C + K + L

Political rant. You've been warned.

2012-01-24T09:40:00.003-07:00

You know that saying- once you don't like someone everything they do is offensive. "Look at that skank over there eating those crackers like she owns the place..."
This is the only reason I can fathom a person, regardless of political affiliation, would fault a presidential candidate for being REALLY good with money. How... How can that be a bad thing? If the money is earned honestly and legally... I just don't understand. And He would be an idiot to pay more taxes than he needed to. If you have an issue with him paying a lower % than the average middle class american, let's not forget that if Newt had his way, Mitt wouldn't be paying those taxes at all.

On the other hand people are willing to entirely over look adultry... As if that's a personal issue that shouldn't come into play. We would impeach a great former president for cheating and lying about it, but its not an issue if its just a candidate? I realize that Bill was sworn in when he lied and Newt hasn't been but is that what we want? A president that only sees a need to tell the truth if hes in court?

Ok political rant over.

christmas and other ramblings...

2011-12-30T21:42:00.005-07:00

So I am at home alone with the Mac (this NEVER happens... consequence of having a nerdy graphic designer for a husband) and I've decided to get all 3 of our cameras out as well as our video camera and download everything and blog a bit. Chris is off watching a fight and I have the stun gun out just in case I need to defend our home.... I digress...

Picturesyoumightlikelookingat:

yeah we yogurt painted a christmas tree on the shower wall. why the hell not.

christmas pjs (lolli has reindeer feet)

elmo slippers... cheesetastic but we know what she likes

what we lovingly refer to as the "crackhead smile"

trying a bit of mommies rouge. tis the season.

this was from our anniversary in october. We thought we were (unsuccessfully) being arty. 3 years! Woah we are almost done.... :)

At the riverwoods. There is a place called Malawi's that makes bomb town gluten free pizza. And during christmas time they light the place up like a..... like a place with a lot of christmas lights. Its getting late.

Whatsupwithusrightnow:

Chris graduates in April (what the?! that snuck up on me) and we will be moving to wherever our hearts desire. AKA wherever he gets a job. Most likely NYC. I am really excited about that and loved our summer living there so I am ready to go! Anybody wanna buy a queen size bed? and 2 leather couches? and everything else in our apartment? ;)

Lorelai has been potty trained for a while. She caught on quick and hasn't had an accident since the 5th day of training. She loves her big girl undies and her potty book. She has even done a road trip to cedar with no accidents! Yay lollers!

Christmas was awesome. Lolli loved each and every event. We havent gotten to build a snowman yet because of this freakishly (awesome) warm weather, but you wont hear this girl complain about it.

I want to change my hair. like every day. its an addiction. I blame pinterest mostly. And sally beauty supply secondly. (notice how I, myself, am not on that list?)

I love to crochet. Like a grannie. I blame my young women's leaders and my (self-diagnosed) adhd. I cant just sit and watch TV, I have to be looking at my iphone or crocheting too. And come to think of it I blame my constant hair changing on my adhd as well. Which is, of course, not my fault. I am helpless in the matter. ;)

I am getting a new neice soon! I am praying (slightly selfishly and...) for Dixie that its sooner rather than later. Although I do hate that these tiny babies are all grown up by the time I meet them. I know that having the baby is free under the national health care there and all but I (not-so-slightly selfishly) would prefer if you guys lived by us!

I found out that sitting with a laptop actually ON your lap can be damaging to your reproductive system. Especially when pregnant but even for men. Well then why do they call it a LAPtop? I am using this as an excuse to not blog again for a few months.

But I'm not pregnant. and I plan to get a dog before I get (make, produce.....) another baby so if you dont see a puppy please kindly assume I just ate a large dinner. :) love you. (chris says I say this too liberally but I am pretty sure its really just that I love more people than him, you being one of them). xoxo

Sunshine

2011-09-20T00:19:00.000-06:00

Lorelai is the coolest person I know. Today we played with 2 tiny orange kittens. We have this (gorgeous, classy) granny that lives in the house next to our apartment who's cats have kittens constantly and she gives them away. We found 2 outside playing with lolli's friend Lilly and joined them. Lorelai LOVED them! It made me want a kitten so badly... Until I remembered kittens become cats. Ha.
Then I put lolli in the trailer and we went for a long bike ride in the park. Her new favorite thing is to blow the dandelions.
Then we laid on a blanket In the sun for a while just trying to enjoy fall while it lasts.
She wanted to climb the stairs over and over and when I said no let's go inside now she looked at me and smiled and then jerked her head toward the stairs like "naw come on ma... Over here" it was hilarious!! Of course I gave in.
She is the sunshine. She is sweet and sassy. She snuggles like crazy. I love my silly Lou.

Xoxo

You love people for their details

2011-09-06T14:00:00.004-06:00

Lorelai loves:
jewelry and sparkle shoes
her green dinosaur pillow
ANY stuffed animal she can snuggle
dolls and babies (she always holds dolls and pats their backs)
kicking a soccer ball around for hours
food. thai, indian, sushi, pizza, any kind of veggie or fruit. She likes food.
to eat with a plate and utensil - no more baby stuff
to dance- she likes kelly clarkson and taylor swift the most
to sleep- god bless her for this
to wear tutus
to give kisses and make the kissing sound
to say ball! or more! or no no no no!
to grin like shes on drugs and show me her gapped teeth
to brush my teeth while I brush her's
to be tickled and thrown around
to go on walks especially to the park- but dont try to hold her hand!
to go up and down stairs repeatedly
to "help" mommy put dishes in the dishwasher (also known as taking them out and throwing them back in)
to pretend shes talking on her cell phone
to see animals- especially pigs and cats and horses
to snuggle mommy when she wakes up in the morning and snuggle daddy before bed
to be a good girl. kind and sweet and easy. knock on wood.

xoxo

My hair is angry

2011-08-23T19:37:00.001-06:00

I hate getting my hair done.
Let me rephrase.
I hate getting my hair done by anyone new that I don't know I can trust.
I have had so much drama with my hair. Because it's that ashy dark blonde color it takes golden orange really quickly.

But my mom had a gift certificate to euphoria she couldn't use so I thought... Ok if they can charge 180 dollars for hair it can't be bad. And it's free to me!

What I wanted:

Ashy roots and golden at the ends. LOW maintenance. I came in with my bleach blonde hair and bad roots. Then 3 hours later...

Ummm that's not even a little bit what I asked for. And in person it's orange not ash.

It's cute! Don't get me wrong. Just not at all what I came in for. I even showed her that picture before we started. Oh well. I guess in 6 weeks I will just end up dying it myself because I would rather do that then take a chance on someone in Provo. That has been expensive and disastrous in the past.
Unless you know of someone?
Xoxo

What I've been up to

2011-08-23T19:10:00.001-06:00

Skype dates. He gets home Saturday!!!

Hanging out with pops and Matt in cedar for the last few days.

It's been go go go for what feels like months. New York was crazy and wonderful. Then Texas was HOT and awesome. And now I am saying good bye to Vegas and my mom. I hear oregon is great though. Just weird to leave vegas... Possibly for good... ?
All my family has moved away. But I guess I have some pretty great friends to visit :)
I got a new(er) car. Red dodge neon... An upgrade for free? Thanks mom!
I already moved all out stuff back into our apartment in Provo so Chris just gets to come back and relax. I baby that boy. ;) good thing he's worth it.
Xoxo

Cousins

2011-08-23T16:26:00.001-06:00

I don't have any cousins. My dad is an only child and my moms siblings didn't have kids. Isn't that nuts?! So I really love to watch Lou with her cousins. She loves them so much.

Karaoke anyone?

YouTube Video

Now it's time for the beach!

I had no idea cedar city had a beach. It's just a small man made swimming beach... Which is perfect for kids! Lolli loved it until she tripped and put her face in the water and got an awful shock haha.

Xoxo

Woman

2011-07-04T23:26:00.001-06:00

I think a lot about the woman I want to be. Qualities I hope to have, lessons I hope I teach through life long example. The woman I want to be is a lot less awkward. Better with words. Better at saying exactly what she means. She is certainly less flawed... But isn't perfect and wouldn't expect others to be. She says damn under her breath and loves sugar and eats ice cream for dinner. She spends too much time in the sun and has dreams about shopping. She is strong and capable and has a lot more energy than i do. But she is willing to have the whole house a mess as long as it means every one had fun.
But mostly she teaches her girls to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. That meekness isnt weakness. She teaches them that Audrey knew what she was talking about when she said that "the happiest girls are the prettiest girls" and that bodies are to be appreciated and not picked at. That nurturing is the greatest and most powerful thing a woman can do in his world.
She teaches her boys that romance should be their first language. That men can and should cry occasionally and can and should show affection daily. That if they work hard and are respectful than they have already made me proud. That family comes first always.

I know shes sorta sitting inside me trying to show her face. Maybe 10 more years. Maybe 50. But I refuse to die before she is me.

Oh and ps... In my head she wears dresses and high heels, but I'm sure that's just because on my favorite days thats what I want to wear.
Xoxo

Parks

2011-06-21T19:46:00.001-06:00

Right outside our door in NYC there are like 5 park areas.
4 basketball courts, 2 soccer fields, a running track, a concrete area for roller hockey or skateboarding, a water area and the play/swing set me and lols often go to. Plus a bike path. I miss my beach cruiser and my baby trailer.

Xoxo

FAO schwarz

2011-06-20T10:36:00.002-06:00

Giant lollipop!

Dollhouses. I could have spent an hour here.

Lolli's favorite part... Baby dolls.

I want:

Barbie mania... Made me a little sick. Barbie fashion show:

Barbie foosball. Did you see that? 25 grand. Ri-dunk-ulous.

My fave:

Doesn't look like Bella to me. ?

Lego Johnny depp. Lolli was not a fan.

Big!

Lou doesn't like dinosaurs.

YouTube Video

Tip: don't take your kids here past the age of maybe 2 or even before or you have only 2 choices: Spend a seriously ridiculous amount of money or have a tantrum on your hands. And go to candy last. There were some hyper active screaming crying kids in there.

Overall we found lolli liked EVERY single doll and wanted to snuggle each one. And she liked the helicopters. And that random ugly pig from the video. And we found that Chris will force his kids to like playmobile so he can play with it and I will do the same with a dollhouse.
Then to get some peace and quiet we just walked around central park.

Perfect Saturday.
Xoxo

Lolli loves cousin Finn

2011-06-20T10:11:00.001-06:00

I played a video from my sisters blog of lolli's new cousin Finn. She freaked out and we watched it multiple times. I caught some of it on camera.

YouTube Video

Xoxo

I can eat this!

2011-06-20T10:09:00.002-06:00

This last week I have been feeling really good about my diet. There are highs and lows (it all depends on my energy level) but the food has been yum. I thought I would share a recipe that is gluten free and dairy and egg free but also so delicious we would eat it even if I wasn't doing this diet. Simple fajitas with homemade corn tortillas.

It's just chicken, bell pepper, onion, olive oil and spices. Nothing to it. The secret is in the tortilla. Corn tortillas from the store can be hard and taste like wax. But these were soft and so yum AND so easy. I used this:

You just add hot water and salt. Then fry them up. Each tortilla takes just a min or two. So if you ever need to cook for someone with a lot of allergies this is a fairly safe bet!
Xoxo

I <3 the park

2011-06-17T12:08:00.001-06:00

For real- Lorelai loves the park by our apartment. And swings. Oh the swings.

I did it by myself!!!!

YouTube Video

Xoxo

Stay in bed

2011-06-17T09:26:00.001-06:00

Thursday is a great day to stay in bed. Especially if you feel ill and weak and your daughter has another molar coming through. But even if you feel fine it can be really fun. See?

Eskimo kisses are my favorite.

