Rest Ye Merry Gentlewomen

My favorite comment from a male customer at work yesterday:

"Wow. It's crazy in here. I'm glad that I am doing this early. I'll totally be done before Saturday so I won't have to be here during the craziness."

Mind you, this comment came after he had just stood in a line of about 20 customers that was wrapping around the store. I hid my smile and commended him on his early shopping endeavors.

Anyway, things are good, but I am totally exhausted. I have about 42 hours of work this week, which is great, but also tiring. It's just because some of those shifts are from 5pm-12am and the whole shift is on your feet standing. No rests (except one 30 minute break to run to the food court and grab food, chowing down on the way back to the store). By today, my feet feel like they would after about 3 days walking around Disneyland (remember, Jen?). Anyway, that's pretty much what's going on here. I hope you all are doing well and getting ready for the holiday. Hopefully you get time to rest. Love you!

The Big 26!

I haven't been home all day, but before I go to bed I wanted to wish Sarah a Happy Birthday! I can't wait to see you next week!

Tis' the Season

Since I'm slightly obsessed with Christmas, not last on my to-do list for the month was getting up a Christmas tree and decorating our house. I even put it on my calendar just in case I forgot. Last Saturday Nigel and I went to buy a REAL Christmas tree--let's just say that the real took a bit of convincing. Nigel has always had fake; I've always had real. This has been a debate for the entire month of November. Me: They're prettier. Nigel: They're not environmentally friendly. You're killing them. Me: They smell good. Nigel: All you have to do is take it out of the box. Me: They're prettier. (Note how all of my answers have an aesthetic bent to them.) In the end, I won: I think the part where I explained that he had to use a handsaw to level off the bottom of the tree was the clincher, though, nothing about pretty. So we have a live Christmas tree. We strapped it to the top of our little car, prayed it wouldn't fall off, let it defrost in our garage, sawed off the bottom portion and branches, and put it up. I love it. I even made little bow ornaments out of ribbon since our budget doesn't quite allow for funky ornaments from chic stores. However, it has lights, little glass ornaments, and ribbons. And little old Martha-me used the extra boughs to decorate the house. Wow. I guess this means I'm officially married. I wanted to wait to write this when I actually had the good pictures of the tree on my computer, but that could take several more days. I'll post those later. Here are a couple. The "star" at the top was a creative effort--we'll get a real one some year.

Ornamentation

Okay, we all know that I love Christmas and decorating for Christmas - really, what is the holiday season without twinkle lights? Anyway, I absolutely love these adorable ornaments from Anthropologie (as you can guess, they are not cheap).

This one is from a set of "hobbyists" and this cute girl is the "reader." I love her crazy hair as well as her book.

This cute one is one of the "Ice Princess" ornaments. Don't ask me why, but I totally think of Sarah when I see her - maybe it's the cute and bright clothing.
This is one of my absolute favorites. She is one of a set of three "Swedish Snow Travelers." Wouldn't you love to have her on your tree? Anyway, she is totally cute and I only wish I had money and my own tree so that I could put her up there. They also have some other great ornaments on their website if you want to take a look! I hope you are all decorating for Christmas!

I Finally Did It!

So, I've been talking for a year now about running a half marathon. Last week, I finally registered for one. It's the Canyonlands Half Marathon in Moab in March. It's happening a little early this year (beginning of March instead of the end) so hopefully it won't be too cold. The race winds along the Colorado River and is mostly downhill. I'm super excited to start training more seriously and actually have a goal with some sort of sacrifice as motivation (the $50 non-refundable registration fee). :) The lottery for the race happens in two weeks, so wish me luck on getting chosen.

