The Crandallions

This is Halloween

2011-11-01T13:26:00.001-07:00

Crandall style. We decided to be lumber jacks this year. I was inspired when I saw my beautiful flannel dress in a thrift shop. We pulled this look together for only $20. Complete with matching felt beards. We didn't hit any parties except for our ward's and my parents trunk or treat. And sadly we didn't get one trick or treater last night. But we had fun eating in-n-out, eating Halloween candy and watching "the dark night." It was a good weekend.

Home Update

2011-10-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

Updated a few things around the house. I added a few new things, namely this cute inexpensive rug from West Elm. We were also in Little Italy in San Diego recently eating some delicious food and shopping in some cute home furnishing stores. We stopped into Mixture, and found some cute pieces. I love them. And with the new rug, our room feels lighter and bigger.

Our Living Area

I moved this from my bedroom to the living room. Now we have a place to hide our remotes. Yesssss.

From Mixture

The rug from West Elm

From Mixture

I've been wanting to buy a cute occasional table to put between these two chairs, but I thought these books will do for now. Try it in your home.

These are my next purchase. Thoughts?

This coffee table?

Or this coffee table...to go with...

this media stand?

Suggestions are happily welcomed.

Pure Pain

2011-10-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

My friend Kelly invited me to start taking some workout classes with her at this new studio called Pure Barre (it's a franchise, so look it up to see if there's one in your area). Let me tell you, it's a painful but rewarding workout. They use only a few pieces of equipment, a small ball, hand weights, a rubber tube and a ballet bar. I've only been to two classes, and they focus a lot on your core and your "seat" (they use this work instead of bum). You make these tiny little movements, and isometric holds, and you wouldn't think they would kill you, but your body is on fire during the class. I find myself having to close my eyes to get through the pain.

I'm excited to keep going and see the improvements in my body and also in my running. Kelly said this is what helped her get rid of her IT Band Syndrome, so I'm excited to see if it will help mine. I'm feelin' the burn!

A Tip From My Favorite Show.

2011-10-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

Birch Box

2011-10-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

So...got my box in the mail, and I was super excited to open it when I got home. I opened it and these are the samples I found.

I received:
-Leave-in Conditioner
-Foot Cream (2)
-Mineral Hand Cream
-Make-up Primer
-Skin Serum

I was/am pretty disappointed with what $10 got me. Granted it is only $10, but I was under the impression these were going to be "generously sized" samples (as claimed on their website). So needless to say I cancelled it. It is a nice service they provide, I just think that if I were to continue to purchase a monthly $10 box with small samples, at the very least I'd like to be able to pick out which samples I'd like to try. I hope I didn't get any of my readers involved in something they wish they hadn't, so if you did I'm very sorry (I guess I should have listened to my gut in not posting about the box before I had received it myself, bad Cait). I thought it was going to be better products and bigger sizes. I haven't tried any of the products, but if they're worth mentioning and giving a good review, I will. Very disappointed...

Book Review...

2011-10-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to be more productive with my time lately, and that has included a lot of reading. I mentioned here that I was able to read Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Reselience and Redemption. And that was one of the most powerful stories I've ever read. I normally don't read too many biographies, but it's gotten such great reviews so I decided I had to read it. I gasped, cried and was shocked through a lot of it, and couldn't help but share the stories with my husband and family. It's eye opening to see the danger that our American soldiers were put in, and the horrific conditions they were placed in under the Japanese as POWs. If you enjoy history, or even an just want to read about the amazing survival story of a great man, you must read this!

I then read Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah. This was a memoir about a young Chinese girl (Adeline) that was born and raised in China. It wasn't a particularly happy story, but Adeline had (and still has) a strong character and was determined to prove herself, unfortunately it was directed toward a family that didn't love her, but she achieved so much without the love and support of her family. This story took place in the early 40's in China, so I enjoyed learning more about the modern history of China. Good story.

The most recent book I read was Sarah's Key. I've been on a World War II kick lately. I also really enjoyed this book. I learned more about the French Jews and the how the French participated in exterminating the Jewish population in France. I had no idea that this even occurred, and from the story (fiction) it seems that not many French citizens knew about it either. This was an easy read, and I didn't love the side story going on, but I liked the historical background. I would recommend this for anyone wanting a good quick read, but a good story.

If you've already read some of these books, let me know what you think! Or if you end up reading one I'd like to hear how you enjoyed it.

Now I'm between two books, Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. Moloka'i is about the leper colony in Hawai'i during the early 20th century. The other book is My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira, this is about a midwife during the American Civil War. I'll give a review on both of these when I'm done. Happy reading!

Evolution

2011-10-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here's the progression of my weekend project. It's taking good shape, but I want a lot more wire wrapped around it, to give it a "nest" look. I've purchased most of the items needed to finish it up, so hopefully I'll be showing you the finished product soon. I've already gone through 300 ft of wire. Isn't that crazy? I've cut the cuts and scrapes to prove it.

See that extra wire on the ground? Yeah, it was like working with a large Slinky that would get wrapped around it's self over, and over, and over again. Argh.

This definitely needs to be rounded out some more, but you get the idea.

To be continued...

She's Amazing!

2011-10-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

See that beauty in the center? I blogged about her here and she just completed the St. George, UT marathon last week. I just wanted to say how proud I am of her! She completed the race at 3:39! Can you believe that? She took 5th in her division AND the best part is she qualified for the Boston Marathon! Seriously! Boston Marathon. I'm so proud of her. I still can't get over the fact that she's only been running for 3 years now! She's a power house athlete and a wonderful wife, daughter and mother. SO So Proud! Great job Kelly!

