Wish List

I have a constant wish list in my mind and heart.  It consists of pretty things, books, places, flavors and experiences, and this week I have added two new items!

I found both of these things on the blog decor8, one of my favorite design blogs!  

The first are a handful of beautiful prints created by Katie Daisy and sold in her etsy shop The Wheat Field!  I love her designs.  The beautiful colors and especially the words!  They are bright and inspiring and I NEED some in my home!

The second is a book by Meredith Gaston called "Tucked In".  This sweet little book takes a look at all of the little things surrounding and supporting the blissful experience of sleep.

  I love this description of her book.

“Bed needn’t be a place just for sleeping. Whether you are young or old, nimble or wobbly, tucked into bed on the doctor’s orders or on your very own whim, you can use your time in bed to explore your creativity and heal your soul. Meredith Gaston, artist and passionate lover of all things bed, encourages us to discover that our tucked-in time can be as creative as it is restorative, enriching our days and bringing joy to our lives. We learn how to analyse our dreams and find out what our sleeping positions reveal about our personalities, as well as creating our own tucked-in haiku poetry, comfort foods and dream catchers. Simply snuggle back, relax, and be guided through a world of tea cup cosies, shadow puppets, favourite bed socks and eclectic sleepy facts. The perfect gift for the bedbound or balm for the world-weary, Tucked In is sure to uplift, soothe and inspire.”

Photos taken from decor8
It would be the perfect book to keep on my night stand and inspire me into a deep satisfying slumber!  Heaven knows I could use a deep and satisfying slumber from time to time!

I'm back......

.....and I feel like I just woke up from a night of no sleep! I look like it too!  The last month or so has been a whirlwind of emotion, change, experience and growth!  I might be exhausted, but I am exhausted and happy!

Previous to my "Blog Fast", I challenged myself to go for 40 days without any sweets.  During that time, I found I really didn't need chocolate as much as I always thought I did.

Blogs, however; are an entirely different craving for me.  I realize that I crave information, connection, creativity, and good writing!  I love learning about other people's lives, interests, aspirations and accomplishments.  Blogs inspire me!  I have missed them.

In their absence though, I have learned that I have a big problem with balance.  Learning to enjoy all things in moderation is a big deal to me, but right now I am not very good at it.  I have also learned that I tend to go unconscious at times, turning to outside sources to avoid fully living my own life.  I am not fully present in every moment.  I realized this, when I was finding myself spending too much time reading, or watching movies when I couldn't turn to the blogs I usually escape to.  Why would I do this?  I don't know!  I have a beautiful life filled with love and purpose and yet I seem to keep myself at a distance from everything I love.  Hmmm....interesting.

I am learning to be more aware of who I am and how I am spending my time.  I am trying not to judge myself....just observe and notice.  During the last 40 days, a lot of wonderful new things have happened.  My life is headed in a new and exciting direction, and I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for giving me such an abundant and full life!  It's my choice to accept it though.  I think the Lord is offering all of us every good thing we desire.....we just have to ask for it and then make the choice to take it!

I highly recommend sacrificing something you might be holding on to a little too tightly.  Stretch yourself.  Take the time to step back and look at your life and behavior a little more closely.  I promise the Lord will show you the parts that need to be let go of, and the best part, is he will replace those parts with the thing you really want......happiness!

Fine and Fancy

When I was a little girl, my mom used to tell me I'd need to marry a wealthy man to please my taste for pretty and expensive things!  She used to say it with a tone in her voice that made me feel badly about my love of all things fine and fancy!  

As I've grown into a woman, I realize I don't need a wealthy man, but rather a man who loves the fact that beautiful things speak to my heart and when possible, honors my desire to be surrounded by that beauty.

For quite some time, I have admired a work of art entitled "For This Child I Prayed" by Elspeth Young.  It is a moving depiction of Hannah and the baby Samuel from the bible.  I have always loved the story of this brave woman who longed for the role of motherhood and promised the Lord that the child would be his, if he would just bless her with a son.  What a faithful and beautiful woman Hannah was!  I love a good story of feminine strength!!