A Great Feat

With the Thanksgiving Break, I had one goal: thank-you notes. You see, I have been trying for about four months to get all the thank-you notes from our wedding done. I had some silly goal that I would have them all written and sent out before school started in August. I suppose I thought I could move into a new house, unpack, plan the next school year in just under a week. Obviously, that didn't happen. However, this past Wednesday I finished writing and actually posted them. It feels like the voice of Emily Post that has been whispering in my ear about how many etiquette rules I'm breaking has finally been silenced. Now I have all sorts of new ideas for thank-you notes relief. For example, if someone gives you money, it's hard to write a note. I mean, what do you say? Thanks for the cash? That's not tacky at all. So I developed many phrases that didn't sound as gauche. Perhaps I could publish these in a book for those in similar situations. After watching the whole process and helping a fair amount, Nigel has invented an even better solution than pat phrases that sound hollow. The fix? He thinks that we should give our friends form letters to ease their fight with getting thank-you notes done in a reasonable time. The letter would be typed and then the recipient could simply fill in the blanks or circle words. Something like this:

Dear _______________,

Thank you for the __________________. Your gift was great/pretty good/ok/terrible. Without your friendship, our lives would be dismal/endurable/much better.

You get the idea. What do you all think? Is it marketable? :)

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Break. Jo, with the combined help of Kate and Nigel, we reached 42 on the vocab game. It was hard work. Our rally cry was "We must beat Jo!" Thought you would like that.

The Joys of Grown Up Life

I feel like throwing an all out tantrum and I figured I might find sympathy among my fellow white mothers. Here's the deal -- the holiday season just isn't the same when you work full-time. Everything special about the season as I have always known it, has existed in part because of the huge lack of responsibility for say, a week or two, that accompanies Christmas break. But when you're a grown up and you work for a really fantastically ridiculous company, Thanksgiving means you get Thanksgiving day off. One random day in the middle of the week to stuff yourself and then somehow wake from your turkey coma on Friday morning to return bright eyed and bushy tailed to work. Christmas means you get Christmas day off. And that's it. No more lounging around mom and dad's house in pajama pants until noon, sliding across wood floors in your favorite wool socks and eating leftovers all day long. Those days are in the past. And the best part? At my current place of employment, we are not to ask for time off in November or December and from what I understand, any such requests will be denied. In other words, if my request of Christmas Eve is denied (it's a monday, for crying out loud!), I'm going to call in sick. And I announced that at our staff meeting last week. Might as well be honest if they won't be fair, right?

Now that I think about it, appealing to an audience comprised two-thirds of teachers, who will forever maintain in some sense the sanity-affording breaks that make the season special, may not have been the best place to call for sympathy.

A Saturday Delight

Last night Nigel and I went to a delightful film: Amelie. I've wanted to see the movie for the longest time but haven't been able do to an R rating. Well, BYU showed it in their international cinema the other night, and we went. How can they? you ask. Well, long ago BYU edited them, but someone had to WATCH it to edit it. Some person in higher places realized the irony/problems with having one student watch what was considered inappropriate to save the masses. So editing was done away with. If I recall, there were some problems with the whole changing of films/copyright thing as well. Enter modern technology with a new invention: the clean DVD player. Here's how it works: the DVD automatically skips any questionable part. If I understand correctly, you can go online and find the scenes that would be a problem, program the DVD player, and it skips it without actually having to change the film. Of course this entire process brings up several ideas--legal and otherwise--for a forum, but I don't have the time to write it all. The real news is that this movie was wonderful--fresh, funny, insightful, beautifully filmed, entertaining, etc. If you get the chance, see it. To start off the night, we went to a European bakery by our house (La Brioche) and bought pastries. Nice night.

Other than that I can't wait for Thanksgiving break. I'm ready for a couple days off. I have about 60 essays to grade between now and Tuesday. Think I can do it? We'll see. Love you all and miss you.

Sadness...

I miss you all. A lot. A lot lot.

Happy Birthday Jo!

Yay Jo! Twenty six fabulous years of life! (I'm just thankful that I've known you for a whole quarter of that!)

Let My Love Open The Door

Have you guys seen Dan in Real Life? It's really cute. You should.

