The Simple Things

Here we go again...

 
And so it starts. A couple seasons ago it was "The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love" or "The Bachelor: An officer and a gentleman". This year I'm calling it "The Bachelorette: Bottom of the Barrel" or "The Bachelorette: The Leftovers". I'm not impressed people.
But, surprisingly, I totally got sucked in last night.
There's so much to cover, I'm breaking it into two parts.
The Tools vs. The Good Guys

First up...the Tools. 
Tool #1: Tim the Lush
 
Seriously...you get a chance to meet the Bachelorette and you spend the entire night wasted. Classy. I don't even want to waste time talking about him. He's a complete DB and I couldn't see him go fast enough.

Tool #2: Ames a.k.a Quasimodo
 

I know that this is going to sound so mean, but I cannot get over the resemlance between Ames and Quasimodo. It's uncanny really.
 
I also couldn't get over how much he loved himself. "I've run 39 marathons, 8 ultra marathons, been to every Ivy League school and have 800 million degrees." You can't buy love and you are STILL the Hulk. I have NO idea why Ashley gave him a rose.

Tool #3. Jeff aka The Phantom
 
This guy is a complete weirdo. Even the music fades to Phantom of the Opera when he's on. Even his bio pic is just a silhouette. His whole guise is that he wants her to get to know his heart...the Real Jeff and doesn't want his face to figure into it. What do you think?  Is this just an attention getting stunt or is he hiding something??

But, the DB of the Night award goes to...

4. Bentley...the ScumBag of the season

 
This guy is a real piece of work. Maybe Fleiss is pulling a fast one on us, but he's making himself out to be the biggest jerk of the franchise. Even worse than Wes. His comment about not caring one bit about Ashley's feelings...maybe if it was Emily..." made me so mad. What a jerk.
Ashley had some heads up on him. My bet is that Michelle from her season (remember Crazy Michelle who also lives in SLC) gave her the scoop. Ashley was set on letting him go, but alas...he proved to be too charming.
And, fortunately/unfortunately it looks like he makes it pretty far. Should be entertaining!!!

Now, let's get to the good guys...

1.) Ryan P. aka Mr. Sunshine
 
I like this guy. Okay, so his promo was cheesy with the solar gig/sunny disposition in life/heart framing the sun bit. But, he's cute and happy and I think that he and Ashley could be cute together. I worry that he has some Jake Pavelka tendencies though.

2.) William aka Sweet Home Alabama
 
For every Quasimodo, there is a Josh Lucas doppleganger. Thank goodness!!
 
He's cute, but may be too eager. Only time will tell.

3.) JP aka Cupcake
 
He looked much better last night then he does in his Bio pic. There was something chill about him that I really liked. What I didn't like...Ashley begging him to call HER cupcake. Please. You shouldn't have to ask for a nickname!

Other Contenders:
 

West aka Male Emily - Dead wife (really was tragic) and catchy gift for Ashley (compass that only points West). Could be good. Unfortunately he got very little air time last night. He is darling though.

 
Ben F. aka Josh Groban
What is it with celebrity look alikes this year? I kept waiting for Ben F. to break in to "You Raise Me Up" at any moment. Ashley totally digs him and the prospect of being a winery heiress a la Andrew Firestone. I can't see the attraction at all but previews have him in Thailand, so we'll see!!

All in all, I thought the first 10 picks were complete dogs. I seriously thought it might be an episode of "Punked" or the "Most Dramatic Rose Ceremony Twist Ever". It wasn't...she really chose those guys. She redeemed herself by picking the cute guys last. This season looks FULL of drama. I can't wait.

Tomorrow...part 2 of this post.
What you should NEVER do coming out of the limo!!

Father's Day Surprise

 

Father's Day is right around the corner, and this year I'm getting a jump start on Den Farlow's present.
I've done the store bought route before. It's overdone. How many ties/golf balls/tennis balls can you give a man??

This year I'm going for the tears. I want to see the man cry. That is why I'm working on a "super secret" project for him. Something personal. Something sentimental. Something that will tug on those heart strings.

I'm working with a company called Board Book Albums and with the girls, we're making him the best Father's Day book ever. I can't wait!!!

Stay tuned for all the info, including a contest!!

It's a Farm Thing...

Subtitled: How we ended up with a pet cow.
 