Xoxo

Mood

2011-06-10T13:28:00.001-06:00

Mood is the place they go to on project runway for fabric. They have literally everything you could ever dream of. I was lucky enough to accompany my friend krysten here to get the materials for her custom wedding dress. She got some amazing French lace and satin. While she was getting everything cut and sorted I walked around with lolli like a kid in a candy store. Seriouly I could have spent an hour in the buttons alone. I may have to go take another look sometime when I have something in mind to make. I miss my sewing machine.... :(

Xoxo

"so what CAN you eat?"

2011-06-07T20:02:00.001-06:00

So I've been sick. Emergency room visits (yes multiple) and doctors visits and no answers. I lost weight. Then more. Then I was 20 lbs lighter than I was in high school and barely holding onto my triple digits. Then I found dr Vance and he listened to me. He let me tell him my whole story not just the most recent problem. He made me feel like there was an answer to my problem and that he would find it. And he did! My body hates food. Which is sad because my mouth loves it.

Ha ha ok so I am allergic to wheat, gluten, dairy in general, citrus fruits and beef. And yes I am being serious. Allergic. The wheat allergy is the most violent but all of those are also very bad and there are some others that it would be better if i avoided. So my body was screaming at me to stop poisoning it but I didn't even know I was doing it. Anyway there is a lot to think about. A lot to change and figure out. But it's really nice to have an answer and I am really excited to feel healthy again. I just have to figure out what i CAN eat. Any tips?
Xoxo

Grays papaya

2011-06-06T12:21:00.001-06:00

Not good. Sorry NYC but j-dawgs kicks your butt here. We were highly disappointed since this place is in a bunch of movies but it was gross. Oh well... Check it off the list.

And please don't judge me if this dress is in 9 out if 10 of my pictures. I got it here and it is my favorite piece of clothing. Riding the subway home:

We have also done (but not photographed to my regret) the moma, lombardis, rays pizza, the donut plant, the mac bar, el gelato labrotorio, all of china town and lots of shopping.... Etc. We took some cool pictures at the Brooklyn botanical gardens but I haven't figured out how to blog with pictures I didn't take on my iPhone yet since the Mac doesn't get wifi here. Anyway we are having a good time. :)

2011-06-06T12:19:00.003-06:00

This day was ideal. Sunny but breezy. So we went walking down grand street and found ourselves in little Italy. much unlike china town it is not hectic and crazy. It's so chilled. And smells like my version of heaven. And it's even on mulberry street! Mrs mulberry was very excited to see that!

That's what we occasionally call lolli. I'm not even sure where it came from.

Location:Little Italy

Our apartment

2011-06-06T12:19:00.001-06:00

Our bright red door.

Our kitchy kitchen. :)

Our vintage living room:

The Chinese screen that give lolli a room ha ha:

It's a little crazy and our puerto rican neighbors like loud samba music... But I love it and lolli is still sleeping through the night so it is what it is. And what it is is an adventure. You follow?

Buzz me up Scotty

2011-06-06T12:18:00.001-06:00

No beaming in new York... Just buzzing people into your building.
See the columns? That's our stoop.

Looks safe right?

Ps I knew this place was meant to be my home when I saw this across the street.

The story of NYC

2011-06-01T13:36:00.001-06:00

First- jet lag.

Next figuring out how to carry a baby and all of your groceries home from whole foods, then cook dinner. Exhaustion.

Then finding freshdirect.com and ordering massive amounts of groceries online and having them delivered.

I also order diapers online and have a Netflix membership. Basically the key to being a mom in new York is getting everything online. That way you can just enjoy going out to buy fresh fruit from the vendors in china town and soaking up the sunshine at the park. Or you can hit one of the thousands of vintage stores. Can you tell I am loving it here? Ok good. ;)
Lolli likes it to. Ps thanks for my kicks grandma!

And daddy LOVES his internship and only has to work 9-6 which makes me very very happy. Chris is also a big fan of uniqlo here. It's a clothing store thats like a Japanese gap. We are really close to a lot of shopping so we've been going a little crazy. Why not? And it's getting to that time where my roots get outta control again so I think I am going to have to get my hair done here. I am going to have it colored my natural color and then get balayage highlights because (hopefully!) that way I don't have any more roots and up keep and can just get balayage highlights every few months if I want to. Like this:

It's almost ombré but not as daring. Anyone recommend a good salon under 300 bucks?

Xoxo

walkin on sunshine

2011-05-12T12:26:00.000-06:00

This video is only a couple days old and its actually a little dated now. She is all over the place. She was stumblin around for a while- about 6 weeks ago she was standing up and a step or two but now she is in full motion. Watch out world. Lorelai Hazel Mann is walkin on sunshine.

7500 miles in 3 weeks

2011-04-21T14:41:00.001-06:00

(little lou did so well on the drive down, she snuggled her sock monkey and sang kelly clarkson)

Provo to Vegas, Vegas to England, England to NYC. Woahhhhh Budday.

Im already in vegas. I LOVE the sunshine- even when its so hot you could cook an egg on the sidewalk. I couldnt care less. I will take that over snow in april any day of the week. And I love having family close by. And strangely enough I feel safer here... weird huh? Maybe just because its so familiar and I feel like I know my neighbors.

So I need a place with all those qualities that will actually work for Chris' job. San fran isnt a bad idea, as long as we can get some family out there. Anyway-

Chris got to Vegas yesterday and we leave for england saturday. We will do some exploring and some relaxing while we are there- I cant wait. On the to do list: A night alone with chris, de-lish indian food, sunshine and a spa day at Center Parcs, and lots and lots of playing with sweet little nieces. I might actually squeeze them to pieces. Then Chris leaves after 2 weeks for NYC and gets things set up for us. Then Lolli and I fly out a week after him. 7500 miles in 3 weeks. Perfection.

I am SO happy about our apartment. Its in the Lower East Side of Manhattan right near soho. China town is close, little italy, canal street. And our front door opens up to a great park. Its decorated with antiques (it came fully furnished). Its going to be an adventure. I cant wait to just go explore. Try all the crazy produce in china town, eat from food carts, go shopping- yeah you better know I put it in the budget :)

Then back to provo in aug to our same apartment (we are subletting for the summer) and 2 more semesters of school and then... the unknown. Yikes and Yipee and ohmygoodnessIcannotwait.

I am finally relaxing- letting go of all of the stress and the anxiety of making this all happen. Its happening. Its done. All of the to do's left are fun and happy and exciting. Its no longer shopping at walmart on christmas eve, running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Now its christmas morning. I am looking through rose colored glasses. And I promise you I am going to put on my bikini and tan in my mom's back yard today. Even if its overcast and 65 degrees its more than I have had in too long. And after that I am going to do nothing. I am going to hang out with my gorgeous daughter who is getting to be such a big girl and my husband that I have missed so so much. And yes betina- I do have skittles coming out of my ass. :) haha. Its one of those days. The REALLY good ones. I wont even ask for anything in my prayer tonight. I am all thank yous today. I hope your day is just as good or better and if it isnt- let me know if I can do anything to change that.

xoxo

eye candy

2011-04-09T14:18:00.003-06:00

For easter I dont really want any candy... but I could do with some of this eye candy. Unfortunately the site wouldnt let me share the pics so all I have is links. I promise its worth the extra click. ;)

For me:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/dolce-vita-claudine-pump/3145131?origin=category

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/dv-by-dolce-vita-briar-pump/3144292

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/jimmy-choo-glint-bootie/3139364

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/chinese-laundry-haylie-pump/3118945

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/vera-wang-lavender-cara-bootie/3128624

The black booties are my fave... did you catch that they are almost a thousand dollars? haha prob not THIS easter to say the least....

For Lolli:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/puma-el-ray-sneaker-baby-walker-and-toddler/3138794

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/kenneth-cole-reaction-keep-in-touch-sandal-little-kid-big-kid/3081541

For Chris:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/kenneth-cole-reaction-key-note-slip-on/2917574

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/1901-laguna-leather-slip-on/3134106

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/steve-madden-transyt-slip-on/3100333 (brown)

oh and by the way I have found the dress that is my soul mate. Too bad she belongs to Marc and he wants 600 buck-a-roos for her.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/marc-by-marc-jacobs-puff-sleeve-silk-dress/3151295?origin=category

Did I mention i was obsessed with pale pink right now....? you might have caught on. ;)

hurry up and wait!

2011-04-03T21:25:00.002-06:00

Lately I feel like I am just waiting for life to start. Waiting to go to england, waiting to go to new york (or finalize that I am not going.... at least!!). Waiting for chris to graduate. Waiting to live life like a real person instead of the crazy penny pinching maniac I am currently impersonating.

I am trying to remember to live in the now. To "be in the moment" like my mum (the U means my english mom) always says. I know I know. Patience is a virtue... I unfortunately do not posses.

I am sucking at it. Its a moment to moment struggle. Today I was ok at it- decided to just enjoy general conference and take a walk. Until it started snowing and I had to put lolli inside chris' coat while we ran home. And then there I was... waiting to get out of utah.

I honestly think I would feel better if we just had our summer plans finalized. I leave for vegas on my birthday (april 15th... tax day! super fun huh??) and spend a week in vegas going to the doc (a whole different story) and then chris will drive down a week later after finals and we fly out to england the next day- the 23rd. We are in england for 2 weeks and chris flies to new york and then lolli and I follow him a week later. But here is the catch- we have no where to follow him to! We have found quite a few apartments he could live in alone but none for all 3 of us. Apparently people in new york prefer tenants without babies.... we've tried every resource we know of... and are beginning to think we should take this as a sign I shouldnt come.

If all else fails I fly to new york a week after chris- visit him for a bit and then fly to vegas for the summer. Work out with my mom. Have play dates with my friend Britter. Spend time with my soon to come nephew Finn. Lay by the pool and get a tan. So I know I shouldnt be stressing because that sounds like a fun plan right? There is just the minor detail that I wouldnt see my husband for 1/3 of a year. no big........

There is so much irony in our wedding song.... "i've been waitin all of my life for you...."

a girl's NEXT best friend- shoes

2011-03-31T13:25:00.003-06:00

Lorelai is getting to that point where she wants to be put down all the time. Wants to stand on her feet and move around. Which means we have to start putting shoes on her whenever she isnt home. She was wearing a pair of fuzzy boots like everywhere and had one pair of red mary jane church shoes but she has outgrown both. And I have truly tried my hardest at making shoes and can make them suitable for an infant you hold but nothing she could actually walk around in (she's not walking alone yet, only assisted). But they are so expensive! I wouldnt pay 20 bucks for a pair of shoes I got to wear for 3 or 4 months! But I guess its all part of the growning up thing. Time to swallow my inner frugalista and throw down some cash. Here's what I am looking at:

site

Yup they are lolli-pops! How perfect is that for little lolli??? I love the fact that they are soft leather too. And dont worry- they come in purple as well!

site

sorry for the poor image... it's all that was available! and yes thats a fish...

site

these gladiator sandals are soooo cute in black but probably more functional in white (church dresses plus casual clothes...)

site

had to be done. period.

site

not sure how practical these are. But cant you see her- jeans, tee, a scarf? shes getting too big!

site

you cant really see it but there is a little ruffle down the side of these ankle boots. I want these in my size.

As you can see if you follow the links I am mostly looking at target because I have heard from other mommies thats the place to go. Do you have a secret store you love?

Oh and ps I got lorelai an adorable pair of gap brown suede flats (too big for now but she will grow into them) at..... DI! for 3 bucks! They looked brand new! A little disinfectant spray and its a great deal right?! But i brought them home and chris vetoed me "ever buying shoes for anyone in our household at a thrift store ever again."

Fair enough. He thinks everything in thrift stores is covered in blood urine or semen. If he only knew how much of our stuff comes from a thrift store he might gag- which is why I just dont tell him. And lets be real- he doesnt read this blog.

"wow these pillow cases are nice! how much were they?"

"2 bucks a piece."

"what?! where did you get them??"

"ughhh... they were on.... clearance."

"wow good find."

You say potato, I say potahto.

2011-03-28T22:33:00.003-06:00

This conversation happens between me and chris all the time in different forms:

"wanna bet who will be the final 2?"

"in what?"

"march madness"

"huh?"

