A day in the life...

Photo Challenges

2012-01-30T09:12:00.001-07:00

I love Instagram, I am not as into it as some folks, but when I think about it and want to share a piece of my day- it is the perfect way to do it.

This last month I noticed people doing a photo a day hashtag (#) on there and was wondering what it was all about. One of my friends answered that question for me- it was from the blog Fat Mum Slim. I had never heard of that blog before but I really like it and I am way too excited for February to start so I can participate in the next months photo a day challenge. (I guess I could have picked up in the end of January... apparently I wanted a clean slate? OCD much?) So I want to invite you, my friends, to participate as well!! The info is below. If you Instagram please let me know so I can follow you and see your photos! *If you don't Instagram, you could do this on your blog or Facebook as well!

She gave another challenge if you don't want to commit to a whole month of photos. Called "Your Day In Photos", explained below. I think I may do this one of the days as well!

Music Monday- Gotye

2012-01-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

I heard this song a while ago by GOTYE and I must admit, I thought it was just...ok... not much more than that. But since then I heard it a bunch more and it really grew on me. Hence why most of you have probably heard it already but just in case there are some of you that haven't, I felt it was worth posting. My friend Kelli and I have been loving this song lately and she said her hubby is going crazy because she listens to it so much haha!

His voice (in this song) reminds me a lot of Sting and I think that was the thing I liked best first. The rest of the album I have only ran through once or twice so I am not sure what my opinion is yet but I didn't not like it either ;)

Check out- Somebody That I Used To Know

Mini Yearly Goals

2012-01-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

I normally don't make resolutions because I hate them and putting that title on them pretty much ruins the chance of accomplishing that goal from the get go. So I decided to make some small self-improvement goals that I can work on throughout the year and won't get too crazy about.

At work we are doing a Biggest Loser contest and I am participating in it to help me achieve my goal of losing 20 lbs. I lost an extra 10 after I had Owen and it gave me a renewed sense of hope in my weight loss goals. I haven't been the weight I am since right after high school. I never gained a ton but I was/am bigger and I don't feel like I have ever been the weight where my body would be really comfortable. I want to be the healthiest weight for my size.
Going along with #1, I want to start working out again. I really want to tone up. I think the reason I have lost weight is because my muscle mass is decreasing ha ha So I want to try to work out at least 3 times a week. I am planning on going tonight to get my membership reactivated!
I want to get a good schedule for cleaning my house so that on the days I am off with the family I can fully enjoy the time we spend together.
I want to work on teaching Lola the alphabet. She can recite it pretty well, but I want to work on her letter recognition and numbers as well.
Work on paying down student loan debt. YAY, self-explanatory.
I want to work on being more charitable. There is no better feeling than when you help or do service for someone else. I want to be more aware of the needs of those around me and be kinder as a whole.
Enjoy this life I have been given! By continuing to have fun with my family and friends and taking a minute to enjoy where I am currently in my life. :)

Are you guys fans of making resolutions? What are some of yours?

Baby Owen's 1 Year Stats

2012-01-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

This sweet bubbies had quite the Dr's appt. He had to get three vaccinations and had his blood drawn for iron and other tests. He was a trooper though, he is such a strong boy!

These were his stats-

Height- 33 inches- over 100%
Weight- 26.12 lbs- 90%

He is still getting so tall and is starting to lose his baby chub :( But don't worry, he still has some chunky thighs that I can squeeze.

He is saying, na na for no no, ma ma, da da, ga ga and a few other cute things. He is standing against everything and walking around whilst holding on. He crawls around at turbo speed and loves climbing up the stairs, to my dismay. We have to gate the tops and bottoms of stairs now and that is inconvenient with a town house. We have 3 baby gates that get used multiple times a day.

He is starting to snuggle more, which makes me really happy since Lola wasn't much of a cuddler and neither was Owen until now. He is so happy and loves to smile at anyone who admires him. However, he has been a crappy sleeper lately. He wakes up and needs a bottle and some loves once most nights lately. It kills me some nights, I have been spoiled, Lola was such a good sleeper and he used to be as well, so now that he is waking up again I have to remind myself to enjoy these moments since they won't last forever and be grateful for the snuggles he is willing to share. He usually doesn't stay up for too long so that is good.

I am still waiting to get some of his birthday party photos from my friends, since my camera sucks and my mom's was broken. So I will post about that later :)

Music Monday- Devon Williams

2012-01-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

I just heard Devon Williams and thought he would be a fun artist to highlight today. I like the dreamy sound that he has. It reminds me of bands like M83, the Shins, the Pixies, etc. The song that got me at first was "Your Sympathy", I heard it on one of my favorite websites 'Indie Rock Cafe'. The other songs I have heard are good as well and stick to the poppy/dreamy feel. Here is 'Your Sympathy' from the album 'Euphoria".

Devon Williams - Your Sympathy from Slumberland Records on Vimeo.

Inspirational

2012-01-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

I've been praying for this mama all weekend (and before that for Tripp too). If you haven't read this blog before, you should. I feel like I know this little family {via her blog} and when I heard the news Saturday, I shed some tears... of sadness but also of joy, knowing that sweet Tripp is in the arms of a loving Heavenly Father. Go here to read about this amazing baby boy and mom.

An Outfit to Share #13

2012-01-16T11:24:00.002-07:00

Outfit Details
Green cowlneck shirt- GAP (on sale now!)
Cardigan- Nordstrom
Jeans- H&M
Boots- Chinese Laundry (on a small discount now as well)

Owen's 1 Year Pics Preview

2012-01-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, can I just tell you how amazing my friend Jeanette is? She came clear up to my house from Orem just to take some pics of my sweet bubbers for his 1st Birthday. The ones I have seen are just perfect :) I have to say that I am jealous of Jeanette and her ambition to grow and learn and be creative. She has been learning more about photography, songwriting, and fine-tuning her guitar playing skills as well, I do believe (correct me if I'm wrong Nutters). She makes me feel lazy, I need to get working on some self improvement this year. Maybe I should make some resolutions.... did I just say that? I never make resolutions! Anyway, thank you Jeanette, these are images that I will treasure forever!

Music Monday- The Moth and The Flame

2012-01-16T10:18:00.001-07:00

You locals probably already know this great band but for those of you that aren't from here or don't know them, you will be glad I showed you. The Moth and The Flame. Provo is putting out so much great music right now and I am glad to be here so I can be a part of it. I finally went to see these guys play live 2 weekends ago, they played with my friend Scott's band, Book on Tape Worm. The show was called "Slumber Party" because of the mellow nature of the music being performed. It was a moving show, shared with some of our closest friends and beside having to sit on blankets and getting butt aches and cramped legs, it was awesome! The music was beautiful and the artists hearts were into the tunes they were sharing. As of right now you can only get their CD in physical form, meaning at a show or you can order it on their website, but no MP3's yet. They want you to get the full effect of the artwork with the album. However, if you go to their website and click on "listen", there is a playlist so you can listen to some of their music. Enjoy!

Here is a pic of Scott at the show the other weekend, soo good!

This is relevant right now

2011-12-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks, but you have to admit that this is TRUE.

Owen boy turns 1 today!

2011-12-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

I know everyone says it, but I really can't believe he is 1 already. He feels like a newborn to me, even though everyone dies at how big he is. One thing that I love about my babies is that they take their time to crawl and walk, thus furthering the illusion that they are little babies for longer. ha ha This boy didn't crawl til he was 10 months and Lola until she was 11 months.

I am working today so I wanted to do something fun for him last night. Our little family and Chris's parents went to Chuck E. Cheese last night and the kids were in hog heaven! Owen loved the rides and all the food we kept giving him. Lola loved the rides and dancing in the camera that looks like you are on TV. She would go over by herself and dance and dance, it was adorable!

We all had a great time and here are some pics to prove it ;)

Lola's legs were too short for the pedals so daddy helped ha ha

Driving the jeep

Eating of course

He loves his new gift from Mom and Dad

2011-12-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Christmas was here and now it's gone. I'm glad we still have New Years to look forward too. I get a little sad when it is time to take down the decor and face Winter head on. Here is a short recap in pictures that shows a little of our holiday. There will be more to come.

Lola is apparently a self-photo pro, I found this on my iphone yesterday and couldn't stop laughing!
The kids would not leave those mirror clings alone, they have since been thrown away.

Owen fell asleep in the line for Santa and looks "6foot9foot12" as Chris would say since he is literally laying on Santa, he looks as tall as Lola!! I love Lola's little closed-mouth smile.

Lola was Mary and one of her fave 2nd cousins was Joseph. It was adorable!

The Angels and Kings came to join the fun.

Owen in his Christmas jammies!

The girls in theirs and Chris "photo bombing" us. He thinks that is SO funny!

Sean and Nic's first Christmas as a married couple.

The kids in Owen's new ball pit

Lola with her new Barbie's, we did a mini photo shoot

Admiring

Happy

Silly

Lola's Lalaloopsy, she takes safety very seriously.

I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Music Monday- Macklemore

2011-12-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Chris introduced me to Macklemore a while ago, he's a good hubby. :) I like hip hop in moderation, I think my issue is that some of it gets redundant and others have too much violence or cursing for me. I can handle some cursing but when it sounds like they are trying to swear as much as they possibly can and it starts muddling the actual meaning of the lyrics... then I have an issue with that. Macklemore aka Ben Haggerty keeps it clean, deals with real issues and deeper meanings than a lot of hip hop artists now a days. Here is one of my favorite songs of his.

Burning Question follow up

2011-12-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

I gave my opinion on the last Burning Question. Scroll down to the original post to see it or click HERE.

Thanks for those of you that shared your opinions with me!

An Outfit to Share #12

2011-12-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Please ignore the window cling shapes that used to be in a nice Christmas scene but have since been played with and torn apart by my 2 young children. Reminder- Next year, put them out of reach of the children... You get with and without the jacket today, oh boy.

Details

Shirt- H&M in Vegas

Jacket- same

Pants- H&M in Utah

Boot socks- Banana Republic

Boots- Nordstrom (a few yrs ago)

This is hilarious

2011-12-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Cable is so expensive, what is the deal? We have downgraded twice now... I think this will be our next option LOL! Anyone with me?

What Shall We Give?

