The Bames

V-Day

2012-02-16T12:14:00.010-07:00

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. Not because I want to get spoiled with jewels and flowers from a muscle clad man, but because it is such a great reminder to let those you love in your life know how much you care for them. It wasn’t always my favorite holiday, I use to hate it. Fake plastic hearts, pressured statements of love, and all that. But once I figured out what I wanted the holiday to mean to me personally, I really started to enjoy it.

Unfortunately, this year I have been totally bogged down with those not-so-fun parts of being an adult, responsibilities are really over rated. It made Valentines take a bit of second seat this year, but that’s okay.

I always give my sisters a little somethin’ somethin’ for Valentines and this year wasn’t any different. I gave them each some homemade bath salts that were rose scented, each in a different corked jar from Michaels. I only got a picture of the one, because I forgot to get a picture of them all together, but the girls liked them. They said it made them smell good all day

For my man I made him one of his favorite dinners (which is a treat because I don't cook), gave him a good back message(at least longer than 5 minutes), and I gifted him some random items that I know he’d been needing along with a pre-ordered FUN CD and Shin tickets (for anyone who likes FUN you should check out the lead singer’s old band The Format. They were awesome.)

(Pic: Chicken Alfredo, Garlic Toast, Brussels Sprouts, and Sparkling Cider. Chocolate covered strawberries were the dessert.)

Jeff surprised me earlier at work with my favorite color of roses (yellow) and took me out to lunch. I was so happy to see him; I just really needed it that day!

Later that night he gave me his official Valentines gift which included a few movies (two were Muppet movies, I’m sure those really were for him), clothes, and wait for it . . .

Eddie Vedder Tickets!

I am so excited to go see him! I’ve never seen him solo without the band. I can’t wait to see him and just melt by his voice. He is so wonderful. Jeff is so wonderful, Eddie of course is great too, but I mean Jeff is so wonderful for getting me the tickets. I was kind of sweating how I was going to pull off buying both The Shins & Eddie Vedder tickets. So. So. Excited!

Office Problems

2012-02-14T12:55:00.014-07:00

Almost a year ago we did a mini over hall on our office. It looked so much better, it was so much more functional, and I was excited to purposefully finish it off with accessories. You know, make a color scheme, make some big plans, and decisively purchase and make items for this room. Well, you know what happens with me and BIG plans? They don’t happen. Our office has been sitting basically untouched since our mini over hall nearly a year ago!

I did my usual, paralyzed about choosing the right color pallet, too cheap to purchase any big art/accessory statements and blah, blah, blah. Hence, nothing happened.

When I realized how long it has already been since I was supposed to have finished this room, I got a little queasy. No wonder it is taking me so long to get my house looking finished and/ or presentable. I thought about the “Dude, get on that already” challenge over on YHL they started. If they can take on extra projects with their busy schedule, then I should be able to do something about a sad forgotten office. I had to do something about it! That is when I remembered picking up some sweet contact paper a couple weeks ago. I had no idea what to do with it at the time, but it was really cute and only $6 so I bought it.

I started with the white metal IKEA boards we picked up over the summer. Even though they kind of look like white boards, you actually can’t write on them, so I wouldn’t be losing any of their functionality by covering them with contact paper. It was really easy to purtty them up. All I did was . . .

Presto! And I was done in about 10 minutes for both boards. They look a little happier in there now and the whole place looks a little less sterile. It may not be a forever fix (or knowing me it may very well be a forever fix), but I’m hoping that it will bring a bit more cheer to the room until I get a more motivated to update the space to reals.

Then I turned my attention to the other side of the room. The one improvement since the mini over hall was the purchase of the settee which we also bought over the summer a few months after painting and making the desk area.

All I did for this side was hang a map that I had crafted up for Christmas (trying to channel this gorgeous map from Emily Henderson).

and I put contact paper the fronts of our old and dented file cabinet, and hang up a cork tile that I made into a changeable monthly calendar with more contact paper.

All in all it is okay. Nothing spectacular for sure, but it is a bit more cheery until I get myself together to really finish off this room. For $6 and 20 minutes total, it is a good enough improvement.

Just so I am clear with myself, in order to really finish off this room I will need to:

1) Accessorize: meaning buy or make large art pieces. Buy or make shelves for the East facing wall. Shop the house for some cute chochkees.
2) Get pillows for the settee.
3) Recover or purchase a new desk chair.
4) Put down a rug.
5) Install the ceiling fan we’ve purchased and is still sitting in the garage.
6) Paint the legs of the settee a dark gray.
7) Purchase a new computer since ours recently died. It is odd to have an office without a computer!

Maybe one day I will get to it. Some magical point when I have the free time and money to accomplish all that needs to be done. That will indeed be a good day!

Sorry again for the bad pictures, I'm still using my phone as I don't have access to a computer to put my camera chip into.

Impromptu SOUPer Bowl Party

2012-02-06T12:37:00.008-07:00

This past Sunday we had a little Impromptu Super Bowl party with my family. We have the good fortune of sporting the best TV in the fam’ (at least the best one that is currently set up, Mat and Lora just moved into a new house) so it just ended up that people needed a spot to watch the game and we were it.

I am glad it actually just kind of just fell this way because if I had too much time to prepare I would have driven myself nuts planning like I always do, and I have been WAY too swamped lately to get into all of that. My simple and quick menu was Chicken Tortilla Soup for the Souper Bowl (Oh man, I’m such a dork. Have to have a theme even when putting things together on a whim). Jeff made his scrumptious guacamole dip and my sister brought by a 7 layer bean dip a little later on to fill out the menu.

I got the soup recipe from “Not Your Mothers Slow Cooker Cookbook.” It was really good, definitely a keeper for the future.

Jeff even thought up a little game for us to play, he knows me so well. Starting after the half time show we started to rate all of the commercials on a 1-5 scale, five being the highest. I made these quick little rating cards, not very cute, but they got the job done. My youngest sister, Jade, who is modeling the cards however is way too cute!

Our favorite commercial was the Greek Yogurt commercial with John Stamos. Runners up were the Acura, Honda, and Fiat commercials. I guess my family likes car commercials. Overall though we thought there was a serious lack of funny commercials this Super Bowl, nothing like last year.

It was a pretty sweet night, good game, good food, and I loved spending time with the family. We had everybody over plus some just a couple weeks ago for Lora’s Birthday too. I could easily get use to hosting these family gatherings. I really love having my house full of those that I love the most!

(Sorry for the pictures. I'm still out of a computer so I'm filtering my camera photos to try and hide their poor quality.)

Getting RID of the Expensive Phone Data Package

2012-01-27T12:05:00.001-07:00

I recently noted that I am going to be getting rid of the data package on my phone in an effort to reduce my monthly bills, and honestly, I just don’t want to pay for Internet on my phone anymore!

But, recently I got some bad news. My home computer is totally dead. As I don’t think I can just due without the Internet completely (how sad is that?), I have been trying to brainstorm some ways that I can knock out my $30 a month cell phone data package but still have some mobile Internet to use with my home WiFi connection. We are saving our pennies for a new computer, but that big of a purchase may have to wait a hot minute or two (plus, it won’t be very mobile, will it.) So I did what I always do, made lists!

Pros: It works off of WiFi, no packages to buy. I can store and listen to my music, email, Facebook, etc. It has video recording, games, and apps, apps, apps. I can use Facetime to chat with my family, who all have iphones or ipads. (This is especially nice since my sister will be off at college next year.) I can browse the web when a WiFi connection is near (and for places like in the car traveling on vacation I can just borrow Jeff’s iphone).

Cons: I don’t think I would have access to Word software, which means all the stuff I do for Church in regards to newsletters, handouts, etc. will still have to be done on a borrowed computer. I could maybe get an app but it’s not the same. Pros: Again, it works off WiFi, no packages to buy! It pretty much has all the benefits of an ipod touch on a bigger screen, faster, and more storage. I would be able to blog and such, do anything I wanted on the web. It has Word compatible apps that I could maybe use for church stuff. As my Dad calls them, they are the world’s most expensive scriptures.

Cons: The price. Seriously, I might as well just buy a laptop. I think they are fun, but for that much money I can think a numerous other things that I would want to buy. I keep it on the list however because I could get a refurbished one for half the costs and still get the same warranty as a new one. Even still, I wouldn’t really have Word software.

Pros: The price. I get to play on the web, keep using my beloved android apps, and I can easily store books and such. It still has Quick Office, not real word software, but I just don’t think I will get that without a real computer. It is bigger than the ipod but smaller than the ipad, used it before and I like the size. I can email, keep notes, Facebook and all.

Cons: I can’t store my itunes. This is a pretty big bummer for me. I don’t have any music from Amazon’s music shop. IT doesn't have facetime to talk to my sisters or recordings and such.

I think as of right now I am leaning towards the iPod Touch, just because of the price and the fact that it has almost everything I want. It's basically like an iPhone, just without the phone part. So I can go back to my cheap phone plan and just get all the perks for free. My younger sister just got an iPhone, so I'm trying to talk her out of her iPod Touch. (That is the kind of nice sister I am.) Plus this is very portable so I can take it anywhere.

I'd like to get an iPad, of course. Who doesn't want one of those babies, but I just can't get pasted the price. A birdie in the IT world told me that when the iPad 3 is released the iPad 2 is going to dramatically decrease in price, so maybe one day I will dole out the benjamin's for one.

* note: Jeffery, your wife is amazing and awesome. Please note that all of the above devices would make a wonderful Valentines gift. Don't you think your wife deserves nice things for ALL the things she does for you everyday? Let me tell you, she does.

* note 2: Jeffery, please do not feel guilty if you only end up giving you wife a card for Valentines day. It will still be a great gift. Maybe not as great as it could be, but great. (just kidding about that last part. Kind of.)

New Years Resolution?

2012-01-19T12:30:00.004-07:00

I don't really do New Years resolutions (mostly because it is just setting myself up to fail), but if I did do resolutions, there are a few goals that have been on my mind lately.

It's not like there are little voices inside my head at the beginning of the new year encouraging me to better myself or take on new goals, seriously, that is completely NOT happening to me. Totally above and beyond that at this stage in my life. I'm not finally giving in and making a fitness board on Pinterest, and I'm definitely not writing secret lists of projects I should complete.

{Pic}

But if I were making New Years Resolutions they'd look something like the list below.

1) Be better with my diet:

Breakfast- Diversify to more than toast or skipping it! I'd love to start making a protein shake for Jeff and I in the morning. If I could make them a couple days in advance and freeze them it'd save me some time in the morning.

Lunch- I plan to always keep at least three different options on hand (my favs are salad, soup, and I'll admit it, lunchables). Keeping it simple with different food traits (cold, warm, fun, quick) will help me actually have something I want to eat everyday. . . hopefully.

Dinner- Okay, I have something really sad to admit, I don't really cook. Like at all. It's not that I can't cook, it's just that Jeff is soooo much better at it then I am. Jeff has been working a lot more nights lately, so my goal is to cook dinner at least one night a week. Stop it with the cereal already lady! I hope I can start out with just one night and keep to it.

2) Another food related goal is to not eat after 8pm. No more nighttime munching.

3) Next goal on my mind is decreasing my TV viewing, so my goal is to not turn on the TV until at least 7 at night. The first hour I get home I have to do my chores! I can turn on music or the radio, but no more TV distracting me.

4) Lastly, my final goal is to make something with my hands at least once a month. Now I am well aware that I am not a crafty or talented person, but that doesn't mean I can't be. I really enjoy making things, even if no one would ever want it but me. It just makes me happy. And how do I think I 'll improve if I don't practice anyway?

So there it is, my list of non-new year resolution thoughts. If these were ACTUAL resolutions, I'm glad I kept them so simple and easy, increasing my chances of sticking to them. That would be so smart of me.

In other news that may be only exciting to me, I have someone looking at the computer today. I am crossing my fingers that it is an easy fix so I can have my computer back and upload all my Christmas pictures finally!

Window Shopping Wednesday- Modern Metal Chairs

2012-01-11T08:00:00.006-07:00

You may remember my back yard patio inspiration I had this past summer. I fell in love with this modern and rustic patio table and chairs. So lovely!

I got some rustic wood for a table top when I went to go visit my family in the sticks, I mean, in Eastern Utah. My hubster is still working on getting that table made for me, so my next duty was to try and get the same look of a modern metal chair for the patio/backyard. (Hopefully we’ll have everything together for the patio by spring.) I went online and did some window shoppin'.

I found these chairs as follows:

1. Knoll for $539.00 each. This is the real, original Bertoia chair. Just a little out of my price range- ha ha

2. Amazon for $100 each. Amazon is great for a good knock off, and the difference in price from the original is pretty amazing, but this is still a bit pricey for patio furniture in my taste.

3. Onsugar for $160 each. This chair is beautiful, but again a bit too much dough.

4. Crate & Barrel for $199 each. I thought I would have to get off the Bertoia knocks off because they were just too expensive. I fell in love with this guy at Crate & Barrel, but still no dice.

5. Overstock for $136 for a pair. Once I found these guys on Overstock I knew I had found the right website. I wasn’t too crazy about the style, but I was in love with the price.

6. Overstock for $205 for a set of 4, yes I said 4 chairs for just over two hundred dollars! Baby I was in business!

I picked up a set when I bought my rug from Overstock a while back. I really like them so far. They may not be as elegant as the originals, but I love the modern metal look of them, and they are pretty darn comfy to boot.

An extra plus is that I can stack these babies up under the pergola when it rains and keep them dry. When you have a small house and small back yard something like a chair being stackable is a major bonus! Here is a little beaut’ in my back yard (one of four):

On another note, I still do not have access to my crashed home computer, which means this picture and any recent pictures are from my phone. Sorry for the poor quality. To dig myself in an even deeper hole I decided that in an effort to save some benjamins I am going to go back to my old non-smart phone.

That means no emailing myself pictures, no checking my personal emails at any time, it means I may go crazy. But, it will help me save some money. And with my goal to cut back our bills by 15% I really needed to take off some money from somewhere. I’ve only had a smart phone for about a year, it can’t be that hard to go back to a normal phone can it?

I am hoping that if I am really REALLY good and my husband loves me so SO much, that just maybe I can get a laptop, ipad, or Kindle Fire for my birthday this summer. Until then I’m not really sure what I’ll do for photo uploading and general playing around, but I’m sure I’ll still find a way to entertain myself somehow. Anyone have any suggestions? Anyone buy some neato patio furniture for the spring?

52 Weeks of Clean

2012-01-05T08:00:00.016-07:00

My computer is still down for the count. Hopefully we can get someone out to look at it this week but it’s not looking promising. Which means all my Christmas pictures and everything are still locked up in my camera, I’ll have to catch up on some of the Christmas stuff later. This also means that Jeff hasn’t made his annual End of the Year CD Mix that he normally makes; it’s amazing how much we rely on our little home computer to entertain us! Haha!

Any who, I made a project back in the summer (when I was all amped to clean every inch of my house in the nice weather) that seems to be pretty relevant to the New Year. I noticed I was utilizing a lot of those cleaning projects that I found on the web to try and keep me up to date on all my regular and seasonal deep cleaning, but they weren’t exactly right for those problem areas I have in my house.

I spotted this one on Pinterest:

Awesome, but maybe too broad? I don’t remember things that aren’t written down very well, so I need a bit more detail.

This one was from Martha Stewart:

This lady has way too much time on her hands to clean, I found I needed the abridged version of this!

I was starting to feel like Goldie Locks, needing to find a cleaning schedule that was just right for me. Knowing it would probably be impossible to find it, I made my own DIY version. A weekly (all 52 of them) cleaning to do list (with some daily chores that are harder for me to remember, and one or two deep cleaning chores that I need to do periodically).

Now this is just right for me, or if it’s not quite right, I always have the option of changing it up. I like making it just for me, and it worked out really well for a while too. It all kind of started to fall apart and I found that I was weeks behind once it started to get closer to the holidays, but I think having something written down to reference is just what I need to keep me on a better cleaning track. I am determined to try and stick by this cleaning calendar this year (again, making any changes that I need to along the way).

This may not be perfect for everyone. I know some people that change their bed sheets every other day, or someone else might think it’s odd that I clean my walls. Everyone has their own cleaning must do’s, since it is just Jeff and I in the house (okay, and the cat too) we really don’t get things too dirty, and try to take a more laid back approach to cleaning. I know that may seem odd, since I spent a few lunch hours trying to perfect a cleaning calendar, but really this was just something to put into place so I wouldn’t forget to wipe down the base boards or dust the fans.

Feel free to steal mine for yourself and edit it to your heart’s desire. You could probably make it cuter too, this was made for a very utilitarian purpose for me, I wasn’t really worried about doing any bells or whistles. I just printed mine off, cute it out on the lines, glued it to some small note cards from the dollar store, punched a hole in the corner and put them all on a circle key holder thingy. It is hanging in my kitchen so I can quickly look at it anytime and remember what I need to get done that week. I am hoping for a cleaner and brighter 2012!

I Was Gunna . . .

2011-12-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

I was going to post about my further Christmas crafting adventures, but my home computer is crashing every 10 minutes. It really inhibits my ability to upload photos. But, just to let you know while I am not blogging (probably wont be back until the new year! BREAK!!!), I am making lovely little things that were inspired by . . .

this

this

and this.

Hope you have a very merry Christmas and

a wonderful New Year!

The creation of The BaMedia

2011-12-19T08:00:00.003-07:00

Have I ever told you my husband is wonderful? Seriously, do you know this guy? I know I may poke at him at him from time to time on the blog, he can be a dirty stinky boy sometimes. There will always be something that is getting under my skin, bugging me, or something that I can just plain do without. But, honestly, I love this guy!

I love that he is a dirty stinky boy with different interests, tastes, and likes than me. I love that he is so smart and clever. I love how much he makes me laugh. I love that (no matter who he ended up marrying) he knew he was going to make his wife the most important person in his life and praise and adore her always. I love how dedicated he is at working on our marriage. I love his goofy grin and beaming smile. He is the love of my life.

Okay, all this praise has taken me a little bit off topic,(what can I say, I can't help myself), but my point is that my hubster Jeff has started a new blog recently, The BaMedia. He actually took my advice (stop the presses!) and started a blog about all things media/entertainment. I kind of wanted him to just tag onto my blog and give it some spice, but he wanted his own space and vibe, and honestly the two may not meld all that easily together. Like I said, we have different tastes and interests.

To find his blog easily from my own I created a tab at the top of this blog that will link anyone to his- easy peasy. I also have created a tab on his blog that links up to my blog. One for all things music and movies and new (HIS), and the other for all things home and decor and dorkiness (HERS).

He started his blog off with a 12 Days Till Christmas posting countdown. Each day he is going to post a poll with different artist singing the same Christmas song. A king of 'who sung it best?' challenge. Revisit old favorites, maybe learn about a new artist or two, and take the polls. It is a fun way to count down till the best holiday of the year! Visit often and join in the discussions (maybe cut him some slack as he moves through the learning curve of blogging. He'll know more then me in no time).

The Small Fry's Gift Guide

2011-12-14T08:00:00.004-07:00

Every year I try and plan for every detail of the Christmas season. I think if I plan enough then I will be able to get everything on my lenghty list done, but of course I am always surprised by something.

This year I was unprepared for all those small gifts that pop up for everyone, you know for co-workers, aquantences, or white elephant gift exchanges. So I decided that I am going to make my own little odds and ends gift guide so I wont be caught off guard again next year.

This is what I made my co-workers last year. They are cute, but took tons of time.

Gift Guide for Co-workers, Visiting Teachers, and other aquantences:

Troll Pinterest for clever gift ideas like

this, this, this, or this.

Make an insane deliscious treat that only comes around every once and a while. This chocolate dipped cookie dough concocktion comes to mind or this eggnog flavored fudge.

For the more health consiouse may make them some feastive salsa or popcorn mix.

Steal from other insightful people. Did you know Sugar Doodle has a whole page of Visiting Teaching gifts? Yes, Sweet!

Get crafty and make a holiday banner or wreath.

Gift Guide for White Elephants or last minute hostess gifts:

Everyone likes for their space to smell nice, why not bring an oil and reed diffuser?

Bring a book that will interest what ever the specific group of party goers will like.
At work? Try The People Code. At a church party? Try one of Deseret Books many Christmas themed books, and so on.

