worked in the word "klutziness" when describing what he loves about me, which I think was very honest/awesome.

I wore a simple silk dress from J Crew and no shoes. My grandma fixed it so it wasn't as booby. I picked Chris's colorful tie and shirt. My mom made his boutonniere.

We had a very small wedding (no more than 50 people) and spent the night drinking, chatting and frequenting the photo booth. No bridesmaids or groomsman. Well, I guess you could consider everyone there as part of the "wedding party."

Chris's cousin played Death cab for Cutie's I Will Follow You Into The Dark as we walked down the aisle. For up the aisle, he played Here Comes the Sun. The music was perfection. What an awesome gift.

The aisle garland was handmade by my mom. Fabric poms tied to twine and attached to chairs. The arch was something the golf course let us borrow, so we burlapdefied that, as well as added more fabric poms.

My best friend made tutus for all the little girls. One sweet girl was missing from the photos, but thank goodness we got to see her for a minute on our special day.

The golf course provided us with all the alcohol and food we could want. The cheesecake was beyond delectable. My favorite yummy of the night? The orange sherbet champagne punch. DIVINE. We shall recreate that as soon as it warms back up outside.

The invitations were made by us. Chris drew the willow branches and we colored them in Photoshop. Signs, vases, wishing tree, wildflower seed favors, centerpieces --all made by us. Details here.

My mom crafted that gorgeous bouquet the morning of the wedding. We went the night before and grabbed wildflowers from local markets around town. Since wildflower colors were the color scheme, it was fun to just pick our favorite and tie them into the bouquet. I love, love, LOVE those flowers. They are now dried on display in my hutch.

My favorite detail of the wedding may be the wishing tree. Each remark on the tree was so sweet. I was surprised at the amount of people who hope that we will procreate. We had no idea people were so enthusiastic about it. The best note on the tree, though, was from Grandpa B, who is no longer with us. "If wishes were fishes I would wish you a whale." Thank god he was with us on that special day.

Mrs. Fields cookies on sale today.

2011-02-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

Support a Utah business and grab a treat for a lover. Mrs. Fields cookie baskets are on sale today on eziba.

Use this link to sign up if you haven't.
https://www.eziba.com/invite?personalLink=cross

I sent a pack to my mom when she was in Iraq. The delivery was smooth and cookies....divine.

A new home/craft/design/diy blog.

2011-02-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

As I briefly mentioned in my last post, I've created a fun new blog! It's mostly about design and colors of interiors. I betcha there will be all sorts of styling tidbits and crafty projects, too. Check it :

http://ahouseshouldbehomey.blogspot.com/

Funny, huh? The gal who originally didn't get the point of a blog at all, now has several. I'm always evolving. Maybe not so old fashioned anymore? Nah. I'm still content with my old Samsung flip phone and the feel of real books.

This blog will still be in full-swing with everyday-life kind of posts.

Hues that dazzle: sherbet.

2011-02-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

I created this color palette from a photo I love. Creamy, vintage tones remind me of summer with a bowl of sherbet icecream. (Can you tell i'm absolutely yeeeeearning for warm weather?) This scheme would be fun for a room, an outfit or a wedding theme.

Image from Brooke's {Blushbybk} personal blog.

NOTE: Originally I meant to post this on my new decor blog. Hop over there and check out what I've got goin on.

Overstock.com has a sale site.

2011-01-31T08:52:00.000-08:00

Yep. Your eyes are not deceiving you. Eziba.com is Overstock's sale site and it's been up and running for a few months now. I have some stuff around my house (rugs, thingamajigs, etc.) that people have asked about. Welp, this is where they're from.

The same return policies apply. Same $2.95 shipping. It's kind of great, actually. Every day offers a new sale (home decor, shiny jewels, furniture, home improvement--the list goes on).

Use my invitation link below and you'll be signed up to get the daily sales via email.
https://www.eziba.com/invite?personalLink=cross

Oh yeah--AND, you'd be supporting me since my new job at Overstock is the eziba.com copywriter. I write these zippy little sales blurbs:

Enjoy!

One of my favorite things: for heartburn & cramps

2011-01-26T15:29:00.000-08:00

Butterfly Express's Inside Out oil for heartburn, stomach aches, cramps, morning sickness, etc. Read more about it/order it here. It works!