2011-12-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

This Christmas season is proving to be a rather difficult one for my little family. With Chris's health issues and all the costs it is incurring, this message is one we will be clinging to tightly. Christmas is not about the "things" it is about Christ and love and giving to others. I appreciate this message so much and hope that you will too.

Burning Question #11

2011-12-06T17:12:00.001-07:00

**updated to show my answer (at the bottom)**

It's been a while, welcome back old friend. Today's topic-

Infidelity... (disclaimer- This is not intended to offend anyone. This was not asked with anyone in mind. I just heard a story at work today that got me thinking. I hope I don't make anyone feel bad with this question.) This is more of an open discussion than asking what you think is right or wrong... Because obviously cheating on your significant other is not ok. But I feel like lately I have heard more about people who are cheating or have cheated. (noone close to me, just people I kind of know at work or past acquaintances.)

Here are a few questions that I would ask you to consider:

What do you consider to be cheating? (i.e. texting, emailing, going to lunch, kissing, doing the deed, etc)
Do you know of people who have an open marriage, do they have rules?
Have you had friends that have cheated on their spouse or vice versa? Has it affected your relationship with that person or their spouse?
Is it a deal-breaker for a marriage?
Anything else you would like to share.

I know people don't like to comment on blogs anymore, DAMN YOU GOOGLE READER! But please chime in, I would like to get a discussion going, even if all you have to say it, "Cheating is bad and yes it is a deal-breaker" or whatever you think :)

Thanks and I will share my opinion after I have given you all time to comment.

***updated***

First of all, thanks to all of you that commented. I loved reading your input and I appreciate your honesty!

This question can be hard to answer and is probably very different for a lot of people. For me it is pretty black and white. I agree with most of the things you guys said too. First, don't let your mind go there. If you are imagining and fantasizing about other people and other situations that is your first step of betrayal.

Second, like was mentioned in the comments, "don't mess with fire". If you have to stop and say, "Is it ok that I am doing this?" it probably isn't. Chris and I have mutual friends of the opposite sex that we text and we know we text and there would never be a question that something was going on. But if it is something you have to hide or would be uncomfortable having your spouse read, then you should cut it out!

Third, I don't think you need to have sex to consider it cheating. If you are engaging in a relationship with someone else that is taking away from your marriage and your trust with your spouse, that is cheating.

For Chris and I, we knew and talked about what would be "deal breakers" going into our marriage. Cheating was one of them. I personally know that I couldn't get that sacred trust back that exists between husband and wife. I would constantly be wondering and stewing and stressing and feeling insecure about whether or not he would do it again. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I would NEVER cheat on Chris because I will never let my mind even consider what it would be like to be with someone else. I made sacred promises to my husband that I take very seriously and will never break. If I ever had the desire to be with someone else then I would know that there is something seriously wrong with my marriage and that we need to do something to fix it. I don't believe that people who are in happy and healthy relationships cheat. There must be a problem or a deficiency in some way for that person to be able to justify stepping out. (whether the other partner is aware of the problem or not, sadly.)

I know of people who have cheated and who have been cheated on and it is such a sad and hurtful thing. For most people it ends in divorce. I know a few people who have stuck it out for a while and worked hard to fix it, but it eventually ends. This is not always the case, but is quite often. I don't believe that open marriages work or are healthy but I also don't know anyone who is in one so I don't understand the "logic" behind it.

I think that is all I have to add. The main thing to remember is if your head and your heart are not giving their all to your relationship then there is a problem.

Thanks again guys and let me know if you ever have ideas for a 'Burning Question", I love getting suggestions.

I'm still alive

2011-12-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy at work lately and with the holiday and what-not I have gotten behind. We had a great Thanksgiving beside the fact that poor Lola had the flu so Chris opted to stay home (at my parent's house) with her while we went to G &G B's house for some good food! My awesome uncle and cousin volunteered to take Chris's food to him in Payson before we were ready to head back and so he got some adult interaction that day as well. ;)

That night my mom, Nic, Janelle (my bro's GF) and I went to GAP at midnight to see if we could catch some great deals. Well, it wasn't as good as last year's sale (read: 50% off everything) but they did have a bunch of stuff for 40% and some for 20% and even less for 60% off. I got the kids some great stuff but nothing for me or Chris. It was fun and ended up being worth it but not as awesome as the year before. Later that day we went to lunch with my Grandma B and a couple of my aunt's at CPK, a tradition for Black Friday, and then we did some more shopping. Owen boy came with us and was great!

We spent the rest of the weekend at my parent's house and had a great time!!

*****

Owen started crawling a couple of weeks ago and it is pretty much the cutest thing I have ever seen! I will have to post some videos of his silly antics soon.

Lola is loving her dance class and playing with friends lately! She is such a big girl and is always saying the cutest and silliest things. Today she asked, "Why are the stars hanging on the trees?" (Christmas Trees) and I wasn't quite sure what she was asking so I said, "I don't know" and she said, "I know, it is so everyone can see them". Yep, she is right :)

She has also been saying movie titles wrong lately like:

"Ramona and Jesus (Beezus)"

"Barbie in the Nutcrapper (cracker)".

It makes me laugh so hard that I almost don't want to correct her. You should hear her say "Abracadabra". I posted that video on Facebook as well, I will have to put it on here. She is such a joy! I can't believe how beautiful she is. I'm not sure where she got her beautiful facial features. Chris might say from me (he is the sweetest) but everyone says she looks like him :)

These are some cute pics from my sis's wedding that I wanted to share.

Us with Nicole's friend Amy's baby, Brielle. She is the cutest! Also Brielle was crying at one point this day and Lola, out of the blue, says, "freakin baby". Oh gees, not my proudest moment. But it was hilarious!

This picture is Lola's personality illustrated to the T. She loves to be the center of attention and is a little spitfire.

*****

I have been crafting a bit again and made a wreath a few days ago and love it!!

I have had a few headband orders from people I know, so it has been fun making some headbands again. I really haven't done much with the shop since I had Owen. I have been so busy with work and the 2 kids and I don't want to stress too much. I told myself I would only do the shop if it fits in with my life and I still enjoy it. So I'm not too stressed about not keeping it up to date. But if you ever feel like you want me to make you something, feel free to ask :)

*****

Hope you are all doing well!! I will try to get some more fashion posts up soon. (if anyone wants them...) I feel like Pinterest has opened up a new realm of opportunities for what is in my closet!! I don't feel the need to shop as much (did I just say that?!) because I find a cute outfit on there and can recreate it from clothing I already have. Pinterest= a Godsend.

Music Monday- GROUPLOVE

2011-12-06T15:17:00.001-07:00

I posted this on Facebook before but I thought I would share it here as well. I first heard GROUPLOVE on an Apple iPod Touch commercial so I Shazaam'ed it and it told me who these guys were. The album is pretty good and not just this one song, which is always a relief and Lola loves it too, she keeps singing, "Take me to your best friend's house". It is dang cute!

Music Monday- Temper Trap

2011-11-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

Such a good song! I am busy at work so that is all you get :) TEMPER TRAP- Sweet Disposition.

My hubby would love this...

2011-11-17T15:25:00.002-07:00

I on the other hand, do not agree. {She may not be the best writer, but she does tell a good story ;) }

The Princess and her Prince

2011-11-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

This girl has a few best friends but I dare say this little guy may be her favorite. He is my aunt's little boy and Lola tells me on a regular basis that her is "her Prince". {She says baby Owen is too, which darn near melts my heart right out of my chest.} These two little ones have so much fun together and love one another a lot. They put "my" in front of each others names- he calls her "my Lola" and she says the same about him. At my sister's wedding, in the summer, my aunt to took a bunch of pictures of these two BFF's and I died when I saw how cute they were, so here are a few of my favourites!

and last but not least, a pretty darn cute photo, considering the crazy little ones are both smiling and cooperating!! I love how excited Owen is, he is such a happy guy!

Some Of My Fav Fall/Winter Looks

2011-11-10T14:58:00.001-07:00

I am pretty much obsessed with the cute layers, statement pieces, and looks that are popular this fall season. I have collected a few of my favourite looks from my Pinterest account and put them here to discuss. {I have linked the sources for the outfits and some of the clothing as well.}

I love most anything flowy and/or pleated. A pleated skirt has been on the wishlist for a while but as a lot of you may relate to.... I can't just go buy everything I want whenever I want it. We are on a budget people! So this ~~may have to be put~~ is on the Christmas list...

Still loving the Minnetonka boots! {I think I blogged about these last winter...}These will be on Lola's Christmas list and may be on mine as well.

Simple and cute! I need to invest in some more button up tops then I will be set to pull off this outfit with a few different sweaters... this just reminded me that I need to pull my Banana Republic sweater out of the DI pile because it may work to complete this outfit {this is why I have such a hard time cleaning out my closet!!}

I am loving my blazers again now that it is getting cooler. I love the rolled up jeans and boots look here too. I need a pair of sleek lace-up boots. I am hoping I can find a cute pair at Target so this can be an immediate purchase that I won't feel guilty about ;) Love this look!

Form fitted, feminine coats. Of course as far as coats go Anthropologie never lets me down. I lucked out a few years back and got an adorable coat on sale {Internet return} it was the only one in the store, it was my size, and it was $125, quite the bargain for a coat at Anthro but sadly my mom told me to retire it last year as it was getting a couple little holes in the sleeves from wear. Apparently I looked homeless because she even offered to buy me a new one- I was pregnant so I didn't bank in on that as much as I could have if I weren't i.e. I can't wear the coat this year, as it would be giganto on me... :( Such is life.

CAPES!!! This one is on my list, I even emailed it to Chris... I like to give very subtle suggestions for gifts at holiday time HA HA! I would love to have people tell me exactly what they wanted. It would make gift shopping a lot easier.

Boot socks!! I am obsessed with boots and wear them almost everyday in the winter. I usually buy at least one nice pair of boots to add to the collection every fall and I keep most boots in rotation for at least 3 years, or longer if the style permits. So lets add a butt-load of boot socks to the mix!! This is another item I will be going to Target for. Socks are one thing I have a hard time wanting to spend much money on.