Hit up your favorite shop and get something quirky, like a decorative USB flash drive, funny key caps, Scrabble Magnets, or go for something really bizzare like bacon flavored floss. It will at least give them a laugh.

Give them something useful and decorative. A handmade Calendar on Etsy would make anyone happy.

A phone case or IPAD case would also be a big hit, especially at a work event.

Christmas Ornament DIY Mayhem

2011-12-12T08:00:00.029-07:00

This Christmas I was determined to have my first "adult" Christmas tree. Ever since College I have been using this small 3 foot tree. We figured why mess with all the fuss until there was a kiddo to do it with or for, but I finally determined that I wanted to have a real "adult" Christmas tree regardless of having a child or not, so I started to hunt one down for a good price. I ended up buying a tree from my co-worker who was upgrading their tree this year. (They upgraded to a 12 foot tree! I couldn't even handle all that tall tree goodness. 7.5 is perfect for me.)

I also have been using these cheap dollar store ornaments, dollar store ornaments are fine, I just don't think they are meant to be used for like 5 years as standard ornaments. Plus they weren't going to cover my new 7.5 foot tree. I decided I'd like to try make my own, so our tree was more personalized.

I started with $9 worth of ornaments I purchased at Big Lots and some items from the Dollar Tree. Because my taste for ornaments 1s all over the place but I still insist on having a theme I went with a 'glamorous woodland'

Ornament #1: Christmas Lyrics
Materials: Silver Sharpie $5, Clear Ornaments $3 (purchased mine from Big Lots last year after Christmas for extra savings)

DIY: I started off nice and easy, just wrote two of my favorite Christmas song lyrics around the ball. easy peasy and done! It photographs weird, but in real life it's cool. They are Jeff's favorite ones out of all the ones I crafted.

Ornaments #2
Materials: Clear ornament (same ones I just used) and Decorative Container Filler from the Dollar Tree $1.

DIY: Put the red foam balls in the ornament. Done and done. I tried to use a funnel to put them in, but just grabbing a handful and putting it in is the easiest way. They kind of resemble cranberries in my mind.

Ornament #3
Materials: Free printable of vintage music $0, glue gun, circle cutter (I already had the later two)

DIY: Cut out a bunch of circles from a music sheet printable. Start at the bottom of the ornament and layer the circles around the bottom. Keep working your way up to the top of the ornament layering row by row.

I actually used this to cover up an ornament that I had messed up. I ended up liking this one better then the others that I had planned to do. Funny how things work out.

Ornament #4

Materials: Clear ornament, painters tape, stencil, scissors, paint & brush, pen or marker. Oh, and glitter.

DIY: Tape rows of painters tape over one another to create a little sheet made up of tape. Stencil your desired letter/design on the tape. Cut out the stencil so that the part you want painted on the ornament is gone. (I used an actual stencil of one, but then used print outs of fonts I liked from my computer for the others) Place tape on the ornament and make sure it is secure, no bubbles. (You can even modge podge the edges to get a tighter seal so the paint doesn't bleed through.) Paint your letter on the ornament.

I did this with just normal craft paint, which I found to be a mistake. I probably should have spray painted it or used a glass paint because it didn't end up lookin' too hot. I thought it was a FAIL, but then I decided that glitter can fix anything, so I gave it a try.

It seemed to work. At least they looked better in my opinion.

Ornament #5
Materials: Silver ornaments, stamps, embossing powder, embossing glue pad, white paint.

DIY: I painted by silver ornaments with a light coat of white paint first to make them look more subtle. Follow the instructions of your embossing kit, but basically press your stamp in the glue pad and then stamp the ornament. Sprinkle your embossing powder on the ornament and repeat with the rest of your letters or stamps.

This process was kind of time intensive, and by this point I was losing my patience, so after making 6 joy ornaments like this I just used the silver sharpie I used earlier and wrote NOEL and PEACE on the remaining ornaments. They were not as cute, but completed much more quickly.

Ornament (?) #6

Materials: Styrofoam balls in different sizes $2 (at the Dollar Tree), the rest of your foam decorative container fillers, red paint, glue gun. Toothpick to hold ball while gluing is optional.

DIY: Paint your styrofoam balls red and let them dry. Once dry put a thin layer of hot glue on the ball and quickly put the filler balls on the hot glue. Keep gluing the filler balls on row by row.

I didn't use these as ornaments but they could easily be used for that purpose by securing a loop of thread on the top. Instead of ornaments I used them to fill a vase in my half bath that is normally full of sea shells.

When it was all said and done I FINALLY had my grown up Christmas Tree. I love it. Instead of watching the TV I find myself just lovingly gazing at the tree. Besides the ornaments I made, or decorated, we have a variety of deer, birds, squires, mercury glass acorns, and the like that I purchased last year after Christmas when everything was on sale. (I just knew that I wasn't going to put up with a little short tree any longer!)

I lurve my new "adult" tree. It makes me so happy. I went a little overboard with making decorations this year. Not sure what I will make next year but I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Inspiration for this years ornaments came from here, here, and here.

Window Shopping Wednesday - Rugs

2011-12-07T08:00:00.005-07:00

I have been searching for a good rug for our living room for ages. Rugs make such a BIG impact in a room but it seems like it is really really hard to find a good, reasonably priced rug. For the last 4 years I just used this $20 Target rug that was way too small for our space in the house. It looked okay in our apartment, but in the house it just looked silly.

It seemed like lately their started to be more viable options out there for rugs, so when our living room flooded, I took the opportunity to go rug shopping. I found a handful of good options. Overstock was my first stop. They had a great assortment of Chevron Rugs in a good price range, which I have been loving lately.

Alexa Chevron Vibe Zebra Rug for only $80 buck ( 5x7, so I would have needed two at $160)

Hand-Tufted Alexa Spectrum Chevron for $367 bucks ( a little bigger than 7x9)

Hand Made Alexa Chevron Wool for $166 buck (5x8)

Handmade Thom Filicia Griffith Park for for $302 (5x8)

There also was a cute cheap chevron rug at Apartment Therapy. I like the gray, but I really wanted it in the blue they had, which they stopped selling by the time I got around to going online to purchase it.

Zig Zag Printed Rug for $74 for 5X7 (I'd need two for $148)

As much as I like the gray, I just don't think it would go in our Living Room. Or maybe it would but I'm not talented enough to know who to make brown and gray go well together. (I just noticed that they started selling the blue again- but it was out of order for months and months)

The other great place I found graphic rugs was from Garnett Hill. I think my favorite was the one below in blue or grey.

Bogart Flat Weave, but at $629 for 8X11, it was a little out of my reach.

Out of all the graphic, zig zag rugs I found, which one would you pick? I'll give you a hint at which one I got . . .

Okay, here is the whole thing.

I really am happy with it. It is the perfect size for the sofa I think, and the light colors keep the room from getting too dark. (We could have maybe gone with a bigger rug for the size of the room, but I still wanted room to walk around it.) It was like Christmas morning the day I came home to this beauty!

Just to give you an idea of the improvement, here is the before picture again:

I am having a little trouble keeping those bright colors that I love clean with a dirty boy husband and all of his dirty boy friends though- so if anyone knows of a good carpet cleaner let me know. I've tried about 2-3 so far with mixed results. Silly dirty boys! (I hate how even without having any kids yet I still really can't have nice things.) I still love my rug though, dirt and all . . . and I still love my dirty boy hubby too :)

(Over on YHL they recently picked up a new rug too. This is how I wish my rug transformed my room, mine maybe didn't have such an impact as theirs, but its still such an improvement!)

Halloween & Thanksgiving

2011-12-05T12:30:00.001-07:00

This past year we went to Santa Barbara to Camp for Halloween again. The last couple years we went to San Diego to camp, but I have to say that I just really enjoy the campgrounds near Carpentaria much better.

The trips highlights included: spotting dolphins in the ocean a few times, boogie boarding, A night at the local taco bar watching the BYU game (even though they lost badly), shopping- the candy shops and antique stores are awesome, sleeping on the beach, and yummy dutch oven cooking! I was able to snatch a few neat photos too . . .

For Thanksgiving we went up to St. George to spend the holidays with my grandparents on my father’s side. It was a good trip. Most of my dad’s brothers were able to come too, so we had a pretty good group of people for a trip that was decided pretty last minute.

It was a lovely day filled with lots of good talks, lots of good food, some games and walks- just a wonderful day to spend the holidays. Something I really noticed was that we are all getting so adult, meaning we are all so grown up now. There were no kids running around, which I kind of miss, but Jeff and I are, as always, working on trying to change that.

Hope everyone else enjoyed their holidays like we did.

30 x30 ETY update

2011-12-02T12:00:00.002-07:00

I have really slacked on this 30X30 list. I figured since it is the end of the year, and I only have 6 more months to finish this list, that I ought to give myself a little refresher. All the things I've already done I've marked off in red:

1) Have my hair professionally dyed a dark auburn.
2) Go on a 'real' date with Jeff once a month, no family members invited. So far so good!
3) Blog once a month. So far so good!
4) Update my wardrobe with at least 5 fun and totally non-essential items.
5) Lose 20 lbs, feel more fit. I just signed up for the gym!
6) Take a road trip.
7) Organize the garage and all our tools.
8) Re-vamp the office. It needs an overhaul. I think I can mark this one off, made huge improvements
9) "Grow up" our decorating style a little. I think I did okay at this, at least our bed is no longer on the floor. I'll consider this success!
10) Paint the hallway and stairwell.
11) Frame the dried flowers from our wedding. I did this in out hallway picture grouping.
12) Print the disposable camera pictures from our wedding.
13) Make a window treatment for the kitchen window. I forgot about this, it was so simple, I should do a post about it.
14) Complete 5 crafts from the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts.
15) Find at least 5 go-to recipes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cook Book."
16) Take better pictures with my Nikon.
17) Write, record, memorialize my grandparents history.
18) Sew something. (Kitchen window and a little bad to organize my Primary stuff)
19) Decide if I'm going back to school and for what.
20) Stop drinking caffeinated soda. I did for a while but then gave back in, boo.
21) Tithes.
22) Pray more.
23) Go to the temple once a quarter (4 times a year) So far so good!
24) Read the Book of Mormon again.
25) Get preggo.
26) If preggo, decorate the cutest nursery ever!
27) Read 6 books.
28) Reduce our monthly expenses by 10% I have reduced our expenses, but I'm not sure if it by 10%? I'll have to check.
29) Learn how to play my favorite piano song from the Sense and Sensibility movie.
30) Take a trip with just Jeff and I for our 30th birthdays

Wow, I am not doing too hot. I guess I better try and focus myself some more!

I Can See The Finish Line- Our flooring transformation

2011-11-30T12:30:00.002-07:00

Our living room has undergone a pretty nifty transformation this past year, at least it has for me. We started the year with something like this . . .

Then this happened . . .

Water damage from our Water Heater. It took out our floor.

It took out our entertainment center (which was really just 2 painted dressers put together)

And it left us with cement floors for a good number of weeks while we searched for new floors.
You can see from the pictures when we were removing the floors that it was around general conference time. This time around conference we had a whole new set up.

We have a new TV stand that we purchased at the RC Willey's Outlet store for around $400 (Originally it was nearly $900- Yikes).

We are in the process of changing out the hardware to make it look a little more us, and less grandma-ish. (We are putting the bone handles on and switching out the brass.)

We have new floors too! Hurray Hallelujah! Now I can't believe this but I don't have any pictures of the space while we putting in our new purty floors, but I do have this close up shot.

We chose a Mohawk Laminate floor from Budget Floors over in BFE (or North Las Vegas). I did all the research and everything, but even with that I have mixed reviews on this floor.

I love:

1. The way it looks, with the light and dark tones. It really brings together our light and darker toned woods in the room and makes it look cohesive.

2. I loved the price, which was around $2 a square foot (so bad that I can't even remember the exact price anymore).

3. Budget Flooring. They were so easy to work with. We bought the floor mat and the laminate at once for a good price.

What I don't love:

1. Floors quality, Jeff had to relay the floor once (first time it wasn't done right, I wasn't home to supervise). When he took the floor up and re-laid it down the edges and stuff started to peel. There are even some scratches in it already. Our old Pergo was taken from an old house, stored in a garage, and then re-laid in our house and still looked pristine. I'm note sure if that was because of the name brand difference or the age. Older laminate seems to just be better to me, but either way I am totally disappointed with the quality of the floor. I feel like I have to tip toe around it.

2. We had to pick up our own flooring. Budget didn't deliver and it wasn't stored on site. Maybe that is how the flooring is so cheap?

All in all I am pretty stoked with the result still. I am just really glad to have the floor down. It has been down for a few months now, I kept waiting to post this post because we have yet to put in the base boards. We will get to it someday I hope.

With this living room transformation, along with a few changes I made upstairs, I think I can totally cross off "growing up our decor style" off of my 30X30 list. I really need to get cracking on this list! Slowly but surely :)

I Am Grateful

2011-11-24T08:00:00.007-07:00

This last Sunday at church (learn more about my church here) one of the speakers related a story from his mission. While on his mission he attended a talk from one of the General Authorities (don't remember which Authority) where they presented a challenge to all the missionary attendees. The challenge was to say a prayer where they only thanked their Heavenly Father for their blessings and didn’t bring up anything else. No wants, needs or desires, just thanks. This is such a nice idea, but the kicker for me was when he said there was a time limit goal involved . . . 30 minutes.

The speaker warned that after the first 5 to 10 minutes that the person praying may begin to stumble and struggle for more blessings to show their gratitude, but if they stuck with it, other things would come to mind and they would be amazed at their many blessings. By taking the time to thank their Heavenly Father the speaker promised that the person praying would feel the Spirit in a new way and have a deeper relationship with their Savior.

(Pic from here)

This is such a great challenge! I am sure I would be stumbling after only a few minutes, but I know that there is so much that I should be thankful for. Being more thankful is something I really could work on. I am not sure if I will take up this challenge in my personal prayers, but thought I would pass it along in case anyone else wants to give it a go too. (Another tool to add to an arsenal with Oprah's gratitude journaling, or a thankful jar.) As a kind of warm up exercise for this kind of "Grateful Challenge" I have made a list of 30 things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving!

1. I get to be married to Jeff!
2. Jeff’s sense of humor. He makes me laugh every day, which didn’t always happen before he was in my life.
3. My sisters.
4. Having such a close relationship with my sisters. They are my best friends and some of the most remarkable ladies I know. I am so lucky to have them in my life.
5. Still having all 4 of my grandparents alive at age 29. Getting to know my Grandparents as an adult has let me learn so much more about them.
6. Which leads me to #5, having the most AWESOME Grandparents ever ! Seriously. I do.
7. My parents are pretty amazing too.
8. My dad gives me the coolest gifts that I never even knew I wanted until he gives them to me.
9. My camera
10. My car, I love the freedom it provides.
11. My phone
12. Living in a time where so much technology is available.
13. Being able to have a hot shower every day! Mmmm. My favorite.
14. Chocolate
15. My church calling in the Young Women. It has really helped me grow.
16. The girls in our Young Women. They make it so easy to love each and every one of them.
17. Living when the Gospel has been restored to the earth.
18. Having a living prophet.
19. Living so close to the Temple.
20. My job
21. My house
22. Hand written notes
23. Pinterest. Yes, it made the list.
24. My one and only pet, Opal the cat.
25. Medical advancements, to help us have babies, save and extend our lives, and ease peoples suffering.
26. Democracy (even if ours isn’t really working right now).
27. Good books
28. Eternal Families
29. Good Health
30. Spending time with my family during the holidays!

Well that was super easy! There is so much to be thankful for. What are you thankful for?

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Pinterest Pickings- B is for Buttons

2011-11-22T12:15:00.002-07:00

Everyone I know who gets on Pinterest is almost immediately addicted. I am no exception. I like to pin and pin, but sometimes, I also like to make the stuff I pin. My latest Pinterest creation was inspired by this lovely heart button/ pin art done by Rockett St George.

I was immediately smitten when I saw this guy. But at 185 pounds!?!? I think I will pass on purchasing it. I decided to mix it up with a little inspiration from this guy too. A cute little letter made out of buttons. I think something like this would be adorable in a nursery or child's room, but maybe a little to sweet for an adult space.

So with my inspiration in tow I set out to make my own buttony goodness. What I ended up with is this "B" made up of Jeff and I's concert pins and other paraphernalia that we've gotten on vacation and such.(The B is actually for Bame, not Buttons)

To make it I printed out a large bolded "B" on my computer and cut it out. I already had the shadow box so I took out the black velvet backing, laid it down on the floor and centered my "B". I gathered all the pins from around the house and just started pinning, trying to make sure the colors of the pins were dispersed evenly around the "B." The pins keep the paper in place and the paper acts as the outline to follow.

I still have a few empty spots to fill, which will be easy to complete the next time we go to a concert and pick up some pins. I can still see some pieces of white paper peaking in through the cracks but I kind of like the way it looks. If you didn't you could always use a piece of paper the same as your background, or once you have the general idea of the outline figured out just tear out the paper from behind.

I love my little "B". It is still pretty sweet, but with the concert pins it is more like Sweeeeeet! Right now my "B" is living in our office and it makes me smile whenever I pass by the door and see it there. So glad people share their craftiness on Pinterest for all to see!

Endless Summer

2011-11-15T07:50:00.005-07:00

I forgot to mention that we went on a vacation in September. It was awesome and I even managed to get a few good shots even though my shutter keeps threatening to break in my camera. Looking back at them now reminds me of summer and those warmer days. So lovely.

Me and hubster went with Mat and Lora (our old roomie before she got married). I was excited when they invited us along.

We stayed near Santa Monica. I can't remember the last time I was there, so it was a nice change up to our normal CA trips.

The only issue with Santa Monica is I guess they had a high number of Sting Rays this past summer because when Jeff went out to swim with us (which, he never swims in the ocean), he was stung by a Sting Ray (of course this would happen when he finally come out to play with me in the water.)

It hurt. He was in a bunch of pain (The EMT/ Lifeguard that was called to the scene - and it was a huge scene - said that a ray's sting hurts worse than a bullet wound). But luckily, once we got back to the hotel, put his foot in an icy cold bath and gave him some IBU Profen, he was in much better shape and was able to enjoy the rest of the vacation.

That night we went to the Angels and Yankees game. It was awesome. The highlights for me were the Air Force Jets that flew by in the beginning of the game, my hot dog, the Angels winning over the Yankees, and the fireworks at the end.

The next day we got up and headed back to Randy's Donuts which we found the day before. Let me tell you if you're in the LA area near the airport, you should stop by. Best donut I've ever had!

After gorging ourselves on some baked goodness we went and saw Hollywood.

We saw the Chinese Theater

Saw the stars feet and hand prints, and stars. In true dork form this is Jeff by the Star Wars crew.

This is sadly the closest we got the the Hollywood sign. Jeff's foot injury took precedence over any hiking adventures we planned to see the sign up close.

And just when we thought our vacation bad luck was over, while we were taking funny pictures like this our car rental was being towed. We had to walk several blocks and pay several hundred dollars to get it out. If we had known we would have stopped the photo shoots and headed back to the car. It was around this time that I worried that our trip may be cursed- ha ha.

Lastly, we went to Seal Beach and just vegged, stopped tempting fate. Jeff skipped the beach for some R & R in the hotel and the BYU game, but I enjoyed my R & R on the beach with Mat and Lora. Maybe Jeff was the bad luck charm because nothing horrible happened at Seal Beach.

No worries, Jeff has since returned to the scene of the crime (the beach) with only minor flash backs. He did not get in the water though. I don't think I'll be able to talk him into that one again.

Jeff turns 29!

2011-11-08T12:00:00.004-07:00

My lover turned 29. I can't believe we are getting so old. I still feel like I just graduated college. (Maybe that because Jeff is still in college- ha ha!) Any who, Jeff decided that he is so old that presents don't even excite him anymore. Honestly, the kid didn't want for anything. Not a bad place to be in, but I think also a sign of our increasing age.

Look at this guy- he is just so awesome! He wasn't going to let the opportunity pass him by.

Since he didn't want any presents, he turned his attention to what other people want or need. In the end he decided that he wanted to participate in a Walk for Diabetes that was being held here in Las Vegas on his very birthday. Jeff has had 3 grandparents pass away from Diabetes and a string of other family members as well. We know it is a disease that will continue to effect our lives down the road.