I clue him in to what I am talking about.

"I dont even know who those teams are."

"nevermind."

"sorry you cant share that with me. you'll have to get a boyfriend for that."

elbow to the ribs.

But really- my favorite part of marriage is that we are different. How fun would it be to always agree on everything? to have nothing to talk about because we have all the same hobbies? I am glad we are the same in all the things that matter... But I am also SO grateful for our differences. I know nothing about graphic design (or even really art for that matter...) but I watched a full length documentary on just the font helvetica. And was interested most of the time ;) And chris will watch a basketball game with me as long as he can hold the remote and change the channel during commercials. (same agreement for the bachelor) haha. Its all about loving each other for what the other person brings to the table right?

I didnt mean for that to come out like a sermon. I guess I have just been realizing lately that its ok that there are some things I will probably never like. I want to be a well rounded person. An informed person. I read parts of the New york times and BBC news daily... but I will never really LIKE politics. And I will always skip over stories I know will make me cry or keep me up at night. Some call it ignorance, I call it bliss.

And I recently found out I am not a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. I get stressed out to the point of sickness when I dont have a plan.

Lastly I am a girl who will never want to live in utah forever. Lord please bless me with the sun. Vegas- I miss you my dear old friend. I saw that you will be in the 70s all week whereas it snowed here today. If I can find a way- I will soon see you with my swimsuit in hand. Until then I am being an idiot and doing a little tanning. So sue me- I need the vitamin D. I told chris I can live anywhere temporarily but when we settle down I require sunshine and at least one family member. So Australia, Vegas, and Texas are current options. Someone please move to california so I can add that to the list.

xoxo

I am pleading temporary insanity

2011-03-25T11:57:00.001-06:00

I was doing too much. I was coupon clipping, price matching, cloth diapering, cooking every meal, cleaning my house, nannying 2 boys under 2 (along with lolli), sewing lollis cloths... etc. And my body said "hey lady, I am tired. So I am going to force you to rest."

Little did you know, body, that I don't know how to do that! ha! jokes on you!!

well actually me.

I got sick. Like 2 weeks... 2 different kinds of sick (a virus, a bacteria)... go to the emergency room and want to roll over and die sick.

I started to really feel better a couple of days ago. I took a temporary hiatus from sewing, quit my nanny jobs, and ate frozen pizza or mcdonalds for a few days.

Turns out we are all fine even when I take a break. who knew?

But it didnt end there.... Chris told me to take the night off and go look for a leather jacket at the mall.(I have wanted one for forever but have issues spending money on myself... the last time I went shopping just for fun was my birthday nearly a year ago now. And before that... my birthday nearly 2 years ago...)

Here is where the real temporary insanity comes in. I walked into forever 21 and decided I wasnt going to guilt myself out of every purchase. So I tried on a bunch of stuff. Actually liked a bunch of stuff. Felt great. Bought a dress, a leather jacket, some jeggings, and a hobo cardigan. WHAT???!!

I dont even care. And neither did chris. He actually said "you should shop for yourself more often. This stuff looks great on you."

ummmm... done. haha.

So I am pleading temporary insanity... or temporary sanity depending on your view point. I am making chris leave the car more often so I can leave my house. I am cutting myself a break. I am blogging this so I actually do it.

xoxo

admit when you're wrong.

2011-03-22T21:29:00.002-06:00

I have said before that I dont understand anthropologie. And truthfully I still dont... I still think it is crazy overpriced and that at least 50% of it could be gotten at DI. BUT...

Sometimes I go on there looking for inspiration and find something GREAT ... you know.... that one item you feel like you would want to sleep in. Eat in. Be buried in.

I found one tonight. Well thats a lie I found several. Their spring stuff is just really pretty.

site

This swimsuit reminds me of the notebook. This style needs to be brought back mainstream.

site

So I am willing to admit that I was wrong... that there is a place for it. Unfortunately there is just no place in MY closet for it. I put these three items in "my cart" just to see the total.

$631.95.

More than my rent, electricity, gas, and internet for a month. So needless to say I did not finish checking out. ;)

xoxo

nyc... chris style

2011-03-17T15:00:00.001-06:00

Chris came back from NYC with like 10 pictures. One week. 10 pictures. Of those 10 I got this:

Not really sure what to take from those. I think if we end up out there this summer I will be the official photographer..........

xoxo

TO DIE FOR

2011-03-16T14:49:00.000-06:00

Found this blog: http://lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com/

Found this recipe on said blog: http://lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com/2010/03/creamy-swirls-and-chocolate-winners.html

Made: easy. Ate: amazing!! I also made her lemon curd cheesecake which is also great!

missing twin... ??

2011-03-15T15:45:00.001-06:00

My sis in law sent me an email with a pic she found of my long lost twin-ish.

I think its pretty creepy/cool close. What about you?

Made me feel great anyway- she is on the urban outfitters site! Granted its likely for her quirky style...

but i'll take what i can get. :)

Ombre. Not hombre the hispanic man down the street.

2011-03-15T14:08:00.004-06:00

So I am considering ombre hair. Call me fickle if you want but I just really like change. Dont know what ombre hair is? I like her examples found via google:

http://stephaniejays.blogspot.com/2011/01/style-envy-ombre-hair.html

I am loving sjp's ombre there. Did it sounds like I was speaking in tongue? Sarah jessica parker's 2 tone hair. :) Her root color is very close to my natural hair color and the ends seem almost like they just came from the sun. I really cant decide. Bad dye job? roots grown out? or super pretty way to have low maintenance hair??

Well in my research I found a blog... its possible I am obsessed. But not in a creepy scary kind of way... in that flattering "wow I want to look just like you!" kind of way. promise ;)

http://www.llymlrs.com/

She is from the UK obviously (her accent....). I love her ombre hair... not as dramatic as drew barrymore's... wow drew's is getting a little skunky. Its subtle. Which is how I feel about her clothing. Not skanky, not over the top, not super high fashion and therefore unaffordable. Just stylish and different. subtle. I am feeling inspired. I want to go take all my clothes apart and re sew them. I want to ombre my hair (can I use it as a verb? oh well I just did). and I want to finally find out where I am living this summer. New york you sure are a tease.

In case you didnt know- chris quite possibly has an internship with johnson and johnson this summer in NYC. BUT they havent gotten back to him with that ever so imperative final YES yet. And it all feels so uncertain. I am looking for an apartment but how can I really do that when I dont really have a yes and I certainly dont have real dates.

Wanna hear the funniest part? I already have someone lined up to live in my apartment in provo for the summer. So we are homeless come the end of april. It sounds a lot more scary when I say it like that. homeless. But really we will be in england for some time and then new york or vegas and it will all be ok. We wont starve or take to the streets. I will find a home for my soon to be 1 year old daughter (may 6!!!). Who PS is going to have lots of teeth soon. She has 3 and 3 more coming in. And she stands on her own so maybe she will be walking soon?? you never know about that stuff tho. could be months. could be tomorrow. Ok no one is reading this anymore. You (if you were being kind) likely read the first paragraph, got bored and promptly found another blog.

I cant help it if once I finally sit down to blog I realize I have way too much to say.

well I could probably help it by blogging more often. but.... the bachelor was on last night. thats all i've got.

So should I ombre my hair (there I go pretending its a verb again)? or continue with my highlighting in hopes that my soon to be spring weather tan will make me glad to have it all blonde?

Do you believe I could ever really get tan? I am losing faith.

Your opinion matters. Maybe not to your local congressman but certainly to me.

xoxo katie taylor

hat hair

2011-02-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

No... not that messy weird fuzzy hairstyle you get from wearing a hat... I mean a hat that is hair!

I saw this idea here. I thought it was so cute I would make one for lolli. Since she is bald and also because we keep her in hats a lot to protect her hemangioma. Does anyone care for a tutorial? I will make one but I figured I wouldnt bother unless someone wanted to make their own hat. Let me know!

vintage easter outfits

2011-02-27T15:37:00.001-07:00

I followed a pattern (my first time!) to make lolli's dress. I got the pattern at DI for 50 cents! Thanks for the tip betina! (I also got a 6 pack of unused zippers at DI for 2 bucks) and the fabric was on sale for a dollar a yard so this is like the cheapest dress ever. I used about a yard for her dress and a yard for my skirt.

I found the tutorial for my skirt here. So easy! This is a perfect beginners project.

messy bessy

2011-02-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

She wont eat baby food anymore... only wants to feed herself. Which means A LOT more mess. Love that messy face.

well it worked out...

2011-02-25T15:32:00.001-07:00

I had roots. bad ones. But I really didnt feel like getting my hair done was a necessity and therefore didnt want to spend a load of money on it. So I went to sally beauty supply and did it myself.

Its possible I was super nervous. Its also possible that I planned on having to dye my hair back to dark brown immediately afterward because it would be so hideous.

But, well it worked out. To my surprise. Its not perfect, but I like it. So I am going to keep doing it myself for the time being. Its also cheap. Like 5 bucks a time cheap (since I bought in bulk). sounds good to me.

baby booties are the best booties

2011-02-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

period.

laptop sleeve

2011-02-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

Chris wanted a laptop case for his mac so I bought some felt and went to work. It is two layers think and closes with velcro. Worked out great. and to think you can buy this exact thing online for 98 bucks. Ridiculous.

9 month check up and kiss face

2011-02-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Kiss face:

Hemangioma:

For those of you who care, I wanted to post an update and lorelai's hemangioma.

It has gotten so much bigger recently. We had been told (by the doctor and lots of research online) that most hemangiomas like hers start to get smaller and disappear between 6-9 months. So At the appt we talked to the doctor about options. There are a few but basically it came down to this:

1. Use a beta blocker to force it to go away (which is dangerous and requires a cardiac evaluation, EKG, and a 48 hour hospitalization).
2. Let it go away naturally with the risk that if she hit it, she could bleed out enormously.

For now we choose number 2. I just think that its almost always best to let nature take its course. And she is my only child so I have the time and attention to watch her closely enough for her not to hit it (hopefully). But we agreed with the doctor that if it continues to get A LOT bigger we may need to intervene.

For now chris and I are just fasting and praying that it goes away without issue.

xoxo

v day

2011-02-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

Chris and I went out to celebrate V day early because Friday was the night we could get a babysitter. Went to a movie (first time in like a year and a half) and dinner at thai mango. Which by the way is the best thai food in provo for sure. Get the Panaag curry. yum. So on v day we stayed in and ate wayyyyy too much food. my favorite thing to do! First heart shaped lasagna, then cupcakes from cupcake chic, then tons of chocolate!

Linen pants

2011-02-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

I had these linen capris that I loved... they were sooo comfy.

But then I painted in them...

And they got a huge hole in the crotch...

So I decided to recycle them into something for lolli. I found this free pattern and tutorial, printed it out and went to work.

I think they turned out pretty cute! Too big for lolli just yet (they are 2-3 T so next year) but I am excited for the day she can where them!

big girl outfit

2011-02-20T15:16:00.006-07:00

When Mom puts me in my big girl outfits, I love to show her how big I really am by climbing up on everything and making a huge mess. She loves it. Really.

HOME.

2011-02-09T17:50:00.004-07:00

Home is a constant process. A thrift store find, clearance item, or new yard of fabric and I want to move everything around. Chris and I are both excited for the day when we can really decorate. But I am having a lot of fun trying to make something out of nothing for now. Remember that Fabric I bought that I intended for a 70's inspired dress... Well I jumped the gun and used it for something else. See fabric up close here (last pic in the post).

I was sitting on the ground playing with Lolli and decided the book shelf needed to be organized by color... and moved around every lamp in my house... haha.

Made some pillows out of my new favorite fabric and moved grandpas pillow to the living room. (by the way that link shows the before of my bedroom)

Found these pillow shams at a thrift store for 2 bucks a piece. Dont worry I washed them :) You cant really tell in the picture but they have some great embroidery on them. And made a pillow to match.

My dresser has been the inspiration for this whole room.