I'm so happy that everyone is alive, and that we're all aware of each other in the blogging world. :) Yay! Sometimes though - despite my great love for the blog - I just wish I could have a Polly Pocket version of each of you and carry you around with me wherever I go. That way I'd never have to miss your passion, humor, intelligence, wisdom, kind hearts and friendship. Ah... to have Polly Pocketed Mothers.... Maybe that's what it's like in heaven. Polly pockets of all our favorite people.

Life is good. I love those moments of clarity when you can just stand back and count your blessings. Even when those moments are sparse and intermingled with super difficult circumstances. One of those blessings I've been thinking about is kind of what Whitney mentioned in her blog -- people that come into your life and give you a fresh perspective of everything. I love the idea that we are constantly changing, evolving beings, with the ability to have that influence on others -- to help them change and evolve, and perhaps even discover a little more of the divinity that is in them. Sometimes when you're getting to know someone it feels like even though they know you, there are some things they don't know and maybe never will. I like to think that it is only because as you are with them and you change together, certain (maybe less desirable) versions of ourselves can be left in the past.

I have been thinking about Jenny's post too. About how different a classroom is in theory than in practice. I think a lot of life is that way. I think most jobs are that way. If I studied advertising for life, I'd constantly be developing new and different strategies and concepts. In real life, clients (and bosses) are stingy and practical. They're boring and unwilling to take risks sometimes. I think that love, romance, family, and mothering are that way. (Not stingy and impractical, just different in theory and practice) How many of us have had experiences like we've seen in Serendipity or Pride and Prejudice?

Anyway, enough of my verbosity. But I have to tell you. My bishop has a blog. He's fabulous and it's fabulous. It's a great amalgamation of wisdom and humor and complete randomness. You guys would love him.

Grading...Homework for the Teacher

Long, long ago, there was a college student who avoided homework by searching the internet or reading a book. With graduation, that college student thought any likes of homework would disappear. Alas, she became a teacher. :)

In education classes, no one told me that grading would become my new homework. Some nights I LOATHE it--like tonight. I have a stack of 110 ninth grade essays, and I have absolutely no desire to look at them. So I decided to read the blogs, and I'm so glad I did! Not only is Whitney back from the dead, but she's holding hands with a boy wearing a Pink Floyd shirt. Does life get any better than that? And she's engaged! (Ok, so my heart nearly stopped when I read that.) He looks cute, and you sound blissful.

After reading Whitney's comments about real life in DC, I couldn't help but reflect/rant on how different the real classroom is from the theory. Whitney, I bet we could discuss this for hours. Right now, Utah is in the middle of an awful voucher debate, and voting finally took place tonight. Public school teachers have been taking some hits--we were actually accused of "not caring about students" and being "money-hungry" since most of us are against vouchers for families that have an income of $150,000 (that's right--the law would even subsidize that high of an income). I had to laugh. Now, I'm not as vehement as other teachers on the whole issue, but "money-hungry?" Has anyone seen my paycheck? It even got more nasty--I was sent a pro-voucher flyer that said "You can tell a lot about school vouchers by looking at the people who support them. And the people who don't." What's on the back? Well one side (the pro side) has pretty pictures of Republican candidates and then groups/people listed like "American Family Heritage Association," "Traditional Values Coalition," "Mitt Romney," "National Right to Life," "Focus on the Family," etc. The opposing side had pictures of Hillary Clinton and Al Gore and lists/groups like "Planned Parenthood," "ACLU," "National Organization for Women," "Atheists United," "Democratic Party," "Atheist Alliance International," etc. (Nigel and I laughed about how it was just short of drawing a line down the center and putting "God" on one side and "Satan" on the other, which felt like the overall point.) The bottom said, "Who represents your values?"

Well, that's the latest from the Utah political arena. Other than that, I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving break. Sigh. I miss you all.

Delicious Autumn!