He decided instead of people giving him gifts he would just have them sponsor or sign up to walk on our team for the Diabetes Walk. He is such a giver, all the time. I was so proud of him for making that decision and was totally on board! I signed us up for a team and named it "Birthday Boy" after our little (or rather big) Jeffery.

The next step was to get some supporters and team members signed up! I turned to the ever trusted Power Point program and made up some invites, turned it into a picture and went to Facebook to spread the word.

We planned on going to his Mom and Dads house for some food after the walk, since they live so close to the Springs Preserve, where the walk was being held. It was kind of hard to get people on board and signed up, not the easiest steps to follow on the hosts website, but in the end we had a good little group to walk with us on his Birthday!

To get people psyched for the walk, and show our appreciation for their participation in his unconventional birthday, Jeff and I thought up a couple simple Thank Yous for their participation. For the first one they got these Trail Mix thanks yous when I greeted them on the morning of the walk. The walk was at 8am, so a little food didn't hurt.

The next Thanks was a bandanna that Jeff's cousin screen printed our teams name on. We all wore white, while Jeff got the red one that said "Birthday Boy," since red was the color of the event in general.

Our walk lasted a whole of 10-15 minutes, but it was nice chatting with family along the way and being in a larger group with like minded people.

After the walk we used the Springs Preserve as a backdrop for a little photo shoot. Anywhere I go with my sisters and my camera we have to make time for photo shoots- ha ha. We got some good pictures. There really aren't any words, I'll let you bask in our dorky glory!

After the event festivities we headed back to his parents place for some grub. My camera started acting up at this point, so I don't have many pictures (just the one below), but this is where I had probably one of the BEST burgers of my life. Jeff''s brother Spence makes the best hamburgers!! So good!!!! (We also munched on healthy, low sugar options as well.)

After lunch we hit up a matinee to see Restless, then may or may not have movie hoped over to Real Steele. After that Jeff came home to watch the BYU game. It was a really nice day and Jeff even managed to get a present or two at the end of it all. I got him an hour message and we think with the other loot he got that we may go see Jersey Boys down on the strip. Jeff has wanted to see it for so long, so he is a super happy guy. I love him so much and am glad he had a nice Birthday.

Emily Henderson is AMAZING

2011-11-04T12:00:00.001-06:00

I have to admit that I totally have a girl crush on Emily Henderson. I think she has such a wonderful quirky style. I am not totally 200% in love with everything she does, (sometimes we just have different tastes) but her ideas seem to be never ending. I wish I could have just the talent that is stored in one of her pinkies. I'm pretty sure that is all I would need, because she has talent in spades. (The pinkie thing all the sudden sounded kind of creepy to me? Hmm.)

Emily just published a massive gift guide on her blog. It has a ton of awesome stuff in it. If you can't think of what to get someone I would suggest looking here. Or just look here anyways because you can never have too many gift ideas!

Open publication - Free publishing

If for some reason the issue above doesn't work above visit her blog here.

Window Shopping Wednesday - Feeling NAUTIcal

2011-11-02T00:00:00.002-06:00

I don't know why I've really felt like window shopping lately. Okay, who am I kidding, I have really felt like buying a lot of stuff lately but have settled just to window shop. I think it is the changing of the seasons or something that makes me feel like shopping. Or maybe the impending holiday season. At any rate, items with a more nautical flare keep catching my eye. It totally makes me want to sit on the beach while listening to Tennis. (Don't know Tennis? Go here, for some reason I can't embed their video.)

I keep trying to talk Jeff into letting me buy that picture of the ocean (#8). ( We always consult each other before making an art purchase, we have very different taste.) It is of a stormy day off the French coastline. So pretty. I want to add some art work in my downstairs bath and I think something like that would be nifty in a little collection!

You can find these for purchase here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9

Pinterest Pickings - Halloweens frightenin'

2011-10-24T19:35:00.000-06:00

This last year I have been trying to be more festive and get into decorating for the holidays (I CAN'T Wait for Christmas! Our house maybe decorated for two or three months!). BUT thanks to the Nevada State mandated furloughs finding the extra cash to fund these holiday decorations has become more of a challenge. I figure I'd rather save up for a new chair or table then spend on little things in the interim.

This is where I turned to my new trusty best friend Pinterest! Seriously, I am so addicted. I could close my facebook or myspace (yes, I still have a myspace) account and not even bat an eyelash, but this Pinterest stuff is SOOO ADDICTING! Love it! Any who, I searched around for some creative and frugal ways to celebrate for Halloween. If you read this blog then you know when I say frugal I pretty much mean free, right?

I also didn't have time to do a whole lot of festive decorating either, so in the end all I really ended up making was this . . .

and this . . .

If I more time I thought it would also have been fun to do these:

This modge podged pumpkin from Urban Daisies:

This scary decor from Muse Lodge

This cute little pumpkin from Dollar Store Crafts

And lastly this cute tutu wreath found on Google Images. So cute and so fun. Maybe next year I'll be able to find time to do a few more Halloween projects!

Plugged In!!! Flirting with a media fast

2011-10-12T12:45:00.004-06:00

I have been mulling over this idea about eliminating or reducing the amount of media that we have in our house/life. The idea grows stronger every time I hear about an event or days dedicated to limiting dependence on media.

I know a couple of people who either do not have a TV or who at least do not have a TV in their family room and limit the amount of time the TV is on. This is an interesting concept to me. I remember hardly ever watching TV or movies as a child, I was always outside. In college I never had time to turn on the tube. Looking back these were probably some of my happiest times as well. Today my time spent with media is a different story. Below is a picture of our current family room.

The TV is pretty much front and center. The furniture layout is made for easy TV viewing, and anyone can tell it is the main function of the room – being transfixed on the TV. We watch a good amount of TV at our house. We have a DVR, it is barely capable of recording all of our TV shows (the nerve of Direct TV to limit recordings to only 50 TV shows).

Our media obsession does not merely end with the TV; it expands to movies, media packages on our phones, and, of course, the computer. We probably average seeing about 4-5 movies a month. That’s right people. I said 4-5. Thanks to websites like this and this, the majority of these movies are free (Score!), but it still means that we spend 8 to 10 hours a month just watching movies. And the soda and popcorn are definitely not free.

In addition to this we also subscribe to Netflix. Although, to be fair we do keep threatening that we are going to cancel. We’ve been threatening for a good number of months but for some reason we just never make that call.

And as mentioned above, we pay the $30 bucks a month per person for each of us to have data packages on our phones through Verizon. I use this on a daily basis, checking my emails, checking Facebook, looking up movie times, or using GPS Navigation. I also spend time on the computer at work (lunch hour only please) or at home looking up decorating blogs or being sucked into Pinterest for hours. Jeff prefers to use his time on the computer searching out new music and bands, and playing war themed games.

We are seriously plugged in with all this media! Everyday. All day. It not only takes up a healthy dose of our time, but obviously, it takes up our money as well. So how do we end the cycle? How do we free ourselves from this never ending barrage of media?
Pic found here

One method of cleansing from media’s clutches if the growing popular media fast. I first started to hear about these in the news and on blogs a year or two ago. Apartment Therapy will hold media fasts every once in a while. I would like to try and participate but often get cold feet. I’m afraid of failure, even if I’m the only one who knows I’ve failed at something.

Another one of my biggest challenges is this guy.

He really likes all things media. So much so that I try to get him to start his own blog reviewing movies, TV shows, and music. I figure he spends so much time with it that he might as well try and turn it into something useful, or a creative outlet. But it stays more of hobby. Hmmm, can watching TV be called a hobby? Not sure. But if it can, this is probably his biggest hobby. I’ve brought up the idea of fasting from media for a week or so, but this usually ends with Jeff twitching nervously and wondering how serious I really am and how to talk me out of it.

I think we’ve decided that a week of media fasting probably won’t due for him. But we have compromised to doing a media fast for a day (which does not include music). The boy must have his tunes. And to be honest, I really enjoy music in our house too. It is pretty much always playing in the background at our house. Then once we compromise with a day instead of a week, I’ll say something like I’d like to have a day a month that we just unplug. He says a day a year or every 6 months will do him fine. So again we are at a stand still. (His main argument is that he has to be able to watch his sports. Men?)

Plus, doing a media fast every once in a while is a fine idea, but is it really getting to the root of the problem? And am I even sure this is a problem, and if it is, how big is it? I always could try and implement a house rule that the TV stays off until 8:00 pm every day, or something like that, but again I’m not really sure how far to take this.

Any who, these are my thoughts about media lately. I am not sure how much of a role I want it to play in my life, and am not sure about what actions to take. Anyone out there have their own set of rules for media in their lives? If so please share!

Grandpa Jones turns 91!!

2011-10-08T21:31:00.006-06:00

My Grandpa Jones turned 91 this month. I ran up to St. George to celebrate with my family while Jeff stayed in town to work. My Uncles on my fathers side also came down with their wives and some family.

He seemed to have a good time, even if a surgery the following week was weighing on his mind. A few days after his birthday he went in to have one of his kidneys removed. We were all so grateful when he came out of surgery in good spirits and ready to go (well, at least as ready as a 91 year old man who just had an organ removed.)

Words simply cannot express how much I love this man. He has lived threw so much, been so many things to different people, but for me, I can't think of anything greater then getting to be his (grand) daughter. I am so, so lucky, and ever so grateful for knowing him like I do.

If you build it, they will come

2011-09-01T22:00:00.003-06:00

We moved into the condouse in February of 2009. Since then we have had 1 guest stay with us. Yes, just one. It wasn't even our guest, it was our old roomies guest back when our house had 3 instead of 2. (I am starting to think that 2 really is the loneliest number, because I miss a house that is full and filled with laughter and talks.)

If you will remember a post or two ago I complained that the roomie moving out left us again with a creepy empty room and I set out to turn it into a guestroom/ lounge area that we could hang out in. I thought it would mainly be used for lounging, as our guest-record is rather depressing. (With both Jeff's and I's parents in town, we rarely have the need to house guests and usually have people stay with the 'rents.)

However, the old roomie had her reception in town and with the reception came the need to house guests! Yes, they still aren't really our guest, but guests none the less, and I was happy to take them in. Happy too that the weekend of the reception gave me a deadline to complete my latest project. Otherwise my guestroom challenge could linger for months, much like some of my other recent projects (link paint or posting this about 3 months after finishing our spare room).

I also mentioned in the post of long ago that I was going to try decorate the space for free, or next to it. This was not a glamorous make over, but this is what I had to work with - basically, nada. So I went shopping around the house to see if I could find some useful items to fill the space.

Our garage housed a couple of old dresser drawers and an old side table that I use to use as a night stand.

I also found some old pillows and curtains from our first house, or maybe even my college days? Not sure, but they are old buys from Pier One. With my dresser drawers in the garage, my old side table and a stained pineapple lamp I figured I had all the makings of new room- haha.

I took the dresser drawers and decided they were going to be mounted to the walls to create my new shelves. I wanted some way to spice them up and modernize them, so the room looked a little more current and less like stuff from my garage, so I grabbed some paint we had on hand and I hunted down a cool painting tutorial on the web. Over at Kelly and Olive they have a great Chevron Painting tutorial that I used to paint the backs of my drawers. I wont get into it here, because really their tutorial is great.

The next garage transformation was for that sad side table that I use to use for a nightstand. I decided to unscrew the top part of the table and was left with something more like a stool. With my new little stool I grabbed an extra pillow we only ever use for road trips, a couple of rarely warn scarves, a stapler, and tape. Tools in hand I transformed this little bad boy into a kind of ottoman or coffee table. I just plopped the pillow on top for batting, wrapped the scarves around the top and staples and taped the bottom to make it tight and secure.

In a couple of weeks I had everything together and had my very own, nearly free room re-do!

The desk use to live in our office, along with the side chair. The Strokes poster was one of Jeff's old posters, as is the guitar. The TV was ours, it was just being stored at his brothers house until we had a need for it. We still have the old futon (on the far right side of the room), but thanks to Jeff's sisters letting us switch out our old broken frame for their totally intact frame, it's no longer an issue.

The only part of the room make over that cost us some mula was the closet doors. We found them at the Habitat for Humanity store for $25 a piece. I thought that was pretty expensive for closet doors, but after weeks of looking for cheaper ones on Craigslist that matched all of our other doors in the house, I kind of gave in. I think it was an okay buy, plus it's reused, so that is a plus.

The mirrors were something I bought from Ikea years ago that I had never even opened. The blue vase in the corner was from our old apartment. My favorite part, however, ended up being my dresser drawer shelves.

The beyond cute giraffes are from my grandma. She has had them for years, and hearing me say how much I loved them a few months ago, decided to give them to me for my birthday. I absolutely love my giraffes! I think they will look so great in our nursery one day, and since this room will be the nursery, it's only appropriate that they live there now too. (The picture is of our old roomie, who is a frequent guest in the room now with her hubster.)

One of my other favorite parts of the room is this great chevron woven tray. I had bought 2 of these at Salvation Army for $2 total a few months back. The other matching tray is on my nightstand corralling all my books. I saw almost the exact same trays a few weeks later at Pier One for $15 a piece- good buy Amber!

On my new favorite tray I put a couple of books that are fun to peruse through and don't require any real reading. Hopefully this can entertain our guests with some late night laughs. On my books is a small wood stick game and a harmonica for entertainment as well (although I hope they actually don't use the harmonica- we use it all the time- so that could be some weird germ action going on.) The small pink depression glass bowl is from a previous co-worker and can be used to store guest jewelry and whatnot.

Luckily I had a couple scarves on hand that matched the old school desk that is being used as a TV stand. The color is so bold that I find I don't wear them as often as I should, so I think they will get more use out of being a temporary ottoman for a while.

My old pineapple lamp was spray painted white and the shade was recovered with fabric I had on hand. Because of the odd shape of the shade I had a little trouble and I may need to tidy this up a little bit, but it works for now. The room will work for the temporary time its needed. I think I may add our brown rug that we have downstairs once we get that upgraded to a nicer one, but the whole thing is pretty good to go. We have had a handful of overnight guest since it's completion and it works great.

And for BONUS JONUS points I even tackled more of the hallway that leads to the new guest/chill space. I have all of these paint samples from trying to choose the right gray for the hallway and decided to put them to good use.

I stumbled out into my messy garage again and found my spare picture frames. I didn't think I had enough so I went to the Salvation Army and bought a few more frames to make a good sized grouping.

I laid them out to envision how it would look on the wall, and then decided what frames would be painted what color of test paint. When I was all done I ended up with this:

I mostly used art and pictures that we had on hand. The largest picture is of the Eiffel Tower that I picked up when I was in Paris. The dried flowers are from our wedding. The orange picture is of the Nauvoo Temple that my little sister gave me as a gift.

The old couple grabbing bums is a card I gave to Jeff. The "I like you a lot" is from Salt and Paper and is a free card printable, I just put it on some stripped paper we had.

I really like my little Nevada cut out with a green heart over Las Vegas. I just made this out of paper we had in the office. I am not 100% sold on how it all looks, but I figure it is my first picture grouping I've tried to do, so it may take some practice. I imagine more black and white photos on this wall some day,but first I have to get picture ready, which might be a while. For now, I will take a work in progress- heck I will just take me getting off my lazy butt and doing something in this house! Especially if it only cost me $50 bucks for closet doors and some change.

Headed for Colorado and Utah

2011-08-17T12:45:00.001-06:00

Back in July I headed to Eastern Utah to see my family and we made a quick trip up to Ouray Colorado. I am just getting to it now, because, well, summer seems to fly by and leave before I know it. I had a lot of things planned this summer that are not getting done. This was suppose to be my summer to become a better photographer, and make tons of home improvement. My goals have pretty much crashed and burned- but I still have a week or two to complete them right? Yeah, I wouldn't double down on that bet.

Anyways, I've gotten distracted. I left my hubby and headed out with my mothers family for a quick get-a-way. It was lovely. Once we made the 7 hour trek up to see the family, we left the next day to go to Ouray Colorado. I had not been here since college and it was good to be back. B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.

Enough said.

If you have not traveled here before, be fore warned. The road to get there is crazy fun, and just a little plain crazy. Not fun at all if you get car sick, as some of my cousins did in our van. But, it is was a good view, even if it was right next to a cliff the whole time without any rails.

Once we got there we went swimming in the hot springs (yea, not going to post a pictures of that).

We Picnicked,

we went walking around town ,

we went shopping,

We hung out at our rented cabin,

We went to visit box falls,

and then our quick little journey to Colorado was over :( But we still had a ton fun back in Utah.

We went swimming again up at dry lake while my cousin played with his new fishing boat,

(I love this picture. not only does it show how pretty it is up by my grandparents cabin, but it also says a little something like " I'm a hick and proud of it." Makes me smile and giggle a little.)

we saw crazy tiny toads,

and even went 4wheeling. Sadly my camera was out of batteries by the time we got to this part of our journey, but I think I took some video. My camera batteries died because somebody decided to have a little photo shoot, but that is okay.

It was such a lovely extended weekend. I love getting out and playing in the muck and mud and just having a great time with my family. I am so glad I went, and I vowed to myself that next time Jeff comes up to visit my family with me, that we will go to Ouray again. Can you believe that boy has never been to Colorado?

I've Got Wood

2011-07-19T12:30:00.004-06:00

On a recent family vacation to eastern Utah I took the opportunity to find myself some reclaimed wood. Why you may ask? Well, it's because I have been drooling over this picture I found on Pinterest for the past few months.

It's a beauty right? I love everything about it. The rustic wood, the modern metal chairs, the string lights. I knew I wanted to re-create something similar for our own patio/backyard. I tried to find a salvation yard in LV, but the only ones I found are open to people with a construction licenses. Boo on them! So, luckily my Uncle hooked me up with some old, rustic, gray wood while on vacation.

My family must have thought I was insane lugging it back with me for the 7 hour drive, but it was worth it to me. Now we have a pile of wood in the garage and we need to figure out how to make ourselves a table!

At first I thought this gorgeousness was just out of my reach because I couldn't find chairs that I'd be able/willing to throw down the Benjamin's for. I found similar chairs at Overstock.com, but they were over $100 a chair (That is over $400 buck for the 4 chairs I want). I just couldn't pull the trigger on something that would cost so much. Then I found another great inspiration photo on Young House Love.

These ladies also found their chairs on Overstock, but these babies were just around $200 for 4 chairs. They even come in a variety of colors like black, red, and white. This is still pretty expensive for me. But I have talked myself into it by saying that I would spend more than that on 4 quality outdoor chairs, and these will fit our small space even better because they are stackable. Now, the hard part. Making the table.

I found this cool little tutorial on Apartment Therapy and I'm sure I'll turn to google for all the 'how to's' when we get down to building the table itself. I also like how they used Vika Lerberg legs from Ikea. It seems like such a simple solution. I'd even like these spray painted in a cool color, like a bright red or yellow. (I don't mind getting a little more adventurous with color outside for some reason.) Plus it seems like a good price at only $30 buck for the pair with shipping.

I found this table on Pinterest too. I L.O.V.E the painted turquoise legs. They are amazing. I am just not sure if I would be able to re-create this. First, I'd have to find a cheapo table on Craigslist with amazing legs. Second, I'd have to be able to take it down to the right measurements for our space. Third, I'd have to figure out how to paint and sand down the legs so they look all rustic like. I do not know if I have that much faith in my faux painting abilities. But this is still one of my top choices for some sexy backyard table legs.
This beauty I found on Pinterest as well. I really like the clean lines but think it may be a little too modern for the look I am going for. It reminds me of something I would find in West Elm (which I love, just maybe not for our rustic table). The other plus with these legs is I think that they would not be very intrusive and leave plenty of swinging room for our legs.
Lastly, these hairpin legs are probably my top choice. I found these hairpin legs online for only $18 a pop at 28 inches tall. I love them. They read rustic, retro, and simple to me. But even though I love them, I'm still a little hesitant. I know I got the wood for free and all, but $72 bucks plus shipping seems like a lot for table legs. Especially when I have to pay for the chairs too. I'd really have to make sure the table was made correctly and would stand the test of time if I was going to put that kind of money into it.