Beautiful sweaters! Can I get a collective sigh for how amazing this sweater is?! Don't click on the link though... you may pass out when you see the price of this life-savings-costing-sweater (ok not that bad... but close) Damn you Anthro for enticing and teasing us with beautiful items and then laughing in our face when you see our saddened faces and puppy dog eyes when we see the price tag. Boo hoo! I think I may give grandma B a call and see if she can knit me up this suckers twin!

I could go on and on but lets stop there for now.

What are you loving for this cold season??

Good new tunes

2011-11-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

As you all know, Owen is one of my very fav's and he (Mike Kinsella) had a new album release on Tuesday and I wanted to let you know. It is good stuff! Calm but emotional, intricate tunes that you would expect from him. Perfect music for Fall. Click the pic to go to his website and purchase the album or you can download it on itunes as well.

Yo Gabba Gabba-Teaser

2011-11-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

This night was more fun than I ever could have imagined!! I think I had {almost} just as much fun as Lola did!!! We were so giddy when that boom box opened and the Gabba friends jumped out! I am going to work on putting a little video together with the highlights but in the meantime, here are a few pics to hold you over until then ;)

Lola in her cute outfit for the show

The stage before the show

Daddy and Lola waiting for the show to start

Showing some of the cool shirts we got!

It's Coming...

2011-11-07T14:32:00.002-07:00

I will be there, will you??

An Outfit To Share- #11 (Halloween)

2011-11-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

{Sorry these next few posts are catch-up on Halloween stuff, I was busy last week and didn't finish and publish, so here they are :) }

Nothing special but I wanted to tie in the Halloween colors. I REALLY wanted to dress up but didn't want to be the only one... I am a sissy. But I have decided that next year I am going to set up a costume contest and make people dress up. Because I know more folks would if they knew they wouldn't be alone :)

Details-

Orange long-sleeve shirt- ModBod Outlet

Striped Shirt- Forever 21

Cardigan- Motherhood Maternity (don't laugh... I need a new black cardigan)

Black Pants- Urban Outfitters

Belt and Shoes- Nordstrom

Necklace- H & M

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Gardner Village Witches Outing

2011-11-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

We went with my family to Gardner Village the Saturday before Halloween and had so much fun! Here are the kids ready to go and Lola in her real Halloween costume. On Halloween she decided that she wanted to wear one of her "dress ups" instead of her actual costume but was cute none the less.

I could just eat this guy up!

My cute Bumble Bee, she would chase people around making a buzzing sound.

Getting her face painted

Mammah and Owen on the "Ride to a Witch" ride

Lola riding a pony. This was the highlight of her day! All day long she kept asking things like, "Can I ride a pony?", "Can I ride the pink pony or the purple or the green one?" I had to explain that they would probably be brown and black or tan ha ha

She was in heaven!! Lola saw my sister and said "Nicole, I have a horsey!"

Owen watching sissy ride

The whole fam was there on my side, so when I get the pics from my sis, I will post them too!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Trick or Treat!

2011-11-07T10:19:00.001-07:00

We had a great time trick or treating at my in-law's neighborhood. Lola kept saying things like:

"I have too much candy". Too much to her means a lot!
"They gave me chocolate!"
"That mummy is nice", she was pronouncing mummy like mommy, too cute!
"Mom, I am getting super much candy!"
"Mom, your dress is beautiful."
"Mom, your makeup is so cute!"

She had a blast and did great at going to all the houses and saying "Trick or Treat" and "Thank You". What a sweetie!!

Silly Rapunzel

Her Princess makeup

I told her to open her eyes and this is what I got ;)

The Queen of Hearts/Red Queen and "Tangled"

Monkey Baby Owen's First Halloween

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Halloween Makeup Ideas

2011-10-25T14:55:00.000-06:00

Rebecca Woolf from Girl's Gone Child put up a great gathering of Halloween makeup tutorials. I hate spending a lot of money on my costume, so makeup is something I can do! I think I will be using one of these this year and I already have the costume to go with it. Don't worry, I am lame and recycle this costume every few years. I love it though and it is the only costume I have ever spent a good amount of money on, so you better believe I am going to get every pennies worth of use out of it ;)

It wouldn't let me embed it so go HERE to view it.

It includes:

Anime character
Black Swan
The Queen of Hearts/Red Queen
An Avatar
Sugar Skull

Maybe I need more parties to go to so I can try a few... I am way too excited about this!

Music Monday- The Darcys (free music inside)

2011-10-25T11:01:00.000-06:00

The Darcys are putting out some beautiful stuff, seriously. Check this out. They just had a self-titled album release today. The band has put their album up to download for FREE, that is right. Here is what the band had to say about the album-

"It is very important to us that this album is accessible and can be enjoyed easily," drummer Wes Markel tells Spinner. "We are eager to have the world hear what we have spent a great deal of time creating. We would rather have you as a fan tomorrow than have a little of your money today."

Go HERE to listen to the entire album or enter your email address below to download the album for free!

Crafting as of late

2011-10-20T19:20:00.001-06:00

I got the crafting bug over the last couple days so I got busy!! Here are some of my projects.

A new yarn wreath!

A headband for Lou!

And a Halloween banner

It was a lot of fun and I was proud that I piled through them and didn't start them and then get distracted ha ha

Have you made any fun crafts lately? I would love to see them, if you have!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

An Outfit to Share #10

2011-10-20T13:50:00.000-06:00

Please tell me if I look like a stuffed sausage... perhaps curvy girls shouldn't wear pencil skirts? Not quite sure on that one...

Details

Shirt- GAP last year

Jacket- H&M

Skirt- Target

Boots- Nordstrom a few years ago

Belt- Nordstrom

Necklace- Forever 21

Viva Las Vegas!

2011-10-20T13:31:00.000-06:00

I went down to Vegas to attend my good friend Brooke's wedding... it's about dang time. (ha ha J/K Brooke) I drove down with my friends Ashley and Leslie and we had a great time. We shopped, ate, played some slots, ate some more, got pedicures and relaxed. Brooke's wedding was Saturday night and it was beautiful and a lot of fun. It was great to get together with a good amount of my high school friends and be silly, dance and celebrate Brooke and James. Here are some pics from my weekend.

Getting pedicures, Les was a good sport she is a month away from having her baby and was up for whatever we wanted to do!

Loved this!!

Brooke and her dad

There was dancing after the wedding dinner and ceremony, such a good time!

Brooke (our new friend that we met at the wedding), Ashley H., Leslie, me and Ashley A.

all of us again with the bride and Amanda

Spooky Time Activities

2011-10-18T10:49:00.000-06:00

Last Weds I was getting ready to go to Vegas and I decided I wanted some fun, quality time with the kids. I had been wanting to make some glitter pumpkins so I went to Michael's and got the supplies and found some fun crafts for the kids to do. We had a great time! I was watching cousin Millie so she got join in on the fun.

Lola making a Halloween necklace

Owen staring... he loved to play with the markers (lids on)... oh and a clean diaper ;)

Making her Halloween ornaments, with markers and glitter glue!

My favorite pumpkin with ombre sparkles!

3 more pumpkins, the big one was waiting for its 2nd coat

Lola being silly in her car with a funny smile

Owen boy looking like a model

That night we went to dinner with Chris' parents before I left and then we poked around the mall for a bit to get the kids out of the house and we tried the cutest hat on Owen boy! I probably would have bought it if he would have kept the dang thing on... notice Chris holding Owen's arm down because he kept pulling it off. What a cutie!

First Big Fall Weekend

2011-10-18T10:25:00.001-06:00

Back in the first weekend of October we had so much fun! I was excited to be able to be with the family and listen to General Conference for my church. Saturday morning I helped my mom around the house while listening to conference and then we decided we wanted to start a new tradition and go hike (I use the word "hike" loosely, it is very easy and the perfect length for a 3 year old) the Grotto in Payson Canyon in between the sessions. The leaves had just turned beautiful fall colors and the weather was warm and nice. We had a lot of fun and are excited to do it every year now, with more family members too.

My mom and Lola

Cutest fuzzy caterpillar ever!

Owen being the happiest little cheeser!

...again...

...and again :)

at the Grotto (the iphone had a hard time focusing with the moving water...)

Crossing one of the bridges

My sweetest curly-haired boy!

Me and my babies

Then after the Grotto we were lucky enough to be invited to Max's birthday party!! His grandparents live 2 houses away from my parents and their family are good friends of ours. Max had a train party and they rented a 'train' and everything. It was such a cute party and the kids loved it and came away with loads of goodies! Thanks Collette for letting us come!

Christi and Max

That night we had a girl's night out and of course Owen boy came too. We did some shopping at Sam's Club for all the cooking my mom was preparing for on Sunday and Lou was being a ham as always. It is so hard to get a decent pic of that child.

Lou with her fav aunt Nicole! (I love Lola's blazer, thank you boys section at DI!)

After Sam's we ate dinner at Los Hermanos (Owen ate a bunch of refried beans and avocado, such a big boy) and then got some frozen yogurt and headed home. I had so much fun and love that I am so close with my mom and sis, they are the best!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Music Monday (oops)- Wye Oak

2011-10-18T09:46:00.000-06:00

Chris introduced me to WYE OAK and it was perfect for the mood of music I have been enjoying lately and now that it is Fall, it fits even better. That is why I wanted to share it with you folks... speaking of folk, some of their songs have a folk feel. Their music is charming and peaceful. It could be in the same genre as Pinback, The Appleseed Cast or even Iron and Wine. It is more mellow and melodic.

Here is the song- 'For Prayer' from the album, 'The Knot' released in 2009.

An Outfit To Share #9

2011-10-10T07:58:00.000-06:00

I love it when boot season rolls around and with all the storms this last weekend, I decided it was time to bust out the wellies!! I was excited! It is supposed to get warmer again this week, which I am not complaining about, but I may have to put them away for a little while longer. I love Fall time and am hoping we will get a longer one this year... but I won't hold my breath.

Details

Cardigan- Nordstrom BP

Tank- Old Navy a couple years ago (2 bucks ya'll)

Pants- Old Navy (Surprised? Me too!)