Yay! I came back from Arizona for Halloween and finally feel like autumn has arrived. This is my ultimate favorite season. I mean, you can even SMELL it. What other season smells like autumn? None. My favorite months of the year are from September-December, hands down. Not only that, but my favorite part about autumn are the hours of 4-7pm. Just when the sun goes down and that crisp excitement fills the air. Here's a picture from my window of the house and trees across the street at about 5pm:

Before leaving for Arizona, the smoke was too thick to really feel the season, but now it is great - the days are in the 60s and 70s with that perfect crispness in the air. I found an amazing quote that pretty much sums it up for me:

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." - George Eliot

Yup, that's how I feel. Other than that, things kind of stink as I still haven't found a job. I'm back on track and applying to some more, but it is definitely frustrating. Tomorrow I have a goal to go and try to find a holiday job. I've really been missing everybody lately. I just feel so out of place in life, but I'll get over it, right? Hope so! It's nice to be with the family and I am looking forward to Thanksgiving.

For once I feel like I am pretty caught up with all of my white mothers, so that makes everything much nicer! I do miss you all and hope that you are getting over illnesses and enjoying my favorite season of the year. Oh, and now that I have my own room, Jenny and Whitney will both laugh to know that the window is open 24/7 and I lay in bed at night under all of my blankets breathing in that beautiful cold autumn air without having to worry about freezing out any roomates! Love you all!

An Affair to Remember

Me and Jeff playing in a fountain...

Holding hands at the
WW II
monument...








Being cute at the
Washington
Monument...
ha ha

And laughing in the streets of DC...

I don't have pictures to capture all the great moments like sleeping on rooftops, getting lost in the Northeast quadrant of DC, dancing in the kitchen, fixing and eating two dinners within a two hour time span, tickling each other in the Metro (apparently, I can do it Jenny...without seeming like a "Big Princess"), watching the sun rise over the Potomac, and so much more...I have to say life is always an adventure with this kid...

I hope to post some more stuff later...

Debilitated in DC

Alright...so the long lost white mother is actually posting. It is a miracle. Did someone die? No. Am I engaged? Yes. Okay, okay...no, not actually. Ah ha ha. Sorry I just couldn't help myself. Little did any of the other white mothers know, I have been religiously reading the blog. I finally fixed my account, so I could sign in again and post and here I am. Jenny's latest post was what forced me to blog. I am sick too. I wanted someone to sympathize with me...I hate being sick and teaching. Last week in the middle of class, I was hacking up a lung and watched as 20 eight year olds stared at me in disbelief at how disgusting I was. I completely lost my voice on Friday and Saturday, and I was forced to stay in bed the entire weekend and even Monday. I have been using my inhaler, but I must admit that humidity is horrible for asthmatics. Who knows if that's actually a word... This is the other thing. I am not reading any of my posts before I actually post them from now on. I don't have time, and I just don't care. That may sound bad, but I don't care if I have perfect grammar or not. I don't think it's that important in this type of context. Indifference is definitely something I have learned from Jeff and feel it's quite liberating. Why care what other people think? I don't know. I don't know why I ever have really. Jeff has always been misjudged by others, and I have witnessed it on several occasions. He does seem like a punk kid, and he is kinda crazy in a lot of respects. In high school, he was in the whole rock band sence in Modesto and definitely hung out with a more questionable crowd. However, he was a good kid whether most people realized it or not. Even last semester he dealt with people making snap judgements about his intelligence. His roommates found out he was on scholarship and couldn't believe it. They just thought he was some off-the-wall kid that claimed he couldn't read. Ha ha ha ha...which is really funny to see people's response when he makes that comment. The best response came from one of my roommates in DC. When Jeff flew out to visit, she began talking about a good book she'd read. She asked Jeff if he'd read any good books lately. He didn't even look up at her, and with a stoic face, he replied, "I wouldn't know. I don't read." Well, needless to say, my roommate didn't talk to him for the rest of the trip. Later she made a comment to one of my other roommates, "Could you ever like a guy that couldn't read?" I thought I was going to pee my pants when it came around full circle to me. She actually thought he couldn't read! The funny thing is he does read, (maybe not every single best seller) but he thinks that just because you are a "well read person" doesn't validate you as a worthwhile human being. His perspective is soo refreshing and soo liberating. No pressure. You just are who you are. No questions asked. He is hilarious, and I wish all the white mothers could meet him.
Well this post as gone in a totally different direction than I had orginally intended, so I am going to stop now. I guess that's what happens when you write in stream of consciousness...