Family night

2011-02-03T20:49:00.003-07:00

Chris came home early tonight and told us he was taking us to dinner! I love surprises and I love them even more when they mean I get to get dressed up! Lolli was very excited as well.

This is me trying to take a picture of myself looking surprised.... without triumph apparently.

We went to shoots- a yummy chinese restaurant in the riverwoods. It has been all redone and is super pretty now. you should check it out when it doesnt hurt your face because its so cold.

Then we came home and lolli got her snuggle on with papa.

Ok come on lolli- give mama some love....

So finally I got her favorite book out- you know those ones where on each page you can flip down the card to reveal something.

Which lolli likes to do herself- dont try and do it for her.

PS we saw something AWESOME in the riverwoods- its called provo beach resorts. While we were in pain from freezing weather we could see through the glass that people were boogie boarding on an artificial wave. It looked amazing. I want to go!!

the snow hasnt melted but my heart has.

2011-02-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

Usually lolli bathes in the big girl bath but its been so cold so I thought I would give the sink a try so the process would be quicker... but i guess I hadnt realized how big she's gotten. Love this girl to pieces.

made.

2011-02-02T16:37:00.004-07:00

I am getting super into designing and sewing lolli's clothes. I havent learned how to use a pattern yet (ironic huh?) so I have just been kind of going for it and using clothes we bought as a guideline.

Sunday shoes and a hair clip- this whole set is actually for a friend who gave us a bunch of formula she wasnt using.

I have been asked where I get my materials... I use mostly recycled fabric (AKA free hand me down clothes) but I have also been given a lot of fabric. I inherited a jar of buttons my grandma collected. The only thing I have actually purchased so far is this fabric: (which I got for $6. it was on clearance at walmart for $1 and $2 a yard so I got 2 yards of each. I cant wait to get started with them!!)

I plan to make a vintage 50s style dress for L with this:

And a 70's inspired dress with this:

KSL

2011-02-01T16:26:00.002-07:00

Me and KSL.com have had a great relationship. I have made a lot of money selling items there, and I have also gotten some cheap stuff. Overall I recommend it to anyone living in utah or idaho.

I get on just about everyday to look at the new items in the free section. The best days are when someone is going through their grandmas/great grandmas house and selling all her cool vintage stuff for dirt cheap- or my favorite- giving it away to whoever will come get it. I have even had people willing to drop stuff at my house. Gotta love utah for its kindness.

If I was going to spend my money on KSL.com today this is what i would buy:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=14172680&cat=369&lpid=&search=

This cool end table/nightstand is 20 OBO!! How great would this look if it was painted rust and roughed up with some sand paper. Shabby chic. PS I LOVE those knobs.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=14220411&cat=364&lpid=2&search=

This amazing chair is 20 BUCKS!!! You could recover it to modernize it but I would leave the velvet- its in such great condition! I would probably paint the wood white though.

xoxo

I want to be where im going to stay put.

2011-01-31T22:28:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I look at design blogs and dream about a future home. One where I can paint the walls and spend money on decor because I know I get to stay there or at least keep all of my stuff if I move.

Chris leaves in may for NYC for an internship. 4 months. See ya hunny. Have fun trying to cook for yourself when you havent so much as made toast in 2 and 1/2 years. Yeah you got it- Me and Lorelai arent coming with him.

Depression hasnt full on set in yet. All though the anxiety has. Dreams about him getting mugged or getting into a car accident and dying. I dont do well with being apart from him. And rightly so. We havent spent more than 2 nights apart (this happened once) since we were married.

I am tired of packing and moving. I thought I was one of those girls that wanted to move every 5 years and experience living in tons of different places but no- no that girl is not me. I want to travel. I want to vacation or rent a house for a couple of years (like chris' fam did to live in new zealand) but I dont want to keep feeling in a state of transition. I want to be done with school and pick a place and set down roots for a min of 10 years. I want to finish having babies before I rent another uhaul. But this is not possible and I know it. Likely we will move to new york after he graduates and get some stink hole apartment and then slowly move up and up until we get a house. I will likely move 3 times in the next 5-10 years.

BOO.

But on a happier note I do get one last retreat before the separation. Chris and I and lorelai are going to England in April for a couple weeks. Chris' sister and her whole fam will be coming from aussie too so its sure to be a fun filled vacation! Maybe I will get them to take me back to australia with them for the summer :) I would joke about hiding in their suit case but since the SLC airport (and far too many others) now violates people before they are allowed to fly its not so funny.

I could handle the scanner that shows you naked. Not awesome but if it helps keep terrorists off my plane thats great. BUT you wanna touch me?? AND possibly my kid??? All I can say is- there are too many creeps and sickos out there for me to let you touch my kid. I am going to have a hard time when lorelai gets older.

Just one more reason to want to be where I am going to stay put.

outfits

2011-01-29T16:06:00.001-07:00

I have been sewing a lot lately. For my home, my lolli, my friends.... But i have only made one dress for myself. So I decided to make a couple of other items for date nights.

These pants were chris' but they got too short.

I got this blouse at DI for 2 bucks a while ago and have wanted a high waisted skirt to go with it. Its nice to be able to make one that actually fits my body. Dont mind the white legs. ;)

And this is me just messing around with my bomb camera. Can you see my eye???

grandpa's pillow

2011-01-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to redo my bedroom for a while... just add some oomph. My inspiration came from an old shirt my sister gave me. It used to be my grandpa's (he passed away oct 2010) and it reminded me so much of being at the lake with him. Being in the sun and having fun and eating grandmas homemade potato salad. So I decided to make that shirt into a pillow and keep it in my room to remind me of him and all he stood for. My grandfather was the most loyal, hardworking, carefree person I have ever met. And he has loved and taken care of my grandma since they were in high school. He is the person I want to be. Miss you gramps.

Then I made a faux headboard out of some board, blankets we never used and some fabric I got at DI for 5 bucks. It wont last forever but seeing as how we will be moving soon I didnt want to make something I couldnt take with me. The flowers made it feel more carefree. I just cut them out of card stock and folded them up so they look 3d.

Remember this area... i blogged about it previously. I made a lamp covered in felt circles. Well I still loved the lamp but it just didnt go anymore. So I moved it to the living room and redid this area with stuff I already had.

So now I feel like this dresser area is tied in. The room feels a lot more complete and is filled with things I love and reminders of great feelings.

Then I needed new pillows for the front room. Dont ever buy pillows. I will make them for you. Call me. :)

My current love affairs

2011-01-27T13:31:00.002-07:00

I love:

my breadmaker

my sewing machine

this blog http://www.makeit-loveit.com/

spaghetti sauce mixed with cream cheese. Try it- youll never go back.

homemade baby food

the hunger games trilogy. I read all 3 books in 5 days. yikers....

my husband's buzzed head

thinking about baby names... but NOT about getting pregnant ;)

my camera

my sisters baby bump and kardashian booty. JEALOUS. of the booty that is....

my new brother in law and his fam dam bamily.

Lorelai saying "da da" even if she doesnt know what it means. and when she whisper babbles in my ear. and when she crawls into my lap to blow a raspberry on my lips. or tackles me to get eskimo kisses. ok seriously she is perfect. lets just leave it at that.

xoxo

discipline

2011-01-20T15:22:00.001-07:00

So I guess I am kind of a softy.... as mentioned in previous posts... and kind of dread the day when Lorelai is old enough to be disciplined. I understand its a fundamental part of parenting and that its necessary but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. Ha ha anyway I am just glad she isn't to that point yet... because I am still working on the "keep a straight face and don't laugh" thing.

Andrea's Baby Shower

2011-01-19T18:46:00.003-07:00

My friend Andrea is pregnant with a little girl! Since this is her second girl she wanted to do a simple baby shower that was themed around just giving gifts of clothing blankets or fabric (since she is a master seamstress). It was SOOO much fun to throw this shower!! I love themed parties period but baby showers are especially fun since they can be super cutesy and girlie.

All the awesome guests.

We had "cute as a BUTTON cupcakes", "SEW what if these cookies aren't made from scratch?", "This punch is so good it will have you in STITCHES", and "BABY carrots and dip". And I tried to be trendy with that flag garland... I dont even know what to call it.

Thats Andrea in the left corner telling what looks like a very important story. ;)

We hung up some of our home sewn creations with wooden clips. Crafting with this girl is pretty intense. She knows her stuff.

This picture shows the garland we made out of buttons and fabric flowers (on the ceiling). Her little Brooklyn thought it was just about the coolest thing ever.

Go here to see the super cute invitations I forced my husband to design:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=12cdd2c39701a4a4&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D86b2024379%26view%3Datt%26th%3D12cdd2c39701a4a4%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dattd%26realattid%3D61d52cc02d864269_0.0%26zw&sig=AHIEtbSoUVpWNDoxSloHjTZ6wYcFrm6-bQ

i've gotten soft

2011-01-09T21:32:00.002-07:00

I used to love competition. I played years of lacrosse in high school and we won state every year- I was co-captain my senior year. I loved watching sports and playing sports and don't get me started on catch phrase. I loved to win.

But since being married and having a baby I've lost my competitive edge. I've gotten soft.

I still love to watch or play sports or play games... but sincerely (and possibly somewhat pathetically) I just couldn't care less if I (or my team) win. I don't like putting stuff about sports on facebook because it seems to automatically bring on a slew of contention. Maybe I am over sensitive but I guess I would just rather avoid it.

Even as I say this chris is reading my post and says "you could care less not couldn't." To which I automatically reply "No its couldn't. If I could care less it means I care some. If I couldn't care less it's because I care the least possible amount. Its a common mistake." to which he immediately starts laughing.

Apparently I haven't lost my edge entirely. :)

8 months

2011-01-07T13:47:00.003-07:00

My baby is 2/3 of a YEAR old? WHAT?!

Its a strange feeling. 8 months is the amount of time I was aware I was pregnant. That seemed to go on for years. But it feels like these last 8 months have flown by in record time. Here's what bot brain has been up to lately:

She can stand up against furniture. She'll crawl over to the couch and smile at you until you pull her into your lap. Little charmer.

She can take a bottle!!! yay!! She will take formula or water, but still doesnt like juice. Funny kid.

She is SUPER ticklish in her armpits- like cant breath, its too much to take ticklish.

She loves to be growled at or surprised.

She will do eskimo kisses if no one is watching and she is feeling lovey.

Her nicknames range from lolli to Lo to L to Lo-Lie to smiley cyrus. :) last one is just for mommy.

If you sit on the floor she will crawl all over you- climb you like a mountain.

She loves playing with other kids and doesnt mind being poked at or trampled haha.

She loves to eat tortillas with cheese melted on top all ripped up, steamed peas and carrots, and rice cereal with nutmeg, cinnamon, or garham masala. I have even given her rice cereal with curry powder and she pounded it. Must be all the indian food I ate when I was pregnant. ;) A bunch of the books I've read say the earlier you introduce odd flavors, the more likely your child is to accept them. I guess we'll see how long it lasts.

We are still using cloth diapers and still loving them. She hasnt had a leak or an ounce of diaper rash since we got them regardless of getting 2 teeth and throwing up sick. I surprise even myself sometimes with how much I love them. I really didnt expect to. But they are so cute and easy and work so well for her. We have even used them while we traveled and had no issue. If there is a washer and dryer, they will come with us wherever we go.

Happy 2/3 birthday sweetheart! You are the joy of my life. You are so much fun to hang out with and you make me laugh harder than anyone! Thanks for being so happy all the time!!

projects...

2011-01-06T15:45:00.004-07:00

Ok so the baby is still asleep... not sure how i got so lucky. So I may as well blog. This is sort of a random project that just fell into my lap. I wanted another bookcase/ somewhere to display the million picture frames we have. Seems simple enough- Only I wanted it to be free and unusual. I found this old 70s TV on KSL for free and the lady was even willing to use her trailer to drop it off at my house! So I spent a day taking it apart and gutting it (In my rubber kitchen gloves mind you- there were several spiders making a home in there). I bought spray paint and was going to spray the inside black, maybe put fabric on the back panel so something fun showed through. And then it started to snow. Needless to say it will be finished in april. or may. or whenever utah decides it will let me outside. But even though it doesnt feel completely finished- I already really like it. Not sure if anyone else is the world would- but I am the only one who owns one so who cares? :) Oh and PS- I found out afterward that if for some reason I had hit a wire wrong and gotten electrocuted, I would have died. I wonder if the rubber gloves could have saved me???