Before I even start, let me preface this post. I do not live on a farm. I do not have an overabundance of land. I live in a nice residential. With a small fenced backyard. Apparently that doesn't matter when you want a cow.

Let's rewind to the beginning of the school year. Emilie received a flier for 4-H and I thought, "When in Iowa, do as the Iowans!" and signed her up. We both thought that the monthly meetings would be all about fluffy little farm chicks, horseback riding and such.

False. Apparently that kind of 4-H is for older kids. Emilie's 4-H is all about crafts. Don't get me wrong, I love me some crafting, but we were really hoping for farm animals.

Fast forward to March when we received a flier for a "Bottle Fed Calf Workshop". "Learn how to feed a bottle to a baby calf, lead the calf and even have an opportunity to show the calf at the State Fair".
I'm not sure about you, but that sound EXACTLY what I thought 4-H would be. I didn't even wait a minute before I fired an email back saying I...I mean EMILIE would love to attend.
 
The workshop was this Saturday and I'll be honest. It was a little different than I had envisioned. I thought we would meet together, be introduced to our baby cow and live happily ever after. Emilie was convinced that we would take this cow home to share a backyard with Rufus. Not so.
 
There was one calf there named Sassy Girl. I'm not going to lie...her brown eyes had me at "MOO!". She was darling. Emilie was in love...and devastated when we told her that she was not our calf. Even more disturbing, they started talking about how much beef and cheeseburgers this cow would eventually make.
NEWSFLASH TO FARMER LADY...these precious little non-farm girls don't know what cows really end up as! PLEASE DON'T INTRODUCE THEM TO THAT HARSH REALITY NOW!!! It's not the time.

Anyway, I couldn't help but feel Emilie's disappointment. All but two other members of her 4-H club have a calf of their own. They've grown up raising bottle fed calves and are pros at showing their cow at the State Fair. I didn't want to rob Emilie of this opportunity.

So when they mentioned that they had some calves that could be "adopted" I knew that that was our chance. My hand shot up so fast and I all but trampled the kids in front of me to get my pick of the "adoptable" calves.
 
{obviously not Emilie.}

Emilie (okay, and I) have adopted a little calf that lives about 10 minutes from us. Like in Charlotte's Web, we'll go visit this Stupendous, Radiant Calf of our own a couple times a week. Emilie will feed it and work with it so she can lead it and show it at the state fair.

I can't wait. First, calf show-er...
 
Next up...
 
RODEO PRINCESS!!!!

The simple things

You know it's a good day when you have moments like this. Grace and I waking up after an afternoon nap.

**I will be blogging more about my every day here. Trying for a photo a day to really capture our life. most will be blogged from my iPhone, so forgive any spelling/punctuation errors.

My new favorite thing

This year for my birthday, I kept with tradition and bought myself some presents. This year may be my best yet!! Pink Glitter Toms.
 
Yes, they are just as sparkley and fabulous in real life. If I could sleep in them, I would. I rocked them all over Minneapolis, Washington DC and almost every day here. Nothing is too good for the glitter shoes. Pumping gas...always better in pink. Volunteering at the school? Who wouldn't love to see these bad boys?!

And, it's really my way of going green. I'm not into reusable bags or fuel-efficient cars at all. But, for every pair of Toms you buy, they donate a pair to those in need.

Look at me saving the world...one sparkle shoe at a time!!!

A Nursery...

My friend Bozo is having a baby. Last night she messaged me for nursery ideas. She was thinking something different than the normal pink/brown nursery. Maybe something crazy like yellow and grey. I freaked...it was fate. I just threw a yellow/grey/pink birdie baby shower on Friday!!!
So, I put together this little mood board for Bozo.

Okay Bozo...here's the breakdown from left to right:
1. Michael Miller Birdie fabric. Could be perfect as a bumper or a quilt. Or even as an accent on curtains.

2. Am loving a bold focus wall. This one features a huge flowering weed(?). I like the grey wall, but think that's a little too dark.

3. This nursery has a ton of cute ideas. These shelves are made from fabric and a curtain rod. Super easy to make and a great opportunity for accent fabric.

4. Another accent wall. Am LOVING this chevron stripe. Could do a light grey and white on a feature wall. Definitely wouldn't do an animal head! :)

5. Another feature wall. I LOVE this scalloped rectangle. SO fun and a great way to add some softness to an angular nursery. Also love the pom poms. Could pull in light pink and make a great accent over the crib.