This piece of art expresses something I feel deeply as a mother! It warms my heart with all of the joy and gratitude I feel for the babies I love!  It is more than art.  To me it is a masterpiece and whenever something touches me this deeply, I long to have it in my home.

A month or so ago, Tyler surprised me with this very painting and reminded me that enjoying the things that move your heart is an important part of this life.  Wealthy (which he is in so many ways), or not, my sweetheart has blessed me with many beautiful things over the years, and I love him so deeply for that.

I was reading a book about Marjorie Pay Hinckley a short time ago, where she tells a story of one of her travels to a distant and not so prosperous land.  She entered the tiny, modest home of a family and saw up on a high shelf a simple pitcher filled with plastic flowers!!  It put a smile on her face to see a mother doing her part to beautify her home.....even if it is with one vase of fake flowers!

As women, we put the final touch on our home, and creating a place of warmth and beauty is a part of utilizing our creative power!  "Fine and fancy" is in the eye of the beholder.  What is beautiful to me may not be to you.  The point I am trying to make here though,is that it's okay to love something beautiful.....that is what we were created to do!!

Hungry for Sand

For me, the coast is magical, and I think I know the magic my girls felt as they ran barefoot on the beach, dug their tiny fingers in the cool sand and gathered sea shells, sticks and rocks in their tight little fists and bulging pockets.

They ran, skipped, waddled, jumped, twirled, splashed and reveled in the grandeur and magnificence of the world around them.

Rewind to my twentieth birthday. The day I entered a new decade of life, I also boarded a plane and flew to Los Angeles to be a nanny!  It was there where I fell in love with the beach and the wind and the waves!  During that year we lived in Vancouver BC for a short time.  On a day off, we took a day trip to the near by mountains!  We rode a gondola up.....higher and higher until everything was covered in a thick white snow!  The soft white made everything feel slow and quiet.  As we stepped off the gondola, we stepped into a winter wonderland!  Children were bundled in mittens and snow caps.  They laughed and chased each other around on a small ice skating pond.  A horse drawn carriage brimming with rosy cheeked faces trotted through the trees.  There was skiing, sledding, and a beautiful mountain lodge to escape the wintry nip and warm yourself with a huge mug of hot chocolate.  It was a scene from a Norman Rockwell calendar.  Complete perfection.

At the conclusion of our afternoon in the clouds we worked our way back to the valley and ended our day on the beach.  My young heart pounded as I stood face to face with the crashing waves. The cold wind sent my hair whipping out behind me free and wild.  All of us held hands and screamed into ocean, something we often did together.  It was therapeutic, and in the end always turned into laughter.  On that day I felt so small in a big world.  I knew I was small, but I also knew I was an important part of this big picture!!  I felt like the Grinch with a heart that grew and grew until it would burst.  I wasn't a Grinch....just a changed person.   I had a new love for the world I lived in.  That day I grew hungry for sand and waves and trees and mountains and worlds within this world that I had not yet seen.  

A traveler was born.

Our trip to the Oregon coast reawakened this sense of wonder and awe at the creation God offered as our home.  We are lucky.....so lucky.

Our days on the beach were magic.  The warmth and sun and cool breeze in November where so unusual and I took it as a big "I love you" from a generous Father in Heaven.  

As we wandered the small trail away from the shore, Emilee whispered in my ear...."Mama, I'm hungry for sand".  I smiled.

A traveler is born.

October

I've been thinking about it, and I've decided that October is my favorite month of the year.....and it's not because of Halloween, because quite frankly, I'm not that into Halloween.

No, for me it has more to do with the feeling, the color and the memories.

October is the perfect combination of warm and cold and the perfect backdrop for happiness.  You get to wear tights and jewel tones, and you don't have to wear a jacket, but you can.......if you really want to!