Before:

After:

as a reminder...

2011-01-06T14:59:00.003-07:00

So I realize I havent blogged in forever- but come on- other than direct family its not like anyone is sitting around saying "man i really wish katie would update me on her life" so I am not going to give myself a hard time. In case you were wondering life is awesome. Its so good there isnt even enough time to blog about it and tell you. haha. Anyway this blog doesnt really count- its more for my records. I got a ton of sewing accessories and materials for christmas and cant wait to get started. So I decided to compile some pictures as inspiration for lorelais future wardrobe. But since I am posting this publicly- you are of course welcome to add any ideas or thoughts. :)

she's got the swiftness...

2010-12-08T20:52:00.002-07:00

my first year cooking thanksgiving dinner...

2010-11-28T18:16:00.003-07:00

I have always taken thanksgiving preparation for granted. I would come home assuming there would be food for me to pig out on, and then spend the rest of the day lounging about on the couch talking to my sisters while the boys watched tv. So this year I decided to give my mom a break and give cooking a try. Chris wasnt nervous because my cooking skills have improved dramatically in the last 2 years of marriage but I was still nervous. It seemed to be such a daunting task. So I made a plan:

1. Go grocery shopping as SOON as I got there on tuesday.

2. Brine turkey over night so it is ready for the next day.

3. Make Becca in charge of the rolls. I feel like homemade rolls are a thanksgiving all by themselves and Beccas are to die for. Win-win.

4. Wake up thanksgiving morning and get to work. Chop all veggies in preparation. Make all sides ready for the oven. Cut potatoes and soak in water ready to boil for mash. Make deserts before hand so I dont have to worry about anything after dinner.

5. Set and decorate table. I used my nieces help for that. We made a turkey for each person by tracing her hand and decorating it like so:

All in all it was far less stressful than I imagined. And my siblings all pitched in to get the job done. David cut up the squash into cubes which is actually MUCH harder than I expected. Matt took out trash about 6 times haha. Emily helped me clean the turkey.... yikes... and Marie entertained Lolli.

I made a turkey, a ham, mash potato, (I made my mom make the gravy since hers is GOOD), cornbread and sausage stuffing, green been casserole, carmelized butternut squash, and pumpkin mousse. My mom had a TON of sweet potatoes but nobody wanted them the traditional way so I made sweet potato fries and chicken burgers the day before. I think that really got me in the mood to pig out. YUMM.

I think you really have to have 2 ovens to pull it off (my mom does and it still seemed like we needed another). I will keep that in mind for my future home. And I think that next year I will make cheesecake instead... I was craving it all weekend. What is a good pig out without cheesecake??

For Dixie :)

2010-11-23T09:05:00.002-07:00

My sis-in-law Dixie recently posted about a beautiful piece of furniture she found in england and then sold for triple the purchase price- only to regret its leaving. I was inspired to cheer her up by finding some great stuff for cheap on KSL here in the good old US of A! They may not be quite as old or quite as sweet but I think it is great stuff I would buy right now if we were staying here permanently!

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=12905048&cat=71&lpid=0&search=

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=13380705&cat=71&lpid=2&search=

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=13381789&cat=71&lpid=1&search=

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=13032934&cat=71&lpid=3&search=

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=13380044&cat=71&lpid=2&search=

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=13377871&cat=71&lpid=4&search=

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=10099283&cat=71&lpid=6&search=

G.I. Lolli doing the army crawl

2010-11-22T14:48:00.002-07:00

Family pictures

2010-11-17T15:42:00.003-07:00

My mom-in-law needed an updated famdambamily picture for her christmas newsletter. I dont think we will be sending out christmas cards this year (SO much going on) so here is my official Merry Christmas (just a few weeks early haha) and our 1950s pictures!

lolli's laugh

2010-11-07T17:48:00.005-07:00

6 months!!

2010-11-06T15:00:00.005-06:00

I can't believe she is 6 months old. My baby is QUICKLY growing out of her babiness. In the last month she has developed SO MUCH personality. She reacts to things she didnt before- seems so much more aware. Im loving hanging out with her! She is so sassy. She makes the most grown up noises and facial expressions. You always know whats on her mind. She laughs at everything- especially other people's laughs. She loves to read books. Her favorite thing to play with is currently her plush tree house with all of the stuffed animals inside. She is particularly fond of the stuffed grasshopper. She likes to be scared- jump out and yell boo and she will giggle like crazy. I love this little girl so much it hurts. She is my everything. Happy 1/2 birthday Lorelai!

Little lolli in her cloth diaper. As soon as I took the tutu off she started to get shy and cover her belly with her hands. Thats right L! Modest is hottest. Some other mile markers:

-She can roll all over the place and scoot a little. Using this method she can get from one side of the room to the other in 10 seconds. SCARY.

-She can feed herself. She does this with rice puffs and freeze dried yogurt bites.

-She loves all kinds of food- her favorite is still plain rice cereal. The only thing she has ever refused is formula. She will suck on a lemon but she wont let me mix one scoop of formula into her rice. And she will not take a bottle. Im really hoping she has gained weight at her 6 month check up because if she hasnt she may have to go to formula. That would make for an interesting few days. But she looks pretty chunky in the pics right? keepin my fingers crossed.

-She is a great sleeper/napper and can put herself to sleep. She still loves to be swaddled which I am grateful for since the nights are so cold!

-She has a goofy laugh. I need to post a video of me tickling her. She goes crazy.

xoxo

can you guess it?

2010-11-05T18:14:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we got to hang out with 2 of our favorite people- Betina and Dave- and we played my favorite game in all the world- cranium- making it a highly entertaining night. Can You guess what chris is trying to be? hint: its an event.

The answer is said by Tina at the end of the video in case you didnt catch it :)

BOOTYs are supposed to be round...

2010-11-05T16:31:00.000-06:00

Ok first I just want to say that no, unfortunately, I am not being paid for this blog post. You'll see why this disclaimer was needed. AND I am going to be talking really frankly about my bum. If you are uncomfortable with that stop here.

After I had Lorelai I knew my body would be different. Part of being a mommy- not something I was too worried about to be honest. And it was... but I couldnt figure out why... when all the weight was gone and my stomach stopped doing that weird deflated squishy thing, shouldnt everything just look the same? Truthfully (dont hate me... Its only because I am like 5 years old) everything was back to almost the same within 2 weeks... so why 4 months later am I still saying- "but something is different"... what could it be?? and then I read my sister in law's blog post "an ode to my booty" http://mannland.blogspot.com/2010/09/ode-to-my-booty.html

Thats it!!! My Booty is entirely gone!!! All the weight left and it took my butt with it!!!

So I did some research and found this:

Dont laugh at me ok? haha ok I am laughing at myself. Chris thought I was nuts. But youtube it! I watched the videos and did some of the moves and thought... hey- at the very least I would be exercising. So I went on ebay and got it for $38 bucks (its normally like 60-80) and told chris to count it as my anniversary present. I have worked out with it every day except sunday since I got it which is about 6 weeks now. This workout targets all of the areas I felt were affected by pregnancy- Bum, abs (especially lower abs) and obliques. It came with 6 different work outs so I am never bored. Some of them are brazillian dance and ballet moves for cardio, some are all about musles. They aren't more than I can handle but they are challenging- and the longest one is 50 minutes. The ones I most commonly do are 20-35 minutes. They even include one- Bum Bum rapido- that is 10 minutes for the days you are on vacay or just dont have time. They dont require a ton of equipment (you can use hand weights and ankle weights but its optional and it comes with a resistance band) and you can do them in your living room. My favorites are tummy tuck, cardio axe, and high&tight. They havent changed my body super dramatically (like they always say in infomercials) but they HAVE changed it. I feel awkward posting exact stats but If you are interested I can tell you more.

Anyway I just thought that it was worth sharing- the workouts are super fun and I feel like most moms need a workout they can do from home (and one that wont break the bank)... I got it to get my abs back (or rather to get abs in the first place haha), lose the love handles, and get a rounder booty. I feel like it is slowly doing that, where many workouts including running for hours for lacrosse never really changed my shape. And I feel healthier and have more energy. All in all I am very happy with it. I am sure that any workout that I liked this much would show results, but I have found that this system works for me. Ok enough bum talk... time to go workout! haha.

xoxo

Oh an in case you really care... here is the link of the person I bought it from in Hong Kong (Don't worry its in english and in perfect condition). They have 10 more. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=160479318707&si=hf3IQjkzaSYk2SW1BLdj6j58fzU%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_3184wt_905

Cloth diapers

2010-11-03T11:02:00.003-06:00

First things first, I will let you know that the idea of this originally made me want to vomit. I could be quoted saying things like "That seems like a lot of work elbow deep in poop." or "Would you use a reusable tampon? NO. So why would I use reusable diapers?"

But alas, your budget can change your mind about just about anything. I love the saying that a penny saved is a penny earned. Right now I dont earn any actual money so I feel like the fact that I cook and we always eat in, I coupon clip, and now use cloth diapers= the way I earn money.

2 things helped me to make the transition. The first was a simple conversation on facebook where a mom who uses them was raving about how awesome they are and how they have changed a ton since our moms were using them. The second was that I use organic cotton breast pads. I always found the disposable ones uncomfortable, expensive and I was constantly running out! I have saved 20 bucks a month (at least) using them and so far that= 100 (after subtracting the purchase price). And I will be using them for 6 more months (I plan to breastfeed until she is 1) and will prob get to use them on my next kid. So I thought... Maybe I will just do some research about these cloth diapers to make sure it is as gross as I think it is.

I was wrong. Sure- you will see poop. But only when you are wiping it off your kid's butt just like a disposable! These are not the crappy leaky stained diapers of years long ago. No more pins, no more nonsense. Since I have used them I havent had one leak. My little one has had diarrhea, has slept in one for 12 hours, you name it- these suckers can handle it. Oh and it got rid of her diaper rash!!

There are about 60 different brands and then there are like 60 different kinds within the brands. I researched for about 40 hours... I kid you not. And then ended up contacting that first mom who raved about them. I bought the bumgenius pocket one size diapers with hook and loops. Let me explain the lingo:

-Bumgenius is the brand. They are awesome, fairly priced, and come in way cute colors.

-Pocket means that you insert a pad into them that absorbs all the... mess. :) there are prefolds (more like the ones our mommas used) and all in ones. The all in ones are the most like disposables but I decided against them since they take a LONG time to dry (since its all one piece sewn together) and you have to use a new one each diaper change whereas with pockets if its just wet you can just change out the pad.

-One size means they fit from 7-35 lbs. Yes friends that means they will fit from birth to potty training saving you THOUSANDS of dollars. You can buy them sized but to me this is just a waste of money. The one size has ways to adjust it so it fits great.

-Hook and loops just basically means part of it is velcro. Originally I wanted to buy the ones with all snaps because I figured they would last longer but i soon realized that a squirming child will not wait for you to snap everything in the right place- velcro is just more functional. And the velcro is more heavy duty then you expect- I see it lasting a long time.

When you actually use them.....

Changing her diaper isnt really that different. I change it in the bathroom so I have easy access to everything i need. If its solid- plop it in the toilet, if its not-it can be washed out in the washing machine. No need to rinse and get your hands all mucked up. "if its not ploppable, its washable" haha. I use cotton wipes too so that I can just put the whole thing in the pail. Then when it comes time to wash I just dump all the diapers in the wash. You do a prewash in cold to get the .... stuff... out, then a full wash in hot. You can do an additional rinse in cold but I havent needed to. They dont stain and actually get bleached by the sun if you line dry them (which I currently dont since I dont have a backyard and I still havent had to worry about stains). You have to use the free and clear detergent but its about the same price as anything else if not cheaper (we were using dreft and her sensitive skin actually does better on this stuff). It makes sense- no chemicals,dyes,fragrances, etc. I literally havent found a con to it yet.