Now if only these legs can get past the 5 mile marker again. They've got a long way to go, but they're trying!

Fall decor and Fall Weather

2011-10-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

I don't decorate for fall too much around the house, because it's just Ryan and I and we don't have babies around that get excited by looking at Halloween decorations. And, to be honest, I only like Halloween decorations for Halloween parties, and then I can get crazy on the decorations. But I put up some fall decor a few weeks ago to get us into the new season. And finally the weather decided to cooperate as well. We have lots of rain this week! I love wearing scarves and warm sweaters, and boots. (Side note: I thought it was getting cold enough to wear a jacket and scarf this weekend, so I threw them both on Saturday night. Ryan and I went out for a bite to eat and I walk in to the restaurant seeing girls in tank tops. They probably thought I was cuckoo. I always feel silly when that happens. No, I'm not actually cold, I'm just trying to imagine it's fall in Orange County, ok?) Here are some things around the house. Happy Fall!

Now, I'm off to make more pumpkin bread.

New Project

2011-09-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of the show "Secrets from a Stylist" on HGTV. And I follow the host, Emily's, blog as well. She shows pictures from the rooms she's made over before they air on TV, so I like to get a sneak peek. Recently, she posted some pictures from her latest makeover, and her design assistants DIY chandy. AND...on his blog he posted how to make it. I'm determined to make this chandelier and put it in our dining room. It doesn't require too many materials or too much skill, so with Ryan's help I think I can do it! Hopefully I can get a jump on it this weekend.

He does a step-by-step drawing to show you how its done. Here's the final drawing of what the chandelier is supposed to look like.

This is the room I want it to go in. It would like soooo great, right?

Eats and New Wheels

2011-09-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I went to Orange's "Eat's in the Streets" on Friday night. We actually didn't know about it until the day of when Ryan drove by and said: "There's something going on at the Orange mall. Look it up." We had no idea how big it was going to be, or how BIG the lines were going to be. We showed up to 25 food trucks, and each one had at least a 20-30 minute wait. So after wasting 30 minutes at a truck that didn't have what we wanted when we got up to ordered (we were also trying to make a movie in 30 minutes, ha), we moved over to a smaller line but with good lookin' sea food. And we were happy with our choice, and unfortunately we had to sit in the front row of the movie, but it turned out ok. Here are a few shots. I would have taken a few happier shots with us having a good time, but we were frantic to get food and once we got it we were shoveling it in :)

The menu from the truck we ordered from.

Anxiously waiting...

And behold...a spam and fish taco. Sounds crazy, but it was really good. It was my first time trying SPAM and it wasn't too bad, but I don't think I'd eat it again unless it was in an amazing taco like this.

"Lobsticle"

And...my new bike. Ryan bought me a "new" bike this weekend. It's a vintage 1950's Firestone beach cruiser. We spent Saturday buying new tires, and getting off lots of rust and dirt. She's a bit rusty, but I'm excited to get it all fixed up.

And there she is with new tires. What a cutie!

H&M Home

2011-09-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Did you know that H&M has a home collection? I just recently found out, and unfortunately it's only sold in the UK. But with soooo many H&M's coming to the states, I'm hoping they'll bring their home collection soon as well. Here are some of the cute things that are out this Fall.

Cute right?

Fall Flavors

2011-09-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

This deliciousness is in my oven right now, filling my house with the smell of fall. I can't express how much I LOVE pumpkin breads, muffins, pastries, pies, and desserts...And, normally I would throw in the chocolate chips to make it really amazing, but I'm trying to be good without be "that" good. I hope you're enjoying the cool weather (if you're in California) and all of the seasonal foods showing up. Happy Saturday!

Artsy

2011-09-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

Our big pink dresser got some friends yesterday. We added this great beautiful screen print that my good friend Emily made for my birthday to our bedroom. I thought it would look great next to the small oil painting that her husband gave Ryan for his birthday. We love having artists for friends!

I love the content of the print, it adds to the relaxing feel of our room.

Ryan's small oil painting from Oliver.

A picture from our trip to Europe last year.

Decorating makes me happy.

Sunday Picnic

2011-09-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

We had a picnic on Sunday at the park. We threw a bunch of mish-mashed food together in a bag, and some didn't go all that well together (ex: pb&j and edamame?). But each one sounded good on their own. And we let our Lu sniff around the park the whole time, and I read my kindle. With our beautiful weather, is was a lovely afternoon.

My Magenta Box

2011-09-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Ryan found me this awesome website. www.BirchBox.com Each month you get sent a box full of "generously sized" samples. They have you fill out a beauty profile: skin type, skin color, hair type, skin/hair care needs, and what you are interested in as far as beauty products go. Who doesn't love personalized samples? So I signed up, and for only $10 a month I get a box full of samples sent to my door. I can't wait to see what they send for October :) I'll review some of the products I like when I get the box. Check out the site!

Early Birthday Gift

2011-08-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

Ryan, my parents, and his parents got me a piano for my birthday! Yeah! It was such a surprise, I had no idea. I walked in the house after work, and there's a giant box in our living room. Ryan says, "Surprise! I got you a new piano! But it's broken!" I guess my piano broke during shipping, and they had to send out for a new one. And the new one arrived on Thursday, so Ryan and I put it together in about an hour.

So as many of you know, I have been taking piano lessons for almost two months, and I'm flying along. I really enjoy playing, and I love my teacher, but I get nervous when I have to show her my "homework." With having the piano now at home, I don't have to run over to our church building everyday to practice. I can practice all day everyday now, and I love it! It's an electric piano, but the keys are weighted just like a real piano (the harder you press the keys, the louder the sound). And it can be played on all different settings. I enjoy playing it on the harpsichord setting, and pretending I'm in one of Jane Austen's books. Here are some pictures. Isn't it cute?