6. Grey/yellow yarn wreath.

7. Another accent fabric

8. Another idea for a feature wall. Big stripes. I would do horizontal.

Okay Bozo, that should get you started!!! I'll be there in June to help do WHATEVER you need on this nursery! I'm a real good worker! :)

xoxo

 

Matchy-Matchy

Sometimes I wonder why I don't have boys. The ties, the sweater vests, the saddle shoes...they would be precious.
But then I take a walk down memory lane...
 
Easter 2011

 
Easter 2009

 
Easter 2008

 
Easter 2007

And this is why I was made to mother girls.  There is nothing better than a well dressed girl...well, maybe three well dressed girls!

Easter 2011

It's no secret...dressing my girls on Sunday is one of the great joys of my life. There's nothing that makes me more happy than seeing them dressed pretty marching in to church (shallow, I know).
Easter Sunday was no exception...
 
 
{these girls love their daddy!}
 
 

Hope you had a great Easter!!

D.C. is for lovers

Oh wait, that's Virginia. Ben had a business trip to DC last week, so as a birthday present, I came with him!! Here is my Top 10 about the trip: (better than sitting through my travelogue, right?)

10. The Fairmont Foggy Bottom
 
We stayed at the Fairmont which is right in the Foggy Bottom district. It's within walking distance to Georgetown and the Metro stop. Perfect!
I like nice hotels...this one did not disappoint. It was the perfect backdrop for this vacay.

9.) The Bed
 
Whoa momma. The bed there was huge. We have a queen. We did not realize what we were missing out on until this trip. A king-size bed is DIVINE. I can spread out and not even touch Ben all night. It was seriously heavenly! We are making plans to get a king-size bed asap. Now that we're home I feel like we are trying to squish into a twin. Ugh.

8.) Lazy Mornings
 
This is not me. But this is what I did pretty much every morning. Ben would leave for meetings and I would sleep in. Then I would wake up and read. Then, maybe I would turn on Reg and Kelly or The View (those ladies make me want to poke my eyes out). And then, if I was still in bed, I would watch some Price is Right. Ahhh. The last morning there I watched this:
 
I LOVED it. I have a total girl crush on Gwyneth. This movie confirmed it. Is there anything she can't do??? I love her.
I also enjoyed him:
 
Just what I needed to see at 10:00 in the morning. Ahhh...

7.) The Spa
 
The second day there, Ben booked me a massage at the Spa. I'll be honest, it wasn't the best spa I've ever seen. It was more just a closet/room. So when Franc/Frank my small, old, african-american masseuse came in, I started to get a little nervous. He was seriously about 50...had seen some rough years and I was skeptical that he could give me a good massage. (sidenote, I don't like male masseuses. they make me self-conscious. different post...)
Once I relaxed, Frank delivered. It was a great massage and a great way to relax. Thanks to Ben for thinking of it before I could!

6.) The Sights
 
 
I'll be honest...sightseeing in DC is not a high priority for me. But, we had an afternoon together and were already up on Capital Hill, so we decided to do the sights. It was cold, super windy and rainy, so my desire didn't last very long.
 
 
I nearly lost my life when a herd of SEGWAYS almost ran me over. Seriously, those people were NOT stopping. Once I reached safety, I decided that those people were the only brilliant ones out there. Why walk all around when you can just motor around?? Next time...me, DC sights and the Segway.

5.) Good Stuff Eatery
 
Oh friends. This is the BEST burger/fries restaurant I have EVER been to. It was so good I couldn't stop thinking about it for the rest of the time I was there.
Apparently some winner of Top Chef named Spike opened it and still works the counter/grill sometimes. Cooking shows are a waste of my time, so I have no idea who he is.
But, THIS was life changing:
 
Seriously the BEST fries I have EVER tasted. Ooooh. I want them so bad right now.
What makes them even MORE delish is the Sauce Bar. They have all these different mayos/sauces. I mixed Chipotle Mayo + Ketchup to make the most delish fry sauce ever. Seriously. If you are up on Capital Hill, DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE. It is so good.