I know. I'm on an essential oil kick. Who knew they'd pop into my life and be ever-so-helpful? I guess I just gave up when meds stopped working. Thank goodness there is relief.

Wall bubbles out of embroidery hoops.

2011-01-26T15:17:00.000-08:00

I spent about 10 minutes making these bubbly little treasures. Fabric clamped inside embrodiery hoops. That's it. I used lace, burlap, satin, an old curtain and cotton. Sounds easy, right? Well it was (with the exception of this small accident).

DIY vertical mug holder.

2011-01-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, Chris and I worked on this.

I've always wanted a mug holder to display the quirky little gems I find at thrift stores and inherit from family. We were never exactly successful in finding something that fit the bill. A countertop one would take up too much precious space. A horizontal one wouldn't really fit in with my kitchen.

So we decided to take matters into our own hands and DIY it. Oh and I'm so glad we did. These boards were $4 each at Hobby Lobby. We found some walnut stain and went for it. I love the color. The hook hangars (each different) were 50% off at Hobby Lobby. $1.50 each. Chris, my handyman, measured, screwed in the hooks and painted the screws to match the bronze-ish tone. He did awesome. So mostly, this was his project.

One of my favorite things: for migraines

2011-01-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me personally is aware that I am plagued with headaches. Not just headaches. Aching, mind-numbing migraines that linger for hours. For years, nothing helped. Six doctors and several useless pills later, something has finally arrived.

This oil blend from Butterfly Express takes the edge off my headaches (as long as it's handy and can be applied at the first sign). It's applied topically (forehead, neck, temples) and/or inhaled. Basil, peppermint and other extracts make it smell a bit strong if you don't dilute it, but man-o-man is that a small price to pay for relief. It's magic in a tiny $20 bottle.

Above-the-couch decor.

2011-01-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

We finally finished our above-the-couch decor! It's an eclectic eye-full. I thought and thought and thought about what I wanted to hang here. Eventually, we decided to hang just a few little odds and ends. There's fabric-wrapped cardboard, recycled frames, craft paper scraps, dried wildflowers, etc. There are also a few very special things hanging, including an embroidered masterpiece that my grandma made my mom circa 1995.

I didn't spend one penny.

What do you think? I sort of love it. I may add to it one day. What's hanging over your couches? What are your focal points? I love seeing them!

A shout out to the men.

More details.

Some inspiration was gathered from this cute blog.

Giant burlap rosette.

2011-01-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

(I made this with our wedding centerpiece burlap. It'll probably end up hanging on some wall in my house.)

From our family to yours.

2010-12-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

Photography and card design by PiperPix. Blog: http://piperpix.blogspot.com/

Recycled scrap rosettes.

2010-12-26T18:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm making these. A lot of them. I'm not sure what to do with them, but they're just so cute and easy to make, it's hard to stop. A few ideas to put 'em to use: headbands (for kids or free-spirited adults), cardigans, necklaces, earrings, pillow embellishments.

Make them from old rags, unused T-shirts, leftover fabric scraps, grosgrain ribbon, a curtain. ANYTHING.

See exactly how to do it here.

My favorite of the bunch? None other than the burlap one. You thought my burlap obsession was over, huh?

Scarfology.

2010-12-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

I ordered this scarf from my friend's online business. Scarfology.com

I am absolutely in love with it. The colors. The crochet. Sigh. I WILL learn to crochet.

Candycane sugar scrub.

2010-12-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

We gifted a lot of homemade candycane sugar scrub this year for the holidays. My mom and I made it ourselves. We came up with this delectable recipe. You should try it while it's still in season; it feels soooo good on rough wintertime skin.

1 cup granulate white sugar
3 tablespoons finely crushed candycane
3/4 cup sweet almond oil
1/2 teaspoon vitamin E oil (to preserve)
1 teaspoon cocoa butter
12 drops peppermint essential oil
Depending on the consistency you want, you may add more or less almond oil.

Honeymoon tidbits: Part 4 (the liquor)

2010-12-18T23:54:00.000-08:00

This is where the vacation takes a nasty turn. You always hear "don't drink the water in Mexico." I didn't take this entirely into consideration like I should have. Chris and I discussed this on our way down and decided we'd drink bottled water when it was readily available and be lax about it when it's not. Mistake.