Thank you so much Ryan, Mom and Dad, and Gary and Debbie! I love it!

Expressions of Love

2011-08-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

I saw this video on another blog, and it made me get teary eyed. I hope you see your family's and spouses expressions of love, and reciprocate them daily. This video makes me so happy. It makes me love our church and the blessings we receive from it even more. Enjoy.

Sunday Snooze-day

2011-08-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

I love to take naps on Sunday, and I got a good one in yesterday. Lately, our lives have been pretty low key. This weekend, I practiced on my NEW piano (yes, I will be posting about that soon), and Ryan went on a camp out with the scouts to Crystal Cove.

And yesterday we had lunch, saw Ryan's brother off to BYU Jerusalem, laid around at the park and watched our dog sniff and wee-wee on every inch. Then we came back home, made dinner and listened to our new favorite station on Pandora. If you're looking for some happy, get up and dance music, make an Elvis Presley station. It reminded me of old movies, and listening to some of my mom's favorite music on long road trips. And I got in some good reading time. I'm currently reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival. It's a biography of Louie Zamperini, but it's so much more. I've already learned so many new things about the lives of Americans during World War II. Check it out. Hope you had a relaxing weekend!

Make him a new station. If you love old/classic music, you'll love it.

Fall Catalogs

2011-08-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

All of the Fall catalogs are arriving in my mailbox. I thought I'd share with you some of the furniture and clothes that I'm drooling over. Don't worry I'm stickin' to my budget :)

Lake Powell

2011-08-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

This Lake is so beautiful. I wish I could go there several times a year to see it during every season. We had a wonderful time with Ryan's family and friends. We did the usual wake boarding, tubing, trip to Rainbow bridge and "Hole in the Rock" and semi-regular ice cream stops at Dangling Rope. And I came home with a nice little town. Now Ryan calls me a "brown bear" instead of a "fair bear." Not sure how I got those nicknames.

Endless rocks were thrown into the lake by our nephew.

Rainbow Bridge

Kids can fall asleep anywhere.

That's Ryan's nephew on the rock trying to fish with a gatorade bottle cap, rope, a stick, and some bread. I couldn't zoom in close enough to get him better we got some great shots of him.

Summer Lovin

2011-08-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a week with the Jesperson family. We:

-Rode the ferry to Coronado
-Swam in the pool
-Went to the Beach
-Ate Yogurt Mill
-Had a girl's night
-Watched the premiere of Project Runway (so exciting and as good as ever)
-Got to meet Elder Ballard and shake his hand (while of course tearing up)
-Lots of Costco and Target runs
-Setting up beach camp

Here are the pics from the last week.

Wonderfully crazy and loud weekend with the family. And I'm sure from the pictures you can tell who I was loving all this week. Now on to Lake Powell!

Fashion Bug

2011-07-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

I've had the shopping/fashion bug lately and have spent more money on shopping this month than I can ever remember. Yikes. Definitely not good for our credit card statement. I took advantage of my graduation as well as the Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. Have you checked it out yet? It's my favorite sale of the year! I don't stock up on lots of items, but I do get a few fall essentials.

These boots are my favorite finds this year. I'm in love with them.

And check out my awesome graduation gift from Ryan! It's so shiny and pretty and I can't stop staring at it. Can you see a theme in my choices? I guess I'll be wearing a lot of blue this fall. I also got some great sunglasses, red jeans, and few others that I maybe won't share (I'm feeling really guilty about all of my purchases this month). What's on your fall shopping list?

Lately

2011-07-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

I've been soooo busy lately. Sorry friends and family for not updating my blog in forever. I haven't had too much down time and the time I did have I was taking a breather from our busy weeks (and maybe reading a lot of Harry Potter in prep for the last movie). So lately we've been:

-going to Angel's games
-having piano lessons
-visiting with family
-lunching with friends
-laying by the pool
-Harry Potter movie marathons
-celebrating our anniversary
-having fun in Palm Springs
-outlet shopping in Cabazon
-sewing lessons

Next up is a week in San Diego with my sister, and her kids, and all of the nieces and nephews. Then on to Lake Powell. Loving the summer and finally having a real tan. Here are some pics from our adventures this month. I hope your July has been as wonderful as ours!

Angel game with the Family

Our private patio bathtub at our Palm Springs hotel

Peewee's Big Adventure!

Then tomorrow we'll be at the pool and our Stake Pioneer Day celebration/parade. More pictures to come!

Go Getty

2011-07-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Ryan and I decided to brave a drive up to LA to go to the Getty Center. It was a spontaneous decision and I'm so glad we went. It was perfect weather and we got there as soon as it opened. We hopped into an architecture tour of the grounds, and got lots of background on the history of the museum and the inspiration of Richard Meyer (the architect). This beautiful museum was opened 12 years ago and cost over $1 billion to build. Phew! That's a lot of cash. It was an awesome experience, and we loved every bit of it. Go check it out, and bring a lunch with you and eat in the garden. You'll love it.

Also, the parking is $15 but admission is free, so pile lots of people into the car when you go and save some money. It's a must see!

Piano Man

2011-07-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

Guess who's taking piano lessons finally? That's right, I've decided at the ripe old age of 23 to start learning how to play the piano. I'm really nervous. Sports and physical activities come really easy to me, but the thought of being musical scares me lots. Lessons start Wednesday, and I'm excited for the lessons and my new teacher. She's awesome. Hopefully I'll be able to play some awesome tunes like this guys some day. What instruments can you play?

Pillow talk

2011-06-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

I bought this cute new pillow on sale at CB2.