I love you all, and I just wanted to say...I am sick too.

I'll have to give you the update on the whole urban scene because believe me I have a whole new perspective on it. Bascially, I was completely full of crap before and didn't know what the heck I was talking about. So yeah...I hope life is wondeful for you all! It sounds like it.

My Sweetest Downfall

Feeling Sick

I suppose that it was bound to happen some time during the first semester of school--after all, my daily companions are 233 junior high students. What happened you ask? I got sick. Yea!!! I came home from work yesterday at 6:15, collapsed on the bed, and told myself I would be awake by 6:30. I then awoke with a start at 7:15, remembered my 7:30 VT'ing appointment, grabbed a quick bite, ignored the intense feeling of nausea and dizziness, and headed out. ("Where was Nigel?" you ask. Taking a test on campus--the joy of being married to a student. As he lovingly reminded me today, by 2012 he might be done for good. And it's a good thing I love that boy.) Anyway, the woman wasn't there, and my companion asked me if I was feeling ok or if the day had been long. My response was a babble. I struggled to the car, somehow made it safely to the Wilk, and waited for Nigel. I forced my stomach to calm down. He came shortly after, opened the door, took one look at me, and said, "Do you want me to drive?" I said, "I don't feel so good" and slipped to the passenger side, praying that the spinning would stop. Off we went: me closing my eyes, and Nigel trying to get us home without a ticket (he naturally has a speeding tendency. Jo, you'd be proud). We made it home. I lunged for the door, threw my hair into a ponytail, and flew to the bathroom. You can guess the rest. I wanted to be bionic woman and pretend I had no illness, but when I woke up today, I was still dizzy and started dry heaving. So I stayed in bed and slept. I'm feeling better now, but we've decided to stay the night in. And that, my lovely mothers, is the latest update on my life. Other than that, I had to fail two ninth graders in my honors class. They now have to redo English to graduate. It made me feel awful but at the same time annoyed: how hard is it to get even a D?

JCrew Spring 08

I just saw JCrew's Spring 08 line of wedding and party dresses - so fun! What do you think of this one?

As Promised...

Mothers-

As promised, I am not letting the blog die. However, I didn't guarantee that I would have a lovely entry every time. :) The past week was full of excitement: parent-teacher conferences, late nights, and Conference weekend. The highlight of conferences actually occurred the week before when a mother informed me that it wasn't my job to take attendance. Excuse me? I guess I missed that when the state mandated that they know where children are or when a teacher in SLC didn't take attendance and her kids were found looting stores (they claimed they didn't do it because they were in school and there was no hard evidence--attendance--to prove otherwise) or when a truancy officer at the district has to look into cases of children missing school or when it was decided that funds would be allocated to schools in part depending on how much attendance they have. But, hey, what do I know? It was a lovely, ten-minute conversation that had me as the evil, punitive teacher who didn't love or care for her students. Since we all know that's true, I didn't take it too much to heart. Phew.

Other than that, I am bracing myself for another winter. I don't know if I'm ready for it yet. There's something about driving in the snow that makes me think I should have moved with Jo to California. As it is, I have at least another two winters ahead of me. Luckily, this winter I have a garage which means no scraping. However, I live in a house which means I get to shovel the walks. Who ever said growing up isn't fun?

SAVING THE WORLD (or at least helping)

Okay, so I really, really hope Jenny and Whitney contribute to the blog a lot because I keep finding great things to post and I don't want to hog the whole thing. I think maybe I'll start my own so I won't have any guilt issues...hmmm...
Anyway, I wanted to let you guys know about this amazing project so (hopefully) you can pass it along.
I'm sure you have all heard about the amazing One Laptop Per Child program. If not, I will briefly explain: An amazing man, Walter Bender, came up with the idea of producing a cheap ($100) laptop that can be mass-produced and then bought by lesser-developed countries to give to their school children so that they will all have access to computers. These things are really amazing.