Notice how most photos of our vacation involve some sort of alcoholic beverage? Duh. It's a vacation. And I wasn't going to give up my opportunity to have a blended margarita just because of some puny Mexican ice. On the day we began our journey back to the U.S., Montezuma got his revenge. Only on me, though. Chris...well Chris has a stomach and colon of steel. No fair.

Honeymoon tidbits: Part 3 (the love...ick!)

2010-12-18T23:47:00.000-08:00

This honeymoon was truly wonderful. Great one-on-one lovey time. Did you know Chris and I have never gone on a real vacation? ("real" meaning leaving the area for more than a weekend). We've been a couple for eight years. This is unacceptable and now we've realized that we do need to make more time for getaways. We really do need to find a way to bring Sam with us though. :)

Honeymoon tidbits: Part 2 (the creatures)

2010-12-18T23:41:00.000-08:00

Cats, monkeys and some un-nameable animals crawling everywhere!

Honeymoon tidbits: Part 1 (the beach)

2010-12-18T23:36:00.000-08:00

Playa del Carmen (the beachy part inside the confines of our resort) was the definition of tropical paradise.

Top left: This is a gigantic shell Chris found on the beach. Top right: Chris's first time at the ocean. Any ocean. Ever. Clearly he's loving it. Bottom left: Mimosas in the morning (and afternoon. and evening). Bottom mid: Buried in a Chris-dug hole up to my knees. Bottom right: A night out.

Overstock.com commercial.

2010-12-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

Chris and I are on the front row, 18-20 seconds--heads bobbing singing away. My friend Jessica is the one at 20 seconds with the tongue piercing causing all the controversy. C'mon peeps. Aren't there more important things to get uppity about? This was a lot of fun to make. I really wish they would have chosen the take where I made an 'O' shape with my hand and peeked through it during the "Oh oh oh the big big O" part.

Wedding garland turned tree garland.

2010-12-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

I found a new use for my wedding aisle garland! SEE MOM?

Here's to crafty, nontraditional trees

Jennifer Aniston.

2010-12-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

I saw it! Today my hair did a weird flippy thing and for a split second I saw the resemblance to Jennifer Aniston (circa 1995)! But it didn't last long. And it wasn't that apparent.

A new coat.

2010-11-28T20:21:00.000-08:00

I have not purchased a new coat for myself since 2005. The last one I had was a brown puffer coat with a faux fur-lined hood. The feathers are coming out. The cuffs are stained. So I splurged and got this new one with some birthday money.

(I cannot explain what's happening in this photo, but the coat looks cute.)

Here's a better shot.

Feelin' pretty good about wearing the colors of my favorite season all winter long.

A delicious pie.

2010-11-28T19:54:00.000-08:00

I made a pecan pie. When people hear this, they nearly tip over. I'm sloppy. Unorganized. Clumsy. Not the baking type. BUT I DID IT. Thanks to this awesome recipe I found here.

Tip: I added milk chocolate chips (about a 1/4 cup). Heat it and serve with vanilla bean ice cream. *drool*

Ingredients

1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk, vanilla and nuts (and optional chocolate chips).
Pour into an unbaked 9-in pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done.

Sam (is huge) update.

2010-11-28T19:39:00.000-08:00

Sam now weighs in at 14.3 pounds. Remember when we got him in July and he was 4 pounds?

Last Wednesday was a hard day. Sam had his umbilical hernia fixed, got certain man parts removed and had four extracted teeth pulled. I know, poor thing. Soon we'll be leaving for our honeymoon so we wanted it all done sooner than later. The holiday was nice, but mostly we stayed in and comforted Sam. He was itching a lot and having some sad puppy nightmares, too. But, the good news is he's healing QUICK and he doesn't seem to care about the operations now. He's totally over it.

This is a shot of his six belly stitches

Proof that he's fine (and also that he loves to eat snow)

Christmas decor: cone tree

2010-11-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

This was a fun, quick and SIMPLE project. Kinda quirky. Kinda whimsical. Here's a quick tutorial.

Step 1: Find a cone. This is a styrofoam cone from the craft store (12-inch I think?)