I've been wanting this pillow for a while, but the price tag is $70, yikes!

So I was excited to see this one on sale. I haven't found the best spot for it yet, I'm still rotating it around the house, so no picture of it in my house. But I'm excited about my new purchase. I can't stop looking for new things for the house. I've lost my passion for clothes shopping now, and all I want to do is hop for my house. Do you go through shopping spurts like that too?

Mormon Night

2011-06-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to "Mormon Night at the Padres" with the family. We all ate everything the park had to offer from garlic fries to red vines. The Padres honored our "Mormon Helping Hands" by having a large group of those that participated on the field. Then the San Diego Mormon Chorale sang the national anthem, it was so amazing! There were so many Mormons that night that the stadium went from an average attendance of 20,000 to 38,000. Wowie! Mormons know how to support their baseball teams.

A series of scary faces from Braeden

Best view from a stadium. Love my city.

Inspired

2011-06-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some cool pics from our tour yesterday. We got a few ideas for our future home, but overall we're not all about modern, but we like to incorporate it into our home. I don't know if you've noticed but we like to blend styles. I'd say our style would be considered "traditional modern" or "eclectic" is the technical interior design term.

House No. 2 - Our favorite house of the tour

Master Retreat

Their fence facing the street had cute planter boxes

House No. 3

Their front yard had this huge play area.

This wood paneling was through out the house.

Most of the homes had large sliding doors that completely opened up the house, and brought the outside in. Can't wait to put these doors in our home. If we can afford it.

House No. 6

I love the carrera marble countertops and the wooden drawer.

The loft on the second floor.

Cow hides are everywhere, and so was this Eames chair.

Dwell House Tour

2011-06-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

We're going to Dwell's annual House tour in LA today. We're excited to take pictures and be inspired for our future home. And it's just fun to go through these beautiful and expensive homes. Pictures to come.

Must must must see!

2011-06-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I saw this last weekend, and if I didn't want to go to Paris enough before, now I'm desperate! We weren't too clear on the plot from the preview, but we were so happy with the story line. It's surprisingly clean too. I'm ready to live a few months in paris eating French food and exploring the art, music and culture. You'll love this movie!

Cute.

2011-06-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

I was going through an online design magazine and came across these adorable kids furniture. You'll easily be spending between $1,500 and $2,000 to buy one of these beds, but aren't they too cute? I love home shopping and decorating, and looking at kid's furniture makes me even happier.

So cute. I can totally see any one of these in my house. Too bad they cost an arm and a leg.

Must reads.

2011-06-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

I've been able to read four books in the last 3 weeks and it's been awesome. Here are some you might like to pick up for your summer reading.

A sequel to her other book Shanghai Girls. Such an great story and insight into China's history. You'll be shocked at what the Chinese have endured.

A truly amazing and spiritually uplifting book. I don't usually read church books, but this one was too inspiring to pass up. You'll be crying by page 20.

Another historical fiction. Such a "bitter and sweet" book about the life of the Japanese Americans during World War II. You won't be able to put it down.

If you have any books you can suggest for me please do! Happy reading!

Gifts a plenty.

2011-06-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

My family was sweet enough to get me some graduation gifts. Even though them coming and having a sleep over and luncheon together was the best gift. Here are some pics of the exciting and thoughtful things they gave me.

My brother and his wife and family gave this adorable journal. As I close a door on one part of my life and enter in a new one, I'm looking forward to writing about what new and exciting things that will happen.

And my parents and sister gave me these Dr. Seuss books. A traditional graduation book, Oh the Places You'll Go (my mom also added a sweet personal message inside, something she's always done when giving a special book), and three of my other favorite Dr. Seuss books to add to my growing children's book collection. What a sweet family I have. They've been the best cheerleaders.

Zalie.

2011-06-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

Last night I was able to go to my good friend Deborah's baby shower. After having two boys, her and her husband decided to be surprised on their third and were blessed with a sweet baby girl! Her name is Zalie Ann, and like all newborns is soooo precious. My friend Christy threw the shower for her and we all got together last night to celebrate and shower her new little girl with tons of cute clothes and accessories. It's just the best passing around a new baby girl and oohing and aahing over cute baby clothes.

The deliciously large vanilla cake with coconut frosting. Courtesy of the famous Rhonda Riley. So so good, as always.

How cute is she?

Graduation/Vacation

2011-06-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

Lots happening at the Crandall household. I graduated the 21st, and my sweet family came to watch. They stayed with us in our little place and had a Jesperson family sleepover, woohoo! Then my graduation came, the weather was up and down all day. Freezing and misty in the morning and blazing hot in the afternoon, just in time for my actual graduation ceremony. Needless to say I was exhausted after such a long day, but then we boarded a plane at 11:00 that night and headed for Aruba. We spent a week laying on the beach, snorkeling, and sampling the bad, but sometimes good, food Aruba has to offer. It was a splendid trip, and I'd recommend a week in Aruba to anyone. The locals were wonderfully nice, and very helpful. The best part of the trip was our crazy drive around the island with the famous "Maddie." She drove us in her Willyz truck to the Natural pools, natural bridges and a beautiful and secluded beach where we jumped in the waves. Such a fun trip!

Happy families.

I'm a lucky daughter-in-law. Aren't they cute?

All of the markets on the island were Chinese. what the what? that's what we thought.

The Willyz. I must have one some day.

On this side of the island the wind is very strong, causing the trees to grow sideways.

The natural pool. Such an amazing experience.

Under one of the three natural bridges we saw.

The famous "Maddie." aka Crocodile Dundee's wife (self proclaimed)

Playing scrabble on the kindle.

Reading one of the two books I was happily reading.