It will still be a while until we get cracking on the table anyways, so we'll have some time to think about it. I do not want to try and bust this thing out in 108degrees this summer. I plan to start the tables construction around September. (Or, I guess I should say I'll start asking Jeff to make this starting in September.) If anyone still reads this blog would you mind letting me know which one if your favorite? I know I'm going to be pretty indecisive on this one.

How to: Nursery on a budget 2

2011-07-06T12:30:00.015-06:00

Cont ... Fourth tip: SEW IT

I know my friend is a great seamstress, but there are really easy tutorials on how to make your own crib skirts if you are novice like myself. Like this one. You can make pillows and all that jazz.

My only "resourceful" type tip is to think about what you are using for fabric. You can go get pretty cute fabric for around $2 but why not shop the house first? I have recovered stuff in my old clothes, a great scarf I was never brave enough to wear, old blankets, tea towels, whatever I feel like. Some of my favorite pillows had a previous life as a napkin. Or I've always thought about making a baby changing cover out of those great table clothes in Home Goods. If they can stand up to messy food maybe it would be able to stand up to other types of messes- haha.

Finding cheap fabric doesn't mean you have to recover everything in your old clothes either. There are also great newly purchased ideas for fabric as well. If you have a shorter window in your room you can take one curtain panel, cut it down the middle, sew a hem on the cut edge, and make 2 curtain panels for the price of one. You can even turn sheets into curtains for your window. Places like Ross and Home Goods have great prices on nice bedding. You can use the fabric for so many different things.

Fifth tip: ART

I like simple art, and I think that even goes further in a nursery, to have those simple places for your eye to rest. And art I can make at home with some paint or on my computer is gravy. Here are some of my favorite kid proof art ideas:

1- You could totally make simple art on your computer in word with colors to match your nursery. Look at Etsy for great ideas like this. If you want it to have some texture get some grainy paper and then put a really, really thin layer of white washed paint over it. (Or what ever color of wash you want). I did something similar like this for cheap art in our mast bedroom.

You can do this for any words or phrases you like really. I want to do something similar to this with a nursery rhyme my grandma always use to sing to when I was young. Pick quotes that means something to your family. To give it an extra kick, modpodge some fabric or paper on some matting and cut it to size.

2- Temples- At the last GC they mentioned having a picture of a temple in your child's room from and early age. I liked this temple print on Etsy for a babies room. To replicate something similar on your own, print out an outline of your favorite temple on your computer (if you can't find a picture on the web of just the outline, then you can change your printer settings just to "outline"), trace the outline onto a paper or canvass, and then just paint the rest of the negative space around it.

3-Embroidery hoops- Find a 20% off coupon for Michael's or Joannes and pick up a few embroidery hoops. Stretch some cute fabric in it, glue any excess fabric in the back on the inner lining of the hoop, and you have a very cute art installation. You can even use fabric you already used in the room, or again, whatever you have lying around the house.

source found here, with how to.

4- Chinese Lanterns and Tissue Pom Poms- I love it when people use a grouping of Chinese lanterns and tissue paper pom poms, hung at different heights, as a kind of crib mobile. Go to World Market for cheap Chinese Lanterns in a wide variety of colors and visit Martha Stewart for tutorials on pom poms. Sewing a banner also seems to be big lately (I've made a few paper ones for holidays and parties and they are super simple.)

5- Don't want to make it yourself but still need free art? Google free printables for children and find great prints like this. Or visit a website like this.

6- Don't want to make if yourself and have an extra $5-20? GO TO ETSY! I love that place. In the very least, it is great for inspiration (as you can tell from #1 and #2).

Sixth Tip- KNOW WHERE TO SHOP

We all know to go to Ross, Homegoods, Marshalls, etc. They are great and I am so glad Las Vegas has so many of them to choose from. But, there are those little shops that are out of the beaten path which have some of the best deals. Here is my list of where to go.

Antiques:
Charleston Antique Mall 1109 Western Ave.
Not Just Antiques Mart 1422 Western Ave.
Antique Mall of America 9151 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

Second Hand:
Salvation Army 4001 West Charleston Blvd. & 360 N Stephanie St, Henderson
Goodwill 9230 S Eastern Ave # 130, Las Vegas (the one on Stephanie and Warm Springs kind of stinks)
Freecycle

Local finds:
Retro Vegas 1211 S. Main Las Vegas Blvd.
JJ Draperies 1321 South Commerce St. (I think this is it. There is a shop down by Main and Charleston that has upholstery fabric all for $5 a yard. It has moved so many times I am having a hard time finding it lately.)

How to: Nursery on a budget

2011-06-20T12:30:00.002-06:00

One of my friends is expecting her first child later this year (HURRAY!). She was stuck when it came to getting the nursery together for her sweet babe on a budget. So, she asked me to chat cheap/resourceful decor with her. Of course I was flattered, but I wasn't quiet sure what kind of sage advice I could offer with me being sans baby or baby bump.

Then, of course, it hit me. My name is Amber and I am a blog stalker. All those wonderfully creative people of the web definitely had their clever tips to share. If there was a support group for blog stalking, I would be member. Whenever I change things up around the house Jeff will ask me "Did one of your blogs tell you to do that?". Sometimes I get to boast that the idea came from my very own pretty little head; but most of the time I explain that "Yes, I was inspired by a blog."

People are so resourceful and have such great ideas. I am glad they take to the internet to share all of their wonderful tips! All those great ideas for copying, I mean for inspiration. So, I stormed my brain and wrote a list of all those things I remember seeing on the great and expansive interweb which would work for completing a nursery on a budget. I thought I would share my list on my blog too. (Sharing my copy catting of blogs on my own blog, what a strange world?) This way if I ever am blessed to have my own little one on the way, I can just come back here and look at what I had to say. (I'm sure by that time I will have other things on my mind, like how could I be this lucky? And how do I have a safe a healthy pregnancy?)

First tip: PAINT

Paint can be cheap, and it can make one of the biggest impact on a room. If you don't want to splurge the $20-$30 bucks it would cost for a gallon of paint (to cover most rooms), why not go with a quart and see where it can get you?

(I just pinned this on pinterest and couldn't track the original source- kind of the point on pinterest- I know.)

You can paint strips on a ceiling or walls. There are even great tutorials for chevron strips or tracing from an overhead projector. Painting your child's initials, or even just one great big band across the room can make big difference.

Source found here

Side note: If painting a babies room, paint with low or no VOC paint. If the color you like doesn't come in no VOC, have Lowes color match it in a brand that does. Even with low VOC it is still suggested to paint the room well in advance of your babies arrival. Think a few weeks before you'll bring the little one home.

Second tip: BUY SECOND HAND

I know most people want everything to be nice, new and clean for their new little baby. And I don't blame them. However, you don't have to buy all their toys from Goodwill, maybe just select pieces of furniture. Find a good second hand store in your area. My favorite is a Salvation Army right by my work (in the ghetto, they usually have the best stuff). It may be scary but it has a great selection of furniture. Not to mention Craigslist, just make sure your hubby goes with you to pick the items up. Ladies who are preggo should not go to strangers homes alone!

Anywho, here is a list of my favorite items to pick up second hand:

1)Picture Frames- This may seem odd, but besides my gigantic picture frames from Ikea in my living room, I don't think that I have bought a new picture frame in YEARS. With a fresh coat of paint you'll never remember it was used. Just look for something sturdy and made well.

2)Rocking Chairs- I almost always see a rocking chair or two at Salvation Army. Spend the $20 on a chair and just recover it. Those old wood rockers have those easy to recover/ easy to replace cushions. Plus you can always paint the wood. (Or if you are pregnant I guess your hubby or friends will be doing all this painting I keep talking about. )

3) Dressers- Old antique dressers are built so much better than anything you could get for a similar price from a big box store. Plus they are usually smaller which would be great in a nursery. Throw a changing pad on top of that baby (the dresser, not your new child) and you can skip the changing table. Since you bought this dresser second hand I bet you wont even mind painting it, or attaching some hooks on the side of the dresser where you can hang baskets full of diaper changing goodness.

Source found here

4) Baskets- Honestly, why do people think that they can charge $20- $30 for a basket? I always get my baskets from Salvation Army. They are like $2. Seriously. And baskets are great for stashing diapers, toys, blankets, whatever you may need.

Okay, so are you still not feeling this second hand thing? Does it give you the heeby geebies? Look here and here for links on great ways to safely sanitize those second hand finds for your little one. And look here for more inspiration for what you can accomplish buying second hand.

Third tip: REUSE

I know- duh. But what I mean is re-use anything you can think of. For instance, I have a plastic bin in my garage full of all my old favorite toys. All those old favorites will be my kiddos first toys. If you are not a crazy hoarder like me, hijack some of your old toys from your parents house.

Go shopping in your garage and see what you can make. Look around your house and see if you can clear off that bookshelf a little and re-use some of the items in your babies nursery. Look at things in a new way. I am always doing this when I want to go buy something new. Before I hand over my credit card I go shopping in my house to see if I can find something else that would work. Usually, I can.

Sorry for the bad picture. (Have I mentioned that my summer goal is to be a better photographer?). But this is me and lil' sis' being resourceful when it came to equipping her with desk organization items when she went into middle school. We painted a sheet of metal and old empty cans of soup with chalkboard paint and wrapped the edges with ribbon for safety. The metal sheet was her now magnetic chalk board and the cups held pencils, rulers, or whatever else she wanted. We re-used an old tin gift card holder to house all of her chalk, and used craft paper and vase beads to make little magnets. Whatever you have around your house can usually handle two to three different jobs. Think outside the box.

. . . Okay. I am getting pretty word-y here but I still have a couple more tips. I will save them for my next post, be back soonish.

PARIS!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-06-14T17:47:00.004-06:00

Have you seen this? The amazing blog Oh Happy Day is giving away a trip to Paris for 7 (yes I said 7) days. Wouldn't this be lovely! You all should try and win!

Pic found here

Amber's Choice

2011-06-13T12:45:00.002-06:00

We are finally laying the flooring downstairs, which means I can try and finish what I started months ago - the office. Our old office was burnt orange, white and black, with yellow walls. Every time I went in there I felt like the room was screaming at me. Now with the cool grays and ample doses of white it feels much more serene. So serene it is a bit boring and I need to bring it up a notch.

My starting point is most definately this amazing quilt that my mum-in-law gave us for our wedding. It's black, white, and red - some of the colors we used at our wedding. It is such a nice gift, I want to make sure it has a secure home in the office where it will be safe, rarely used, and we'll still see it every week. I am not a huge fan of just using these three colors for the entire room as the whole color combo though. That reminds me of the 80's for some reason. I want to bring in another dominant color.

My first thought is one my all time favorit color combinations to go with the newly painted walls- Gray and Yellow. I even spotted this table cloth at Target that I would want to make some pillow covers with, or possibly make a slip cover for the office chair. For me there is just no happier color combo than yellow and gray.

Plus, yellow and gray were just ment to be bestfriends. Seriously, they are marvelous together

Picture can be found here.

But this color combo has me thinking- isn't yellow and red the color combo I just tried to get rid of by painting the old yellow walls and changing out my old redish desks? I thought I was going for a cool, relaxing work space. Maybe red and yellow aren't the best way to go.

So when I think of red (or more of a burnt orange is what I am trying to incorporate) what complimentary color comes to mind? None other than blue, my most favorite color. Now, that wouldn't be a bad idea! It would even help tie our downstairs blue living room with the upstairs. Make the flow of the house more cohesive.

After all, red and blue is a very traditional color combo. (The above picture can be found here
) Traditional, classic - Those are definately two styles that I am trying to incorporate into our decor. One of my 30X30 goals is to have our style grow up a bit. Maybe a traditional color combination would play well with the sleek, modern IKEA style we have going on in there so far. Plus I've always wanted to use yellow and gray in a nursery someday. But can I really turn my back on yellow and gray- it's just too cute? Hmmm. I just can't decide. what to do, what to do?

I LOVE St. George

2011-05-19T12:00:00.005-06:00

My cousin was recently married in the St. George so me, Jeff and the family went up to St. George for a weekend getaway. It was such a lovely break and so awesome to spend time with the family.
The sealing was so beautifully done and the happy couple couldn't keep their ear to ear grins from off their face. I was struck by how young and Innocent they seemed, even though they are both definitely of age to be married. I can't believe I was ever this young, so incredibly in love, and so pure. It was so obvious with them, which made it even the more beautiful.

The next morning we woke up early and prepared a little brunch for my aunt/old roomie. We were meeting up with her at a Spa in St. George where we were all getting some kind of treatment as a belated bridal shower party. In order to make the day a little more special my sisters and I decided to prepare a little surprise brunch for after the spa.

We were staying at my Uncle and Aunts second home in St. George which made for a beautiful little backdrop. The post-bride has always been a big fan of rainbows- in love with them ever since I can remember- so I thought it would be fun to have everything in a rainbow theme.

This picture below didn't turn out too well, but my favorite was the fruit rainbow. (I was trying to hurry and take a few pictures after setting it all up before the whole crowd arrived just a few minutes after me from the spa). The "table cloth" was just crepe paper streamers that I laid across the table in rainbow order. I even had a bucket of chocolate gold pieces near one of the table legs. All the decorations were from the dollar store and came in under $20. Perfect for a little last minute celebration!

Everyone ate (chicken salad, rolls, fruit, chips, pickles, olives, cupcakes, and lemonade/sprite mix), and stayed and talked for a couple of hours. It was such a nice visit and everyone was so relaxed from the spa.
Us sisters spent the rest of the day shopping after everyone else went home. Seriously! I told you this was a wonderful weekend. Weddings, spas, shopping, eating yummy food. Honestly, I needed this so much.

The next day us sisters got up late, watched old AMC movies, ate a big breakfast, then went out that afternoon for a hike. We went to Red Cliffs and we luckily hit it just right. There was plenty of water, which made the hike all the more fun on a hot-ish spring day. The hike was just as much fun as I remembered it being from the good ol' college days. This time though I had my nice camera that I was terrified of getting wet, so we had to do some hiking around and shifting to keep it nice and safe.

Some of the parts were a little more challenging then I remember too. Luckily thier were some nice men who didn't mind giving us girls a hand. So shameful to have to ask for help, but everyone in Utah is just so nice. (At least they were on this hike, that day.)

Not only was it just a fun relaxing weekend in St. George, but I also noticed that everyone really did seem to be so nice. There were also so many people out walking, running and playing around town all the time. It really does seem like such a nice little town and I am so glad I get to go up and visit family as often as I do. It almost makes me forget my trepidation about living in Utah, I think maybe I could handle it, but I'm sure if I lived there it would be a different story.

For now I'll take my weekends going to the temple, visiting with friends and family, shopping, and hiking. Lovely, lovely weekend!!

The Cement Is Getting To Me

2011-05-17T18:00:00.003-06:00

As I mentioned before, our first floor recently flooded from a broken water heater. We came home one night to find a squishy floor with water seeping out wherever we stepped. It was not fun. It turned this floor . . .

into this ...

Luckily our insurance will cover the damage. The hardest part is living in the mess until we get around to laying new floors and figuring our what to install for the future. Unfortunately, it feels like our insurance company is giving us peanuts for the floor replacement, about 60% of what it originally costs us. However, the lower price does definitely limit our possibilities when shopping, so at least our selection pool is smaller. I am choosing to look at this as a good thing, otherwise all the choices may overwhelm me.

Our first shopping experience left us pining for a bamboo floor. Particularly one we found at Costco. So of course I went off to research bamboo floors. Here are the basics of what I found. Bamboo definitely runs the gamut of low and high quality. Peoples reviews were everything from 'it didn't even last a year before it needed replacement' to 'strongest and best floor I've ever had.'

(Picture found here.)

Bamboo's durability, just like any other floor, depends on it's construction. The basics: Naturally colored bamboo floors are the strongest. Once a manufacture starts to stain or carbonize bamboo to change the color, bamboo starts to get weaker. Another big factor in bamboo floors is the grain. Is the plank laid horizontally, vertically, or is it strand woven? Strand woven is typically the strongest and horizontal the least. I am not an expert, but this is what most people came to a consensus on with a basic search.

Lastly, and probably the biggest factor in bamboo's durability, is how old the bamboo is. The longer the bamboo had time to grow and harden, the stronger it will be. I never found one certain way to figure out how old the bamboo was, some people said to try and scratch and dent it with a coin, while others said you can only be sure how old it is if the manufacture tells you.

Our bamboo, the only floating version we could find in our price range, was carbonized and laid horizontally. Although I knew we would have to get carbonized or stained bamboo, because I do not like the natural color of bamboo, I was not willing to negotiate on the bamboo's grain. Red flags were waived and I started to ponder other options. I'd love a bamboo floor, but I think we would need a bigger budget to get the quality we want/need. We would also need a bigger budget to get my dream floors.

(Pic Found here.)

Seriously! How gorgeous is that floor? It makes me drool. Even a plain Jane wood floor in general is far above our reach. We come against the same issue we had with bamboo, although we could afford the cheapest hard wood floor in the shop, it would not be of the greatest quality and may need to be replaced sooner that we'd like.

Tile and Ceramic floors are another option popular in the desert, but we already have a tiled kitchen. #1) I'm not crazy about the color. They were chosen by price (we got a steal on craigslist), not by aesthetics. #2) I have to clean them EVERYDAY. It drives me nuts. I will save installing tile for my kitchens and bathrooms but I don't think I'll ever have them in my living area.

This leaves us with the ever growing popular choice of Laminate. I loved our old laminate floors before a deep soak in water had it's way with them. I was never crazy about the color (this time they'll be less red/orange), but they were easy to maintain and let me fool myself every once in a while into thinking I had real wood floors.

Last time we laid down our flooring, when we first moved in, we picked this floor because our brother-in-law had a bunch left over from a previous house. He had enough to cover about 1/3 of our space, which saved us a bunch of $$. This time around we are starting from scratch, and yes it is still a little overwhelming, even with a smaller selection pool.

Here are the basics of what to know when picking a laminate floor:

The texture, or top layer of the laminate, can differ. Embossed is generally stronger and cleaner than a gloss finish. A gloss finish will also show more smudge marks and scratches. An engraved top layer is ridged, or wavy. Some say this makes it look more like real wood, but I am not ascetically a fan of engraved laminate, no matter how strong it is (the strongest type of texture), so I keep my distance. When shopping you can usually tell the finish by just looking at the laminates finish.

You also want to check the box for more information. The AC rating (Abrasion Class rating) is another big factor in laminates durability. AC1 is the weakest and AC5 is the strongest. Manufactures suggest using the lower AC ratings in low traffic areas, like a bedroom, but I decided I didn't want to go under anything less than an AC3 rating. AC3's can be used in high traffic rooms or even for commercial use (although most commercial use is a AC4 or better).

Other factors to consider are if it was made under high pressure or direct pressure, high pressure being more durable. Also was a water resistant coating used to protect the cores durability? Does it have a NALFA cert seal showing it has passed the standard durability testing? Was high VOC or hazards glues used to bind the layers?

(Pic found here.)

There was much more to consider than I thought there would be. My biggest concerns were initially about how it looked, but the more I started to research the more concerned I grew to find a durable floor. As are most homes in Las Vegas, our house is under water, (no not literally under water, we do not live near the Mississippi River) but we owe more than our house is worth. We even bought our foreclosed on home in December 2008, when the market really crashed, but Las Vegas is defying all odds and the value of our home is still ever decreasing.

Since we still have an insanely low mortgage though, we have no immediate plans to try and sell and will most likely be the home with little kids and maybe (if Jeff lets me) a puppy. In the future however, we may need to use the house as a rental and I want the floors to be able to hold up to whatever the homes future may entail.

At first I was so naive in thinking we would have a new floor within a week or two, but by now I really should know myself and realize I am going to take my time and figure out what is best for us and best for the house. Hopefully we can get it all figures out this summer!

The Guest Room Challange

2011-04-13T13:48:00.004-06:00

We recently had our roomie move out. Okay, so not very recently, she has moved out and is already MARRIED! (Which I am beyond excited about - I love Mat and Lora!). But with our little one leaving the nest we have our spare room spare again. Now, it's even painted a wonderful purple hued gray.My quest is to make a lounge/guest space with no budget. Not that I am going to go out and buy the whole room from Room and Board, but rather, I need to decorate this space for free. With the recent money put into the office and fixing our flooring downstairs (Flooded. More on that later), I don't really have additional funds for a guest room. Plus, prayers answered, we will have a little one filling this space within the next year or so. There really isn't any reason to go out and spend a bunch of money on a room that will hopefully be in transition soon enough.