I am so impressed by the thought that went into these! They are solar-powered and run on very little energy so that students don't need to have access to an outlet to use them. They have super-sensitive wifi that can pick up even really weak signals. They are specially designed to be able to use and see the monitor outdoors in the sun as many children study and go to school outdoors. The monitor can turn 360 degrees and be used as an electronic book. Not only that, they have great programs for music and graphics where kids can play around recording themselves and music, etc. They also hook up so that what is being typed on one can be seen on another to facilitate group work. AND, with all that, they are small, lightweight, look awesome, and even have a handle on the back! I LOVE it when people are so innovative for a good cause.

As you might have guessed, though, there is a catch. Although the computers are supposed to only be $100, they are currently selling for almost $200. This is because the few really large orders that the company was relying on haven't come through, and nobody is willing to take the first step to make the big order so that they can start being mass-produced. Basically, this project needs to just get off the ground so that people will realize its value and then it will grow. Right now the company is accepting $200 donations on its website to send a laptop to a child in an area that needs it (right now I think the focus is on Peru).

The REALLY awesome thing, though, is this promotion that they are doing for two weeks starting on November 12. For the first (and possibly only) time, benefactors can get one of these laptops for themselves. By paying $400, you receive your own laptop and pay for one to be sent to a child in need. Isn't this amazing? I was just thinking how perfect that would be for anyone with children. Where can you get such a cheap, perfectly-tailored children's computer? I know that my niece loves playing on the computer and to be able to have a great, sturdy child's laptop for $400 just seems like an amazing opportunity.

Whew! Sorry - I'm really excited about it if you can't tell and I really want this company to succeed! There was a great article in the Newsweek on this if you would like to check it out. There's a little video where they demonstrate the laptop so you can see how it actually works. Here's the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20941373/site/newsweek/

Hole Lotta Love

I first saw this commercial in the movie theater with Chelsea. I don't know if it was the mood we were in, but we couldn't stop laughing at the people running into the hole. To this day, whenever I watch it I start giggling out loud. I thought I would share the fun with you ladies. Hope you enjoy it!

I Am In Love

with this dress! So chic. So elegant. So simple. So practically modest. {via sartorialist}

I won't let it die!

Dearest mothers-

I was half tempted to just write that I will be a real mother in nine months, but then I thought better of it. So, I am sitting her on Sunday, and I realized that it had been almost two months since I had even checked the blog. I was wondering to myself, "What's Whitney doing in D.C.? Does Jo still take naps with soft Church music, and if so, who is her partner? What is going through Sarah's head right now?" Then I decided to check the blog. And low and behold, it has an entirely different look. And I love it. Right then and there, I decided that I had to write.

I'm now the second counselor in the YW, which means I get to hang out with teenagers EVERY day. Actually, I am enjoying it. There's just something so very loveable about being awkward. I had forgotten so many things: combined YM/YW activities, YW in Excellence nights, New Beginnings, etc. And I get to help plan all of them.

Nigel and I are doing well. We went to the football game yesterday and cheered and laughed and ate greasy food. Last week we went to the state fair, where I informed Nigel that I had never been able to have a funnel cake when I was younger and we went as a family to the fair. This year, I would have one! So we ate corn dogs and hot dogs and icy lemonade and funnel cakes. We came home and couldn't move the rest of the night, so we watched a movie. I love the state fair. There is something so very American about watching teenagers sell cattle and sheep or viewing the 4H sewing items (people still sew?) and pie contests and a 700 lb. butter sculpture. We pet the pigs and smelled the cows. All in all, it was a delight. Except for the fact that Nigel now wants a pet pig. He claims they are smarter than dogs and will fetch the paper.