I remember a stormy October night 11 years ago.  It was a night of great importance in my young life.....I was going to the Temple in preparation to serve a mission, and more importantly, in preparation for the rest of my life, and all those heartfelt renditions of "I Love to see the Temple.....I'm going there someday" somehow brought me to this October night!  Inside that hallowed building I made promises to God and to myself.  Promises that I was finally ready to make and in so doing, even without noticing it, I was a different person.  It was the most beautiful thing I had experienced and it was huge and important and I felt the warmth that only the spirit can bring.  I realized that there is so much to learn, and even though I caught only a small portion of it on that first visit, I knew it was true and I knew that I was loved and important to my Heavenly Father.
On the way home, dark clouds and cold wind swirled around us, but all the cold in the world couldn't penetrate the warmth I was feeling.

It was good.

This month of October is making me feel reminiscent, and even a little emotional.  A lot of the greatest events in my life have taken place in October.  I think I will write more about them through out the remainder of the month!

Now off to eat some pumpkin chili!

The Lovely Letter

I want a pen-pal!

I've been obsessed with the idea lately and I'm on a quest to revive the forgotten charm of letter writing.  

I really want to buy pretty note cards and stationary and send little bits of my heart out to an unfamiliar place.  I want to  learn about someone interesting, with good ideas and a life that is different and new!

On the other hand........I want to reconnect with familiar places.

My cousin's and I used to write letters to each other growing up.  Unfortunately I have been so negligent when it comes to keeping in touch with people I love and care about.  

I recently went through a bunch of old boxes and found stacks and stacks of old letters from my childhood.  I only kept a handful of them, as there were too many to read and store.  In this process though, a little fire was lit inside and the need to share love and words has been swirling around inside me ever since.

There is something so warm and nostalgic about a handwritten letter, and it is always fun to have something real and personal waiting for you in the mailbox.

I think it would be fun to start a club where paper, pen, envelopes and stamps carry words of love and encouragement to people all over the world. Everyone who joins would be paired up with another member and for a whole year you would send and receive a monthly letter.  It could be about anything, but it would need to be positive and inspiring.....something to look forward to receiving!

I know writing letters isn't a new idea, but It feels fresh and exciting, considering the fact that everything is digital nowadays!

If anyone can match me up with a pen-pal....please let me know!

Love,

Me

Daddy Daughter Campout

Tyler is the world's greatest daddy! If you need evidence, you will find it in these photos! He took our two year old on a hike/camp out, and she had the time of her life! I think he had a pretty good time too!

There were frequent stops on the hike, for snacks and drinks and relaxation in the shade. Apparently it wasn't the fastest hike Tyler has been on, but no doubt one of the most memorable.

Good friends make everything more fun!!

Gathering Pine Cones to bring home for mommy!

Muddy and wet after the rainstorms!

Does it get any better than campfire and marshmallows?

Giddy about the sleeping bags! This girl loves anything to do with tents and sleeping bags!

Good Morning Sunshine!

Headed home!

101 things I love

1. NYC
2. the horchata at betos
3. emerald green
4. pumpkin ravioli
5. campfires
6. giggling babies
7. chocolate cake
8. "business time"
9. Bombay House
10. pretty shoes
11. rosy cheeks
12. soccer
13. long lingering kisses
14. hamburgers
15. sleeping in
16. my mom's scrambled eggs & cheese
17. love letters
18. jamba juice
19. blogging
20. "You've Got Mail"
21. feeling healthy
22. night swimming
23. date night
24. Tyler's cooking
25. cheese
26. long showers
27. fall leaves
28. twinkle lights
29. sunflowers
30. warm sweaters
31. nice smelling sheets
32. C.O. Bigelow lip gloss
33. moon rise
34. nutella
35. everything cozy
36. vintage luggage
37. shopping
38. my husband
39. sleepovers
40. mountains
41. starlight
42. foot rubs
43. good music
44. pasta
45. Jesus
46. weddings
47. my babies
48. LOVE
49. books
50. candle light
51. good news
52. day dreaming
53. Anthropologie
54. long eyelashes
55. writing
56. visiting family
57. Schwan's chocolate peanut butter ice cream
58. creativity
59. Def Leppard
60. honesty
61. power naps
62. girl's weekend
63. laughing really hard
64. jalapeno cheetos
65. motherhood
66. temple square
67. parties
68. happy people
69. lots and lots of pillows
70. tea pots
71. traditions
72. freedom
73. beautiful rooms
74. road trips
75. feeling pretty
76. donuts
77. bubble baths
78. Italy
79. cinnamon rolls
80. integrity
81. art work
82. good photography
83. soft grass
84. dancing
85. children's books
86. romantic get aways
87. chocolate milk
88. home grown tomatoes
89. travel
90. Food Network
91. card games
92. Ingrid Michaelson
93. feeling safe
94. picnics
95. "It's a Wonderful Life"
96. flower gardens
97. purses
98. alpine slide
99. spirituality
100. home
101. knowing who I am