When we are on the go I just put them in a ziplock bag. There are the super cute bags called wetbags specifically made for it but come on- the point of this was to save money. There are also special bags to line the diaper pail with. Again... I feel its unnecessary. I have 12 which means I wash every day. She uses 8-10 a day so I have time to wash them before she runs out. If I didnt have a washing machine in my apartment, or if I wasn't a full time mommy I would get more for sure.

The sites I use:

http://www.diaperjunction.com/

I like this site because it comes with a 30 day money back guarantee- EVEN if you have used them and washed them!!

http://www.cottonbabies.com/index.php?cPath=51

I like this site because they have a little more selection, and also because they sell the bumgenius 3.0. Bumgenius came out with a 4.0, which of course made the 3.0 dirt cheap. but they are super hard to find. That link takes you to the 3.0s but they only have them in white- dont worry- they really wont stain. The outside is made of polyester so it is waterproof and stain proof.

Ok one last thing... I wonder if anyone is even still reading. haha. I promise this will save you a lot of money. I bought my entire set (12 diapers, 24 pads, wipes and everything) for 180. That is about what i spent in 3 months of disposables. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them!!

xoxo

oops one last thing. If you order over 100 bucks on cottonbabies right now, put a pair of the baby leg warmers in your cart and enter in the coupon code FREEBABYLEGS and they are free! :) I got a super cute polka dot pair. The end.

My baby tips

2010-11-02T12:41:00.000-06:00

This is going to be sort of random but I have had a couple of people ask me recently for my baby must haves or the stuff that I had to learn the hard way so here it goes.

My tips... what worked for me:

1. they give you like a TON of newborn diapers at the hospital as well as a nasal aspirator and some formula so we didnt buy any of that. Take everything in your room (just ask a nurse what is yours) because they charge you for it regardless of whether you take it or not. And bring your husbands sweatpants to wear home. I brought my biggest pair and thanks to swelling there was no way i was fitting into those.

2. The first night you bring baby home- you are actually supposed to sleep. I literally stayed awake that entire night listening to her breathing, afraid if I slept she would die. YOU CANT PREVENT SIDS. If your baby is sleeping on their back, dressed properly etc, go to sleep. Yes I know its crazy but you just have to say a prayer and trust they will be ok.

3. Ok- those who are sensitive move to number 4. Keep a bucket in your room. This may not be true for everyone- but I peed my pants like 3 times in the 10 days post baby. I would get up at like 3 am and be rocking her and pee my pants- no control. We finally learned our lesson and I would just stand in the bucket. Gross and true.

4.BUT dont be scared. It took about 10 days and all my swelling was gone, my episiotomy was barely noticable, I had lost all but a few lbs of the baby weight... I basically felt normal again apart from being really tired.

5. Get an IUD. haha I LOVE MINE. no periods. no remembering. and you can have one while nursing! I got the mirena that lasts 5 years but i will have it out before then for sure.

6. Find a system that works for you and your baby. I use the EASY method (eat, activity, sleep, your time) because I found that nursing lorelai to sleep only meant she couldnt fall asleep unless she nursed. But I couldnt handle the cry it out methods either... I have just put lorelai down awake but drowsy from day one and she learned how to go to sleep herself. Just research a few methods and decide what works for you.

7. Exchange clothes for bigger sizes. I got a LOT of newborn and 0-3 month clothes at my shower (thank you!!) but there was no way she was going to wear all of it before she grew out of it- a lot of stores will let you exchange the exact outfit for just a bigger size even with no reciept.

8. Breastfeeding is hard. I wish someone had told me that (they probably did and I didnt listen) before so that I wouldnt have felt like a failure. It is hard starting out. It is uncomfortable to breastfeed in public. It is hard to find church outfits that you can breast feed easily in, it is awkward under a hooter hider. It hurts and takes patience. BUT it is awesome and special and so much easier than bottles (just my opinion) once you get it all worked out.

9. Find someone to come stay with you who wont give you non stop advice- who will simply clean your house and do your laundry and grocery shop and cook for you. Thanks german mom. :)

10. sing hymns... all day long. This kept me focused on being calm and happy instead of sad or frustrated. You are doing better than you think It is crazy sometimes when I think about all the sleep I lost and all the times I was confused or downhearted and a prayer has picked me up and helped me go on with my day. I sing I need Thee Every Hour to lorelai almost every day and it has brought me to tears more than once... motherhood is hard. But most things in life that are rewarding are really hard right?

Baby must haves:

First of all- I didnt need as much as I thought I did. TRULY- the crazy amounts of accessories and things to "make life a little easier" could put you in debt for years.

1. I liked having a Boppi to use for breastfeeding and to sit her in... she still uses it as a back rest occasionally. And I would recommend getting a cover for it so you can just wash the cover when baby spits up instead of the whole pillow.

2. I used and still occasionally use breast shields. The lactation specialist gave me one in the hospital to help her latch on and it makes it way less painful.

3. I recommend getting at least 2 nursing bras... one sports bra type that is super comfy and stretchy for when your boobs are huge and uncomfortable and one with underwire and all that for when they normalize.

4. A swing. Lolli isnt a huge fan of it now but every once in a while when she is sick I put her in it and she goes to sleep... i would be up all night rocking her without it.

5. A Pack n play. If you are going to travel- get your kid used to sleeping in it every once in a while from the beginning or they will not sleep in it at all later... had to learn that the hard way.

6. Rubber bibs. Once baby starts eating, you will be using a cloth bib for every meal which means like 5 a day. And they stain. CRAZY. So we got 2 rubber bibs for like 7 bucks and just rinse them off after meals. you can even put them in the dishwasher.

7. an inexpensive hand pump. When lolli gets sick she tends to stop wanting to nurse. This leads to rock hard painful boobs. I pump and freeze the milk. I also used it at the beginning to try to increase my milk production.

8. Infant tylenol. The first time your baby cries for hours and you think she has an ear infection is not the time to go to the store. I am so glad I had this on hand.

9. Washable cotton breast pads. More comfortable, cheaper, and no midnight store runs. I bought 2 boxes of 6 and have been using them for 6 months and will prob even get to use them with my next kid.

10. And my last thing... cloth diapers. oh my. yes I said it. I will post a blog ALL about them later but if you are on a budget- they are the way to go FOR SURE.

hair

2010-10-31T10:40:00.000-06:00

Lolli has no hair. Just a little blonde fuzz. But randomly she has one HAIR that is super long that we believe she has kept since birth. You can see it in the above picture... the faint line. It is about an inch long. We just cant cut it- it makes us laugh too hard and it is so Lolli. She likes to do everything just a little bit on the odd side.

Oh and we start her on medication soon to make her hemangioma go away. It made me a little nervous giving her medicine at only 6 months but the risk of her bumping it and bleeding for ages has gotten too high... she is a wiggle worm these days. It will be strange to see her without it.

xoxo

all hallows eve

2010-10-30T10:38:00.003-06:00

I have like 500 baby food jars that I am sure will come in handy for something someday haha... so we painted some to use at candle holders.

I bet you can guess whose is whose... But just in case... mine is the cupcake and chris' is the weird Hannibal/asian/modern not-quite-sure-what-it-is pumpkin.

PS During the holidays but mostly Halloween I play a little game. We all know how to spell pumpkin right? well actually- no. Count how many times people misspell it. I cannot say I am not guilty of the error myself... I am pretty sure I have done "punkin" "pumkin" "punpkin". But seriously I have counted like 20 today. Tis the season!! :)

Not your mothers jack o lantern!

2010-10-29T09:52:00.003-06:00

So I went online looking for inspiration because chris and I are FINALLY carving our pumpkins tonight. I made the minor mistake of letting him just run out and pick them while I started to check out. He got the smallest pumpkins ever. It may be very difficult to carve them. But apparently the others "didnt have the right shape- these are much more round, the others were all skee-womp." You really cant fight a designer on these kind of issues...

We will make due. But As I was online I found some seriously cool pumpkins!

(just for chris)

I am not going to lie the last one creeped me out for sure. Happy halloween!!!

xoxo

I think its funny...

2010-10-28T16:15:00.004-06:00

My favorite time of the day is bed time... but not because of the sleep- because of the crazy conversations chris and I ALWAYS have right before bed. Sometimes they are giggle and fall asleep funny... but sometimes they are stifle your laugh so you dont wake the baby pee your pants funny. Last night was one of my favorites.

Oh and you'll need to know that chris and I spent our honeymoon on a beach in Australia in a city named Cronulla...

Katie "I miss being relaxed. I feel like I am anxious all the time. I just want to go on vacation and zone out for a day. That idea of freedom from stress, that makes me think of cronulla."

Chris"yeah thats the second thing I think of when I think of cronulla."

K "whats the first?"

C"what do you mean?"

K "well you said thats the SECOND thing you think of, whats the first?"

C "I think of cronulla, then I think of being relaxed."

I begin to laugh as I realize that chris isnt kidding and he doesnt have anything he thinks of before being relaxed...

K "that saying goes, when I think of cronulla the first thing I think of is...."

C "that doesnt make any sense. When I think of cronulla the first thing I think is- oh cronulla. the second thing I think of is being relaxed."

Again I am laughing hysterically. I try to explain to him again that the expression is "when i think of cronulla (so you have therefore already thought of it) the first thing i think of is (as in the first thought after this)..."

C "That isnt politically correct."

Again I am laughing hysterically. This time too loud and chris begins to stifle my laughs with his hand and say "shhh" between laughs.

K "honey this has nothing to do with political correctness. That isnt how you use that expression either."

He lies in bed a little confused and a little doubtful while I lean over and get my phone. I start typing and he looks over to see who I am texting. He sees that I am making a note so that I remember to blog about this conversation.

C "I dont even care because no one will think its funny."

baby girls

2010-10-27T08:48:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I think about high school and how hard it can be... trying to fit in and yet not sacrifice your own personality in the process. Finding out someone doesnt like you or said something mean about you. And I had a fairly easy time of it with tons of lds friends. But I wouldnt go back for anything. I worry about lorelai... about how sick the world will be then. Good thing I have a while to prepare her. :)

This song makes me cry. I love my baby girl. If you had a baby the same age... please tell them to be nice to her. Ill do the same for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhaqNSv6Kc8&feature=related

lemon juice

2010-10-25T20:32:00.003-06:00

Trying lemon juice:

awkward AND funny

2010-10-20T17:01:00.002-06:00

When your baby farts loudly in the elevator and people are left wondering if it was really her.

The day after you get married and everyone asks about your night. "well I lost my virginity and then we ordered room service..."

When you look at someone in the other lane on the freeway and they are picking their nose. I always make eye contact. If you are picking- just keep your eyes forward.

When you make a comment like "Yeah we almost named our kid Kimball, but then we thought about how cheesy utah that is." and they reply "This is our son Moroni."

When you see someone at Costco and you are like... I know them... where do I know them from?? And then you realize that they go to the Gynecologist you worked for.

Women who poop during labor. I realize this one isnt fair... Not making fun of you- just the situation.

When you have to breastfeed somewhere uncomfortable... like jimmie johns... and there are two 17 year old boys staring at you. I have a hooter hider on. You cant see my boobs. But the fact that you know they are out underneath and therefore must stare is weird.

When you post about a bunch of things that are awkward and then someone says "that isnt awkward I do that all the time." ................. AWKWARD.

xoxo

i hate cars

2010-10-19T16:00:00.004-06:00

They try to make it look cool. But its evil.

Today I am depressed/frustrated/stressed/enraged.