Step 2: Find some yarn or string. This yarn is some sort of wrapped twine.

Step 3: Start from the bottom and wrap upwards, leaving no white space in between rows. Dab glue every inch or so. (I used low-temp hot glue.)

Step 4: Decorate! I used bells (found them at the craft store -- 12 for a dollar).

Note: I ran out of yarn for the last top inch of the tree, so Chris crafted me a felt star.

Felt rosette mirror: complete.

2010-11-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

This was fun.

It's nice that life had calmed down enough for us to be able to do what we enjoy: DIYing the hell out of our house. Here's the project Chris just completed.

I thought it was a bit weird that our house didn't come with shelves in the laundry area. But it turned out to be great because we ended up with custom ones. I stained them ebony and sanded the edges after Chris cut the wood and chose the brackets.

Woo!

And Sam approves.

Thank you veterans.

2010-11-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Veterans Day! Look at this awesome story about the 419th Fighter Wing (my mom's wing) on KSL. Also, here is the YouTube documentary they are speaking of. Be sure to watch all three parts. Amazing. What a tribute! Thank you to all veterans and to anyone who's made a sacrifice bigger than themselves.

image credit: wikipeida 

Felt rosettes.

2010-11-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

I saw the idea here at the Pretty Poppy. But I'm not looking for a wreath. I am looking to revamp a hideous mirror. Here are some of the rosettes so far. This project is beyond time consuming, but oh-so-fun.

In case you're going to make them, keep in mind that size matters. These rosettes are from felt circles that are half inch bigger than a CD. I did some smaller ones and trimmed the spirals in various widths because I like the different heights and textures. I will post the finished project probably in a week or two. Yay!

Earrings: gaudy to dainty.

2010-11-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

I saw these on clearance at Target thinking I could pull them off. A 3-cluster rosette earring. I love the concept, but turns out, too much for my small face. See how they're pulling down and just...blah?

(This is my friend Julie on her wedding day, by the way. Beautiful bride.)

So to solve this problem, I tore them apart and made each rosette its own little earring (which is awesome because each flower is a different finish: bronze, silver, gold). Buy the posts at a craft store! See? Dainty and subtle.

DIY doily table runner

2010-10-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

This is my current project. I found the idea on Ashley Anne Photography here.

As I collect more doilies, I'll fill in the gaps and make it longer so it actually hangs off the table.

The cool thing is you can just tie the doilies together with thin ribbon or thread. That way, if you change your mind later, you can reuse them for something else.

Creepy photos

2010-10-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I need a good mindless activity...a way to spend my two 15-minute federally mandated breaks at work. Thanks to Picnik, I've adopted the perfect temporary hobby.

Spooooky photo editing.

I have to give Joel partial credit for this edit.

This photo of my friend Jordan may be my all-time favorite.

I have the extended version of Picnik (temporarily) so send over photos if you want a scary edit. crystalross306@msn.com

Tis the season!

Doily tea bowl.

2010-10-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

Getting back into the swing of things, I thought I'd ease into crafts with a light project. This lace crochet bowl was simply made from a large doily (which you know I currently love), fabric stiffener and diluted Mod Podge. The idea came from the Brilliant Creative Jewish Mom.

I used spray stiffener instead of the liquid kind just because that's what I had in the house. I think this caused to bowl to be floppier. To remedy that, I poured some watered-down Mod Podge all over it while it was still lying on the bowl. Twenty-four hours later, it was ready. Now I use it in my kitchen for all our teas. Very fun.

In other news, Sam likes to help mom with dishes.

Grandpa Betten

2010-10-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Betten left us on Friday, Oct 15th. I imagined myself writing some amazing eulogy with highlights from his life and stories of my experiences with him; however, tonight all I can do is mourn. I'm filled with a sadness that I can't shake long enough to be optimistic.

He suffered for a while and now his pain is gone—this is solace. And thank god for it. But what about us? He left us unexpectedly at a younger age than what's fair. He was sick, but seemed to be getting better. What about our future children never having a chance to know his captivating personality? It doesn’t feel right that the world is done with him now. The timing's off.

There are hundreds of good things to say about this man, and I will write them all down in time. He deserves that and the life he lived so vivaciously is worthy of being honored.

This is so selfish, I know.