In the meantime however, having it sitting there empty is totally bumming me out. Not only do I not have a much beloved roomie, but there is no bun in the oven to imagine filling up the space. The empty space creeps me out. So, with no budget I need to fix it. I might have to buy nails and glue or something, but really this will be a work with I've got project. I wonder what I will come up with? How fun!

A Camping We Will Go- (hi ho, hi ho)

2011-03-23T13:29:00.015-06:00

We went for a mini camping trip in Zion this last March, just a quick weekend trip. It was all too lovely and perfect. Jeff and I went up early to set up everybody's site on Friday because the army had half day (Arrested Development reference). We really just did it because no one wanted to set up a tent at night. That is the worst part of camping, tent pole meet my eye. No thanks.

Friday Jeff and I hit up Springdale for dinner after setting up camp. After dinner at the Pioneer Wagon (?) we strolled main street and went in all the gift shops. We are trying to send ourselves postcards from all our vacations with a few notes of what we did on the vacation. Postcards are much cheaper and easier to store then other chachkies. Once it got dark we headed back to camp and bleed our car battery dry watching old Buffy episodes. Having a mini date with the hubby on our mini camping trip was a nice surprise. Nobody else ended up showing up until wee hours of the night, which in camping terms is at like 10 at night.

The next morning we just chilled and eventually found our way to the Emerald Pools hike. (We originally planed to also do the Oak Creek trail as well but traded that hike for a nap instead.) Emerald Pools was such a great choice. The weather could not have been better and at the top of the three pools was a giant snow drift still melting away from winter. I've done this hike a number of times before, but this time was by far my favorite. Who would have known - go hiking in mid-March.

The hiking, lounging, and napping was wonderful, but the main event for me was the cooking. This was the first time in a long time that I had gone camping without any "real" adults. I usually let the "real" adults cook me up a bunch of good grub, or just go with a can of soup or something when I camp solo. Jeff's parents have been great at gifting us a bunch of camping gear every Christmas since we got married though, so we finally busted all of it out, the stoves, the tables, and the DUTCH OVEN!

I have to say that my first round of real camping cooking went swimmingly thanks to the Bame's. Jeffs dad provided me with a couple tried and true Dutch Oven recipies. Because I am so nice I'll share them here too!

We had a really great time. This mini camping trip was test run for hopefully more extensive camping trip to come. So much more relaxing then running all the weekend errands and cleaning the house. I will take this kind of weekend anytime!

Breakfast:

Eggs (1.5 for each person)

2 cups of milk

1 package of bacon

1 package of sausage

2 medium bags of hashbrowns

cheese or salsa

Place liner in the dutch oven. Layer the bottom with bacon, then layer 1/2 the hashbrowns, sausages, and the rest of the bacon. Repeat layer (minus bacon). Poor eggs and milk mixture over the top. (Eggs, milk and salt and paper should be consistancy of srambled eggs.) Bake at 350 for an hour. Once done top with cheese or salsa or just each plain because it is so yummy!

Dinner:

1 Chicken breast a person

Sliced thin potatoes (as many as you want, never enough potatoes)

1pack of Stoffer Stuffing

2-3 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup

Onions

Oil

Line Dutch oven. Put a little oil on the bottom. Layer thinly sliced potatoes and chicken. Pour in 1/2 of the soup and sliced onions, repeat layers. 15 min before it's completed pour in Stoffer Stuffing mixture on the top. Bake at 350 for an hour. (Can use cheese soup or mushroom soup too).

Dessert:

2 Jars (3 Cans) of Pie Filling.

White Cake Mix

1 can soda (sprite)

seasoning mixture (cinnomin, nutmeg, sugar- to taste)

Put fruit mixture on the bottom of lined dutch oven. Sprinkle seasonings over fruit. In a bag, mix the cake with a can of soda. Pour the cake mixture over the fruit and bake- you guessed it- an hour at 350. YUM!

The Office- For Reals This Time

2011-03-21T20:00:00.003-06:00

I did it for reals. We started to re-do the office and we pretty much have the basics down. This is what the office looked like last time I dared to snap a photo:

It was a little more messy than normal because this was during my first painting attempt. It actually got worse (if that is possible) when the roommates stuff moved in, so the office was filled with some of hers and some of ours. This room was just not working in anyway. The old school desk I bought for $2 from an old school about to be torn down in UT, my old dressers from Target that were falling apart, and a broken futon, does not the best office make. It was embarrassing.

After some paint and elbow grease, now our office looks like this!

Or at least this what it looked like the night I came home to see Jeff made the desk, but- MUCH better! We bought these cabinets from Ikea last July and just have not had the space to put them up, since the roomies and our stuff was so packed in that room. I bought them in a moment of insanity when I thought we were rolling in the dough, they are $120 each. That might not seem like much to other folks but that is just how cheap I am. If I were more creative I could have bought some broken shelves from Craigslist and painted them, but I thought these babies were worth the cost . . and I was insane.

I picked these beauties out specifically because of how deep they are, a little over 17 inches. I knew that would be the perfect depth to store our vinyl records. Most standard shelves are just too shallow. Plus with two, we have one for him and one for me. This way I wont go nuts if his shelves get too messy, I'll never even have to see them. (Don't his V-day comic book holders look so cute in there!)

Jeff made our desk from a hollow core door we bought at the Habitat for Humanity Restore for just $10 bucks. I was actually dreaming about how we could make a desk one night and told him how I thought it would work that next morning. That night I came home and he had it ALL done. What a wonderful husband I have!

Look at how cute he is, acting like he didn't just rock my world by making me a little desk. (Pay no attention to our messy garage, a project for another day.)

See how the inside of the door is hollow. All we had to do was make a long 'L' bracket from two 1x2 planks. The one inch side (with a little shaving and sanding, maybe even some cutting) can fit inside the hollow part of the door and secured with glue and nails (underneath, so they wont show). The other part of the 'L' bracket is then used to secure the desk to the wall.

Making the desk ourselves let us customize the width and length, and wouldn't you know it, we chose the same width as the Ikea Shelves and the perfect length to fit in between them. This makes our whole desk and storage area take up just over a foot of wall space along one side of the room. Nice! We have some of the hollow core door left over so we are thinking of making a couple floating display shelves for the office as well. There are a lot of different tutorials on how to make desks, shelves and whatnot online. You can get a ton of DIY tips and hints by just Googling it. Try it, it's fun. Or you can dream about how to do it, either or.

Of course I can't forget the paint. This is the bugger that held up the process for months and months. Thanks to a couple of my favorite bloggers, I found the perfect paint color- BM's Moonshine. This is a true gray, it didn't pull green, or blue, or purple. I love it! I had it color matched to Valspar's no VOC paint so it didn't even smell. Jeff was smart enough to think to color match the Ikea shelves too, so that our desk would match perfectly and look more like a built in shelving system. That really was the look we were going for.

Of course the office isn't DONE, but I think it is finally well on it's way. We still have the broken futon (we probably will until we win the lottery or something), and I still need to hang art and accessorize, but the base is done and NOW the fun part can begin!

Love is for February

2011-02-15T13:42:00.018-07:00

I love Valentines Day. It is definitely one of my favorite holidays. It didn't use to be, until I turned it into a day not about how hot my Valentines date was, but instead, as a day to ensure the people in my life know how much I love them. I usually made it mostly about my sisters, and now my lovin' hubby is in the mix too.

This year I went pretty simple compared to past years. I made Jeff these silly little magazine holders that are designed to hold his most prized possession, his comic books and graphic novels. Yes, I am married to a dork. Not only are these meant to finally give Jeff a place to store his comic books, but also a promise to finally re-do the office. For reals this time.

I painted the magazine holders with chalk board paint on the outside and an nice burnt orange on the inside, to match the colors in our office. On the chalk board side I drew different scenes from comic books and had re-stickable super heroes I made out of comic book trading cards. This way Jeff can make up his own stories, or draw to his hearts content and wipe is away when he's done. This would be a great project for a youngin', or a husband with a young heart.

I also got him this marvelous book by Rob Ryan. It is a love story made out of his paper cutting art. I just fell in love with the art and the story.

I woke up, gave him a message and made him breakfast, which is pretty standard for this holiday. This year Jeff helped with breakfast though. I think it was because we got to use the Star Wars pancake molds I got him for Christmas. I didn't get any pictures but they were super fun. I am still a fan of the pancakes I made him last year though, little pink hearts!

This year I went simple with the sisters too. Didn't take any pics again. For my older sister I got her heart shaped sugar cookie cut outs and a red trivet for the kitchen. For my younger sisters I got them PINK hot chocolate.

Image from here.

Last year's gift to my sisters was probably my favorite and I had no idea how to top it this year. Last year I hit up ebay and got each of my sisters vintage Avon fashion jewelry. I got Heather and Sage rings, but there was no way I could find a ring small enough for Jade, so I got her clip on earrings (she doesn't have her ears pierced). I made some templates on the computer and printed them out on card stock in place of traditional cards. I thought they were so cute.

As another side note from last year, I also gave our Nursery kids at church a little valentines. I wasn't teaching my CTR kids for the holiday this year, but I think something like this would have worked for them too. Anyone who has ever been in Nursery knows how much little kids LOVE bubbles.

Of course I got a gift or two myself. Jeff really hit it out of the park this year.

1. Chocolates: Check- girl scout cookies
2. Flowers: Check- a beautiful rose
3. Perfume: Check- Reed diffuser- perfume for the house
4. Jewelry: Check- A wonderful lovely heart bracelet.

Valentines always makes me so happy. I hope everyone else had as wonderful of a day as I did.

30 X 30: Road Trip

2011-01-20T13:34:00.014-07:00

I finally took one off my list, the Road Trip!

1) Have my hair professionally dyed a dark auburn.

2) Go on a 'real' date with Jeff once a month, no family members invited.

3) Blog once a month.

4) Update my wardrobe with at least 5 fun and totally non-essential items.

5) Lose 20 lbs, feel more fit.

6) Take a road trip.

7) Organize the garage and all our tools.

8) Re-vamp the office. It needs an overhaul.

9) "Grow up" our decorating style a little.

10) Paint the hallway and stairwell.

11) Frame the dried flowers from our wedding.

12) Print the disposable camera pictures from our wedding.

13) Make a window treatment for the kitchen window.

14) Complete 5 crafts from the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts.

15) Find at least 5 go-to recipes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cook Book."

16) Take better pictures with my Nikon.

17) Write, record, memorialize my grandparents history.

18) Sew something.

19) Decide if I'm going back to school and for what.

20) Stop drinking caffeinated soda.

21) Tithes.

22) Pray more.

23) Go to the temple once a quarter (4 times a year)

24) Read the Book of Mormon again.

25) Get preggo.

26) If preggo, decorate the cutest nursery ever!

27) Read 6 books.

28) Reduce our monthly expenses by 10%

29) Learn how to play my favorite piano song from the Sense and Sensibility movie.

30) Take a trip with just Jeff and I for our 30th birthdays.

A couple weeks ago 'the girls' (meaning Heather, Lora, Sage & Jade, as always) and I went on a little day long road trip to Rhyolite, NV.

Like the dork that I am, I did a little research so that I could be the 'tour guide' for the day. The research simply went on notecards in my back pocket. (Don't worry, I wont bore you with the history lessons here on the blog). Rhyolite is just a couple hours outside of Vegas and makes for a great day trip.

We started the fun at the candy shop in Beatty, NV while eating Subway for lunch. After the candy shop we took the 11 mile trek out of town and walked around Rhyolite. On the road we shared our mounds of yummy candy goodness.

It was interesting to see a town that was all but washed away. Even though it may be the most popular "ghost town" in Nevada, it wasn't scary at all, mostly just sadly interesting. I couldn't help of think of Las Vegas and our own recent boom and bust cycle, our own empty and abandoned buildings.

We ended the day by stoping in Pharump on the way home and having dinner with the grandparents. It was by all accounts a very lovely day. Their were no boys, no complaining, no work, no nonsense. We girls just had a wonderful day together and I loved it!

2010 EOY MIX

2011-01-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Every year Jeff makes an end of the year music mix with all of his favorite new music from the year. He burns a bunch of disks and gives them out with Christmas presents for friends and family. Here is his list this year written by Jeff for facebook:

1. Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap. Not a secret to many people. It was the song of the weekend when I visited my sister up in California. We saw a "white boy reggae" singer groovin' and singing along. I too love to sing and groove along. You may remember the song from 500 Days of Summer. Good movie.

2. My Own Sinking Ship by Good Old War. Trying to get all of my California trips out as soon as possible I guess. These guys were so fun in concert if you don't believe me just ask the two guys standing in front of us at the show.

3. Violent Dreams by Jump, Little Children. The California trip is done but Becky's hand is quite evident. I ran into the house to grab a CD to play in the new stereo the wife got me last Christmas and it was a 90's playlist made by my sister. This is the third or fourth track and it was my favorite reintroduction on the disc. It was my favorite song of the year that was not made this year. I have to turn it up and sing along. I am finding it hard to type right now as the song is playing. The title track for the CD (kind of) I love the lyric "She's hanging by a needle and a thread" "All my waking hours just to see you live through this sleepless night" Beautiful song. Hits home as it seems I am never sleeping.

4. Excuses by Morning Benders. If you download one song from my mix that was made this year, this should be that song. It has the feel of the song you think you've heard before. Amber asked me if it was an old song or if someone was covering an old song when she heard it. "I put no one else above us, we'll still be best friends when it all turns to dust" Good song. Classic melody.

5. After the Storm by Mumford & Sons. Beautiful heartfelt lyrics that made me cry the first time I heard this song. Persevere! One of my favorite albums of the year. Good band.

6. Breakneck Speed by Tokyo Police Club. I have been a fan of Tokyo Police club since I first heard their first EP. Perfect example of a band evolving and still very much rocking. Head bobbing fun and dancing is what inevitably comes from this song. Good to be back indeed.

7. Bloodbuzz Ohio by The National. Not sure how this song slipped past the Twilight people. The Baritone voice doesn't hurt. The song is the best from their new album which is all pretty good. And the first of two songs back to back about a dude taking his shirt off. Take from that what you will.

8. Lewis Takes His Shirt Off by Owen Pallett. As if it could be any other song about a dude taking off his shirt and preparing to defeat the being oppressing his people. You thought Colin Meloy could write a good story in a record, check out Heartland.

9. Generator (First Floor) by Freelance Whales. I love the way this song builds into something you never want to end. Kinda like a musical version of your proudest piece of Lego artwork.

10. I Can Change by LCD Soundsystem. I like the beat of this song and his dramatic singing. I went to the concert that Vegas couldn't give away tickets for. "Love is a curse shoved in a hearse," Cool song.

11. Citizen by Broken Bells. James Mercer has one of those voices and everything Danger Mouse touches turns to gold. Including this album and song.

12. What Part of Forever (Remix) by Cee Lo Green. Speaking of Danger Mouse collaborators. Cee Lo had a couple great songs this year including the one called "That song Gweneth Paltrow sang on Glee".

13. It Will All End In Tears by The Drums. Very Joy Division meets The Cure. I like the chorus for this song."Your eyes are always saying goodbye". Nice.

14. Nothing Like You by Frightened Rabbit. After having the title track on 2008 and coming just short of making 2009's playlist Frightened Rabbit is back. His voice is intoxicating. They were good live even though Amber and I were both tired (thanks beauty bar) We both had a good time and enjoyed the set despite it's many technical difficulties.

15. Bullet by Steel Train. Careful! This song will hit your brain like a bullet and you won't be able to get it out. "As long as you're here, together we can die alone" With all of its ooos and ahhhs it is catchy as an h, an e and a couple hockey sticks.

16. Goodnight Moon by Go Radio. If you are going to name a song after one of the most iconic children’s books it better be a good frackin' song. It is a good frackin' song. Perhaps the most emo of all of my entries, but it is soooo cute.

17. Barles + James by Band of Horses. Alright, I know that isn't the real name of the song, but that is what I call it and this is my mix. "The door stood as if it was standing guard, of a dozen 'chickmunks' in the backyard" Great imagery. Fantastic song from the soul.

18. Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. You have heard this song if you still watch commercials. I liked it best when they sang it live. Very friendly and cool all the way to their Bob Marley campfire sing-along (minus the campfire). Again, severely under attended by my fellow Las Vegans.

CHECK THEM OUT!!!!!!!!!!

Wait UP!

2011-01-10T12:21:00.005-07:00

So it's only the middle of January and I feel like I'm already behind. I think of all the things I need to do and I get so overwhelmed that I don't know how to start. Somehow,I must already be behind.

I've been trying to think of the things that I HAVE to do, the things that I SHOULD do, and all those many things I WANT to do, to organize myself and not get overwhelmed. Again, I don't know how working moms do it? So here is my basic list:

HAVE TO: Work, work overtime, clean, wash, make healthy meals, pay the bills, run errands, church callings (including talking this last Sunday at church- I could make 5 other posts that describe how much I truly HATE speaking in church, but that can be another day). This list doesn't seam all that long, but in reality this stuff takes up 90% of my time, makes me exhausted enough that I don't know if I can get up the strength to go on to other items below.

SHOULD DO: Work out for an hour a day, read more, research fertility treatments, research adoption, volunteer, visit with family, date my husband, help Jeff with his "new" job, get a hair cut, wake up earlier so I look presentable everyday, have a pedicure, have family home evening every Monday, make weekly meal plans, clean the grout in the kitchen, etc.

WANT TO: Basically everything on my 30x30 list and I think I've added like 5 more things to that list since I created it in November (fix the plaster on the stairs, paint strips in the downstairs bathroom, make a new ottoman/coffeetable, granite for the kitchen, new 'grown up' dishes). I also want to just sit on my couch and watch TV or a movie. I want to update my Ipod, I want to update and fix our whole house, I want a dog, I want, I want, I want. Basically this list never ends.

And when I sit and think of all this stuff I have to do, I should be doing, and that I want, I am still overwhelmed. I guess this is part of being an adult. I guess the worry and sleepless nights and feeling inadequate are just part of life. But you know what? I'm done. I am DONE with it! Fini! Geschehen!

Every year I make a mantra for the year, kind of my own small way of doing a resolution. Last year I consistently tried to console myself with the mantra of "Lighten' Up" because I am always so worried and serious. It did help, sometimes. When I was being taken over by "stuff" to let myself know it wasn't the end and I should just get over it. I even lightened my hair as a physical reminder to be more care free. This year I was thinking that I may need to make a mantra like "Make it Simple," or something else consoling, but in the end I decided to just . . .

FIND JOY!

I NEED TO do what makes me happy and stop worrying about all this "stuff". I don't need to worry if I am always on target, always my best self, I should just be myself. I think if I just follow my passions and desire that I will be a more interesting and better person.

So many times my natural man, or the man of the world, takes over my body and mind. But if I can just be true to me and, for instance, read a geology book if I want and not worry that it's the most important of books, or the best use of my time, but just because I think it is interesting and enjoy doing it. If I take a cooking class because I think it sounds like fun and not because I am ashamed that I am not as a good of a cook as so and so. This is my goal. Find what brings me joy.

Of course I will always have to do the HAVE TO's, but I am not going to beat myself up over the SHOULD DO's this year and just have fun, do what I want and what makes me happy. So that is my new years resolution. If you are still reading this, do you make any resolutions? How do you prioritize your HAVE TO's, SHOULD DO's and WANT TO's?

Temple Square

2010-12-21T12:30:00.004-07:00

This year my mothers family decided to take a Christmas trip together. "The parents" decided on visiting Temple Square in SLC. The trip started off great, Heather and I were able to stop on the way up to SLC and see a couple of old friends, Emily and Natalie. It was so great to catch up with them for a little while and see Natalie's ADORABLE 2 month old baby Walker. (My baby hunger was at it's peak, let me tell you.)

That night "the parents" dragged us all to a Michael McClain concert, The Forgotten Carols. I like musicals, I like the theater, but this just was not my thing. I was totally jealous of my hubby and Lora's fiance Mat for going to the Utah Jazz game. MUCH rather have been there!