photo taken from here

And so much more

My Anthropologie catalog arrived in the mail today..........oh glory be!

I am passionately in love with every single item in that blessed store. I know it's not good to covet or long for material possessions, but everything is so frilly and beautiful, and so tempting!

I counted 5 pairs of shoes
5 cardi's
3 blouses (who uses the word blouses anymore?.....I do!)
4 dresses
2 jackets
2 rugs
6 comforter sets
and
1 pair of curtains, that I must have.

And that was only in the catalog.

Anthropologie is delicious, it is feminine, it is unique..............and it is pricey. That is why my passion has to be held in reserve for that future place where I have all the money I could ever dream of. That place does exist.....I know it does. People tell me it is imaginary.......but it can't be. I'm never going to give up hoping, because dreams really do come true. If you don't believe me.....remember this post? These beauties are sitting in my cupboard as we speak!! Oooh, I think I'm going to go pour myself some creamy chocolate milk right now!

Here's to pretty things! clink clink!

*wink*

The lady around the corner

Around the corner from my Parents, lives a saint of a woman. She is the sweetest of sweet and as thoughtful as they come. Nearly every family occasion we have, finds her there, like a devoted aunt or cousin, offering help, treats, and a heartwarming compliment or word of encouragement.

She is from Holland, and she speaks with a slight accent.....you know, the accent where the "th" is pronounced more like a "d".

I love this lady around the corner.

She rides around town on a pretty bike with a basket out front. She cheerfully waves as you pass with her enormous dog on a leash and her basket filled with bags from the local grocery.

She is a little bit of Europe and I love a little bit of Europe.

I can't really pin her appeal to anything as silly as a pretty bike with a basket, though they do add to her charm. The real reason she is exceptional in my eyes is her apparent quest for Charity: the pure love of Christ. I am not a part of her inner circle. I do not know her daily struggles, but I do know she handles people with care and sincerity. She has a gift for looking at you and seeing who you REALLY are, not just your silliness and imperfection. Trust me, everyone needs a neighbor like this.

I must admit.....I do want a pretty bike of my own. I want to ride the country roads of my new home town. I want to scatter sunshine, and cheer. I want to handle people with care and sincerity, and most of all, I want to be gifted with Charity, and I want to share it with everybody.

Just like the lady around the corner!

This beautiful photograph is taken from one of my favorite websites Hello My Name is Heather!

This Gorgeous Life

We travel into the city, or "up north", as it is referred to here, about once a month. We usually stay with my family in Springville and hit up Costco, Wal-mart, and any other necessary stops.

It tends to be rushed and filled with the constant predicament of wanting to relax and enjoy family and friends and the need to get all of our errands done before heading back out to the desert.

I love it, and I hate it.

It's a price that we pay living way out in the unknown lands of the west. People think we are crazy, but.....we love it out here. I guess you could say, it is a price we are willing to pay. Besides Tyler and I haven't gone to rehab for our fast food addiction yet, so if it wasn't for our extremely remote location, we'd both weigh 300 lbs.

All that aside, I want to let you in on a little part of why I love Tyler. First of all, he loves his girls. I've mentioned that before, but I don't think you really get it. I mean he really REALLY adores them, and he wants to give them experiences that make them happy. Experiences that give them fond childhood memories. And I love him for that!