Hunter Boots- Nordstrom

Belt- Target

Music Monday - New Feist

2011-10-10T07:44:00.000-06:00

I'm sure you all are aware but last week Feist came out with a new album last week and so far so good. I can't say I love it yet, but I am sure it will grow on me with time. However, one song I did love right away- "The Bad in Each Other". I am having a hard time finding the full song on a video to share so I got this album preview on youtube and it gives you a 30 sec preview of each song. {My fav one is the first song.} Also if you go to her website you can stream 4 of the new songs and I believe will let you download one song as well. You just have to sign up for her mailing list. I love her beautiful voice and my favorite is when her songs get more folky and earthy.... good stuff. Here is the preview, go buy the album!

Scooter Adventures

2011-09-29T18:26:00.003-06:00

I'm not quite sure what to call this fun little contraption but Lola kept calling it a scooter and that works for me...

My mom bought this cool new toy for Lola to play with while she is at my parent's house. She loved it and couldn't stop riding it around on their hardwood floors. Well, Owen was a little restless that day and this boy doesn't crawl yet so we needed a way for him to get around and have fun so we put him on the back with Lola and would hold him up while they scooted around. The only problem was that your legs would get really tired from bending down at a weird angle to be able to hold him up... then my mom came up with the best idea ever. This is how the conversation went (paraphrased)-

Me- "Man, my legs are really starting to hurt and I am getting tired of holding Owen on the scooter. But him and Lola are having so much fun."

Mom- "I wish there was a way to rig a harness on there for him..."

Me- "even if we buckled him, he would lean back and fall off..."

Mom- "I have an idea, we could buckle him to Lola. That way he wouldn't fall backwards and would stay right against her. There is a belt on the kitchen table we could use..."

Me- "ha ha ha... what a GREAT idea!!"

So I went and got the belt and buckled them together and they had a blast!!! We figured out that we needed to put the belt really high on their chests so Owen wouldn't lean back and scare the crap out of us. When you watch the video, which is a little crazy, (blame the camera woman- read: me) you can tell I was a little concerned about my baby as evidenced by the scare toward the end of the video. "Ryker, Ryker!!" (my little bro) LOL

Here they are, happy as can be. Trashy-rigged together.

Music Monday- Dum Dum Girls

2011-09-26T10:40:00.000-06:00

These gals are great! Jeanette and I saw them last year as an opening band for one of the shows at the Twilight Concert Series and we decided they were good. Their new album, 'Only in Dreams' comes out tomorrow. It is fun, poppy and reminiscent of a 1960's beach movie (at least I think). If you would like to hear the album streaming in its entirety CLICK HERE. If you like Vampire Weekend or girl groups in general, you will probably like this album. The word that comes to mind when I think of Dum Dum Girls is fun!

Beauty Products #2

2011-09-19T17:40:00.001-06:00

This post is all about make-up. I am a little pickier about my make-up because I used to use the cheaper stuff and then upgraded to MAC and have seen the difference it makes. Believe me, it is a BIG difference. So here we go. {Obviously, I am no pro. These are simply my opinions and the experiences I have had as a run-of-the-mill consumer.}

First of all I use MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer

It is great for under the eyes and covering 'unsightly blemishes', I love that phrase ha ha

I am not a fan of all-over-the-face foundation personally, so I opt for the powder that has a light foundation in it- MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation. This gives me a nice, light cover and finish then I don't feel like I have a pound of make-up caked on my face. {no offense- foundation is great when used correctly, I just personally don't like it} Also important, if you don't apply with a brush then you need to replace the sponge fairly often. I usually buy 4 replacement sponges, AT LEAST, when I buy a new compact of powder. They can collect bacteria and can get face oils on them which can mess up your powder and make you break out.

Next I do my eyes which starts out with this amazing product, called "Paints" which essentially is an eye foundation. I use the color "Bare Canvas". Seriously, this stuff is the shiz! It makes your eyeshadow and liner stay on all day long and look like you just put it on. I very rarely touch up my make-up after putting it on in the morning. I apply all the eye products listed with MAC brushes as well and use MAC Brush Cleanser to clean them every so often.

Next comes eye shadow, I use assorted colors of MAC Eye Shadow . Their shadow covers well and you don't have to use tons of it to make it show up and look even. Hence, you don't have to buy it very often... unless you want to, because getting new colors is fun too!

Next is eye liner time. I actually use a little trick that I learned at the MAC counter when I got my make-up done there. You use your smallest angle brush and a dark eye shadow and voila, eyeliner. You can wet the brush if you want a darker line. Embark is the color I currently use for my eye liner, seen below.

Next is mascara, guess what, I am kind of ghetto when it comes to mascara and I buy whatever sounds good at the time when I am at the grocery store. That is right, I don't use MAC mascara. I used to use Avon that my mom would buy all the time and let me take and it was great, I loved it. It was "Wash-Off Water Proof Mascara". It was perfect because it didn't smear when you got it wet but it would wash off at night without tearing all your eyelashes out. But my mom doesn't really order Avon anymore so I just get grocery store stuff and to tell you the truth, I haven't been very impressed with any of it. So I think I may just go to MAC and see what they suggest for my little stubby lashes and go from there.

I promise it doesn't take me 5 hours to do my make-up. I have a routine down and it takes me 15 minutes tops and maybe not even that long most days. I am one of those people that doesn't like leaving the house without "my face on", so make up is important to me and I think it is fun trying out new colors and new techniques.

What do you guys like to use?

Do you have a bunch of products, like I do, or do you like to keep it simple and only use certain products when you go out on a date or something?

An Outfit to Share #8

2011-09-19T12:28:00.000-06:00

I guess you could call this my nerd sheik look? ;) Someday I will have someone else take a picture of me... but in the morning before work it is only me and 2 sleeping babies so this will have to do.

Details
Shirt- Old Navy
Jeans- Nordstrom
Belt- Target
Shoes- Nordstrom

Glasses- Warby Parker

Music Monday- Thursday (newish)

2011-09-19T09:56:00.000-06:00

As you know I love Thursday and have for a long time. However, I judged this album harshly at first because of its more mellow nature and didn't give it much of a chance. But I had a change of heart and started listening again and you know what? It is a great album, different but great. It also may appeal to a bigger crowd with this newer sound they have embarked on. Don't get me wrong, it still has the Thursday sound and emotion but it is less tortured and there is less screaming. {there are still a couple of songs that incorporate screaming- no worries} I know a lot of the older fans, like myself, that have said they don't like that "No Devolucion" is so far out of range from what Thursday normally does. But you have to respect a band that is willing to take a chance and move forward and progress with a new sound. No Devolucion which essentially means, "no return" says exactly what this album is doing. It is going into new, uncharted territory for them and it was a huge risk that they can't return from. They put this album out for the world to hear and risked losing a lot of their base fans because of it. But obviously they felt strongly enough to go through with it and have confidence in the album. I whole-heartedly agree with what this following review says:

"This record is smart, mature and adventurous; an epic showcase of what this band is truly capable of accomplishing. No Devolucion is sharp, heady atmospherics amidst a sea of muddled noises and effects that does not lack a discernable crunch, a sort of breathtaking noise that would make even the Deftones smile, one done to the absolute grandiose hilt. The label art-rock could possibly be floated in the ethers to describe No Devolucion, though the difference between this release and many of its pretentious ilk is that this sound is real and far from convoluted." -Brian Campbell from Starpulse.com

The style of this video is another favorite of mine. Chris showed me a great projection video a few months back that I loved. So I was excited to see that they had asked these same artists to create this music video with them.

The Ice Book

2011-09-19T09:54:00.003-06:00

This is so intricate and beautiful that I had to share. This is the video that I reference in my previous "Music Monday" post, that inspired the Thursday video.

The Ice Book (HD) from Davy and Kristin McGuire on Vimeo.

Lagoon

2011-09-15T18:40:00.000-06:00

Our work took us to Lagoon over the weekend and items so much fun!!! Lola did great on the rides this year so that made the experience more pleasant, plus I asked my friend Kate if she wanted to come and she brought her cute daughter Sophie with her. Her hubby was working so he couldn't make it. I noticed that Kate cleverly didn't send me any of the pics with her in them... You are in trouble Kate! But thank you for playing photographer while we were there, we were so glad that you and Sophie could come with us!!!!

Lola also got to go on a ride with her friend Aiden, my friend Jess's boy. Too cute!

The Terror ride

Yes we took Owen ha ha Can you see the tiny guy sitting next to Chris, how precious is baby O in this pic?!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (pictures posted through Blogpress suck, I may need to swap them out with ones from my computer... boo)

Lola's 3 Year Stats

2011-09-10T23:40:00.001-06:00

Lola had her well child check-up this week and she is still growing like a weed, but is back on the charts again... It's been a while.

Height- 40"- 97th %

Weight- 39 lbs- 97th %

She was not happy that we were going to the dr's office for her, it's been for Owen boy since he was born but beside a few tears because she was scared, everything went great. They grow up so fast!!

We sure love our spunky, sweet, smart and silly girl!

She also went to her first dance class this week and loved it!! She couldn't stop talking about it. Here she is after it was finished. She looks pleased as punch!

Lola Turned 3

2011-09-10T23:26:00.001-06:00

This little lady had a fun birthday! We ran birthday errands to get ready for her party, got happy meals for her and her cousin Millie and then later that evening the festivities began. Chris's parents and Lola's friend Kaylie and her family came over for a small party. We ate pizza, made princess crafts, had a piñata, opened presents and ate cake. It was small, simple and perfect!

Lola loves her BFF Kaylie and they have so much fun together. She was glad her and her lol bro Porter could come for her party. Here are some pics from the party.

Kaylie and Lola wore the same Rapunzel princess dress, it was adorable!

Presents!

Daddy and Owen

Our good friends and Kaylie's parents- Jon and Meagan

Chris's parents- Mike and Betsy

Piñata time! Porter joined in on the fun (Kaylie's bro)

The cake

A couple days after we went down to my parents and had dinner at Mimi's Cafe and went to build a bear for Lola's next birthday celebration. What a lucky girl!! She of course dressed her bear like "Tangled" and named her Rapunzel. Thanks everyone for making Lola's birthday so much fun!

Here she is holding her bear on the way home sans clothes of course. Her baby dolls and toys never have clothes on ha ha

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Beauty Products #1

2011-08-30T17:07:00.001-06:00

I thought it might be fun to share some of our favorite cosmetics and beauty products. Leave me comments about what some of your fav's are as well. I am up for some good suggestions.