The next day ended up turning around again though. As we were inevitably waiting on the rest of the family to get where they said they would be an hour ago, Jeff and I got to explore Thanksgiving Point (I didn't mind getting to hang out with just the two of us). They had these reindeer on display for the kiddos and I think that they were a little stressed out.

This picture just needs a caption under it saying something like "You want me to pull this slay with the jolly ol' 200 lb elf in the back?"

We walked the grounds and saw how pretty it can be when you don't live in Vegas. I actually was considering moving to Utah!

An hour later the rest of my family finally met up with us at Thanksgiving Point and we toured the Dinosaur museum they have there. I love that going to a dinosaur museum is what my family does on vacation. We are all such dorks.

That night we went and toured the grounds at Temple Square. This was by far my highlight of the weekend. Since a BYU game just got out at the Energy Solutions Center (Jeff ditched us all again and went the game), the grounds were super crowded and everyone was so joyful. It was wonderful to be around so many Saints. Not to mention, the Temple Grounds were gorgeous!

Such a cute newly engage couple!

The whole gang

Jeffs new best friend this trip, our little cousin.

The next morning we went and saw a taping of The Spoken Word. That was just the cherry on top to the end of our little vacation. The Tabernacle Choir was amazing live. I couldn't believe that I had been in the SLC area on so many Sunday's before and not taken advantage of this. I will definitely be doing this again next time I'm in town.

Since the Spoken word is a live taping, they asked everyone before to be as quiet as possible to get a good recording. I have never before heard that many Mormon families with a bunch of little kids be so silent. If only we could all do that in Sacrament I'm sure we would get more out of the talks.

All and all it was a pretty fun, quick, and painless weekend. I'm not sure if I would want to do it again with that many people, but I could see Jeff and I taking the kids up one year (once again I am making plans for our imaginary children). Definitely a good way to enjoy in the all the Christmas cheer!

NO GRINCH IS STEALIN' MY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-14T20:00:00.002-07:00

Last year I was a total Grinch. I did not want to participate in any reindeer games! This year, I cannot get enough CHRISTMAS CHEER! Why am I loving Christmas so much this year? Maybe it is because we are so blessed. Maybe it's because my Christmas shopping in 95% done and I will be spending less than a few hundred buckaroos on all our gifts this year. Maybe I am just making up for last year, but I am totally lovin' this Christmas season.

Every year I help my youngest sister make her own gifts for everyone. This year one of our gifts was an advent calender for our parents. We took a plastic bead holder, Christmas scrapbook paper, and markers and turned it into a DIY advent calender.

Jade did every last thing herself. All I had to do was show her how it would work and she took care of the rest. She even thought of all the different activities to put into each jar with a little treat.

She did such a good job that a couple days later I made one for myself. I wanted something a little more simple. I loved the advent calenders I saw on Ohdeedoh, especially the coin envelop Christmas tree one. But, I refused to pay $17 for a box of coin envelops that I would never use again. It ended up coming together when I scored these white paper gift bags from Michael's for $2. They even came in a pack of 25, how much more perfect can you get?

All I used was the little gift bags, leftover scrapbook paper, ribbon, string, stamps, clips (from Jeff's birthday) and a little glitter (for #25). After an hour or so I had my very own, first ever, advent calender.

I even went out and bought my first ever wreath on Black Friday. Usually I don't go for this kind of stuff, you know. It's only used once a year, it is usually too expensive, cheaply made, and just a bunch of clutter "stuff" I don't need in my garage, but this year I didn't care. I want to decorate for Christmas and I don't care who knows it!

I am even trying to talk Jeff into going shopping with me the Monday after Christmas to get more decorations on sale. I am thinking that a full sized Christmas tree, lights, ornaments, and all the trimmings are in order (we still use my small tree from college). I don't think he is buying into my senseless, consumerism love of Christmas this year, but maybe he will come around. Hopefully next year I will still have enough Christmas spirit to actually put up all the new decorations :) Can't wait!

Amber's 30 X 30

2010-11-28T18:09:00.006-07:00

I've created my list of 30 things I want to accomplish before I turn 30. I'm giving myself plenty of time, but I'm sure I will still struggle with completing everything on this list. Time moves so quickly, I'm not sure how to get a handle on it. At least with this, I'll have goals.

Here it goes in no particular order:

1) Have my hair professionally dyed a dark auburn.
2) Go on a 'real' date with Jeff once a month, no family members invited.
3) Blog once a month.
4) Update my wardrobe with at least 5 fun and totally non-essential items.
5) Lose 20 lbs, feel more fit.
6) Take a road trip.
7) Organize the garage and all our tools.
8) Re-vamp the office. It needs an overhaul.
9) "Grow up" our decorating style a little.
10) Paint the hallway and stairwell.
11) Frame the dried flowers from our wedding.
12) Print the disposable camera pictures from our wedding.
13) Make a window treatment for the kitchen window.
14) Complete 5 crafts from the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts.
15) Find at least 5 go-to recipes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cook Book."
16) Take better pictures with my Nikon.
17) Write, record, memorialize my grandparents history.
18) Sew something.
19) Decide if I'm going back to school and for what.
20) Stop drinking caffeinated soda.
21) Tithes.
22) Pray more.
23) Go to the temple once a quarter (4 times a year)
24) Read the Book of Mormon again.
25) Get preggo.
26) If preggo, decorate the cutest nursery ever!
27) Read 6 books.
28) Reduce our monthly expenses by 10%
29) Learn how to play my favorite piano song from the Sense and Sensibility movie.
30) Take a trip with just Jeff and I for our 30th birthdays.

Now, the explanations. This is more for my record keeping of course, so in the future when I am wondering "why am I doing all these pointless things?", I can read this and remember. I wish I could do the whole bloggy "after the jump" thing, but as I am technologically impaired, I'm writing this in plain sight for the world to see (or one of the 3 people that may glance at this blog once a year). The writing below is boring, I beg you, turn away now.

1) Have my hair professionally dyed a dark auburn: I've always wished I had curly red hair. Bottled hair dye just doesn't seem to work for reds. I'm going for realistic here.

2) Go on a 'real' date with Jeff once a month, no family members invited: Every movie or dinner I get the question, 'Can so or so family member come?' Now I love family too, but just the two of us would nice every once in while.

3) Blog once a month: Just write more, practice makes perfect.

4) Update my wardrobe with at least 5 fun and totally non-essential items: I tend to only buy things that have purpose and can be used over and over (and are priced under $30). This leads to a very basic and dull wardrobe. I need to spice things up!

5) Lose 20 lbs: I am not ready to say good bye to my looks just because I am getting older, I should try and get them back while I am still young-ish.

6) Take a road trip: Even if we are too poor and the only trip we make is camping in Zions, I'm good.

7) Organize the garage and all our tools: This is more for Jeff (and my sanity).

8) Re-vamp the office. It needs an overhaul: Seriously, it's gross and it is taking me way too long to get it all put together. I've had it decorated in my head for at least a year.

9) "Grow up" our decorating style a little: Things are looking a little one dementional at the Bame house. We need to take our style up a notch and get a little more . . . MORE.

10) Paint the hallway and stairwell: It again, has been a year with paint testing strips on the wall. Decide and conquer!

11) Frame the dried flowers from our wedding.

12) Print the disposable camera pictures from our wedding: I have to be the laziest person in the world, or the cheapest. I can't decide which.

13) Make a window treatment for the kitchen window: As much as I enjoy people driving by on the street seeing what I'm watching on the TV I think I may just cover up the kitchen window.

14) Complete 5 crafts from the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts: I really should give quilling a try.

15) Find at least 5 go-to recipes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cook Book": Let's face it, cooking something, anything, will be an improvement. How I made it to 28 without being a good cook, a good homemaker, and childless is beyond me. I need to get at least 5 easy recipes memorized, so I can pull them out in times of need in the future.

16) Take better pictures with my Nikon.

17) Write, record, memorialize my grandparents history: I've been thinking about this for years and just need to do it while I still have the ability to.

18) Sew something.

19) Decide if I'm going back to school and for what: I have been knocking around going back to college ever since I graduated. I can't decide if I want to get my teaching certificate, a masters in public administration, or just get a certificate in something totally different - like a synographer or something.

20) Stop drinking caffeinated soda: I hate being an addict.

21) Tithes.

22) Pray more.

23) Go to the temple once a quarter (4 times a year)

24) Read the Book of Mormon again: venturing into the Old Testament wouldn't be a bad idea either.

25) Get preggo: Sometimes I worry I've already missed my shot at motherhood, other days I don't know how mothers can survive, I just know I've been ready to experience the craziness of motherhood for some time.

26) If preggo, decorate the cutest nursery ever! Let me be honest. I already have the majority of the items to decorate a nursery for either a boy or girl picked out. Color schemes? chosen. Crib? picked out. Yep, I'm 'that' girl, talking, thinking and planning for babies that have yet to be conceived.

27) Read 6 books.

28) Reduce our monthly expenses by 10%: We need to bring down our monthly bills. Our power bill is insane, we are paying for internet on our phones and for our computer. We really just need to get smarter and make our money go further.

29) Learn how to play my favorite piano song from the Sense and Sensibility movie.

30) Take a trip with just Jeff and I for our 30th birthdays: Even if it's just to Mesquite, although I'd love to take Jeff on a cruise, jet to New York, or go see the Grand Canyon. How has this boy not experienced these things yet?

Jeff turns 28!

2010-11-09T22:27:00.011-07:00

Last month I threw a birthday party for my hubby Jeffery's 28th Birthday. I was so excited for it, I started planning it in July after my birthday.

I already posted about prepping the back yard for his birthday. I had to really spruce up the backyard because with so many of us just in our immediate families, it'd be the only place big enough to hold all of us for dinner. It was still pretty snug, using both inside and outside.

It started with the Bame’s doing what they do best, watching whatever game was on TV that day. They even did this at our wedding reception...

The Jones' were outside in the middle of some conversation of course. My dad was the cook that night, cooking the shish kabobs on the grill that I gave Jeff for his birthday (my present was a whole backyard kind of a theme, I love theme presents).

The shish kabobs were getting done right around the time the game ended. Perfect timing. We had a pretty good spread if I do say so myself.

Somehow Lora still ended up sitting at the kids table- LOL!

On each of our tables I had a candle in a pickle jar, a bottle of lemonade (both decorated by Jade and I for the occasion, and some pens and paper.

The Pens and Paper were for a fun little project I had going that night. I love the "30 before 30" lists I see on the web everywhere and I really wanted Jeff and I to create our own. I know you are suppose to create this on your 29th birthday but I figure that Jeff and I are such procrastinators that we needed to give ourselves two years. (As it is I don't think we'll even have our lists put together before Thanksgiving and we started this on Oct 8.) On each table and inside I had the jist of the project explained on signs I created.

Underneath I had a couple of yarn braded lines with mini clothes pins where everyone could clip their papers from the tables with their ideas of what Jeff should do before he turns 30.

I like this because it kept the conversation on Jeff during dinner and made it feel like this really was all for him on his special day.

After dinner we went back inside where I had a couple games planned. We played 3 different Minute to Win It games: Chocolate Unicorn, Back Flip, and some balloon game for the kids. These seem a little silly at first, but they are actually really fun to play, and I tried to pick games where people could play and still keep their dignity in tack.

If you are really prepared and tech savvy you can even hook your laptop to your tv and watch the instructional videos that minute to win it has on their website. (I couldn't find the right cables that day.) We weren't tech savvy but I did make little prizes that correlated with Jeff and each game.

After the games and while we waited for the cupcakes to finish being frosted I read out the cards everyone had written about what Jeff should include on his 30 x 30 list. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Graduate college (mine)
2. Die your hair purple with yellow strips (Jade)
3. Make a baby; potty train them; read a book on how to raise a child (Sage)
4.Give your wife 30 gifts (Nanette)
5. Write your own comic book instead of reading so many (Jade)
6. Go 30 days without playing video games (Nanette)
7. Vote Republican (Nanette)

Finally, it was just time for some jello cupcakes and conversation.

Later, I tried to clean up really quick, most the kids met up to go to a movie that night. I had a really good time, and even though I think I could have made some changes to make everything run smoother, it turned out really well. Most importantly I think Jeff enjoyed himself. For our 30th birthday's we want to take a big trip to together, so a nice big bash for 28 was supper fun to put on.

(I'm an aweful wife, with all my running around, this is the best shot I got of him all night.)

***I got some of my b-day decorating ideas from posts on perfect party blog***

Planting the Garden

2010-10-31T22:47:00.011-06:00

One of the first things I was aching to do when we moved into our first official house (or condhouse as I call it) was landscaping. With our house being a mixture of a 'real' house and a condo, we are not left with an ample amount of land to garden to my hearts content, but there was just enough space that I could do a little somethin' something.

I kept waiting for Jeff to get on board, but then one day it struck me, why do I need to wait around for Jeff to start landscaping the backyard? It's only 200-300 square feet, how hard can it be? So I hatched a plan. I would landscape the backyard myself and make it part of Jeff's birthday present. This will both take it off his 'honey do' list (which is pretty long), and help justify the expense. I got him his very own present as well, but this was a bonus for both of us.

I have to admit, I had no idea where to start so I just started to research on the Internet at lunch. Most of our backyard is a concrete patio which just left one 17" wide by 10' long and one 26" wide by 27' length area to be planted.

I woke up early and spent pretty much all day one Saturday trying to tackle the backyard. Even after a week of prepping the space after work, I still had to make a handful of trips to the store, and ended my day with dirt and sweat all over, with a big smile on my face.

This is what I learned:

1. When making a foundation flower bed you need at least 18" to work with. I also learned that I would need to slant the bottom of my flower bed, the highest point next to the foundation, so that the water would drain away from the foundation minimizing any water damage to the foundation.

2. The flower bed needs to be at the very least 8" deep.

3. Black construction tarp can be used on the bottom of the flower bed as an extra water barrier. (I really wanted to protect my neighbors house foundation)

4. Water irrigation systems are surprisingly easy to install. Especially when your brother-in-law stops by for a couple hours to set up the timer just right.

5. A 12" flower bed takes a lot longer to dig than you would think and uses way more soil than you'd naturally plan for.

6.Planting flowers is just as fun as I thought it'd be. I woke up at 5 am on "landscaping day" without an alarm. I was so excited you'd think I was going to Disney Land.

7. Finally, when I'm nervous and think I bit off more than I could chew, I just need to relax because I can do it! (And if I can't there is no shame in asking for help)

It was hard work. This is what my hands looked like after the digging, moving rocks, setting up the irrigation system and planting.

But I was so happy with my final result. This is what I was left with at the end of the day

I decided on my flowers based on our partial sun, dry climate, color story (staying with only yellows and purples- which goes well with our brown house), Internet sites recommendations, and multiple trips to Moon Valley Nursery. Oh, I also picked them based on how pretty they were. My favorite has ended up being the Mexican Sage (tall purple plant). It seems to also be holding up the best as well. The Hibiscus and Annuals I think wish they had a bit more sun than what our backyard provides, but so far they are hanging in there.

I did some touch ups and my final project was ready for Jeff's birthday party (more to come on Jeff's 28th birthday party later).

Busy Bees

2010-10-11T13:29:00.008-06:00

These past few months have kept us really busy.

First in July we went on vacation to Cali for a quick weekend trip. It was so nice to get away from work and just relax on the beach. We were originally suppose to go to Lake Tahoe with Jeff's family but my license renewal fell perfectly enough to mess up our flight plans. I guess Vegas is now mailing you an updated license, which takes 10+ days, but in the mean time they punch a hole in your current license, making it invalid. I wasn't taking my chances with an invalid ID trying to get on plane- no way!

Instead we . . .

Slept on Venice Beach, Went to a Dodger Game,

Went La Brie Museum, even hit up a concert and saw the New Pornographers

It was lovely. I didn't want to come back to reality. This is one of the few trips Jeff and I have actually been on without family members. I believe it is the third trip to be exact. I like having just husband and wife time.

Then in early Sept. we headed out with my family to celebrate my Grandpa Jones' 90th birthday. That is right I said 90th! I was so glad to be up there celebrating with him. He is one of my most favorite people in all the world.

When Heather and I were little we spent ample amounts of time over at my Grandma and Grandpa Jones'. We read lots and lots of books together, played on the swing set in the backyard, and went for walks. It was like play land. When we moved away from Utah we were still sure to come back for Holidays and visits but I missed seeing them everyday. Then, when I went to college I was close enough to come down and visit often. Sometimes we would stay up until one or two in the morning just talking and listening to their stories. Those are my favorite memories of college. It's amazing when you finally get to know your grandparents as the amazing people they are, as friends, and not just the people you visit on Christmas.

On one of me and Heathers recent visits to the Jones' house we went out for dinner. Grandpa Jones said at dinner that he felt like we were more like his children then his grandchildren, we had spent so much time together and gotten to know one another so well. I held back my tears and thanked him for the compliment. I am so glad that these two people are in my life. I don't know what I would do with out them. It was great to celebrate such a momentous day with family and meet my Grandpa's current and past friends. It was a wonderful day.

A few weeks later we took off of work and made the 9 hour trek up to Blanding Utah to see my cousin Tyler Bailey get married in the Monticello Temple. We even met a new friend on the way pictured below.

Tyler's new wife was the cutest, chilliest girl. The ceremony was beautiful, the weather was perfect, the cabin venue was relaxed, and the food was SO GOOD. It was an idyllic day and way to get married.

After the ceremony at the temple we all headed back to the cabin. They had a great spread waiting for us with the hugest dutch oven I have ever seen.

We all just ate and hung out with family. Some people went out horse back riding and other went out on the four wheelers. I was, unfortunately, sicker than a dog. I don't remember a time when I have ever been in more pain due to such awful congestion, so I opted for naps and reading instead of horses and four wheelers. I left feeling so much better though, after all the resting and my Grandma Bailey's cooking. It was just what the doctor called for.

The next week was Jeff and I's 3rd year anniversary. It was pretty chill as well. We exchanged embarrassingly stupid and silly gifts, that topped out at $10 a piece, then we went out for dinner at a 'real' restaurant - PF Chang's. A couple nights before we went to see Band of Horses as a gift to one another.

It was a good anniversary. I am so glad I married this man.

In between all this hubub I even started to take on a few projects that I will share later when I have another moment to blog but here is a sneak peak.

GUSHING

2010-07-11T08:36:00.013-06:00

I don't sing Jeff's praises nearly as much as I should on this blog. Anyone who knows us knows that we are plenty gushy enough in person, always holding hands or telling each other we love each other. We can get pretty annoying to those around us. Well, I'm not stopping there, I'm going to gush about my man all over the Internet too. He is just so lovely.

The past few weeks have been pretty demanding for me at work, a lot of overtime, a lot of stress, and Jeff has been such a camp during the whole thing. My birthday was on July 3rd and he made an extra effort to make sure that I was relaxing and having a good time.

On Friday July 2 he cleaned the WHOLE house in the morning. I mean top to bottom. He also cut down our IKEA bar stools that we bought last year. He picked up the wrong bar stools on a solo trip he had up to SLC (they were bar height instead of counter height) and he finally cut the legs down for me :) Then he met up with me at work to go to lunch before he went into work. That night, while he was working, I went and ate at Don Juan with 'the girls' and strolled through a few thrift store shoppes at First Friday.

Later that night when he came home from work I was still up watching a movie. He said he had to bring in one of my presents because it couldn't stay in the car. It was close enough to midnight so I gave my consent. He came in with a pot full of manure and something behind his back.

He said "Tulips are beautiful (as he took the bouquet of tulips from behind his back), but soon turn black. That's why for your birthday I got you a bucket full of crap (lifting the pot full of manure)." I love that he is always writing or making up short little poems or sayings. We are dorks that way together.

Jeffery NEVER buys me flowers. He thinks floral bouquets senselessly kill living plants. I think God probably put flowers here for our enjoyment and they should be utilized as such. Giving me both store bought flowers and manure to plant flowers was a clever way for him to make both of us happy. He said the pots are for the lavender seeds he got me for Valentines day. He's so cute. I was so happy to finally be getting flowers from my hubby after nearly 3 years of marriage. Great present.

The morning of my birthday he told me to stay in bed and watch some HGTV. A little while later he came up with a tray of homemade pancakes, syrup, some juice, bacon and eggs. We sat and watched tv, ate and cuddled. After we enjoyed our little breakfast in bed he told me it was on to my next birthday surprise.