Last time we went to town we found a nice spot to stop on our way home. We pulled out our diaper boxes to use as tables, dug through our coolers and pulled out the hot dogs. Our hero daddy built us a fire, and hovered over the open flame roasting hot dogs for his hungry family. Emilee ran wild in the open air. She jumped up and down waiting to eat her hot dog, and then smiled like crazy while she smeared ketchup everywhere! Adeline cooed in the fresh air, and my heart swelled with love and contentment as I observed my little family.


This last trip was long and tiring. I built a cake, there was a wedding, Tyler rafted a river, we shopped and shopped and then finally late Saturday afternoon we set off for home. We were pooped....all of us. As we approached Delta, Tyler mentioned something about an ice cream cone, but I was in no mood to haul the babies out of their slumber, and away from the cool car in order to watch them smear ice cream all over kingdom come. No thank you!!

But, just as my sweet Tyler was about to move on, I had a change of heart......Yes!, I cried out......let's do it! Let's live our lives......let's eat ice cream! He smiled and circled back into the parking lot of the Delta Freeze. Once again our hero daddy saved the day. He reminded mommy that even though life makes us tired, it is still our life.......the only one we have. Today will never come again.



Thank you my love, for showing our girls that it is okay to have fun!!!

Love you a million x a million!

Dandelions

On Saturday Emmy, Addy and I spent some time out on the deck in the sunshine!

It was so nice.

At one point, as I was feeding some rice cereal and peaches to the babe, Em wandered down the steps to the lawn. A few minutes later she approached with a fist full of dandelions. "Hea Mommy....feowas (flowers)."

Oh my.

Right then and there my heart grew and burst! It was my first bouquet of dandelions picked with love from my first born. I wish I had a photo of her sweet face looking up at me with her fist full of flowers held above her head!

I filled a tiny glass vase with water and attempted to arrange them. It was difficult considering most of them were just dandelion heads with no stems, but I displayed them proudly all weekend.

This morning I am left with their shriveled remnants and a beautiful memory!

Thank you baby girl!

The Fairy Blog-Mother

If you have not heard of Stephanie Nielson that probably means you have not read her blog! If you haven't read her blog that might mean you have not been exposed to the beauty that is available to you as a woman.

About a year and a half ago, I was introduced to The NieNie Dialogues. I was smitten. I felt as though I had found a soul sister, someone who shared the dreamy romantic view of life that I held in my heart and soul. I felt freed. I was inspired. I was moved. To focus on the good, and to create the good. That is what NieNie taught me.

I've decided that blogging is powerful and here's why. It is a record of your thoughts, your dreams, your observations. It causes you to focus on the things you desire and the things you believe. You realize your capacity to love, you observe and feel gratitude for the love you receive. It exposes your complexities and simplicities. When you step back and really think about it, your blog is a portrait of yourself...........whoever you are, whatever you are....it is captured and thrown out as a ray of light in the darkness.

Writing is a creation process, but I am starting to believe that it helps in physical creation as well. When you write about life, you allow yourself to imagine something even greater.....as a result greater things come about. I know it has happened in my life. Perhaps it will in yours too!

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

Henry David Thoreau

2010 World Cup

If I had an ounce of athletic ability, and had my younger life to do over.......I would be a soccer player without a doubt! Soccer is such an organic sport, it is simple........run like heck, and kick the ball! It doesn't involve a lot of gear or equipment and it leaves the player with a feeling of power and freedom.

As a teenager, my boy crazy side was intrigued by the fact that the players all resembled male super models in shorts and shin guards. That, along with the fancy foot work, attracted me to the sport for somewhat shallow reasons! But my interest has remained, and though dormant, my dream is to run the field with all MY power and freedom.

I saw this video for the 2010 World Cup in Africa today, and felt my old love for soccer wash over me.........just like the good ol' days! It is one of the only sports where competition is on a global level, and every country lives and breaths loyalty for their team. The US is one of the only countries where soccer isn't loved as widely. In some ways it's too bad, perhaps it would bring our country together!!