SKIN

I am pretty simple when it comes to skin products, for example- the only thing I use on my face is Dove Beauty Bar. My dermatologist growing up told me this is one of the best things to use on your face and you don't need to scrub with it either, just a soft lather will do and splash it off with water. It has been great for me and is mild on the skin as well.

Every now and then, if my face is extra dry I use Aveeno Positively Radiant (or the Up and Up {Target brand}version of it, depending on the price)

Seriously that is it... maybe I should do more. But I figure, why kill myself when my skin is still young and healthy? Or am I just lazy? You will never know...

HAIR

Right now I am using KENRA Color Maintenance Shampoo and Conditioner. It works alright but is not my fav. I prefer Pureology but it is so dang expensive- so I bought these at the liter sale at Trade Secret to use for a while.

Then every other wash I use this purple shampoo. Since I have platinum blond hair I want to make sure it stays looking that way. This shampoo pulls out any yellowness or brassiness and keeps it looking clean and fresh.

Next I use Big Sexy Root Pump Plus to give my hair volume, apply to roots when wet.

Next I use CHI Silk Infusion, which gives my hair shine and texture. I use this on the day I wash my hair- I wash every other day.

On the days in between washes, I use this spray- CHI Shine Infusion, to give my hair that extra shine.

For hairspray I used to use Big Sexy but have now found a fabulous and cheaper replacement- John Frieda Frizz-Ease Firm Hold Hairspray. I love this stuff and you can get it at Macey's (the grocery store or any Associated Food Store wink, wink) for around $5!!

So as not to bore you to death, Iwill stop there. I will commence with makeup in the next post. But be sure to let me know if you hate this and would rather me stop because I can also do that ha ha

Music Monday- Murder By Death (oldie)

2011-08-29T16:25:00.000-06:00

I LOVED this album by 'Murder By Death', it told a dark, sullen story but I love a little mystery and sadness in my music every once in a while. This particular song is called, 'until morale improves the beatings will continue'. From the album, 'Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left Of Them?' (2003).

Busy and Exciting Week

2011-08-29T16:10:00.000-06:00

I have fallen off the blogging wagon again. This is a reoccurring theme for me lately. My apologies... This week here are some of the things on my agenda.

Finish Brooke's wedding veil. She is one of my best buddies that I went to school with from Jr. High on and in October she is getting married in Vegas and I am so excited. She will be in town this weekend so I need to have her veil to her so she can try it on and make sure she likes it so she can take it while she is here. (these things always make me a little nervous...)
I need to clean my whole house and prepare for Lola's 3rd Birthday party!!! Can you believe it?? My baby girl is going to be 3 years old!! But if you ask her how old she will be chances are she won't tell you 3. Answers I have received so far have been- 2, 3, 4, 45. It depends on the day.
Finish birthday present shopping, get the party supplies and cake ordered.
Then I need to pack because we are off to Payson for the weekend! You know what Labor Day means in Payson right?! ONION DAYS, boo ya! Which incidentally coinsides with my 10 year High School reunion. Which I am not attending. The hubby pretty much told me that is the last place in the world he would like to be and I don't have a desire to go either. So we are ditching out. I figure that the people I would like to stay in touch with, I still do through Facebook and real-life means. (is that a bad attitude to have?)
We are going to have a second Birthday party for Lola while we are in Payson with my family, it should be lots of fun! Lola is one lucky girl to have so many people around her that love her so much!
I also have a bunch of laundry I need to do.
Go to work...
Last but not least love on my hubby and kids. I hope I have time in between everything to have fun with them!

Here are some of the fun things Lola will be getting for her Birthday! I love shopping for little kids. Their clothes and toys are so much fun to pick out!!

Music Monday- (Crosses)

2011-08-22T10:30:00.000-06:00

Crosses is Chino Moreno's new project and a good one at that, with a mix of electronica, rock and raw emotion, it is sure to please. So check it out and follow the link below to download the ep for free. If you like Deftones then you are in for a treat :)

Owen's 7month video

2011-08-18T14:24:00.002-06:00

I made this movie of Owen's life thus far and it makes me love this little butterball even more. He is the happiest and sweetest baby I have ever met. Dare I say, he is more mild-mannered and gleeful than even Lola was and she was a VERY happy baby :)

The music featured is "Perth" by 'Bon Iver' and "40 Day Dream" by 'Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes'.

Owen 7 months from Dari Perry on Vimeo.

Music Monday- New M83

2011-08-15T10:10:00.000-06:00

{I posted this song on Facebook this weekend, but in case you didn't see it- here you go.}I love love love Frenchman, Anthony Gonzales aka M83. His last album 'Saturdays=Youth' (2008) is still on my regular ratation. If you like electronica, moody music (and nostalgia-meaning he wanted his last album to feel like the soundtrack to an 80's John Hughes-ish film, which it did and I think this song feels the same) then you will enjoy this new song. The new album, 'Hurry Up, We're Dreaming' is set to release on October 18, 2011. I am very excited!! This is the single from the new album, 'Midnight City'.

Mini-mommy

2011-08-15T09:13:00.000-06:00

Lola is such a sweet girl and lately she is being a cute little mommy and sissy too. She is great with Owen and he thinks she is the funniest, most special lady around. She has been more interested in dolls lately and has been so cute with them and with Owen. Here are some examples:

Reading to Owen

Wearing her doll like mommy wears Owen.

Playing patty cake, very intensely, with Owen. She did it so nicely the first time, then she realized I was recording her and got silly and a little crazy. She was born being intense...seriously.

Last, she loves to bathe her babies lately and so she gave her doll a bath in the sink, put lotion on her, wrapped her in a towel, put her in the swing and turned it on. It was precious!

I'm glad that Lola loves her brother and wants to be a good mommy to him and her dolls. She is such a fun girlie!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Another year older and wiser too...

2011-08-07T00:08:00.001-06:00

Well today I turned 28 years old. I think that is great, age is just a number right? I prefer even numbers so I have a feeling this is going to be a great year! Today we spent time with family-going to my cousin's birthday party that Lola was invited to, going to the library with Chris and the kids and then a BBQ with Chris's folks and their old friends that are visiting. I share my birthday with my mother in law as well as my cousin, so I have learned to not be selfish... ;) But it's ok to be a little selfish on your birthday, right?

Last night Chris and I went to dinner at Tucanos with our friends Jon and Meagan and shopped at the Gateway. We had a lot of fun and I spent the birthday money people had given me :) I love birthdays so much and have had fun reading the sweet texts and Facebook messages everyone has been sending so thank you very much!!

Here is a pic of Owen and I at Chase's b day party today.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Twilight Concerts- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

2011-08-01T15:58:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday was ESATMZ's (I've only typed it once and already I'm sick of typing it. I get sick of saying it too and just call them Edward Sharpe... lazy, yes? But why do you need a name that is that blasted long?! At any rate-) It was part of the Twilight Concert Series, which I linked in the post below. We went with our friends Kelli and Chris and we had a blast! We stopped at the Thai food and Island food booths before and grabbed some grub, we then claimed our piece of grass and sat down to eat and enjoy the evening. It is super hot and sunny until around 9pm but then it gets perfect outside. We saw a bunch of friends that we haven't seen in a while and enjoyed relaxing and listening to some FREE music!! SLC is so great for providing such an awesome concert series for free every summer. I am always excited to find out the line-up and each year I am impressed. My mother-in-law said that on the news they were estimating that close to 40,000 people were there!! It is exciting to just be there :) We still have a few more on our list of "want to see's", so the Twilight Concert updates will continue. In the meantime here are some fun pics and a short video of the song that everyone knows- (at least I hope you do) "Home".

Nick, Chris and I

Kelli and Chris

Me and Kelli

Music Monday- Thurston Moore

2011-08-01T10:15:00.000-06:00

In honor of Thurston Moore performing with the Twilight Concert Series this week, I though I would highlight him. He is the lead singer for Sonic Youth and this is from his album titled, "Demolished Thoughts".

An Outfit To Share #7

2011-07-28T10:15:00.000-06:00

As you can tell, I have been slacking in the outfit posting area. But you know what? I haven't felt like I have been that creative or had any note-worthy outfits lately. I apologize. I know I am no pro in fashion but I do think it is fun to share and get ideas from other people as well. I hope you enjoy these posts as much as I do :)

Outfit Details

Top- Forever 21(forever ago)

Undershirt- Modbe Cami

Skirt- Down East Basics

Shoes- Target

Burning Question #10

2011-07-28T09:44:00.000-06:00

CLEANING!!!

As a woman, wife, and mother this is something that is a big thing in my life. My hubby helps out here and there but I was raised by a mom who LOVED and almost obsessed over a clean and clutter-free home. Therefore, I have been taught the "correct" way to clean and prefer to maintain my house "my way". I only ask Chris to do a few things (i.e. the dishes, yard work, bathing the kids, dusting certain rooms, vacuuming) Otherwise, I have to go and re-clean the room he just "cleaned", so I find it easier to ask him to watch the kids so I can clean. (disclaimer- He is great about doing chores and is willing to do what I ask, most of the time.) But then it can get overwhelming, especially since I work outside the home and babysit all day Wednesdays, so I don't have as many free days to clean the house. I am no expert on housework but I have seen a few great ideas and motivating articles lately that I wanted to share with all of you.

First is the 1 Minute Rule Cleaning, I saw it referenced on Angie's blog and thought it was a great and motivating way to start tackling some to-do lists and tasks that seem a bit overwhelming at first glance.

I also came across this article on the same website as the 1 minute rule, called "How To De-Crapify Your Home- A Start-To-Finish Guide". I need this one mostly for my closet... I get a little throw away happy when it comes to other things in the house.

And last but not least C. Jane's amazing video about zone cleaning your house. I really like this idea and unintentionally do this a lot. But now I know what it is and can fully embrace it. I laughed out loud when I watched this and I want to be her friend IRL.

So now that we have some ideas out there, my question is-

How do you prefer to clean your house, what are some tips or ways that help you stay on top of housework?

Do you do most of it alone or have helpers?

Do you freak out about clutter and little things or do you not sweat the small stuff?

Dreaming of...