He had an electrician coming the next week to finally wire and install ceiling fans for our bedrooms upstairs. I was so excited! Our upstairs is super hot in the summer so as unattractive as ceiling fans may be, I couldn't wait to install them. (I live in the desert where it gets up to 115 degrees in the summer, Decorators can kiss my booty if they wouldn't approve of ceiling fan installation!) So off Jeff and I went to a couple shops to find 3 ceiling fans. We still have some work to do with them, but we are mostly there, and it is already making such a HUGE difference in the temperature of the rooms upstairs.

After ceiling fan shopping we met up with my parents to eat some lunch at Red Robin. Afterwords he made up some silly excuse for everyone to come back to the house. When we got there he had my favorite red velvet Nothing Bunt Cake waiting for me. Everyone sang me Happy Birthday. He is so cute. Nothing better than my three favorite things on a birthday afternoon, family, bunt cake, and Dr. Pepper. Mmmmm.

Later that night we went into the city and after some logistical struggles (I've come to expect these things when I don't plan things)we finally made it into see Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's perform. It was a super good show! If you don't know these guys you've probably heard their stuff on TV commercials and movies. If not, listen to them here or here. On the drive to the show he told me that there was even more to my birthday then the flowers, thoughtful surprises, and our date night. He got us tickets to see the Swell Seasons in August!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! You must fall in love with these two as much as we have, visit them here.

It was a wonderful birthday. I love making a big deal out of birthdays and I'm so glad my hubby indulges me. I'm already planning his birthday in October and I can't wait to surprise him with something almost as cute and thoughtful as he did for me on my big day. I just love him!

We rounded out the three day weekend with the family. On Sunday, the 4th of July, we went to the Bames for their annual barbecue and fireworks.

Monday we went over to my parents house and had a wonderful fish dinner with my family and some of the Bames. I opened my presents from the rest of the fam and then we all headed out to see the new Twilight movie to end the weekend with some good comedy.

It was a marvelous weekend. I am so blessed to have such a lovely husband, be part of such great families, and to be able to be so spoiled on my birthday!!

To Dine or Not to Dine

2010-06-16T13:48:00.013-06:00

For some reason lately I've been itching for a permanent dinning area. I'd love to have a full on dining room, but we'd have to move to make that one happen. That's not in the cards for the next few years.

So my question is, do I put the cash down and get a small table now, or wait until we move and get a full on big dinning table at the next pad we live in? My concern is, would we really ever use a dinning table or would it just collect mail and "stuff"? All of the current bare counters where I have strictly instructed "under no circumstance can any items be left on this counter!" are all covered with rented movies, mail, magazines - you name it. If there is an empty space the DH thinks it is fair game to put "stuff" on. My guess is a dinning table would end up the same -covered.

BUT, then I look at beautiful little dining spaces like these from Living Etc-

I think a nice little round table like this would fit nicely in our small home. I love how little visual space it takes up.

The base of this table is amazing. The color of paint, glass table, and mix matched white chairs gives this such a fresh feeling. Lurve it!

I WANT THESE CHAIRS!

Again, this color palette is right up my alley. I love the simple drum shade over the table instead of some fru fru chandelier.

These totally make me drool. Plus, I really miss dining without the TV on. Whenever Jeff and I are actually together around dinner time we will usually cook something up (meaning Jeff will cook something tasty) and catch up on shows on the DVR. Our current dinning table is either our laps or the coffee table. Not sweet.

Our "nice" table is this fold out table in the stairs landing downstairs. When we have guest come over we have to clear off all the mail/stuff, Find a place to hide all this mail/stuff, drag the table into the living room, put on a table cloth, and find any random chairs around the house. I'm pooped before we even sit down to eat.

For those of you with smaller families and living spaces what do you find? Do you actually use your dinning tables? Or do they tend to be dust and mail collectors?

P.S. I love this poster above our fold away table. Jeff stole this from the concert we went to during our very first date, exactly four years ago this past June 1. I cannot believe it's been that long!!

Points of View

2010-05-28T23:21:00.005-06:00

So this blog is little lack luster. I can tell because not even my family checks in on the blog. Yes, sad I know. But I really didn't start a blog for others to read; really, I started it because I wanted to capture our lives a little. I like to write, and I'm much more likely to do this than write in a journal.

But lately, I'm thinking that maybe I need something more than writing here and there to pass the time/keep track of life. I think I want to give some focus and a point of view to the blog. When I thought about what I want to spend time on and what I need to spend time on, I came to the following conclusion:

When I am done with a long day of work what honestly fills my mind is how crown molding would really make such a difference in our living room, or what fabric I would get to reupholster the sofa if money was no object. *Day dreaming about fabric swatches* Yes, these are not mind blowing thoughts that fill my head. It's like my white noise, it's just always in my head.

When I think of what I need to spend my time on, the first thing that comes to mind is DOING something. Most days after work I don't feel like doing anything but sleeping or sitting on the couch. (I do not know how working moms do it, it's difficult enough without kids.) I need to have some motivators to get me moving. My motto's for the year are TAKE ACTION and LIGHTEN UP (I make up motto's, not resolutions). I'm lazy and at the same time take life much too seriously. For heavens sake I still can't decide on a gray paint that I started picking out two months ago. I'm working on it.

My final conclusion is that I think I am going to make this blog more about my hobbies and little projects. Not because I think anyone will want to read about it. Not because I'm a closet interior decorator. Not because I'm crafty. (Who says you have to be good at something to make it a hobby?) This is simply to keep myself accountable (at least to a blog), explore my hobbies in written form, and do what I like doing.

When there is something interesting in our personal lives I'll still post about it. But to be honest, it's just the two of us, and our lives aren't all that interesting. I don't know what sparked my interest in design/art the past few years, but it's worth exploring. I'll just blame HGTV and ETSY.

Spring has Sprung

2010-03-20T09:32:00.008-06:00

Spring has come and we've been reveling in it for the last few weeks. (It seems to come a little earlier here in Vegas, even if the official start wasn't until today.) We took a quick trip up to St.George with my family to go hiking and see the Grandparents.

The Three Patriarchs at Zions

Jeff & me at emerald pools

We had the tripod so we took advantage of the scenery and took some family pictures. I think this one is our favorite.

The following weekend we still weren't done enjoying the great weather, so we went on a local hike to Anniversary Mine. Jeff forgot the camera when Heather, Jeff, and I went, but later that same week Jeff took two of his sisters on the same hike and remembered the camera.

Jeff in one of the mine tunnels in the canyon.

Jeff and Amanda trying out a Star Wars pose.

All the mean while I've been doing some spring cleaning. Even though we've been in this house a little over a year now, a surprising amount of stuff is still sitting exactly where we set it down when we were moving in. So, each week I am taking on a new area that needs to be organized.

I've tackled under the kitchen sink, the linen closet, and the laundry area. Next on the list is the garage. We took a truck load of stuff to the D.I. a couple of weeks ago. I still had most of my high school clothes AND every formal dress I ever wore. RIDICULOUS! I know, but now they are gone. I didn't even shed a tear. I know I'll NEVER fit into those things again, and even if I did, I'm sure it wouldn't be in style. I don't know why I keep these things.

I've also been trying to paint the upstairs and am having a hard time finding the perfect light gray.

Not to mention finishing painting a single room. The hall and study are half painted and primed and have been in total disarray for a good two weeks. I find it's much too pretty outside to be inside painting, but I know I'll regret it once it gets hot and I'm painting the hall in the muggy heat.

Another thing that will be new this spring, besides a more organized space, is that I was offered a new job. I am hopeful, excited, nervous, and little sad to leave my current position. BUT, with the extra cash on hand we'll be able to take on a couple more projects around the house sooner than we'd planned. That of course makes me monsterously happy.

Before summer hits we'll be installing ceiling lights and fans in the bedrooms upstairs. Does anyone know a good electrian or how to find one? Then this summer I want to take on our study. Right now it's where all of my single life, college furniture goes to die. It'd be nice to have a real study/office space. I'm excited for a newly decorated space and the challanges that come with navagating a new office and job title.

Finally, guess who turned SIXTEEN yesterday? Yep. My little Sage is 16. I can barely believe it.

Sage on her birthday

Remember that age? It was so fun having such little responsibility. Yet, life seemed so serious and you thought you knew everything already (at least I did). I honestly fear the day this girl gets her license! I'll post a warning on our blog maybe :)

"GIRLS" WEEKEND

2010-02-03T22:16:00.027-07:00

We are Lora, Heather, & Amber. You might know us simply as the "girls." Known for our shenanigans and crazy antics, we simply became refered to as the "girls" to our family and friends. Did somethings break? Yell at the "girls." Loud giggling at church? Look for the "girls." We were always doing something.

We've had the most fun times growing up together and our little world just has not been the same since Lora moved to Tucson. So, Jeff graciously allowed for a "girls" weekend and he stayed home this January while Heather and I made the trek down to AZ for Lora's birthday.

We enjoyed looking at the native wild life,

we enjoyed the scenery and went for a hike,

We took off our shoes to cross the stream the first time.

The second time we used rocks to cross.

The third time we unsuccessfully tried to jump (I wish there was video of this). Needless to say, after this we walked through the stream with our shoes on.

"Octopus" Cactus

we were dorks . . . as usual.

I took pictures.

But most of all - we had a great time! I love these two "girls." I don't know what I would do without them. I can't wait for our next little adventure.

BONUS! Heather and I got to stop in Mesa and see our friends Melanie and Emily Cox who we haven't seen in YEARS! Basically, they are the cutest ladies in the world with equally cute kids. All in all, it was a great weekend!

House Tour (Apartment Therapy style)

2010-01-03T21:27:00.018-07:00

It has been almost a year since we moved into our first house as husband and wife. And, just like us dating, it was not love at first sight with this house. It has taken some time to fall in love with. To be honest, I just wanted to get into a house. I knew something bizarre was going on with my job (I was laid off just a few weeks after the house purchase) and I wanted to get into something while we still qualified and the houses were cheap.

With Jeff having no opinion whatsoever on where we lived, that left it all up to up to me, and I needed to find something quickly. (Jeff said he didn't care if we lived in a cardboard box as long as we were together. Sweet, but I actually believe him, which is kind of scary.) He spent most of my house hunting nights at home watching 'the game.'

After multiple offers on tons of houses, ones I didn't really like and ones I cried when we lost, we finally had an offer for a house accepted! I was relieved, but not thrilled. This isn't exactly my dream house, but it was a house, and the mortgage was right around what we were paying for rent. This was success in my book.

Before we could move in, we had to get some things cleaned up and in habitable condition. This was not a well taken care of foreclosure after all. Below is the "before."

First thing to go was the floors. We had the upstairs carpet cleaned until we could afford to replace it and Jeff and his brother Spencer took out the flooring downstairs. There was just no saving it.

While the floor was out we painted the walls, then we put some wood laminate and tile floors down in the living room and kitchen respectively. These would not have been my first choice, but they were economical ones, and I really love the way they turned out. The yellow and brown tones really warm up the house. My favorite part was replacing the base boards. I didn't think such a small change would make such a big difference.

Normally I would like to live in a place a bit before painting, to see what the light was like throughout the day, but we did everything before we moved in. After we painted the blue I was a bit frightened. It looked so cold and too much like a nursery room color at the same time. We called it "iceberg blue" for a while. It needed more black/gray tones, but after a few months of living with it, the color started to grow on me.

Most people would think I should be afraid of the green in the kitchen instead of the blue, but I instantly loved it once it was on the wall. Jeff is actually responsible for this color. I gave him the choice between two greens, the current bright green and a more subtle green. I am so glad I went with his choice of bright green. I almost chickened out a couple times, even sitting at Ace Hardware for a good half hour trying to decide if I was going to change up the color at the last minute. Again, I'm very glad I didn't.

I like the colors we chose because if people never saw the owners of the house they would know young people lived here. It is a good reminder for me too, we are young and our house should be fun. There is plenty of time for class and elegance down the road.

Over the last year I slowly decorated, picking up pieces from Salvation Army and dragging things out of boxes from the garage (very limited budget with Jeffery still in school). There is still a list of things that I want to do, but I have come to the conclusion that there will always be more to do. There will also always be limitations. We have committed ourselves to spending under a certain amount on any renovations that we make to this house. After all, this is our starter house and we do not plan to be here for too long, no need to make any big investments. Especially in Vegas, during the state of the current market.

That said, here is my wish list for the down stairs:

Kitchen:
Granite counter top for the kitchen island,
Cute cafe curtains for the kitchen window,
Microwave mounted above the stove, and
Herringbone marble subway tiles for the backsplash.

Living Area:
Nicer TV stand (not just my old dressers painted brown, maybe something that is actually wood and not pressed board),
Brown carpet tiles for an area rug,
Pair of unique antique chairs to replace the Salvation Army finds,
Round glass kitchen table from Crate & Barrel w/ upholstered dinning chairs.
(right now we use our craigslist coffee table as our dinning table, classy.)

Outside:
Fire pit
BBQ
More seating
Bamboo & Shrubbery
Stained cement

I know this list will never come to fruition, but it is in my dreams. This will be put on hold for at least another year. Up next on the list? Tackling the upstairs. Most likely after that, everything will be put on hold for things like diapers and cute little knitted booties. So I have 90% resigned myself to letting this list go. Having it pried away one finger at a time.

For now, I am still falling in love with this house. After all, this is the house that will get us through Jeffery's school years and hopefully even graduate school. This is the house in which we will bring our first baby home to. This is our first home together. I am so grateful that we get to share this house, whether it is perfect or not, I know we are blessed. Sometimes I actually just sit downstairs and am amazed that this little 1400 sq ft place is our home, all ours, it's were we find peace and love.

Last minute MENS gift advice

2009-12-21T11:52:00.009-07:00

I saw this column on one of the blogs I read. It is hiarious and very true. For anyone that is newly married (or at least still feels that way) and still struggles and what to get your husband for Christmas- this guy has some good advice.

Jeff and I always joke that his maturity age when we met was at about 8 or 9. Since we got married, we thought he is at least 14 or 15 by now. I'm sad to know, that in actuality, he may still be only 4. *sigh*

Kirby: A guide to great guy gifts
By Robert Kirby

Tribune Columnist

Updated: 12/15/2009 11:31:51 AM MST

If you haven't finished (or even started) Christmas shopping for the man in your life, I am just in time. This column could save you from living with the world's largest 4-year-old.
NOTE: I'm not kidding. In his heart of hearts, every guy is 4 years old. Five tops.

Anyway, the only thing that makes a guy sulk worse than not getting what he wants for Christmas is getting what a woman thinks he should have instead.
For the record, this includes any item in the following four boring Christmas gift groups: neckties, grooming, pajamas and self-help books.

On the bright side, shopping for men is relatively easy. Compared with shopping for women, it's no more complicated than getting something for the family dog or even just a stray.
Sadly, some women still manage to mess it up. Every year right after Christmas, you see men standing in line waiting to exchange nose trimmers, slippers and bulk deodorant. On their faces are looks grim enough to sterilize livestock at a glance.

A good example of this would be the year my wife got me a bathrobe for Christmas. For the record, it was not something I wanted, needed or had even asked for.
She got me a bathrobe for herself, or rather her own peace of mind. She was tired of me walking around the house, answering the door and going outside to get the newspaper in my underwear.
It was a nice bathrobe, velour with matching slippers. I took it back and exchanged it for thevideo "Kung Fu Monkeys, Volume Four" and a blow gun. With the money left over, I got a pizza on the way home.

So, what do men want for Christmas? Since you asked (or simply read this far), it's basically, anything you don't want him to have because it's a.) too expensive, b.) totally ridiculous, c.) almost certainly dangerous, and/or d.) socially disturbing.
However, if you're an understanding woman, or simply don't feel like having Christmas ruined by prolonged shouting from the garage, you'll get it for him anyway.

If you are shopping blind this Christmas, meaning that your guy hasn't specifically asked for something, or already bought it, you'll do well with any of the following:
» You can't go wrong with anything in the projectile category. While this generally refers to firearms, slingshots and crossbows, it also can be extended to cover artillery, rocketry and even catapults.

» Also appreciated by men Christmas morning are gifts that -- either by design or deliberate misuse -- can be made to explode. In this category are fireworks, surplus military ordnance, small engines and anything labeled: "Contents Under Pressure."

» While it's understood that many men can read, it's wise to avoid giving them books as gifts, particularly books having to do with relationships, child psychology, the feminine mystique, cats and any emotion other than raucous laughter.

It's almost impossible to go wrong with food, but people still try. In general, a guy would rather have a ham than a box of truffles. Whatever you get, make sure it's jerked, peppered, smoked and gastronomically irritating.

Want to give your guy an item of apparel that he won't take back? Get something that fits you and is see-through. Find it with his favorite sports team logo on it and it'll be the best Christmas he ever had.

Robert Kirby can be reached at rkirby@sltrib.com

THE BEAST MASTER

2009-11-13T11:27:00.112-07:00

Elder Travis Bame has returned home from his mission in El Salvador!! We are so excited to have Travis home and so proud of him for serving an honorable mission. It's been fun to read his letters, and for me, experience having a brother on mission, as we are all girls on my side of the family.

With his coming home we have been hanging out with the Bame family a lot the past couple months. The weekend after he came home we went to San Diego for our annual Halloween beach camping trip. Heather, my sister, also joined us. We had a lot of fun just playing in the waves (or for Jeff, reading his book, dry on the beach) and hanging out around the campfire. The weather was perfect and the company was superb.

The next weekend we had the Bame's over for Taco Night at our house. I tried my best to figure out how to cook for 10 people instead of our regular twosome. Luckily, tacos' are simple because my culinary skills are greatly lacking. After dinner the girls stayed over and played rockband.

(Right: Becky on drums, Amber on lead guitar, Natalie slappin' the bass, Jeff rockin' the mic, and Amanda our band-aid)

Saturday and Sunday we spent over at Kieth and Nanette's' hanging out with cousins, aunts and uncles. At church on Sunday Travis gave his "homecoming" talk and Aaron played an awesome musical number on the violin. We love spending time with the family, it's rare when everyone can get together like this with such a large family.

All the RM's in attendace

The following Wed. was Veterans day so we rallied up our "troops" to go hiking at Red Rock and have a picnic. It was a perfect cool, overcast day.

(To the right: Sage, Amber, Jeff, Shela, Jade, Heather, Travis, Bailey, Abbey, Natalie)

We've been kept really busy the last few weeks and I have a feeling with Birthdays and the Holidays coming up that it wont slow down anytime soon. I can't wait for Thanksgiving when we get to be together with all our family again.

Happy Anniversary

2009-10-05T14:38:00.003-06:00

Last week Jeff and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been TWO YEARS! It feel like we are still newlyweds, while at the same time, it feels like we have been together our whole lives. I love him so much; I simply cannot imagine living life without him anymore.

To celebrate we saw The Killers play in Salt Lake and exchange presents. We saw them last year around our anniversary too and we are hoping that if The Killers cooperate, that we can see them every year for our anniversary. For presents we exchanged vinyl records and went clothes shoping. Jeff gave me a couple Pearl Jam records and I gave him a Best Of Morrisey record and a day trip to a local casino Spa.

Then, this past weekend, we went to see a movie at Town Square and did some shoping. Since we never buy ourselves clothes anymore we decided we would count it towards our anniversary, as niether of us followed the tradition of giving cotton or china.

My family is full of September anniversarys. My Mom and Dads is on the 21st and My Uncle Mitch & Aunt Jana's is just a few days after. September is such a great month for lovers!

Love you bunches Jeffery!

Pinched Pennies

2009-07-03T15:02:00.007-06:00

In the less than two years since Jeff and I have been married, due to layoffs and other "fun" life events, we are bringing in less Benjamines than we are use to. Add on top of that buying a much needed car and house and it makes for some pretty inventive budgeting (not to mention, a pretty stressful first couple years of marriage).

I thought in this blog I would share some of our money saving tips, some of which are not entirely new or creative, but this is what works for us. These days, everyone seems to be looking for ways to save an extra buck or two and this is our few tips and tricks on how to do it.