Our last night was spent at the beautiful Hyatt for one last fancy dinner.

I'm ready to go back.

Cute as a button.

2011-05-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

I finally got a new clock in our room that won't keep me up at night. Our old clock was back lit with blue light, and I had to put it face down every night to keep myself from waking up at night. So Ryan and I picked out this cute 60's clock from etsy. It is now featured on my, also new, night stand. Love it all.

And there it is on my cute nightstand! This makes me happy.

It is Finished.

2011-05-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

The chairs are back, and beautifully refinished. We got them refinished by the same man that did our dresser, and he did them in two days! Wow! So we shopped around for some fabric, both high end places and low end places. I thought we could meet in the middle, but who ever heard of cute fabric below $35 a yard? Apparently none of the stores we found. It was really hard to find anything we loved, and I wanted to buy it in person. So we searched in all of the "clearance" sections at stores and turned up with this cute fabric for only $7 total! Wowie. When we asked about new padding for the seat, the worker asked what was there already. I had no idea. I was just concerned about the fabric. They said to check it out before they cut some foam for us because there could be some good foam left over, or even horse hair. Horse hair? Really? No way there was horse hair in our chairs, but low and behold. We found digustingly old cotton and horse hair in our chairs. Yikes! After I was done vomiting, I got the foam, recovered the chairs and voila! Here are our new chairs!!! We love love love them!

Go here to see the before pictures. Don't you just love them?

Today (yesterday) is Mudder's Day

2011-05-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely Mother's Day yesterday. I got to visit my family for the weekend, get a glorious microderm facial from my sister in law, saw "Water for Elephants," got to hear both my dad and sister speak in sacrament meeting, eat lots of Mexican food, See's candy, and Yogurt Mill. Such a nice weekend. I also finally made it over to West Elm in Mission Valley. If you haven't been there yet, you must go! It's so fun to look and get inspired about decorating.

I took some cute photos during dinner, and our family's Mother's day gifts.

This card is from my 5 year old niece Aubrey

Her name is: Nana

Her eyes are: Brown

Her hair is: Black

She is 50 years old

She weighs 19 pounds

Her job is: ?

Her favorite color is: Pink

Her favorite food is : Everything

At home she likes to: Cook

I like to Snuggle with her

My nana is special because: Sweet

This card is from my 7 year old nephew Braeden

Her name is: Nana

Her eyes are: Blue

Her hair is: Brown

She is 31 years old

She weighs 40 pounds

Her job is: Work

Her favorite color is: Brown

Her favorite food is: Potatoes

At home she likes to: Make stuff

I Like to Water with her (water plants with her)

My nana is special because: She is always excited to see me (how cute is that?)

My brother and his wife gave an old framed picture of my Mom reading to my brothers and sisters. So sweet! I love seeing these pictures of her as a young mother. She's so beautiful.

And this was my sister's gift to my mom, homemade butterfinger cupcakes. They turned out so good!

Here's the cute little baker herself.

And the reason why we celebrate such a great day. My beautiful mother. Happy Mother's day Mom!

Many Hands.

2011-05-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took part in our annual "Mormon Helping Hands" service project. Our ward decided to clean up Irvine Regional Park and weed, cut back plants, and clean up the planters. It wasn't too hard, and fortunately it wasn't really hot, but boy was it windy. The winds picked up leaves, trash, tables, thick branches and everything making it hard to see and pack up all of the clippings. But, we made it through and had a good time with friends and ward members. It feels good to give back to our community and I hope we were able to plants some seeds in the hearts of the people that received our service.

Oliver.

There were many many weeds that looked like this one all of the park. It was some serious labor. But oh so fun.

She's Back

2011-04-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

This here girl is cleared to start running again. Wahooo! Unfortunately, I have to start slow. And...with all of my running buddies at high mileage and fast paces it's going to take me a while to get back to where I was + some. Look out Team TMI, I'm back.

I'm looking forward to getting back into this kind of shape again, but I've got a long road ahead of me. Happy running!

Shoe Shopping

2011-04-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday I went with my girlfriend Cassie to help her find a dress and shoes for her girls for her sister's wedding. Cassie got an amazing dress (wish I had taken a picture) and these girls tried on shoes for days. They are the cutest.

Gemma

Avyn

Then, dinner with the Chippings at Cafe Lucca. Round 2: Almond Joy (with toasted coconut, almonds, and chocolate) and Chocolate covered strawberry. Delish.

Things are looking up. Especially when there's gelato involved.

When it rains.

2011-04-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

I'm having a huge streak of bad luck.

1. slice open my toe and need four stitches*
2. currently have had a major cold for a week (and counting)
2. ate a tootsie pop and cracked my crown*

I'm sure it's a lesson in patience in faith but I'm having a real BAD month. I'm not looking for pity, just want to let out the bad so the good will come. Next month can't come quick enough. Trying to stay positive.

*these are/were awful and awfully expensive.

Saturday

2011-04-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Ryan and his dad are going to all three days of the Long Beach Grand Prix. So yesterday, my mother in law invited me to tag along with some ladies from her ward. We went to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and got a guided tour from a sister that was an Art History teacher at CSUF for 20 years. It was an awesome experience to get so many insights and background behind Western art from the the 15th-17th centuries. There's sooo much to know about art, and Cathy was a powerhouse of knowledge making it such an interesting tour. No pictures from any of that, but here are some pictures from our dinner last night in Old Orange with Ryan's parents. Cafe Lucca, delicious. Even more delicious was their Toasted Almond gelato.

I'm unfortunately am not looking too good here, I've been sick with a cold since Tuesday. And it won't go away!