2011-07-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

My Birthday is coming up and my list is growing... too bad I haven't won the lottery yet ;) I can NOT get these sandals off my mind. Sam Edelman Gladiator Flats (featured in my Summery Wishes post) are circling around my head at night in my sweet, sweet dreams! Too bad the Anniversary sale at Nordstrom ends 5 days before my Birthday and they will go up by $30 :( Well here they are- these are the two colors that I love.

I may keep adding to the list over the next couple of weeks... I hope you can indulge me :)

Baby in the Grass

2011-07-25T17:48:00.000-06:00

This weekend we (Owen and I) had the pleasure of accompanying my sister to her bridal session, along with my mom and my aunt Heather (the photographer). Nicole had them taken at my aunt's mother-in-law's house (read: mansion/estate). They were beautiful and my sis is gorgeous. I can't wait till I can share some with all of you! But in the meantime here is what Owen and I did during the shoot.

I wore him in his Beco a lot of the time.

Owen was just relaxing in the grass and playing with his hands. He was the happiest, sweetest guy per usual.

We had a fun 5 days at my parents throwing and going to showers for my sister's wedding (I didn't take any pics of the one my mom and I threw her and I am kicking myself), going to dinner with the family, watching the Real Housewives of NY and NJ, all the boys going to the ReAL game, and just relaxing. I hope you all had a fun weekend and a great 'Pioneer Day' if you live in Utah!

Music Monday- St. Vincent

2011-07-25T17:30:00.001-06:00

Good song by St. Vincent from the album 'Actor' (2009).

Music Monday- Telekinesis

2011-07-18T16:52:00.000-06:00

Telekinesis. From the album- '12 Desperate Straight Lines'.

This song is called '50 Ways'.

Pool Surprise

2011-07-14T08:24:00.000-06:00

Too funny! Luckily I haven't had any issues with this... yet. I had to share though.

Burning Question #9

2011-07-11T17:12:00.000-06:00

Let's talk about insecurities, we all have them. But is it possible overcome them?

I have chosen to speak about one that I feel I have mostly overcome. Most of you know that I am 5' 9" tall, emphasis on the tall (well 5' 83/4"). I know that I'm not quite an amazon woman, but that is pretty tall for a girl. I was one of the first to get tall and was always considered to be a tall kid. I remember in elementary school standing at the tall end of the line with the boys {and a couple girls} and I thought it was grand to be so tall! But as I got older and taller and started passing the boys by, I got more and more self-conscious about it. I don't know why boys take longer to catch up on the height end of things, but in Jr high and the first part of high school I was taller than a lot of the guys around me. Being tall had its pro's as well- I was a dancer and it is nice to be tall and have long lines but {here is another one of my insecurities} I have short legs and bigger hips so compared to some of the other tall girls on my dance team, with their FOREVER long legs, I looked stubby and more curvy than I wanted. I know that some guys didn't ask me out or ask me to dance at the "stomps" because I was taller than them. There was a kid in my high school show/a Capella choir with me that called me and my tall friend 'amazon women'. Ya, that didn't really bode well with me or help with my insecurity. Lastly, a lot of my high school friends were shorties. I would always laugh with my friend Ashley that I looked like her mom when we went out because she was so tiny and looked very young. ha ha

Luckily, as I got older and went to college there were more tall boys around and I was getting less worried about my height. However, I still would hunch over a bit and wasn't as proud of my height as I should have been. I always told my mom that I would marry a tall guy and breed tall boys, to which she would reply, "don't discriminate against the short guys, you never know who you might meet". (My mom and dad are both 5' 9", so my mom doesn't wear heels a lot, LOL) But I insisted that I would marry a tall guy and boy was I right. Chris is over 6' 8". So he has nearly a foot on me and when I met him everything changed. I could wear heels without feeling self-conscious because he still had AT LEAST 6" on me. He made me feel smaller even though nothing had changed about me physically. Now you can see me running around in 5" heels which would make me 6' 2"! I still have to make sure that I don't hunch, out of {bad} habit. But I have come to appreciate my height. I will make sure to instill a sense of pride and beauty in Lola so that hopefully she won't feel as insecure about her height as I did. Both of my kids will be tall and are already! There are tall genes hitting them from both sides of the family.

Hunching and still super tall

Little hunch

Mini-hunch and creepy Chris

Notice my bent legs, totally doing a squat to look shorter. Plus I just had Lola so I was super insecure about my weight.

Sometimes when I see pictures of myself with my friends, I think, I look a lot bigger than so and so. But I stop and think, everyone is different and I doubt other people would look at that photo and knit-pick at me the way I do to myself. I have a healthy body that does what it is supposed to and I need to be happy in my own skin... and for the most part, I am. :)

What insecurities did/do you have? Have you been able to overcome it/them? What were some things that helped you?

Music Monday- Pete Yorn (remember him?)

2011-07-11T15:13:00.000-06:00

Oh Pete Yorn, I just love you. I have many, many college memories tied to his words and melodies. He would definitely be included in the soundtrack to "True Life: The College Years" for me. (side note- I should make that soundtrack sometime for fun!) I love the style of his music- laid back, lovey, simple, and a little somber at times... and he is good looking to boot. I don't like his later albums as much but his album, 'Music For The Morning After' spoke to my soul. Have a listen, if you will. Just skip to 1:00 to get to the music.

(I just looked to see what Pete was up to now-a-days and apparently he released an album in Sept of 2010, self-titled. So check it out if you want, I think I will.)

"On Your Side"

The gift of sight

2011-07-06T14:03:00.001-06:00

This last week I was so excited because my five at-home try on pairs of Warby Parkers came in the mail. They came quickly and I had five days to try them and send them back in the pre-paid envelope. All in all, a pain-less process but it made me feel a lot more confident in my choice of frames.

I asked some friends, my family, and some co-workers what they thought and most everyone liked the same pair.

Here they are, I can't wait for my birthday next month!

Don't forget that these are for a good cause too. For every pair you buy, they donate a pair to someone in need. Just go to WarbyParker.com.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Summery Wishes

2011-07-05T15:14:00.001-06:00

Summery Wishes by darisday featuring polka dot tops

CALYPSO ST BARTH deep v neck dress
$375 - calypsostbarth.com

Polka dot top
$98 - anthropologie.com

ASOS tie front top
$78 - asos.com

Cotton tank
$68 - anthropologie.com

J Crew short sleeve tee
$30 - jcrew.com

ASOS short top
$31 - asos.com

Ella Moss elastic waist skirt
$90 - nordstrom.com

J Crew vintage bikini
$102 - jcrew.com

J crew shorts
$98 - jcrew.com

TopShop striped skirt
$50 - topshop.com

Sam Edelman flat shoes
$70 - nordstrom.com

Modalu ruffle handbag
€105 - pret-a-beaute.com

ASOS satchel tote
asos.com

Miu Miu croc jewelry
$185 - miumiu.com

Cara Accessories stretch jewelry
$48 - nordstrom.com

Owen is 6 Months

2011-07-05T13:49:00.000-06:00

This baby boy is a dream come true. He seriously is such a mild-mannered, happy, and well-behaved baby. He is such a bundle of joy and I couldn't ask for more. He evens out Lola's bad behavior when she decides to be a stinker. She is 2 years old after all. Owen loves to laugh at his sissy and thinks she is the greatest lady around. He smiles at almost anyone who speaks to him and he hardly ever cries. He maybe cries once a day... knock on wood.

He went to his 6 month check-up and here are the stats:

Weight- 20lbs and 7oz, 90%

Height- 29 1/2", 100%

Highlights of the appt- The Dr. said the word "smegma" again (LOL), Owen tried to pee on the Dr., Owen stared at the Dr., with his stern look, nearly the entire time (we were laughing so hard!). He did have to get some shots but he did great!

Here is the big boy himself, making his trademarked face. (and if you look very close, there is a tiny little tuft of hair that forms a mohawk in the middle of his bald, baby head.

Last but not least, I gave Owen veggies for the first time this week and it was NOT a hit. We will keep trying... My friend Kelli was over and she helped with the filming and we were laughing so hard. You would think we were feeding Owen lemon juice and onions by the look on his face and his reaction.

2011-07-05T13:14:00.000-06:00

I realize that I suck at blogging. Do you ever go through a blogging dry spell? Well that is what was happening to me for the last few weeks. I haven't felt like I have had any blog worthy outfits or events and I have been really lazy and/or busy at work, hence the silence on the home front. But I have gone through some of my pics for the last few weeks and realized there are a few fun things that I can share.

Owen's stern face. He does it so well. He was hanging out while I folded laundry the other day in his bumbo. He loves his bumbo, he never wants to lay down. He has to be in the middle of everything. :)

Lola loves my makeup and tries to apply it herself often. (like the time she got fingernail polish in her eye... yep that's right, that was terrible) This time she put my dark red lip stick on and when I asked to take a picture, this was the face I got, she did not want to cooperate.

Lola and I ran to the store the other day to get Cooper a little bag of dog food and Lola was adamant about carrying it to the car all by herself... and she did. She is such a strong little lady and a good helper at that. [when she wants to be ;) ]

We have had some fun things going on in the last few weeks now that I think about it. The problem is, I am terrible at taking pictures. Here is a rundown of some fun events lately:

Had a BBQ with our friends Jon and Meagan and their cute kiddos
Had our friends Josh and Megan over for a BBQ (they just got engaged!! We are so happy for them!)
Went to a ReAL SL soccer game with Josh and Megan.
Had a Payson friends get together with my ladies and our kids. We swam and had dinner at Ashley's clubhouse. It was a lot of fun!!
Went to my grandparents house for a 4th of July BBQ, one of my favorite events of the year. Seriously, home-made rootbeer and ice cream! Plus Lesley, Jason, and McKay came and it was so great to see them!!!
My friend Kristi is in town right now, so I got to see her yesterday and hopefully will get to see her more while she is here in Utah.
Met my friend Angie's new baby girl!

We have been trying to enjoy the summer and our cute kids and want to take many more adventures this summer. I can't believe how fast my kids are growing up. They are a blessing to us everyday and they are both in fun stages of life. I smother them with kisses daily. I know they get sick of it, but at least they are used to it right? I hope you all had a great 4th of July!!

