Almost Home

Crazy couple weeks, I tell ya. Lots of changes, all for the better. Life is good. Especially good this week because Marshall comes home on Thursday! Just sent him one last email. Can't wait to give him a hug! Thankfully he'll be back at BYU and close by.

So True

via wide open spaces

Before & After

I learned last night that the best way to start any weekend is to share a slice of Magleby's chocolate cake with your sister! And, naturally, if you order chocolate cake, you need a glass of milk to go along with it.

Happy weekend

Downpour!

Full Havasupai report coming soon. For now, know that it was pretty incredible!

We've had some impressive afternoon storms this week. Claire now knows about lightning and thunder and loves watching the storm from behind the curtains (because it's safer behind the curtains, of course). Love her.

Havasupai!

Mini vacation to Havasupai starts tomorrow! I'm trying to focus on packing right now, and it's not going so well. Good thing I have the morning to finish everything up. A few of us friends have been planning this trip for several months--I'm excited to just get there! It's going to be a crazy adventure, for sure. Here's to hoping the helicopter out of the Grand Canyon isn't full on Monday morning when it's time to leave...

...wish me luck!

the story behind the dollhouse

image via Sarah Jane Studios Blog

Project: turn the dollhouse into something presentable at Quilt Market. With Sarah and Ken's help, we did it! Never did we think it was going to take as long as it did, but the hours we put into that project paid off. It's such a charming little dollhouse! Ken's idea to light it up added such a nice, finishing touch. Check out Sarah's blog for more pics of the transformation!

The 4th: In Pictures

Good weekend. Good family, friends, food, fireworks, fun. Summer is finally here!

Claire Kitty Cat. She looks like a mad kitty, but I promise that as soon as she saw pics of herself, she lived it up. Best $5 ever spent.
Bubba and Sarah take a little break in the shade. It was hot. hot. hot. Bubbalicious takes his strawberries and swing time very, very seriously.
Pretty Sarah Jane. Crazy Claire. Yummy Katie. Boss Claire. Lemonade lovin' Claire. Another lovely Sarah. Stuffed to the max Bubba. (But there's always room for more food in that kid's stomach.) Captain dance-y-pants Claire. That girl sure loves to move.
The $10 roller coaster ride that lasted maybe a minute and a half. Claire tricked Katie into paying for it (she's good like that). Whenever Claire is in the car and we're driving up or down a hill, she throws her hands in the air and yells, "weeeeeeee!" til we've conquered the hill. I'd say her first roller coaster ride was a success. She may look terrified, but that's just how she rolls. She was slightly upset when she couldn't go again.
Proof that we were all together for dinner on Sunday! We headed up to Chris & Holly's place for a picnic dinner and had fun chatting and catching up. I love being together.
A few of us headed up to Pleasant Grove to watch fireworks--yay for good friends! Love me some time with Ms. Katie! (pic from katie)

Happiness

Claire + iPad (watching Mickey and Minnie Mouse cartoons from the 1930s) + Minnie Mouse by her side = one happy two year old.

Go Cards!

I'm not particularly the biggest fan of baseball, but we (my family!) have loved cheering for the Cardinals the last few years. Love me a good Jib Jab! :)

18 on the 18th

image via Katie Daisy

That little thing we call patience gets me every time. Ai yi yi. I used to think when I was younger, that by the time I was done with school I'd be a total pro at that "p" word. Nope. I guess I'll just keep practicing!

Randoms for today:
1 • It's already the middle of June...I don't think a year has ever gone as fast as this year has!
2 • I'm kind of--ok really--excited that summer is finally here!
3 • Happy hour at Sonic starts in a few minutes. I think that means I'll be getting a UGE cherry limeade in a few minutes :)
4 • I had grand plans to go to Sundance and ride the ski lift at night this week under the full moon. Didn't happen.
5 • 5K on the 4th with sister Sarah Jane. I know it's just a 5K, but I'm kind of nervous...it's been a while since I've been running, so we'll see how things go.
6 • Thoughts of Havasupai keep running through my mind. I'm going down with a few friends next month for a weekend and I'm so looking forward to it!
7 • This little 3-bun messy hair up-do thing has been a major time saver the last few weeks. Love it. Add a cute little headband and you're good to go.
8 • Taking a mini 3 week web design course at BYU starting next week. Dreamweaver has always been a mystery to me, but I'm ready to learn.
9 • Love the latest Martha Stewart Living magazine with all the red, white and blue. Excited for the 4th of July!
10 • Redesigning this little blog of mine is my next big project. As soon as that web design class is over, this blog is getting overhauled!
11 • Can't get enough of Pinterest. Love. Genius. Can't get enough. If you haven't signed up yet, do it. If you need an invite, let me know and I'll send one your way!
12 • Floral Lane is one of the newest collections I worked on, and is one of my faves to date! The images on the website don't do the paper justice--it's printed on a textured cardstock paper--it's amazing! Check it out and get some in your little hands.
13 • I thought I could handle a stuffy nose for a few days, thinking it was just allergies. Nope--fully on nasal infection. Gross.
14 • A friend came over the other night to help me with a project, and he pulled out my sketchbook to take some notes. He couldn't stop laughing when he flipped through the pages and simply said, "You think in totally different terms than I do." I like to think that he's just weird :)
15 • Strawberry Days rodeo tonight! Best part: Strawberries and cream. Delicious.
16 • Pinterest, pinterest, pinterest! I'm telling you, it's amazing.
17 • Father's Day is tomorrow, which means we'll have a 4-way Skype home to chat with Daddy-o. Just wishing that Marsh could join in the fun!
18 • Decisions determine destiny. Love this little article from 1979. "When the time for decisions arrives, the time for preparation has already passed." So true.

Happy, happy sunny Saturday.

DIY: Fabric Necklace

photo via cakies

Ever stumble on one of those blogs that you instantly fall in love with and wonder how you didn't know about it til just now? Cakies is sure to be a new fave of mine...I found her blog via a DIY fabric necklace pin on Pinterest (the tutorial here). I was totally hooked when I saw that she uses outdoor patio furniture inside:When I was back East, we stayed at my aunt's home and she refinished some old patio furniture and used it in her family room. I've wanted to refinish some furniture ever since then and bring the outdoors inside. Love, love, love how it's used in Cakies' family room and kitchen!

Anyways, I think I'll be making a few of these cute necklaces this weekend. Good way to use up scraps, and a perfect way to add a little extra color!

Happy!

Happy Saturday morning! My morning started kinda early for a Saturday (like 5:30 early) with a migraine, so I took some meds, went back to sleep, and started my Saturday over sans migraine. I love meds :) Forecast for today: sunny and nearly 80°!! I think it might be the best day so far in 2011. Lots to get done today, so I'm hoping I can enjoy the sunshine at least for a few minutes today.

Last trip home to St Louis was kind of bittersweet. Littlest sis, Sarah, graduated. No more high school graduations--yay! No more trips to Edwardsville--sad. For the last 6+ years, St Louis has been "home" for me, even though I never really lived there. The motto in our family is "the plan is, the plan will change." I wish I were good with change--I'm really good with change when others are involved in whatever is changing, but sometimes going through change solo is kind of hard. But that's ok! Life is supposed to be an adventure, right?

So the funny thing with my parents moving to Houston is this: I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say now when I'm asked where I'm from! Is my hometown where mom and dad currently reside? Where we've lived the longest? What state we've lived in longest? Where I graduated high school? (I went to three high schools, so that's kind of a trick question :) I've been in Provo for going on 4 years now, so am I from Provo now? Input, please.

Life is good, it's sunny out, and it's Saturday. Best day ever.