Go to the Norton Simon Museum or Cafe Lucca, and call me if you need a buddy.

sorry sucker

2011-04-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for romantic comedies. of course they have to be good enough for me to fork over $20 for Ryan and I to go see it. I'm hoping this one is going to be worth it.

Our Unexpected Treasures

2011-04-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from our weekend. Look at our awesome finds.

They had such beautiful coral, we were lucky to pick up these awesome specimens. Here they are in our house.

Last post of the day I swear.

2011-04-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Tried some new G free products this week. Pleasantly surprised. Here are my favorite new additions to my G free diet so far:

Just made delicious waffles with this, this morning. I was so happy to be able to pull out my waffle maker after months of hibernation.

Who new how good quinoa pasta was? I was skeptical, but now am a believer. I'm also trying to introduce more quinoa into my diet. They have soooo much protein in them it's crazy. Here's my next attempt: Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa.

Have you had one of these babies? So...good. They're a fruit and nut bar, and have a minimum of 2 ingredients and a maximum of 9. Seriously, only a handful of ingredients and they are oh so delicious and full of fruit, protein and fiber. My favorites so far are apple pie and peanut butter and jelly. Check out their website to learn more about their products.

These are all great and healthy products even if you're not G free. Enjoy them all. And I'm seriously recommending the larabars.

Growing, growing, growing...

2011-04-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

Our garden is growing fast! We first posted about it almost a month ago, and look how it's grown! We've also added a few new plants to the bunch last weekend. Here's the progress so far.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

And these are our the latest additions. Strawberries, zucchini, and jalapeño peppers. So excited to see how they grow.

Isn't nature awesome?

Bossypants

2011-04-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

Just added it to the Kindle. Really excited to read about one of my favorite people. Madame Tina Fey. And the cover is just awesome.

The Great Toe

2011-04-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

Last night after watching conference and eating dinner I decided to make some G free cinnamon bread. So I was at my in laws in their kitchen downstairs, while everyone was watching a movie upstairs (Ryan, his Mom and Dad). I took out the bread, and wanted to let it cool, so I picked up my ceramic baking pan, flipped it over and the bread came out, when I flipped the pan back over I lost my grip. The pan fell on the counter breaking, and then fell to the ground, cutting my big toe on the way down. So I had to go to the ER last night to get 4 stitches, my very first set. Not horrible, but very unfortunate, seeing as how painful and expensive the whole thing was. But now I'm home today from work, keeping lots of gauze around my toe, and keeping my feet up. I have to keep the gauze on for 24 hours, and then I can remove the stitches in a week. Next post will be the actual toe picture with stitches and all.

Giant gauzy toe.

And this is what I've been doing all day. Reading blogs, having lunch with Ryan, watching parks and recs, and trying to make more plans for decorating my house.

Thanks for bringing me lunch and taking care of me Ryo Crandall. You're the best husband. Really, the best.

Weekend Update

2011-04-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend we hung out with the Chippings. We got breakfast in the morning, then Ryan and I headed to the Salvation Army to do some thrifting and found these new beauties that we're going to fix up.

Then we drove out to Irvine to Tanaka farms for some fresh "U Pick" produce. We decided not to do this tour, but we will definitely do it this Spring. These are the fresh berries we picked up from there.

We got back to the Chipper's and each took a turn banging out on Em's new drums, picked up their power sander to sand down our new chairs and headed home.

Then I made some delicious G free peanut butter cookies, recipe found here.

And we then went to a fancy schmancy wedding reception for a family friend. Wonderful Saturday!

Today's Project

2011-03-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at a lot of home design blogs like this one here, called Sixth Street Design School. With my new inspiration, today I decided to move this book shelf from our living room into our dining room and lay it on it's side.

Here's the before picture of our space:

And here's the after:

Voila! I have a brand new sideboard. I have all of my serving dishes and lots of other things from around the house displayed on my new sideboard.

That little rabbit on the left is a gift from our dear friend's The Hendricks. Isn't he cute?

Also, a few weeks back I acquired this little vanity off craigslist, sanded it and set it up in my dining room as makeshift sideboard as well.

So now I just needed to buy some drapes, and I can call my dining room "finished." Any suggestions on drapes would also be much appreciated.

Spring, You Make Me Happy

2011-03-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

Today I was on my way to the gym, couldn't find a spot, so I thought: "Why am I going to workout inside when the weather outside is gorgeous?" So I drove back home, plugged in my headphones and went for a walk on the hill by my house. I couldn't believe how beautiful the flowers were. The rain these past few weeks treated them well. So I got some sun and caught up on some Sufjan and Joshua James and enjoyed the gorgeous weather outside. I unfortunately forgot my camera, but I found some good pics of the wild flowers I saw on my walk today. And hopefully Ryan and I can go on this hike through Laguna canyon this weekend to see more of orange county's beautiful wildflowers.

Pongo and Perdie

2011-03-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

We ran into these guys in a store parking lot. We couldn't pass up a picture. How often do you see a Dalmatian, let alone four (I just noticed one hiding on the floor in the fourth photo)?

Fit For a Queen

2011-03-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday my sisters threw a party for my Mom's birthday that was fit for a queen. They did a great job decorating with lots of her favorite photos and memories. We had a great Italian dinner with delicious lasagna and homemade rosemary bread, which I was told all tasted amazing.

And...they made my madre's favorite dessert: German chocolate cake.

They can hardly wait for the cake

And the night ended with free adjustments from my brother Justin. So nice having so many chiropractors in the family. He's laughing and enjoying it I promise!