Today I took my car in because I have 3 problems. 1. the switch that makes the air change from blowing on your face to your feet or defrosting your window no longer works. Always blows on your face. 2. the window on the drivers side sometimes decides to not go up. The motor needs to be replaced. 3. The check engine light is on. They would like me to pay $540 for the first 2 problems... and then they will "look into" the last problem. Last time they did that it cost me over $500 to find out a part that cost $8 needed to be replaced.

And I just recently had my front rotors turned, got new brake pads on front and back, and had to get new drums. To the tune of $550.

So as you can probably guess, I am just a little disgruntled.

I think the place I go to sees a 16 year old girl with a baby (lets be honest I am lucky if they guess 18) and they mess me over as hard as physically possible.

I will admit this is my first and only car. I have had this thing since I was 15... it is now 8 years old. I didnt know what I was doing when I picked out my car... honda, chevy, ford... ??? All I saw was red (which I HATE now by the way) and I was sold. Chris and I have spent at least 3 thousand bucks repairing this thing in just the last 2 years. I am not talking oil changes- I am talking the speedometer broke, I have replaced the motor for the window on the other side, the fuel pump needed to be replaced..... ETC. I dont believe I have ever hated an object as much as this car.

I am thinking about getting an apartment near the hospital so I can just get rid of it. Chris can bike or walk to campus and if any emergency happens I will just run to the hospital. I can ride the bus... did it a lot when I was younger. Why not? No more repairs, no more car insurance, no more anxiety every time something shudders or makes a noise or the check engine light comes on. No more worrying about a car accident. No possibility of tickets... wow this list goes on and on. There are only 2 cons. I would HATE grocery shopping. And I would never see my family again.

Fine. Car- I would like you to know that I hate you. I feel you are high maintenance and you have lowered my expectations of vehicles in general. You are a disappointment to your kind. But you are paid off and I cant afford to make payments on something new so I will keep you for now. Its possible i will stop fixing you. I may just let you run yourself into the ground. But I will keep you. PS does anybody feel like totaling my car? you are welcome to it.

brits aren't cowboys

2010-10-18T12:07:00.002-06:00

We had a stake activity that was western themed. Chili cook off, horse shoes, lots of food and this fun little photo station. I was obviously stoked. Got out my cowboys boots, my belt with the big buckle, my plaid shirt, my hat... I am american. OF COURSE i had the whole get-up on hand. Chris had nothing. It took me about an hour of convincing to get chris to even dress up. I told him he was more likely to get made fun of if he didnt dress up than if he did. (I kid you not on every 4th of july weekend when we sing America the beautiful in church people stare at him and laugh waiting for a reaction. He promptly smiles and rolls his eyes.) I told him that he loves his american wife and daughter and that he wouldnt be here if he didnt love this country. All true. So he agreed. He had to borrow a hat from the neighbor, he wore flip flops and one of his white button ups.... AND LOOKED RIDICULOUS.

I totally ate it up. Tried to get him to say yee-hah and the whole thing. There were actual ranchers and cowboys there in spurs and chaps and he was like "wow awesome costume" and they just looked at him blankly. Needless to say I was thoroughly entertained. This picture sums it up for me. Whats funny is he really just looks like indiana jones....

I always thought I'd be a cowgirl. I have pictures of me as a 2 year old in a diaper and cowgirl boots. But Lorelai will not grow up on a ranch- more likely in the middle of brooklyn (or hopefully manhattan one day). Dont worry though- she will still know how to ride a horse and she WILL own cowgirl boots. Mark my words.

xoxo

fall=pumpkin

2010-10-15T17:58:00.005-06:00

My favorite (and the moistest) pumpkin choc chip bread (ever):

Ingredients

3 cups white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
(lets be honest I use milk chocolate but I have a major sweet tooth)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans. Dont be temped to use the spray with flour in it unless you dont mind if it sticks. If its a gift I always do it the old fashioned way to make sure it comes out clean.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill pans 1/2 to 3/4 full.
Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from pans. The cooler they are, the easier they will come out.
If you dont have 3 bread loaf pans (I didnt) you can use any oven safe dish. I used my le creuset, a loaf pan, and a 9x9 glass cassarole dish. You can use a cake pan or i've even heard of people using 1 lb coffee cans if you have them. The key is to have equal depth of batter in all the containers. Doesnt matter how wide- just how deep. Oh and if you really want to disgust/treat yourself- Ice it with cream cheese frosting. Are you gagging or is your mouth watering???

I just made 3 loaves of this- one for my mom, left 2 here with chris. One weekend and they are all gone. Time for a new pumpkin treat. I wanna make homemade pumpkin ice cream. :)

different paths, the same direction

2010-10-15T11:25:00.004-06:00

I miss these girls. Hadnt seen them in so long I can even remember. love you.

vegas, snot, and laughter.

2010-10-14T17:22:00.004-06:00

I have been on a temporary hiatus from blogging. I went to Vegas and saw my fam-dam-bamily and a bunch of old friends. Saw one of my besties get married to her high school sweet heart. Got my hair did by another bestie (for the cost of the color!! Girl you rock my socks off). Got the best set of hand me down clothes I have ever received from my sister. Got my car fixed so it doesn't shake when I brake anymore... a little nerve wracking... thanks mom. All in all an amazing trip.

Got home and I was already bushed from a 6 hour drive there and back and taking care of the baby solo since chris had to stay in utah and work. And then Lorelai got a cold.

pause. breath....

I vow to wash my hands like a mad woman. I vow to limit taking lorelai out of the house as much as possible. I vow to avoid sick people as if they have leprosy.

I CANNOT DO THIS AGAIN THIS SEASON.

I seriously do not think I could be more tired. I do not think I could be in more pain (oops did I mention I AM SICK TOO????) I am beyond my point of frustration or depression. I am too tired to do anything but feed and sleep, feed and sleep. Poor chris may have slept 5 hours last night (oh and I forgot to mention that CHRIS IS SICK TOO.) Lorelai cried and cried and wouldnt settle and even though he was in bed and I was the one rocking her- you cant sleep through my lollis cry. So he got up at six and went to work and school anyway, knowing he wouldnt come home for more than 12 hours minimum.

Now I know why everybody jokes about how rough their life was starting out. "I had to walk uphill in the snow both ways and we didnt eat anything but cabbage soup and my children never slept through the night until they were 1." Because some days it is so hard that if you dont laugh, you may just cry.

But really. It could be worse. So much worse. So tonight I say a prayer of thanks thats its not strep. That we are all still alive. That we have food to eat and a place to sleep that is warm and safe. And then I am going to snuggle my husband and laugh at the fact that I know I am not getting any sleep tonight. Laugh at the fact that everytime lolli settles down into sleep she chokes on her snot and starts crying again.... hahaha I am laughing right now. Its all good. Bring it on.

Note to self: next time you have a baby have family close by who can help when this kind of stuff happens.

2nd note to self: convince a family member to move with you when you go to new york.

and lets throw a ps in there as well. PS those nose sucker things are disgusting... and amazing. I watched my sister use it the experienced mom way and clear her nose in like 3 seconds. Now if only we lived close enough for her to do that right now.

Urban christmas

2010-10-07T16:00:00.001-06:00

Urban has gotten me too excited for Christmas decorating.

Its funny... I know chris will kiss me- but the idea of mistletoe gives me the giddies. My sister gave us some of the real stuff last year and its still right above our front door. I think it will stay until it disintegrates.

yup thats a pickle.

WHAT?!

2010-10-05T18:22:00.000-06:00

Looking at pictures on apartmenttherapy.com got me to thinking... Sometimes people think outside of the box when it comes to saving space and it is awesome! And sometimes you are left staring at them and thinking "what??"

Genius:

WHAT?!:

that seems just a tiny bit dangerous to me. I guess its a way to save space but when you are impaled in the middle of the night you may not be so proud...

xoxo

My dream urban apartment

2010-10-04T18:36:00.000-06:00

My friend Chelsea Allred gave me the tip to check out urban outfitters for apartment stuff... I havent even thought about urban since I moved to utah and I was missing out! thanks cutie girl!

If I won a shopping spree at urban outfitters:

*** drooling and snoring*** stretchhhhhh....... "oh no it was just a dream"

wish list

2010-10-04T12:32:00.003-06:00

I realize it is a little early for a Christmas wish list but as you have probably guessed- I like to get things done and I like lists.

Things I want:

http://deseretbook.com/Resurrected-Christ-22x25-Mark-Mabry/i/5019906

http://deseretbook.com/Christ-Red-Robe-20x27-Framed-Canvas-Minerva-Teichert/i/5052100 I LOVE them both.

2. a sewing machine

3. someone to do my hair every 2-3 months

4. oops i bought number 4. Its a workout system. It is normally like 80 but I got it on ebay for 38 bucks with shipping and everything. From hong kong. haha we shall see how that works out. I promise to work out with it from home- I NEED the exercise. I am inspired. too bad it wont get here for 28-35 business days.

5. whatever my family decides to get me.

The end. Wait that was a horrible list. I cant really think of anything else I want tho... well...

more than anything what a want right now is a job i can do from home or bring lolli to. Please Santa!! make it happen!!!

Oh Lorelai wants to make a wish list too:

1. to see all my grandparents

2. to try pumpkin pie and whipped cream

3. a vintage peacoat this this one:

Quirky

2010-10-03T13:33:00.001-06:00

They say you love people for their details. I agree. Although I am not sure who "they" are and maybe "they" didnt even say it but I think it's true.

Chris' hilarious quirks:
1 He loves pens and stationary. Art supplies. Got excited to by a rubber mat that you could cut on.
2 He gets more english around english people. I thought this was strange until I realized I get more jensen around my sisters. More Las Vegan at UNLV games.
3 He literally cannot put his towel away. He must use it and drop it wet on our bed or the floor. I put it away every single day. I dont even mind... Makes me laugh.
4 Orange cheese burns his throat- he is allergic. BUT white cheese is fine. I honestly thought he was kidding at first but its no joke. And raw carrots burn but if they are cooked they are fine. I cannot find a reason.
5. He loves to make out and cuddle. Awesome!!
6.He thinks the weirdest stuff is funny. Seriously I watch it and understand like 1/4 of it... and dont laugh once. But he has also introduced me to some stuff that makes me laugh so hard I pee my pants like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZAoMv_QnAU

I dont get anthropologie

2010-10-02T10:43:00.002-06:00

What you see above is a cute little collection of picture frames. This little set is on anthropologie.com for..... $3,500. EXCUSE ME??? No its not a typo. Can someone please explain to me why people buy stuff that looks like it is from DI and pay that much? I am not saying I dont like the style- I love it- but why not just go to DI? I use anthropologie as inspiration (as I know a lot of people do) but would never buy anything from there. The couches they sell for $2500 look like DI couches that have new fabric. Once again- I love them- but dont understand why you would pay that much and lose out on the fun project.
I guess I am glad it exists just so I can rip off their ideas at 1% of the cost. But next time you are tempted to buy from them- call me and I will make you whatever you are wanting. And ill even do it at 50% of their price. :)

xoxo

Dont should on yourself.

2010-10-01T16:31:00.001-06:00

Every once in a while I do what my mom calls "shoulding on myself".

I should have graduated high school early. I should have gone to BYU right out of high school. I should have gone to cosmetology school. I should have finished my degree before I got married. I should have finished my degree before I had a baby. I should have saved more money. I should have gone on a mission etc etc...

But I didnt. And I dont know why I do this. My wedding day was perfect for me- right time, right person, right place (the temple). I didnt graduate early- and my senior year taught me a lot of lessons I wouldnt trade. I didnt wait to have a baby so that I could finish my degree. And Lorelai is literally the joy of my life. She is my everything. She is what makes me smile when I wake up. Well her and Chris :). haha. Sure a mission would have been awesome but I get to teach my daughter the gospel everyday. And I can be a member missionary.

I think I do this because I think that somehow I could do whatever I "should" have done- and still have what I have now. But I wouldnt. The timing of meeting chris was so delicate that if it had been weeks before or weeks after it wouldnt have happened. If i hadnt have been working in an OBGYN office (instead of going to school) I wouldnt have found out about my endometriosis when I did. I wouldnt have had my amazing doctor to do my surgery and deliver my baby. And I had been offered a higher paying job the day before my interview with that office, but I felt the spirit tell me I was supposed to take the OBGYN job.