Anyway, check out the video! My girls and I have been dancing to it all morning!

Wedding Day

I love weddings.

That's why it's a shame that there was so much stress and anxiety surrounding the one and only wedding day I will ever have.

I was on such a mission to make it there and follow through with my commitment that I almost forgot to enjoy the planning, the decision-making, the excitement! I didn't even hire a photographer for goodness sake! Gasp! I know.

My beautiful sister-in-law is getting married in two days, and I am so very excited! I'm doing the cake! Wish me luck.

Of course I realize that the most important part of your wedding day is the ceremony. It is where the magic starts and where the promises are made but, I must admit I am a sucker for pretty things, and I get caught up in the party side of it too. I love color and decor, lighting and ambiance. There is a small part of myself that feels like the life of a wedding planner must be so romantic and glamorous! I wish I could live in a world of flowers and linens and catering and perfect celebration......minus the bridezillas of course.

Over the last year I have discovered three lovely wedding blogs that I like to sneak a peek at from time to time.

Once Wed
Snippet & Ink
100 Layer Cake

I love seeing all of the beautiful, creative, and often "done on a budget" ideas people have. Go check them out, and enjoy!

photo taken from Snippet & Ink

Cherry Blossoms

I'll just come out and say it.......I have a cherry blossom crush.

I know that sounds absurd, but....... if you were to experience their sweet blushing petals and intoxicating perfume, I think you'd be smitten too!

When I was 26 years old, I was given the opportunity to work in Japan! Yes, Japan!!! Oh the dreaminess, the independence...the adventure! But it wasn't to be.

Somewhere inside I knew the desire to frolic in my carefree singleness beneath those Japanese cherry trees was not going to happen. Life had something bigger and even more adventurous in store. The closer it got, the more certain I became. I needed to stay home.

A few months later I was engaged!

Someday I will introduce my true love to my crush. Perhaps we'll grow cherry trees in our yard, and every spring I will fill vases with their blooms and fill our home with their glorious aroma. Maybe we'll take an exotic trip to Japan and frolic in our togetherness beneath the Japanese cherry trees. Or.... perhaps both.

If you love cherry blossoms as I do, you must check THIS out! Yum....you won't be sorry!

United State of Pop 2009

There is this guy....DJ Earworm, and for the past few years he has put together a mashup of the previous years top 25 hits!! Emilee and I discovered the 2009 mashup early in the year and have been groovin' to it ever since!

We suggest you check it out. Let you your hair down and dance!! It's good for the soul!!

It really is amazing how he combines all the different songs into one cohesive mix! We usually just listen to the audio, as there are some images on the video I don't really care for, but I must say DJ Earworm has provided hours of fun and excitement at our house....thanks man!

You can go HERE to see ones from previous years. The 2009 is our favorite!!

Sweet Life In the Valley

One of my favorite blogs, Sweet Life in the Valley, is having some domain issues. If you are a follower and are wondering what happened to the website, they are now found at www.sweetlifeinthvalley.blogspot.com.

Go check them out! They are having an awesome giveaway!

Announcement

I have a food blog!!! Anyone who knows me well, or maybe not even that well, will know that I LOVE food! I love talking about food, making food, watching other people make food, and most of all eating food!!

So come join me on my New Blog, and I'll try to share some of my favorite food from time to time!

See you there!

More Favorites

1. Peonies. They look like roses with feathered hair and I think it looks good on them! I love how soft and feminine they are. I wish I had a bouquet of them sitting on my night stand. I know they would make me smile first thing in the morning!

2. "You've Got Mail". It is my favorite movie. I watch it at least once a month and I love it every time! I wish THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER really existed. It would give me another excuse to visit NYC, and I would most certainly go in the fall....and treat myself a "bouquet of newly sharpened pencils"!!!

3. Toast. Hot buttery scrumptiousness! The aroma alone, takes me to my happy place! I am a toast junkie. It is top of my comfort food list.....and always will be.

4. DKNY Be Delicious. It is a perfume (the green bottle)....... and it makes me FEEL delicious!!!

photo taken from here!