Killer Boots

2011-03-28T13:21:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend Ryan and I headed out with the Chipper's (Oliver and Emily) and headed for lunch at Rutabegorz in old Orange. Then we hit the Vans outlet to scope out some new shoes. Why has it taken me 3 years to go to the outlet that is just 5 minutes from my house? Probably because I'd be coming back with loads of shoes. I found these awesome shoes and now I'm in love. Why did it take me 23 years to buy a pair of high tops? They're awesome.

Thank you Vans for having an outlet store, and for letting me buy two pairs of shoes without making me go broke.
I realize that within the last week I've posted twice about new shoes, I swear it's a fluke.

Confession

2011-03-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

I was asked to teach a kick boxing workshop class for the Stake Activity Girl's night (last night). The theme was about being a super hero, so I taught about exercising and eating like a super hero. I then taught a 20 minute intro to kick boxing class. They loved it, laughing, giggling, dancing and flying around the room with their little capes on. But after I got done teaching them to treat our bodies like the amazing things they are by exercising and eating well, I headed with Ryan straight over to In-n-out for a burger shake and fries. Is that awful?

I eat really healthy, it's ok to splurge once in a while right?

Pho and the BYU game

2011-03-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

While anxiously watching the BYU vs. Florida game, Ryan made us some delicious Pho. We've been trying to make new and different foods with my new diet. It's been exciting. Too bad our delicious soup didn't help our Cougars. We had a good run, and you made us all look so good and even did a little missionary work while you were at it. Great season Cougars.

The G Free Diet

2011-03-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

Since being on a G free diet, I've been trying to do lots of research into Celiac Disease. It's a very serious disease because of the untreated conditions it causes, and a very serious lifestyle change. I've been cleaning out my pantry, my fridge and my kitchen, trying to rid our house of any stray gluten particles that could be transferred to my food. And I've been filling up my house will my own gluten free foods and treats that are delicious and full of fiber.

Like I said before, I haven't been diagnosed with CD, but if I'm going to try living gluten free I'm going all out. The most helpful tool I've discovered in this diet transformation has been Elisabeth Hasselbeck's book, The G Free Diet. She goes into detail about the disease, it's symptoms and conditions associated with it, how to recognize all forms of gluten, how to live a normal life G free (and stick to it) without feeling overwhelmed, and more importantly, how to help your child with CD.

If you know anyone that thinks they might have CD, or is interested in removing gluten from their diet, I'd highly recommend this book to help them get familiar with it and how to start a G free lifestyle. And it's so easy to read!

Also, have you had a Larabar? How delicious and healthy are they? They are one of my new favorite G free foods. Yum!

Oh Happy Day

2011-03-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

Today my beautiful Madre came to visit me so we could go home store shopping. One of my favorite kinds. It was so nice to have some one on one time with her, it's not easy to coordinate that kind of time. We hit Tai Pan Trading, Home Goods and Pier 1. I made out with some good finds and a couple steals. What fun we had. We also stopped at the Market Place for lunch and were viciously stalked by birds the whole time. And we ended the day with our favorite, Yogurtland. What a splendid day.

My Indian lunch. It tasted better than it looks.

These birds were fearless and bossy.

And everywhere.

I normally don't like seasonal decorating, but these were just too cute to pass up. Thanks Madre!

My other deals and steals.

Isn't she cute? Fun fun day.

It's here hooray!

2011-03-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

My beautiful madre bought me a cute kindle cover for Christmas, and unfortunately it's been on back order for months, and months. Felt like forever, but it's finally here! I found it on etsy, and passed it on to Ryan who passed it on to my madre :) The fabric is from Amy Butler's Wallflower collection, so cute!

So cute!

A "Cool" Weekend in San Diego

2011-03-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

We went for a visit to see the fam this weekend. And we were able to spend time watching the NCAA tournament games, comparing brackets (I'm a close second), watching my nephew play t-ball, furniture shopping, eating chipotle, then eating thai, making lentil soup, baking bread, and eating Reese's eggs :)

Check out the cutest little 6 year old baseball star.

Can't beat that smile, as he runs across home plate.

Snack bar food always tastes better when watching a game.

Braeden's adoring fans.

Thai taste. True story: this restaurant had a tv on to the right of us, and it started out playing ET, and after we ordered it quickly switched to open surgery! Blood and guts everywhere. We had to ask them to change it.

Sunday night entertainment. Songs and funny faces.

Then it just got wild. As seen here.

And here.

And the weekend ended with strong winds, a down pour of rain, and a long drive home in crazy weather and multiple accidents along the way. But we made it home safe. Awesome weekend.

A New Garden In Town

2011-03-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I got crazy last weekend, after much planning, and decided to get our acts together and start a small garden. Unfortunately, we only have pots and hanging baskets to deal with, but we're making the best of it. We picked out a few basic veggies to experiment with our sun exposure, soil and overall environment for our plants. Here are a few pictures of what our small garden is turning into.

Butterhead lettuce

Our lone tomato plant

And look how well our lemon tree is doing, spring is here! We hope to get another hanging planter so we can grow some peppers and berries. Delicious.

Picks. Picks. Picks.

2011-03-16T09:44:00.001-07:00

We put up our brackets for the NCAA tournament at work. I failed to fill one out last year (because of pure intimidation) so I made sure I got my picks in this year. The prize is a free Thai lunch at our Friday lunches together. I'm going for Kansas. Who knows? Maybe they'll win.

What are your picks?

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Dear Japan

2011-03-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

"Dear Japan,
We'll miss you people. The great wave won't bother you at all."
-Braeden

This is a letter that my 6 year old nephew wrote to Japan recently. He has the biggest and sweetest heart, and now hopes to go to Japan on his mission.

I am so saddened by the destruction that the tsunami has brought upon Japan. I hope families can be reunited and comforted, and the country can recover quickly from this tragedy.