So I am making it a goal to stop shoulding. Because my life has been SO OBVIOUSLY directed. I am exactly where I need and want to be. I am so grateful for the simple blessings I have. Being in a happy and affectionate marriage feels so good its insane. And I am grateful for the blessing of being able to get pregnant. That is huge. Working in that OBGYN office taught me to never take that lightly- the pain of the inability to get pregnant or miscarrying must be so overwhelming. I cannot even understand it fully since I havent been there- but there have been a couple of times I came home from work and cried. Patients who were so excited, so hopeful. Breaks my heart. So I am grateful beyond belief for Lorelai. And the abiltity to be sealed to her. She is mine and I am hers no matter what.

After listening to the Relief Society broadcast I have thought so much about the fact that I am an example to Lorelai and I need to be better for both of us. So instead of shouldas... which dont change anything... I am making goals. I put them on my bathroom mirror with dry erase marker so chris can see them and hold me accountable. Hardest one so far? Cutting "crap", "freaking" and "shoulda" out of my vocabulary.

dessert

2010-09-29T12:07:00.001-06:00

Simple chocolate cookie with white chocolate chips, ice cream and caramel. I am starting to realize that when i think about eating healthy food- I only mean that dinner consists of healthy food. I cannot will not give up desert. yum yum

Moroccan Chicken

2010-09-28T15:02:00.001-06:00

My sis-in-law Dixie gave me the fabulous idea of trying moroccan food. I decided to try something very safe (and probably not all that authentic haha) first so this is definitely a beginner dish. I changed the recipe just a little... used chicken breast since thats what we had. And I am not a huge fan of roasted potatoes... so I made mash. Chris liked it so I think next time we will get a little more adventurous.

INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing pan
8 chicken drumsticks (1 3/4 pounds)
1 one-pound package oven fries (wedge shaped cut potatoes; preferably Alexa brand)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle. Line a large (4 sided) baking sheet with foil and oil foil.
Mix together spices with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then whisk in oil. Add chicken and coat well with mixture. Arrange on baking sheet with potatoes in a single layer.
Roast until chicken and potatoes are cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

coffee table?

2010-09-27T12:12:00.001-06:00

So I have had this "bookshelf" since high school but its useless. It calls itself a bookshelf (well target does) but it will only hold a few light ones without them spilling all over the place. In case you cant tell...the sides are holes. Dont even think about trying to prop the books against the back bar- they will fall down within minutes. WHY?? Why on earth would a bookshelf be constructed so that you need bookends on both sides of every shelf? And why would I buy it? Well it was the cheapest... and at the time that was the most important aspect.

We used it just as a disply shelf for a while... but the shelves were really too deep to look right... and we just dont have that many trinkets. Then I put a bunch of picture frames on it but it once again just looked wrong. The construction of this thing really doesnt make any sense.

So I took it apart and made this:

Its a coffee table... sort of. Its kinda too small to be a coffee table. Despite my best efforts there is no way to make 2 of these out of the bookshelf... only one set of end plugs. And regardless of its small size it has very sharp corners- not so child friendly. I thought about making it an ottoman like my sis-in-law Dixie did to her coffee table, but where this is not classic wood- its plastic and chipboard- I think it might look weird. Any ideas? ottoman? Bookshelf? coffee table? something else? trash?

xoxo

Date night

2010-09-26T15:10:00.000-06:00

Date night is friday. We never miss it. Although some weeks its a little more elaborate than others and date night has included lolli since she was born. PS I dont do babysitters. Not yet. I realize this may seem crazy to some people but I can barely leave her with chris so I can go to the temple once a month. Not because I dont trust him, or other people, just because I get anxiety being away from her. Anyway- This date night consisted of a rom-com and some treats. "Letters to Juliet"- I liked it. Chris thought it was nachos (corny and cheesy... yes I really am going to keep saying it so just roll with it). I ate a snickers and a bag of gummy worms. By my diet you'd think i would be 500 lbs. Chris ate the same stuff. Lorelai ate her feet- her new favorite snack. Then we planned out our saturday- always the busiest day of the week since its the only day we can do errands together. I was going to do our fabric headboard today (one of my many projects) but I measured and there is no way the wood will fit in our car. Anyone have a truck and want to go to home depot with me?

xoxo

pieces of home

2010-09-25T15:35:00.007-06:00

just a couple pics of our apartment. We are in continual progression of making it "done". It will never be done because I like projects too much.

struggling...

2010-09-25T11:59:00.000-06:00

I am struggling with the idea that pedophiles could repent and be forgiven. I believe in the atonement. I know the gravity and power in it. But that still feels wrong.

I am struggling with the idea that my church ever believed in polygamy. Watched a show about modern day polygamists where a 15 year old was married to a 35 year old who had other wives and found myself looking at them like they were evil. But the fact of life is- one day long ago it was a commandment- although I dont know too much about the age differences then.

I talk to Chris about this stuff. We feel the same way- that we know the doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true. That we would never change the way we feel about the LDS church and that these struggles would never shake our testimony. But that sometimes things like this bother us. I am sure one day I will understand. Im sure one day i'll feel some sort of compassion for people who are tempted by such horrible things. That I will understand the need for a system that I currently feel undermines fidelity. I guess the answer is to just not get caught up in what you dont understand or what you are struggling with, but to rely on your sure foundation- your testimony of christ and of his gospel. the knowledge that the book of mormon is a gift from god. That doesnt mean to follow blindly- just to accept that we cant understand everything right now.

I look at Lorelai and think she must be so frustrated by her inability to communicate- to understand. Im sure its a similar situation- when she can see things through my eyes, and when we can see things through Christ's- it'll be a lot easier to understand.

xoxo

I think its funny....

2010-09-23T22:34:00.003-06:00

So I know that I need to get more pictures on here... lets be real sometimes you just open someone's blog, look at the pictures and leave without reading a word. And by you I mean me. Soon I promise. I have started literally 5 new DIY projects... but I haven't finished a single one yet! oops... I get too excited and start the next one before I finish the first. Anyway another blog post with no pictures... but its on my mind.

I think its funny:

that I get so impatient when the mac takes more than 3 seconds to load a new web page when I can distinctly remember using a pc on dial-up when i would click on something and start my laundry because I knew it was going to be a while.

when people take pictures of themselves shirtless/in a bikini and use it as their profile picture on facebook... like really??

that sometimes I turn on cat in the hat when lorelai is really fussy... but lets be honest I am watching it not her.

xoxo

A day in the life...

2010-09-23T13:00:00.002-06:00

6:15 alarm goes off- chris has learned to wake up to it on his own but I haven't learned to sleep through it. Chris gets in the shower and I lay awake for 1/2 hour.
6:45 Chris comes in and we say a prayer, he leaves for school/work.
7:00 lolli wakes up- I feed her. She is too sleepy to eat so I have to constantly stroke her cheek to get a full feeding in. We cuddle... she gets bored and mad that I am crowding her space.
7:30 I pull myself out of bed and put her on a blanket on the floor in the front room. I hang up chris' wet towel which is inevitably on the floor, clean up whatever mess chris made by getting ready in the bathroom, put any dishes in the dishwasher and start a load of laundry.
7:50 Play with lolli... I look like an idiot and she loves it. I maybe eat some cereal or toast. Maybe we watch cat in the hat for 15 minutes.
8:10 Lolli start to whimper and whine- time for her first nap. Swaddle her up, bink in the mouth and rock her until she isn't crying anymore. Rock her a little longer just because i love it when she is peaceful and she only really cuddles when shes sleepy. Put her in her crib.
8:20 Lolli is asleep- should I get in the shower or facebook stalk and blog. yeah ALWAYS the latter.
9:00 lolli wakes up. Feed her again. Read a book, sing wheels on the bus and if you're happy and you know it like five hundred times. She giggles and it makes me feel like I am the coolest person alive.
(this part of my day goes by so fast. from 9-11 I am not even sure what really happens. The only thing I can be sure of is that I feed her the big girl food. Currently loving mangoes so much her eyes light up.)
11:00 lolli start to whine- time for another nap. Always the same routine- swaddle, bink, sing (stille nacht... german silent night... starting to get pumped for christmas) and rock until she is quiet, put her down.
11:15 lolli is sleeping... time to shower. I make myself feel bad like everyday that I am showering at 11 but if its routine then I shouldn't feel bad right?????
11:30 showered and feeling great. Id like to say the next part is blowdry my hair and put on makeup but im trying to be truthful here. Get on the comp or more cleaning. craft projects... what ever.
1:30 lolli wakes up. It is this instant I realize I forgot to eat lunch. feed lolli. go eat a pb&j. More singing/nonsense.

ok the rest of my day gets really repetitive. Lorelai likes it that way.

6:30 start to make dinner. This is my time to relax. Generally Lolli is on the floor in the kitchen eating her hands and laughing at me as I try to cook food in 3 different pans and entertain her all at the same time.
7:00 Chris gets home... maybe. hopefully. we eat. talk about our day, use the itouch to read a chapter of scriptures together. Lorelai starts to fuss so we only read 1/2. Put lolli to bed while chris starts homework.
7:45 back on the internet, make chris a lunch if we don't have leftovers from dinner, bake cookies if i am craving.
8:30 lolli wakes up. feed her. Entertain lolli while chris is still doing homework... can you tell this semester is making me want to cry?
10:00 chris puts lolli to bed. We get in bed and talk for a few minutes, have a good cuddle. This is about all the time I get with him these days. Prayer. Bed.

xoxo

Homemade pepperoni pizza

2010-09-22T16:34:00.001-06:00

A lot of what I love about Little Caesar's is their bread. Its what makes the pizza... this is very similar but its not made by a 17 year old with acne who hasn't washed his hands. Sorry to be graphic- but come on- if you have ever worked in food you know its not all that sanitary.

Just one more reason to eat at home.

You know how to build a pizza- mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, pepperoni... Its really all in the crust.

1 Tbsp yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cups butter

Dissolve yeast in water. Mix in flour, salt, and sugar. Leave dough to rise 20 min. Preheat oven to 350(we do 325 since our oven always cooks fast). Melt butter and pour into a baking sheet. Add a handful or so of flour to mix (you want it to stop sticking to your hands) and then drop in buttered cookie sheet. Spread dough to 1/2 inch from the edges. Brush dough edges lightly in butter. And tomato sauce, cheese, toppings. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Easy Squeezy.

I use tomato sauce out of a can and add rosemary, basil, oregano, and garlic salt- but the pre-made stuff works if you have it.

red velvet cupcakes

2010-09-21T13:00:00.000-06:00

To be honest these just looked like chocolate cupcakes with a tint of red to me. But they were yummy in my tummy. Anyone have a red velvet recipe where they are more... red?

Red Velvet Cupcakes
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c baking cocoa (powdered)
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 sticks of butter at room temp
5 eggs
1 c buttermilk or yogurt
1 t vanilla
1 t red food coloring

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Sift three times. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after eack egg. Add 1/4 of dry ingredients to creamed mixture then approximately 1/4 of buttermilk alternating until mixed well. Mix in vanilla and food coloring. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full of red velvet batter.

Bake for aproximately 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

If I was talented...

2010-09-20T09:18:00.006-06:00

If I had a sewing machine and I was talented... these are the sweet clothes I would make fore lorelai.

I am in love with every piece on this website and they seem very simple to make:

http://mrsbird.net/Vintage%20Baby%20Clothes.htm

And last but not least... i would make this for me :)

the dress AND the cupcakes... haha.

xoxo

third and final lamp

2010-09-19T13:00:00.000-06:00

Just another $3 DI find with some spray paint I bought for another project. The other project isnt complete yet (need a little help from home depot) but rest assured its coming.

Why did I not own any lamps before?? they bring warmth to a room and are such a fun way to decorate!

xoxo