1. Free Stuff: Yes, free is the cheapest we can get, so we look for these opportunites everywhere. Since entertainment is the first thing to get kicked out of a stretched budget we look for free entertainment the most. We have had great luck finding free movies. We belong to lasvegasmovieinsider.com. This site tells where to pick up free passes to pre-release secret premiers. Another great source is the Clark County Libraries. They will show great classics like "The Birds" and even more recent releases like "Running with Siccors" at their theaters in town. It's great because you can see old classics on the big screen.

Another great form of free entertainment is free concerts. Jeff usually scores these from myspace's secret shows (like Glasvegas - great show) and reading the fine print in the Las Vegas Weekly. We have even gotten to see free concerts when we've purchased a ticket for one show and the venue will give away free entrance into other events held in the casino the same day with a ticket stubb.

2. Taking it outside: Outdoor activities are my favorite forms of cheap entertainment. Going for a walk, bike ride, or on a hike are usually free. Summers in Las Vegas cramp this a bit, but with Mt. Charleston just a few bucks of gas away with it's cooler tempatures and hiking trails, we don't have to go far to enjoy the great outdoors. I'm even a fan for camping in the backyard or taking the projection screen and some sheets outside for your own night out without having to leave the house.

3. Coupons: Jeff and I are turning into expert coupon hunters. I usually save an average of $20 on a $100-130 grocery bill. I also only go shoping every other week instead of making weekly shoping trips, going to the grocery store less often usually saves money. Jeff searches our mail for coupons and I belong to a couple websites such as Shortcuts.com to get the best coupons.

Our younger siblings roped us into buying these coupon books from them for some school activity or something as well. We were able to recoup their cost within the first month or so with the coupons we used at grocery stores and the movies. Plus it makes date nights easier- "Where should we go?" Just look in the coupon book and pick what looks fun or tasty. (Yes, we actually do this, we are sad I know).

4. Two for One: When you start looking around it's amazing how many places offer specials with buy one get one free, which is great when your family is made up of only 2. House of Blues lets you sign up to get their Two For Tuesday deals, where you can purchase two tickets for selected upcoming events for the price of one ticket every Tuesday. And when we're feeling like a frozen treat we just hit up Dairy Queen off Eastern on Tuesdays for thier buy one peanut buster parfa get one free.

5. Cutting the Excess: We have been continually working on cutting back. We may take some services off of our cable or phones bills only to come back a few months later to reasses. Once we've lived a few months without such and such a service we see what else can we easily live without. In the last year I bet we've cut our monthly bills by a couple hundred dollars. It is actually nice to just get back to the basics. It is amazing how much extra stuff and services are included with everything. We also are reassing what we bring home. I have to admit, I use to use mindless shoping as a way to blow off steam, but now before every purchase we think - how often are we really going to use this? In a year is this something we still will want? This also helps cut back on the junk and clutter around the house.

These are probably the top five things we do to cut back on expenses. They are really pretty painless too. I haven't noticed too big of a diffence in our quality of life over the last few years. Of course, nothing can replace good budgeting, which we are constantly working on. If any one knows of good websites or tricks for saving please do share. We are always on the look out to save a quick buck or two.

Recapture

2009-06-30T22:59:00.007-06:00

You learn the coolest things on PBS! Yes, I am that big of a dork.
Did you know that when you enter one of these: word verifications on a website you may just be helping the New York Times or be updating an old book? It is called recapture. You see, many companies and agencies are scanning their old publications, articles, and books into computers but the old print from these publications are sometimes uneven and ill spaced, making it impossible for a computer to read them. So, a brilliant computer scientist came up with the idea that if we can decipher the above word that we would be able to also decipher these old scanned words.

This is commonly used when you see two different words, you know, those fuzzy ones with lint and lines through them. Well, thanks to us and these verifications being used on popular websites like Facebook and Myspace over 20 years of word decoding has already been completed. How cool is that!

I know, I know, I am a dork - but innovative, efficient ideas like this are exciting to me.

The past month . . .

2009-05-26T21:19:00.006-06:00

I realize that when I am not bored at work I don't really blog that well. Hmm. This might be an issue. Catch up . . .

New job is going well. I hope it will lead to promotions and a fine "career" in the future. I'm still in training so my first promotion may be a ways off just yet. Jeff starts at the PT office in the next week or two. During my week off I read a couple great books - Water for Elephants and Forever Amber. Yes, I actually read Forever Amber. It was like a more raw Casablanca set in London. My favorite line was - "Amber is the exact type of woman every man wants for his mistress but not for a wife." This character does not emulate me in any sense, but it was entertaining. As soon as the The Outsiders comes in from my hold I can't wait to read that one too.

I also painted a couple of dressers to make a larger TV stand and conducted our first yard sale. I'm still waiting to feel inspired on the design for the pillows I want to sew for the sofa. When I get the Livingroom finally all set up I'll take a couple shots and show the before and after.

We have been having just a great few weeks of lazy hanging out - it has been awesome! This past Memorial Day weekend we saw Flight of the Concords, a bonus free show of Youth Group at Wasted Space and a couple movies. My favorite part of the weekend though was when our upstairs was too hot to sleep (who puts 1 air conditioner on the ground floor of a 2 story house? It makes for a toasty upstairs! I have Ice Princess coming to see what we can do next week) we dragged down the Futon Mattress into the living room and stayed up watching movies till wee hours. I felt like a little kid building a fort in the middle of the living room. It was so much fun! I think this may be necessary this weekend too, while we wait for the repair men to come out, but I don't mind, it's just too much fun.

Lazy Bliss

2009-04-16T13:15:00.006-06:00

I just received great news! Not only did I find a job but due to some technical issues my start date was just postponed a week. What does that mean? Well, since I have already given my 2 weeks notice at my current job, that means a week with NO WORK!

My mind is running full of things I can do. I have not had a week off like this since . . . High school maybe? I am reserving it all for lazy home FUN! I need to get a list of books to read and stock up on some crafty supplies. I am thinking, catch up on some reading, finally sew pillows for the couch and do some painting. Yep! That sounds like a plan.

Any suggestions on what to read or maybe an activity to do? I have a WHOLE WEEK after all. Nothing too pricey though, because this also means a week with no pay.

Our family is being so blessed lately, we have so much to be greatful for!

Are "Box" Pianos ready for a come back?

2009-04-14T11:49:00.010-06:00

I think so! I have had a strange obsession with "box" pianos, or square piano's as they are usually called, ever since I saw Sense and Sensibility. The piano that Cornell Branden gives Mariann at the end is to die for! I am in love with that piano. Below is a picture of a similar box piano from the 1700's.

These pianos became popular in the 1700's because they were easy to make and affordable for most middle class families. They are somewhere between a traditional harpsichord and normal piano.

I think they should make a come back! Why couldn't they be a great alternative to middle class families now? If they were inexpensive to make once they could be again, with the right people of course. Why should we limit this beautiful style of piano just to museums and well to do living rooms where they are so out of tune and damaged many of them can not even be played? I think we are ready for them. In these economic times, people are downsizing their homes and getting ride of the theories that bigger is better. We could use a smaller piano along with smaller cars and smaller debt. Wouldn't a piano like the one below look fabulous in a more modern home? This is one of the earliest style of this piano and I love it the most for it's small size and clean lines.

True, there are some draw backs to box pianos. Most box piano's only have 60 keys, their sound and touch is lighter than a normal piano, and they are limited to only one or two actions. Near the end of the 1800's box pianos started to become too big with the new style of grand box pianos, I hear they were hard to tune too.

I, for one, think that the style and look out weigh these negatives and only wish a piano maker would start a new line of these pianos. I would be first in line to buy one. I wish I was talented enough to make them myself. I told Jeff the other day that if I thought I had the talents to choose any job I wanted, I would be a carpenter who made furniture. Making a box piano might be even better than that. For now, I guess these awesome pianos will just be a dream, until I have the funds to buy one of my own antique box pianos.

Ward Callings

2009-03-30T10:51:00.006-06:00

I know ward callings must be inspired. Yesterday I was called to be a Nursery Leader in our ward. What a perfect birth control method for me to delay my baby hunger pangs. I thought it was hilarious, it's just what I wanted.

Jeff was called to be a Ward Missionary, which I know he will be amazing at. I think wards are always so much better once you have a calling and feel a part of it all. I'm looking forward to it, now after 6 months with those kids it might be another story, but for now I'm excited.

Has anyone been a Nursery Leader before? Any tips for survival?

Pimpin' myself

2009-03-04T15:46:00.006-07:00

So, the economic down turn finally hit the LVVWD. I found out on Monday that I am one of one hundred employees that are being laid off. I know SO many people are searching right now but if you hear of anything please let me know :)

I have 4 years of experience working in the mortgage/financial field and almost 2 years in administration. At the LVVWD I work in Management Services and do great things like research, plan conferences, write letters, support public and private meetings, etc. I have a BA in History and Political Science. I'd love to stay in administration but I understand this is not the best time to be picky so I am pretty open to whatever jobs you hear of.

Sorry to pimp myself out on my families blog but, as I'm the breadwinner in the family right now while Jeff goes to school, this is our biggest concern at the moment. Personal networking can't hurt :)

Thinking it over

2009-02-27T10:03:00.008-07:00

I am enjoying Domino's online blog and picture archives while I still can. Domino was canceled earlier this year and I am so sad to see them go. This morning I spotted a great little chair and a half/love seat thing that I desperately want for our office. I couldn't find where it's from but I love, love, LOVE it.

I love that it looks like is would actually be comfortable to sit on but still has clean lines. I'm sure if it is in Domino that it is out of the price range we have for office furniture - but it is a great inspiration piece.

Another great inspirational piece is this ottoman that I want for my living room coffee table. Of course same source, I'm assuming very expensive. I've been looking for ottomans and have a hard time finding one under $200. I just can't justify spending that much on a furniture accessory. Still, this is beautiful.

I am thinking I might take this on as DIY project. I think I figured out how I could do it. For the cushion, buy foam and peg board, attach, upholster foam and pegboard and use the holes already in the pegboard to measure and do the tufting. Attach this to wood base and legs bought from Lowes or any upholstery shop. It doesn't seem that hard? I'm sure if I attempted this though it would not look this good, it would however, be a heck of a lot cheaper! If only my grandpa's lived in town I'm sure they would help me do it.

Jeff's belated 2008 END OF THE YEAR MIX

2009-02-13T12:27:00.004-07:00

I finally brought Jeff's IPOD into work with me today. Here is Jeff's annual end of the year mix he made for 2008. It includes all his favorite songs that were released last year.

It Takes More:

1) I Woke Up Today - Port O'Brein
2) Kids - MGMT
3) The Greatest Man That Ever Lived - Weezer
4) Hair Don't Grow - Annuals
5) Use Somebody- Kings of Leon
6) Beautiful - Ian Shane Tyler
7) Dady's Gone- Glasvegas
8) Your New Twin Sized Bed- Death Cab for Cutie
9) About To Walk- Throw Me The Statue
10) Keep Yourself Warm- Frightened Rabbit
11) Dry Lips- Lightspeed Champion
12) Think I Wanna Die- Somebody Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
13) Constructive Summer- The Hold Steady
14) The Girl- City and Colour
15) After Hours- We Are Scientists
16) Over and Out- Alkaline Trio
17) Paper Planes- MIA
18) More News From Nowhere- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

My favorite songs on the list are "I Woke Up Today," "The Girl" & "After Hours." Jeff and I found Port O'Brein at a show we went to in San Diego. We were there for a second honeymoon and stopped by the local Beauty Bar to see Somebody Still Loves You Boirs Nelson and Port O'Brein was the opening act. That was one of the most fun shows I've ever been to. Their energy was amazing, we fell in love with them and snatched up a CD.

My other two favorites are just great songs. I love both the bands and these songs were definately the highlights on their new albums. I love these end of the year mixes that Jeff makes. They are like little soundtracks to what we've been listening to the last year and almost every song brings back memeories of a time, place or day we've had.

Cool Free Generators

2009-02-09T10:34:00.018-07:00

The web is an amazing place. There are so many cool things to find out there it's crazy. Here are a few of my favorite free websites found via blogs, google and some boredom:

Personalized Obama Poster Maker:
http://www.obamapostermaker.com/

Makes your own handwriting font:
http://www.yourfonts.com/print.html

Japanese website that makes pictures look like their
old & antique :
http://labs.wanokoto.jp/olds

Converts digital photos into Polaroids:
http://www.instantizer.com/

Free Poster/Concert Ticket Generator :
http://www.squidoo.com/photo-creations

More cool ideas:
http://www.squidoo.com/phototools#module13509674

I need someone to show me how to make just one word a link without writing the whole address.

How do you know when it's time for a baby?

2009-01-30T12:12:00.006-07:00

This last week one of my co-workers told me she was expecting twins! I was so excited for her but also felt my heart sink. Why does it seem I am the only 26 year old married person I know without any children? Babies seem to be everywhere. It's not only that we do not have children but that it will most likely be some time before we do. I'm glad that we are waiting until we are really ready, prepared, and secure. I know I will appreciate the wait when I am able to work part-time or stay at home with our kids.

To ward off my baby hungry moments I keep a little notebook by my bed at home and at work. I put little notes and ideas about crafts, games, education, advice to myself, anything I think of dealing with motherhood. One day it may be a good resource for me, but for now, it helps me feel like I am at least preparing in some way. It is dawning on me, a little late I know, that families do not just happen. I must take ACTION and work towards it everyday. Action may very well be my favorite word of the moment, or mantra for the year.

As much as I want to be a mother and look forward to it with great anticipation, I also have this other side of me that is terrified by the whole process. First off, being pregnant does not seem like fun. It seems so alien to have an actual human in your stomach. Ick! I know it is suppose to be beautiful but I think it is weird. Second, having a child is such a huge responsibility. I can not even imagine how much parents must have to give of themselves.

So how will we know when it's the right time for us to have children and add on to the Bame family? And what should I do in the mean time to to help quench my baby hunger?

(Please, if you read this and know my mother do not tell her I'm baby hungry. She can be very persistent if she wants a grandchild.)

Decorating Dilemma- HELP!

2009-01-26T13:42:00.008-07:00

I found a great dresser today at lunch in a thrift store. I love Mid-Century Modern (MCM) furniture but have a hard time finding any- and there it was at the thrift store. The dresser is only $100 with a head board (we have the money on hand thanks to generous grandparents who give cash for Christmas).

My only hesitation is that it is not a true vintage piece. Although it may have been made 50 years ago, the dresser is not solid wood but a veneer. I also think I detected plastic parts -ick! Now, if this was a better made dresser it would likely be 5-7x more expensive - so I can get the look but for less. However, I still hesitate if it is worth it. The furniture we have now is fine - it works - yes it's IKEA, but it works. Do I buy this piece now or do I hold out for a few years until we can afford a quality piece? If I truly had my way I would have a fantastic, well made, dove and tail jointed, solid wood, TRUE antique dresser. Something from the Chippendale era or maybe Georgian - kind of like this-

Not exactly like this but similar, something so amazing I couldn't even find a picture of it online. I would pair it with an upholstered tufted head board. I like a little softer and romantic lines for the master bedroom in general. (We actually found two dream pieces a few months ago down in the arts district but didn't have the 2 grand on hand to purchase them- still sad.) I also think Jeff would prefer something a little more traditional around the house. Right now we are very modern and sleek, he prefers hand carved, sturdy, and timeless.

So my question is, do I buy the cheaper imitation right now that is a great bargain or should we wait and get something more substantial and grand down the road? Another option would be to buy now and buy later. The thrift store dresser could be passed down to a child or a guest room down the road.

Also to note- I most likely will never have the grand house that would pull off a great antique piece of furniture. We live in Las Vegas after all- the most antique thing you can buy here that fits it's geographic location is Mid-Century. Something from the 1800-1920's might look out of place.

FOREVER AMBER

2009-01-12T17:53:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Heather, I now know where the popularity of my name came from. It was a book written in 1944 called 'Forever Amber.' It was a provocative romance novel that continued to be the best selling novel all through the 40's. It was so controversial that Boston banned the book.

Am I narcissistic because now I want to read the book or rent the movie? I 've always wanted to know where my name came from, short of my mom liking the name of a college roommate named Amber.

Does anyone else have an obsession with their name. It is a running joke in my family. People give me candles, fragrances, jewelry, basically anything dealing with my name. I also like monograms. Does anyone else have these issues? Where does your name come from?

2009 - oh so cliche

2008-12-31T13:59:00.001-07:00

When I was at the bank today writing the date I realized that this was most likely the last time I would write 2008 in 2008. It makes me a little sad. The older I get the faster time seems to go, I'm not sure I'm ready for 2008 to leave.

But as I look to the next year I can't help but think of what I would like to accomplish in it, even though I am not the biggest resolution maker, these are a few things I'd like to be better at in the next year:

- Save more money
- Pay off more debt/ stay on budget
- Look more put together on a consistent basis
- Feel secure in my job/ get promoted
- Do the laundry, grocery shop, and clean more regularly and on a schedule
- Spend more time with family
- Meet new people
- Hug Jeff more often
- family prayer/ FHE/ scripture study more regularly
- Be strong (physically and emotionally)

Looks like I need a blackberry or something for the next year. Everything seems to correlate with being on a more regulated schedule and not being lazy, the struggle of my life.

It's Christmas Time in the City

2008-12-18T09:34:00.001-07:00

THANKS SNOW!

What a better way to get into the Christmas spirit than snow? Driving home and playing in the snow last night I was so giddy and kept giggling. It was so much fun. Who knew I missed snow so much?

I hope everyone was safe - and I hope everyone had as much fun as I did.

HURRAY SNOW!!

The colleges in Nevada suck!

2008-12-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

I am trying to register for one measly spring semester class. I don't want to be an admitted student, I just want to take one class. While I was trying to register for this class at any of the 3 colleges or universities in Las Vegas it became apparent to me that they could care less if I ever registered or if they answered a freakin' phone during business hours.

I'm not saying I need to be handled with knit gloves, but isn't the higher education system in Nevada suffering? Don't you think they would want the nearly $500 it cost for a student like me to take one freakin' class? I will be a great student at whatever college I eventually can register at but who knows if I will ever be able to or if I can. There are so many hoops and requirements and FEES to just try and register for one class - all before I know if the class I want is even still open. It is ridiculous!!! Sorry for the rant but I just had to get it out. Even navigating their websites is a mess. I went to little SUU - not a huge school - and registration with them was much simpler and achievable. Maybe that is why I chose to go out of state and pay for part of it rather than go to school for free in Las Vegas.

I'm being a Grinch

2008-12-10T11:46:00.001-07:00

I feel a bit like the Grinch this year. Since this year most of our extra cash will be going towards paint and flooring for the house, we don't have much mula for Christmas presents. For me, one of my favorite things about Christmas is thinking about the most creative and thoughtful gifts I can give someone. When you have low spending limits per person though, sometimes great gift ideas can get too pricey. Plus, we don't have much time to think about Christmas this year because we have multiple things going on all at once.

I've been listening to my Holiday mix in my car, I went over to help the in-laws decorate their Christmas tree, and Jeff and I are even playing Joseph and Mary at our ward Christmas dinner, but it still doesn't feel like Christmas. What are some of the best ways to get into the Christmas spirit?

Condhouse

2008-12-01T09:32:00.001-07:00

When I spent a summer in Hawaii I loved that everyone had names for their houses. Everyone knew the names of the houses so it was easy to give directions or tell someone where a party was at. I lived in the "junkyard house" - named because the owners lived in the garage and kept a lot of weird trash-like things in the front yard. Not the best name, but it wasn't the best house.

So, I have wanted to continue the house naming tradition here on the mainland as well. Even if no one knows the name of our house I love giving things nicknames, and of course Jeff is the king of nickname giving, so it only seems right for our house to have a name.

Jeff and I were discussing possible names and of course he came up with the perfect one. We feel like even though the house is a SFR it feels more like a town home or a condo because of the 1 car garage and close proximity to the neighbors. We decided that the houses name should be "Condhouse," not quite a condo, not quite a house. We were thinking of other names that refered to the mud color of stucco or it's foreclosure status, but this seemed to be the right one.

I realize that I name almost everything, my cars, furniture, strangers, etc. I think humans as a whole have an obsession with labeling and naming everything. For example, the skin on the human elbow is named the wenis, why does the skin on the elbow need a name? Or for that matter a car? But I know I will continue to name things and find strange pleasure in it.