Now...well...we're trying to figure out internships for summer. Exxon Mobile took us out to dinner at Tuscano's which made me further wonder why I went into teaching. No school ever wined and dined me to convince me that I should be a teacher at their school. It was quite the opposite. However, I wasn't about to complain--I got free roasted pineapple.

And with that, I hereby intend to be a better blogger.

Playing Mom...

I love what Sarah has done with the blog! I am trying to do my part to keep it alive. I will write more about the happenings in my life later, but I just wanted to put up a bunch of pictures of Schuyler, Kirkland, and Roe from my 2 weeks playing watching them in Mesa. I know I'm biased, but I think they are so cute! Sorry about the blurry one, but it was just a funny moment with Roe waiting like a baby chick as Kirkland is trying to help her with her bottle. Love you all!

Is there anybody out there?

So, the blog is dead. I mean, really. But I'm going to puff one more breath into its lungs with hope of reviving it for good. I think now is the most logical time to keep it going anyway, since we're all sprawled all over the place. So much is happening - Whitney in DC, Jenny starting a new school year, Joanna figuring out what's next! I mean, really... it's probably one of the more interesting times we could be keeping track of each other. :)

September is going well so far. It's one of my favorite months. Or it has the potential to be. The weather slowly cools into crisp autumn days and evening comes ever-so-earlier luring us slowly inside for movie/tv/comfort food/cuddling goodness. I love fall.

On Labor Day Spencer and I rode our bikes up Emigration Canyon to Ruth's Diner for breakfast. Ruth's is one of Salt Lake's finest comfort food establishments. We've been three times now and we always sit at the same table on the patio with the trees and the lights and the musicians playing. It's a great little place. If ever there is another 4WM rendez-vous, we should put Ruth's on our list for sure!

Last week I went camping, in two weeks I'm going to San Francisco, and for now, I'm just waiting to hear what's happening with all of you.

Great Gift Idea

When searching for a gift idea for Mother's Day, Chelsea came up with this great idea. Harry and David's Fruit of the Month Club.

If you haven't heard of Harry and David, their fruit is famous, particularly their pears at Christmastime. Businesses love to give out their fruit baskets during the holidays and they have great gourmet (and pricey) fruit. Although it's not cheap, we all pitched in and signed up so that my Mom would get a gourmet fruit sample each month. This month the fruit was the peach. These amazing peaches were from Oregon. The fruit also comes with a little card explaining its origins and some serving options or recipes. I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a Christmas or other gift for someone who would appreciate it.

Hmmmm....

This was on the back of a candy package of my sister. I don't think I need to explain why I couldn't stop laughing out loud when I read it.

Happy Birthday Whitney!

I hope your day is happy!

Jenny + Nigel

Your day was beautiful, Jenny. Thanks for letting us be a part of it.4WM4L.

Back from the Dead

I'm back. It's been a while since I've blogged, so forgive me for the absence. In good news, I picked up my wedding dress. And it all felt so real. I'm getting married with a veil and shoes. Yes, Jo, I bought the shoes. Presents are starting to arrive at the house, and I feel like I'm in Father of the Bride, minus the blender.

In other news, I've discovered the Age of Love series (first one), and I've laughed my head off at the 20 year-olds. They were so incredibly ditzy and had absolutely no idea what to talk about. One girl said she and her dog had the same personality. Ha! It was highly amusing. However, the 40 year-olds were kind (fairly) to each other and honest and motivated and passionate. Hmmmmm...I can't believe that I'm actually watching this, but I find it oddly fascinating.

To top it off, I just got back from California and have decided that it's a great place. I tried my first In and Out burger and decided that they are delicious. I lay on the beach and acquired the sunburn to prove it. It was fun seeing Jo's home and driving up and down the coast. This week is full of little details and spending time with my family.

Love Fern

That's all I have to say, ladies. Love fern. Would you let our love fern die?



(Sarah- if you still don't get this one, then you still need to watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days)

a pretty good weekend

wedding rings, caps and gowns

everything is changing.