4.) Kate!
Ben's cute sister Kate works for the House (of Representatives). She works for a Rep in CA and has a swanky office. We met up with her for lunch (see above) and got to see her digs. It was super impressive. We're so proud of Kate. She left Utah, knowing no one in DC, didn't have a job and now here she is...a big mover and shaker! :) We loved having lunch with her and wish I would have taken a pic for the blog!!

3.) Georgetown (and Georgetown Cupcakes)
Wednesday I spent most of the day with my dear friend Barb.
 
{obviously picture is NOT from DC. I forgot to take pics, so here is us in Cancun}
We spent most of the day dinking around Georgetown.
 
{i can't pull off Anthro, but the storefront was darling}
 
Georgetown is full of fabulous shopping and even better places to eat.
We hit Georgetown Cupcakes, which did not disappoint.
 
I have had a LOT of "gourmet" cupcakes. Magnolia, Sprinkles, Buttercup, etc.
 
These were BY FAR the best I've ever had.
 
{pictured: vanilla with chocolate and THIN MINT. Not pictured...the Red Velvet that was inhaled. It was so so so good.)
Ben and I came back on Thursday and ate at this delicious Crepery where I had a nutella and strawberry crepe (and bacon and cheese sliders...mmm...)
 
I promise this trip was more than just eating. Really!

2.) My Best Friend Barb
Like I mentioned before, most of my reason for coming on this trip was to spend time with Barb. We've been friends since EARLY BYU days. I adore her.
And she FINALLY had a baby. Sweet little Lillie.
 
I had to come play fun Auntie Lola to little Lil.
I couldn't get enough of her! 
It was so good to see barb and ryan. They are such dear friends to us. Every time we spend time together, I'm super grateful that we married who we did. Our husbands get along almost better than we do. So when the 4 of us are together, it's so enjoyable. We loved seeing Barb and Ryan and ADORED that little baby. She was too cute.

1.) Spending Time with The Man
 
{Ben in front of some lame plane at the Air and Space Museum}
*p.s. that museum is like torture to me. but Ben loves it. I have a plethora of planes + Ben pictures to choose from. He actually asked ME to take pictures of HIM with the planes. That's how much he loves it. Anyway, I digress.
This was a great trip for Ben and I. Even though he was in meetings for most of the time, it was so great just to travel together. No kids, no strollers...just us. Granted, I'll take the beaches of sunny Cancun over the Air and Space Museum any day, but LOVED having time together. 
 

The perfect little getaway trip! Thanks Ben!!!  

Birthday-palooza...Part 1

Back from a GREAT two week birthday celebration. Some think this is a little excessive and ego-centric. To them I say...peshaw. This is EXACTLY how birthdays should be celebrated!!!

Part One: Girls Weekend in Minneapolis

For the first part of my birthday, I went up to Minneapolis with my two besties Shanna and Julie.
 

Our husbands stayed home (except for mine), but Julie let her daughter Lucy (my kids call her Mookie) stay home and watch my littles! Yay! So we loaded up the car and headed up to Minneapolis!
Once there, we headed straight to a little place called Mall of America.
 
Now this is not my first time. I've been MANY times. But this was the first time I ever have been without children!! AHHH!!!!
It was like Christmas! We got there when the mall opened at 10 and let the shopping begin! It was glorious! We shopped for 6 solid hours.
 
Shanna and I after 6 hours of shopping and 3 hours of driving!
 
A store bearing my name filled with cute things? I love it!!
I found LOTS of fabulous things...but they deserve their own post!

After our marathon shopping trip, we checked into our hotel. The Minneapolis Aloft.
 
I'm not going to lie. this is a TRENDY hotel. Geared more for the younger crowd. We were DEFINITELY the oldest people there. At night the lobby/bar was SO PACKED with people that we had to enter through a side door. And the party lasted all night. Awesome.

Our purpose for coming up, besides the marathon shopping trip, was to attend  Time Out for Women. This is a wonderful conference for women. It was so uplifting, inspiring, etc. I loved every second of it.
The theme was "Choose to Become" and I left so inspired. For me, it was all about "choosing to become the woman God would have me be".

It was WONDERFUL!!! If there is one coming near you, I encourage you to GO GO GO! It was so good! 
We did a lot of eating...mmm. 
 
And tons of talking, laughing, etc.
It was so great and the perfect start to Birthday-palooza!!

Next up...Washington DC!!!