2011-06-20T16:37:00.000-06:00

This weekend Lola was such a ham! My mom and I were laughing so hard at her silly antics. She is very creative and speaks quite well for her age, so sometimes the things that come out of her mouth are downright hilarious! We can't believe how cute she is and we aren't quite sure where she got it?!

Here she is trying on a mock-up of a flower girl dress for Nic's wedding... dancing of course.

You are probably wondering what this is below, well it is Lola wrapped up in her blanket cocoon at my mom's house. She kept wanting to open the back door and wrap up in the blanket and lay there. But it was getting a little chilly so my mom told her to shut the door and then went back to working on the computer and a few minutes later my mom got up to get a glass of water and comes back and notices this. She thought it was just a blanket at first but then she reached down and felt it and realized Lola was sleeping inside. We were laughing so hard!!!! I had to take a pic, then I put her in her nice soft bed. ;) See what I mean, she is silly.

While we were down at my parents, me and my mom took the kids to the Payson pool and had a great time. It is nice with little kids because they don't have to run all over the place to have fun and Owen just chills. We wore him right out.

Lola got some sour treats and got sugar crystals all over her.

Next was Father's Day. We gave my dad his gift on Saturday since we were at my parents over the weekend. Then after church we went and had dinner with Chris's parents at their house. Lola and I made cards for Daddy and Paw Paw earlier in the day and she was so excited to hand them out!

I love this ombre sweater vest of Owen's, he wore it to church yesterday.

This was the message we sent to dad because he had to work the first half of the day yesterday.

I hope you all had a great weekend and that the Fathers in your lives had a fun Father's day!!

The Many Faces

2011-06-20T16:17:00.000-06:00

This boy loves the tub and is so animated while he is splashing around enjoying himself. I couldn't resist snapping a few shots this last weekend. Don't you just want to eat him up!? I sure love my baby boy!

LOVE THAT DOUBLE CHIN!

I AM DYING OVER THIS ONE

Music Monday- (new) The Dear Hunter

2011-06-20T10:13:00.000-06:00

This new album, 'The Color Spectrum', is such a cool concept- they did 4 songs for each color in the color spectrum. Here is a little more explanation on it. (video below) I am busy at work so I can't go into tons of detail. I am liking it so far but am wondering if I will get sick of the album because it is sooo long (36 songs).... I may have to listen to it in shifts? See what you think, here is a sampling.

Here is one of my fav's, I like the darker songs on the album. This one is from the color black and is called, 'Filth and Squalor' (it's not really 8 minutes long)

Discovery Gateway

2011-06-13T22:45:00.001-06:00

My friend Kate watched the kids a couple weeks ago and took them to the Discovery Gateway. Lola had never been before and Kate said she loved it and from looking at the pictures, I would say the same!

Kate wearing baby Owen.

Kate's house is so fun, they jumped on the trampoline and played on the swings too.

Kate's daughter Sophie is so pretty, look at Owen admiring her.

Thanks so much to Kate for helping us out with the kids. She is such a great friend!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Busy busy

2011-06-13T22:32:00.001-06:00

I have been so crazy over the last couple of weeks so I have been terrible about blogging. I will try to do at least one interesting post in the next week. In the meantime here are cute pics of the little's to hold you over. They are so sweet and we have been loving the warmer weather lately. We have been taking a lot walks in the evenings, it has been great!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

One For One

2011-06-07T17:32:00.000-06:00

This is so cool, the next chapter of TOMS

Music Monday- (new) My Morning Jacket

2011-06-06T09:58:00.000-06:00

My Morning Jacket is a band that I feel have evolved quite a bit from what they used to be. I can't say that it is necessarily better than the old sound, but I wouldn't say it is worse either... it is different. This band has almost a psychedelic sound to them with the vocal effects they use and such. This album actually has less of that, which is what makes it less identifiable right away. I like the album but can't say I love it... yet. I am going to give it more time and I am sure I will like it more and more. I think I get used to the way I expect a band to sound and when it changes a lot then the stubborn part of me gets a little worked up ha ha

Here is the song 'Victory Dance' from their new album 'Circuital'.

To give you a taste of their older stuff and to get a real feel of them and their perfomances, here is 'Mahgeetah' from their album 'It Still Moves'. Oh I love it and they were so great live the last time they came here!! Chris and I went and saw them at The Depot a few years back and they rocked hard. There was this annoying person in the crowd that kept yelling, "Yay Jim" and "Ya Jim James". {The lead singer goes by Jim James but his real name is James Olliges Jr} We were thinking, shut the hell up, we all know that the lead singers name is Jim and no, you don't know him personally so STOP!! ha ha Good times!! This is the same set up they had on the tour that we saw them.

WATCH THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Music Monday- {new} Bon Iver

2011-05-30T15:57:00.000-06:00

Oh BON IVER... I have not been able to stop listening to this album!!! It is so serene, yet igniting- I get so excited when I listen to it even though it is a calming style of music. The new album is beautiful, so far I am really loving the tracks 'Perth' and 'Minnesota, WI', but I honestly love the whole CD. The new album is self-titled and *officially* comes out on June 21st, which is why I had such a hard time tracking down the song that I wanted to share with you, 'Perth'. CLICK HERE to go to the website that has the MP3 player on it, I promise it is worth the jump. However, you can buy the single 'Calgary' now on itunes and the player for that song is below. I don't love this song as much as the one I linked but it is very good as well.

Owen in Action

2011-05-27T14:43:00.000-06:00

This little guy loves his sissy so much! She can always make him laugh and smile. They are so sweet together!

This boy LOVES his jumperoo, here he is using those little baby legs to get some cardio in during his busy day.

Bridal Hair Piece #2- Mauni

2011-05-23T17:15:00.001-06:00

I have known Mauni since we were in elementary school, then she moved to Springville for the rest of school, but then we reconnected when I hired her to be my assistant manager when I was the store manager at... wawa, Vanity. {Don't laugh, it was a stepping stone ha ha} She is seriously one of the happiest, sweetest and most genuine people I have EVER met. This girl makes you feel like you are her best friend and a million bucks all at the same time. When she asked me to make her veil for her wedding, I was ecstatic. She deserves all the happiness in the world and again, she is so gorgeous. Here is her hair piece and I stole a bunch of pics of her cute wedding to share {with her permission of course ;) }

Click to enlarge

I wish her and her new hubby all the happiness in the world, love you Mauns!!

Bridal Hair Piece #1- Bonnie

2011-05-23T17:04:00.000-06:00

I know I blogged about this earlier, but now that Bonnie is a married woman I wanted to show you guys what the veil looked like on her... it was GORGEOUS!!! Here are a few pics, thanks to Bonnie for trusting me to make this for one of the most important days of her life.

a close-up

Beautiful!

the bride and her dad

I am so lucky to be able to work with such beautiful women, what a privilege!

Monday Music- Empire Of The Sun

2011-05-23T09:18:00.000-06:00

From their album "Walking On A Dream", this is the title track. I love some good dance music and I love electro-pop. Empire of the Sun is fun and happy and makes you want to move to the beat. They are from Australia and are killing it over there. These guys are drama queens, for lack of a description. Their shows are theatrical and extreme and look like a helluva good time! Just to show you I have included a small live show snippet below the video. I would love to see them live. Dance party concerts are my favorite!

Little Dari

2011-05-21T10:26:00.001-06:00

My mom cleaned out her hall closet and found a bunch of Mother's Day cards that we kids made her in church throughout the years and she thought this one of me was so funny and cute. Apparently that was how I posed when I was 2 or 3. Check out that sagging tights-crotch. Ha ha

See, my kids definitely don't look like me :( I believe the words below are supposed to say "mom Dari". So sweet!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Glimpse at Church-1st Hour

2011-05-20T07:34:00.001-06:00

Let me tell you, this girl is a handful sometimes. She wants to be free and play and run around. When I go to church on Sundays, I am flying solo. Chris works on Sunday's so I have become quite the one man band. Usually Lola does good the first half hour to forty five minutes and then the demon emerges. While sweet Owen sleeps or hangs out like the perfect baby that he is ;) (thank goodness for that). So here are some shots of Lou in her cute outfit during Sacrament Meeting. ( yes, I snuck pics during church. Totally worth it.)

Trying to escape, huh?

Caught!

May I just say thank you for nursery. She LOVES going to nursery to play with her friend Megan and sing and eat snacks and color. Also the people in my ward are so sweet to help with the kids in sacrament so I can take Lola to the potty or go feed Owen, etc.

I get so worked up or embarrassed over Lola's behavior during the first hour of church sometimes but then I remember that most people have been there, done that and can totally relate. They don't look at me in judgement at all and that helps when Lola starts screaming toward the end of sacrament meeting... That doesn't mean that I haven't fought back tears before though... I am being consistent with her and I think she is getting better. I know it is just a matter of time until she is older and can be reverent for a longer period of time and I am excited for that day!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mobile Blogging Take One

2011-05-20T07:16:00.001-06:00

I don't know what has taken me so long to download a blogging app. This is the only way I will blog from home, I know because I've tried blogging from home and it never works for me. I think it is the convenience of sitting in front of a computer all day at work and doing it on my breaks that makes it so easy to accomplish while there. Anyway, here are some pics of my kids making funny faces for you. They are so sweet!

Do you guys blog from your smartphones?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Payson,United States

This is too funny not to share

2011-05-17T15:24:00.001-06:00

Baby O's first time trying rice cereal. He is the sweetest baby, I just love him to pieces.

It has been over a year but this is worth it

2011-05-17T10:48:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted on the private blog in over a year so obviously I had a reason to ;) If you have been invited to read my private blog, you need to head over. I made a new post and it is a doozy. You will want to read it and I would love your support/advice.

If you don't have an invite, send me your email address and I can invite you. But be warned, I don't sensor myself over there and if you are easily offended then this may not be for you. (nothing super crazy, but you know what I mean)

Music Monday- Lykke Li

2011-05-16T09:05:00.000-06:00

Lykke Li, check her out if you haven't already. She is great and has some fun dance moves. This is from her newest album, 'Wounded Rhymes'. I am busy at work so that is all you get today :)

{fast forward to 1:55 for the music if you want}

Burning Question #8

2011-05-16T08:21:00.006-06:00

Obviously I suck at this feature... it has been on hiatus, ok? For this one I am just asking more for advice and life experiences.