Words of Wisdom

All of us have grown up with certain proverbs or words of wisdom that we have learned from our mothers. Some exampes would be:

• Don't swim for at least 30 minutes after you eat (which, truly, is an old wive's tale)


• Always say "please" and "thank you"


• Don't talk to strangers

One particular phrase that I grew up with was this:

NEVER buy strawberries from the store.

It wasn't until going to college that I realized that this is not a possibility for most people in the country. Every spring in California, this becomes a common sight:

THIS is the location to buy strawberries, particularly because they are only yards away from the actual fields where they are being picked.

It also wasn't until college that I realized that strawberries came in anything but these little green baskets and are sold in anything but flats or half-flats. Who knew they were sold in little plastic containers?

Some of my friends even had their own little strawberry plants in their backyards where we would go and sneak strawberries off the vine and eat them.
Father's Day always seemed to come at the tail-end of the possible strawberry season, and strawberry pie became a tradition in our house for the holiday. My grandma's recipe can't be beat.

All of these things combined, including the advice to NEVER buy strawberries from the store, caused me to make a phone call to my mom this morning. As I was putting one of those little plastic containers of strawberries into my cart at the grocery store, I realized that strawberry season in Utah means the stands were probably coming out at the store. My mom gave an understanding chuckle as I pleaded, "Mom, you know how you are coming up in a couple of weeks for graduation? Do you think you could bring up some strawberries?"

In true good-mom fashion, she suggested that she and my dad could swing by a stand as they start their drive up to Utah, and suggested that we make pie that Sunday. Yessssss...life is good.

See Jo Work...

I really love this website called See Jane Work.

I have been looking for a laptop bag, and I really like the one in this picture. I would probably get it in black with the silver trim because I think the other ones would be a little too colorful for my internship. What do you think?

I also love this tote from Anthropologie. It is called the "wishful thinking tote"

Besides having an amazing name, it's actually only $38.00. Which, let's face it, from Anthropologie is soooo cheap! I'm really tempted....

Feeling Crafty

Spring always makes me want to start sewing or gardening or creating something. I think the idea fulfills my desire to be a part of the season that is all about creation.

Here is a great idea I found:

Decoupage Plates

Whether you use them on the table or hang them on the wall, these plates make beautiful additions to your spring décor.

What you’ll need:

• downloaded templates (button for download link) or cool stuff to create your own
• mod Podge
• glass plates
• small foam paintbrush
• damp rag

Download and cut out the templates. Brush Mod Podge onto the front of the paper template. Lay the template face up and center the plate on top. The paper should stick to the plate right away. Turn the plate over with the paper attached. Beginning in the center, smooth the paper onto the plate. Allow the plate to dry.

You'll need glue-on hooks to hang these on a wall. Find these with the picture hanging supplies in your local craft or hardware store.

bridesmaid dresses

Jenny, what do you think? ;)

Holi Cow

One down...

three to go!Congratulations, Jenny! We are so happy for you and Nigel. :)

Moroccan Fantasy

So, I saw this picture of a room on someone else's blog, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I love the colorful-but-soothing Moroccan feel of the purple, blue, and pink hues. Wow- live would be great if I could have a room like this. I also love the chandelier in the middle of the room. I think it give the room an extra touch that is needed to add a bit of elegance and fun.

Classic Heels

So, I needed a pair of black heels, and I really like these ones from Target. They aren't amazing, but I think they are pretty classy and I have needed a basic black high-heeled shoe.I also bought a pair of black heels that are peep-toed, but I can't wear them yet as my toenails are still freaky weird from when they fell off last fall, and it's kind of cold. I'll stick with these for a while.

Tribute to Valentine's Day

SMITTENS

Okay, so I also spotted these on the Restoration Hardware website and I was definitely, could I say, smitten? They are one of the funniest things that I have seen. I figured that they were perfect for a Valentine's Day blog. They are described as being "mittens built for two" and each set includes "two single mittens and one tandem mitten." Aren't they hilarious? Definitely conducive for interdigitating no matter what the season!