I am breastfeeding Owen and it is going well. Better than it did with Lola (I dried up at 5 months :( ) But he is getting so big and eating tons and I can't keep up with him so we supplement him with formula. We have tried rice cereal and he hates it. So we are going to give it another go soon and see how that goes but my question is:

Were you able to keep up with your babies appetite as they started eating more? Other things that I think may factor in are the fact that I work so 3 days a week I have to pump at work and the fact that he sleeps through the night now. Could it be that since I am pumping, at work, my milk has not increased? Could not feeding or pumping through the night affect it? What do you ladies think and what are/were your breastfeeding experiences like?

Pumping at work... the story of my life.

UPDATED- I have had a few questions asked so here are the answers. I pump every 3 hours at work and I work 10 hour days so I pump 3 times most days. Unless I am way busy then sometimes it is 2. Also I am not having a dip in production, it just hasn't increased as he has gained a bigger appetite. We are talking from 5 to 8oz's! I do have mother's milk tea and an herbal supplement to help with production but I haven't resorted to those yet :)

Lola Lou

2011-05-09T13:07:00.000-06:00

This girl is a fiesty, spunky, independent, silly, fun, sometimes moody gal. She is really learning a lot about life right now, I can just see it in the way she interacts with people and handles life. She is so sweet but can be such a stinker too. I love her to pieces however sometimes I want to send her on a vacation to her grandparents house for a few days ha ha But man is she cute!

She is so intelligent and sometimes I forget that she isn't even 3 yet! Here are some of the funny things she has been saying lately.
She wanted to call Coraline on the phone and I told her I didn't have the number but we would find it later. So she said, "I don't have her number but I will text her. Ya I text Coraline." (oh dear)
"Mom, your bum is big" (thanks, I am working on it ha ha).
"Dad, you stink, you need to take a shower". If anyone is dirty, she tells them they need to take a shower.
Anytime a Ronald McDonald commercial comes on she now says, "Mom, he's ugwee (ugly)".

She has talked about elephants a lot lately... ?
She thinks she can take owies off of one person and put them on another person. That is a game she plays frequently with her Pawpaw.
When Owen is fussy she gets all worked up and says things like. "Oh buddy boy, you ok?" and "Mom, Owen's crying you need to feed him".
After I helped her with something she said, "Xie Xie" pronounced 'sheh sheh'. Which is thank you in Chinese. (thanks Ni Hao, Kai Lan)

She is so loveable and wants me to hold her and hug her often. Which I don't mind one bit, I just think of when she gets a little bigger and doesn't want me to hold her anymore, so I will enjoy it while I can. She is growing into a beautiful little girl and I am so proud to be her mama!

We have been trying out some new hair do's. Don't mind the laundry in the background.

Eating a peep in essentially one bite at Granny and PawPaw's- look at that cheek!

At Alysha's house (the sitter) with her daughter Bailey. Look at their cute matching dresses. I took Lola in hers and Alysha put Bailey in her matching one. Too cute! (This is from her camera phone, sorry for the quality)

An Outfit To Share #6

2011-05-09T11:32:00.000-06:00

Ok I need some opinions... I wore this to work today and I have already had so many looks and comments on what I am wearing ha ha My boss called my head scarf a "chemo cap", someone else said I looked like a gypsy (not a bad thing...) and I have had numerous shocked reactions.

I didn't really think I was going THAT FAR out on a limb. But you know me, I wear what I want regardless of what others will think :) I was reading my email from the Rachel Zoe Report (click to read) a few days ago and it talked about 'Savior Scarves'. I loved them and I thought, "I have a scarf that would be perfect for that. I have got to try it out". I was running short on time today and didn't want to spend a lot of time doing my hair... hence the name 'Savior Scarf' and that is was. I really like it, but between the scarf and the maxi skirt, it may be a bit much for the fashionably clueless folks that work here with me in North Ogden, UT {let me clarify; they aren't all clueless, but a lot of them... ;) } So my point is, What do you guys think? Do you like head scarves?

Outfit Details

Head Scarf- Urban Outfitters (5 or so years ago...)

Sweater Vest- Nordstrom

Tan Shirt- J. Crew

Belt- Nordstrom

Skirt- Nordstrom (a Mother's Day gift from my mom)

Shoes- Target

Music Monday- (New) Fleet Foxes

2011-05-09T10:21:00.000-06:00

FLEET FOXES are a folky, indie rock band that uses echo-y harmonies to create laid back tunes. Their songs are so peaceful and melodical. I love listening to them while cruising around in the car. They just released a new album on May 3rd called "Helpness Blues". I am enjoying it so far and hope you do too!

Face Decorations

2011-05-05T16:41:00.000-06:00

I am really wanting a new pair of glasses and am having a hard time deciding which ones I like. I love the website WarbyParker.com, (thanks for introducing me Brit) they have the option of a virtual try on or they mail you up to 5 pairs to try at home and then ship back. I am not sure if these virtual ones are a good indicator of what they will actually look like, but it is better than nothing.

What do you guys think? Please vote in the comments, I would love to hear your opinions :)

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

You must check out this website if you wear glasses and/or contacts. They are only $95 and they give a pair to a person in need as well, kinda like the Toms concept. Awesome!

My Baby is 4 Months Old

2011-05-05T15:20:00.001-06:00

Owen boy is now 4 months! I took him to his check-up and these are the stats.

Weight- 16.10 lbs- 90%
Height- 27 inches- 100%
Head- I never pay attention...but the percent is 49%

The Dr was so funny, he was saying how huge Owen's hands and feet are. Then he said that Owen's hands were honestly the biggest baby hands he has EVER seen. He was shocked at how big they were and kept talking about how he could play any sport he wants when he grows up and would probably be a good piano player too. :) He was dying when he found out how tall Chris is too. We breed big children!

Getting some chubs!

At his 4 month check up

Some fun facts about Owen-

He has been sleeping through the night since he was 3 months old (LOVE this)
He is very sweet and low maintenance.
He loves to laugh and smile.
He loves to play pat a cake.
He always smiles and coo's at Lola, he sure loves her.
The Dr said he as strong as a 6 month old. He is always trying to sit up, he doesn't like laying down much.
He loves his swing and his jungle jumperoo.
He slobber a lot.
He always wants to eat.
He has now mastered the art of the blowout.... we moved him to a bigger size diaper and that helped.
He is extremely happy when he wakes up in the morning.
He has the stinkiest farts on the block, seriously. I don't know how something so small and cute can stink so much ha ha
He enjoys grabbing onto his rattle and Sophie Giraffe and moving them around.
He has just discovered his tongue and likes to stick it out sometimes. So cute!

An Outfit to Share #5

2011-05-02T17:32:00.000-06:00

I have been loving the maxi dresses and skirts lately. I even found an oldie maxi skirt in my closet that I am pretty excited about, but I am not sure I love the material... we shall see. I found this dress for a steal of a deal and I feel cute wearing it too, that is always a plus.

Outfit Details:

Dress- Xhileration at Target (this isn't the exact one, but it is very similar)

Cardigan- BP Nordstrom

Belt- Target

Sandals- Mossimo from Target (obviously I love Target)

Necklace- 'Stache necklace from Adri Apparel

Watch- Michael Kors from Nordstrom (ya know, the same one I always wear ;) )

Music Monday- Mogwai

2011-05-02T16:36:00.000-06:00

Today we are talking about MOGWAI, in honor of their concert that Chris and I will be attending tomorrow night!!! YAY!! This band is so intense and musical and moving, they are from Glasgow and are pretty much fantastic. I have never seen them live but Chris assures me that this is not a show I will want to miss. I am stoked, to say the least. It is amazing how music, even without words, can evoke so much emotion. This video is worth a watch... it gives me chills, what a talented bunch of musicians. Chris says they bring it and they bring it LOUD, so the earplugs are packed and we are psyched! Here are the details if you would like to attend and if you do want to go- let's meet up!!

Here is a song from their 2008 album, 'The Hawk Is Howling' called 'I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead'

Maxi Skirts

2011-04-26T16:46:00.000-06:00

What do you guys think of Maxi Skirts? Do you own any and if you do, do you like it/them?

They have been an up and coming trend lately. I decided that I LOVE them! Here is the problem, Chris said he doesn't like them, sad face. But that usually doesn't stop me from wearing things I like. He is always nice about what I wear, even if it isn't his fav :) Here are a few Maxi's that I found and love!

{scroll over the pics to see where they are from, I am too lazy to go back and link them all...}

"Happy Easters"

2011-04-26T16:16:00.000-06:00

If you have seen Nacho Libre then you will enjoy the title. That movie is hilarious! Anyway, this Easter was so great. I love having holidays to spend time with the family and realize how truly blessed we truly are. In church we watched a movie about the Atonement in Primary with the children and it is always so hard for me to watch. That really was the ultimate sacrifice and to think that it was for all of us so we can live again. I am so grateful for what Christ did and am glad that Easter serves as a reminder of that every year. We always try to keep the focus on that and not get overwhelmed with the festivities but of course we have to have some fun as well! So here is a rundown of our weekend.

The annual BBQ and Easter egg hunt at Aunt Jan and Uncle Brad's on Saturday. This was the first year that Lola could get the eggs on her own and she was so excited. Last year we still had to do most of it for her. ;)

The loot

This is how our day went on Easter. Lola was extremely excited that the Easter bunny came to see her. She loved her Easter dress, little toys and treats that he left.

Her light up Easter egg necklace

Both kids with their bunnies

In her Easter dress

Her cute hair. Side note: My mom used to do my hair like this when I was little and I LOVED it!

Both kids in their new church clothes. Obviously Owen is NOT impressed.

Playing with her toys.

Now that is better, he just wanted his mommy.

The tree in front of our house is so pretty right now.

After church we went and had dinner with Chris's folks and got some great gifts that the Easter bunny left there as well! Then we came home and went on a family walk. We can't wait to do this every night when the weather gets better, but for now we take advantage when it isn't freezing. As you can see, it was still a little chilly for the kiddos.

Chris and Lou

Owen boy in his stroller with Lola's baby blanket ha ha

Owen and I, don't mind my posture... I am working on that.

We had such a fun weekend and hope that you did too! I can't believe that it came and went so quickly.