Here's also a link to the New York Times website that shows some aerial before and after shots from different cities in Japan (I stole it from my friend's blog). You'll be shocked by how much was destroyed. You're in our hearts Japan.

Chicken

2011-03-10T16:40:00.000-08:00

This is our Lulu. We've made up dozens of nicknames for her:

Doo

Dude

Dooder

Looder

Tooter

and currently she's known as "Chicken"

Here's our Chicken in one her favorite places.

She can either be found on a pillow, on top of a chair, bundled up in blankets, or on a piece of our clothing on the bed.

And here's our Lu as a baby, right after we bought her. So tiny!

One Year Olds Just Wanna Have Fun

2011-03-08T11:44:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I were fortunate to get an invite to our friend's one year old son's birthday this weekend. We picked up Pat and Oscar's breadsticks for them and they had a pasta lunch for the guests. We're trying to spend as much time with these awesome guys before they move for Arizona in June. Here are a few shots of the party.

Luke was able to manage eating three breadsticks at once. He's a champ.

The Southwicks, minus three other awesome kids.

He was not barbaric enough to eat the cake with his hands.

So he used his birthday candle instead.

The HELP

2011-03-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

This..........

is a MUST read. My good friend recommended it to me so I bought for a trip last summer. I started slowing reading it, but didn't get into it right away. So I brought it with me for our ski trip and DEVOURED it. I couldn't stop reading. Such a great book. Warning: There are a handful of swear words, but nothing suggestive or risque. You should pick it up, and...if you live nearby and want to save some dough feel free to borrow it from me. Happy reading!

G Free

2011-03-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

These past two weeks I've been trying an elimination diet. I've always had problems with food and my stomach's response to it. So...I'm now currently on a gluten free diet. It was hard to contemplate giving up some of my favorite foods, like fresh homemade bread, pasta, cookies, crackers, but thankfully there are lots of products out there that are made "Gluten free." Unfortunately, not all "gluten free" items taste very good, but I'm glad there are a lot of substitutes.

My favorite substitute product I've found is gluten free frozen waffles. So good!

Thank goodness for Bob's Red Mill, they have several pages of products, and they even have a bread mix that you can make in your bread maker.

I've gotten a hold of a few websites that have gluten free recipes, but I'm always looking for more and any tips on good gluten free food that anyone has tried. Let me know if any of you have any recommendations!

Hollywood Glamour

2011-02-27T19:48:00.000-08:00

Love this gown. She's perfect.

Saturdays with the Crandalls

2011-02-27T19:40:00.000-08:00

Homemade bread. Fresh lentil soup. Afternoon nap. And a poor sick doggie. Love Saturdays.

What are you doing this weekend? Nothing...just composting.

2011-02-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

Ryan bought us a "Vermihut" composter for Valentine's day. We're going to use of all of the compost for our plants and our soon to debut small patio garden. We finally got our 2 lbs. of worms in the mail, all 2,000 of them and we got it all set up on Thursday night. Here's some shots of Ryan mixing in the newspaper, egg shells, worms, and food scraps.

They say by having a composter you can recude your household waste by 30%, we're hoping to do that with our new "Vermihut."

Debuting: the big pink dresser

2011-02-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

We found this old dresser on Craigslist about a year ago and finally got around to fixing it up. We got it painted and added a few knobs. Unfortunately, we don't have a before picture so here's a picture of the dresser we were using.

My camera died before I could get a good shot of the knobs, so here's a close up from the anthro website.

Laguna College of Art and Design

2011-02-24T17:12:00.000-08:00

Our friends, invited us to go see the MFA gallery opening for a friend of theirs attending Laguna College of Art and Design

Their friend's piece

Our favorite piece, worth a cool $36,000

I had to hold their friend's baby, little Abigail. Fun fun night.

To my Valentine

2011-02-24T16:55:00.000-08:00

Glorious Gowns

2011-02-21T13:12:00.000-08:00

I'm sure many of you anthropologie fans already know that they have launched a new wedding brand called BHLDN. I just looked at the site and of course fell in love with their whimsical, romantic and feminine gowns. Here are some of my favorites.

Jazzy Baby

2011-02-16T19:37:00.001-08:00

Utah Jazz game tonight. Hard to cheer for a team that isn't doing too well. At least the game has been fun!

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She IS Wonder Woman

2011-02-15T18:35:00.000-08:00

MAC just put out new "Wonder Woman" themed makeup recently. I'm telling you it was made for this here Wonder Woman. Can't express how obsessed she is with her. Tiff, this one's for you.

Tiffany, aka "Wonder Woman"

Isn't it sooooo cute?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day from Park City, UT. Ryan and I are here with his parents for our annual ski trip. It was such beautiful weather this morning, and we feel like we have the mountain to ourselves. Hope you had someone to share this cheesy but sweet holiday with.

And to make you smile, I added this adorable video of my Grandparents who were sweethearts for close to 70 years and danced with each other for all of them. I love them dearly. Happy Valentine's!

Dinner Party

2011-02-10T22:49:00.000-08:00

Menu: Pork tenderloin with parsley scallion sauce, mashed potatoes, asparagus, salad.

Desert: Homemade vanilla cake with strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

Guests: Oliver and Emily.
Him: artist.
Her: nurse anesthetist.
Patrick: Emily's brother, new roommate.
Coolest couple from the Peter's Canyon Ward

"My dinner party kicked a**" - Leslie Knope

Throwdown

2011-02-10T22:25:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this get you pumped?

Weekend Update with Cait

2011-02-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

We bought a lemon tree for our front porch

We named her "Liz"

We also bought my adorable pink "polka dot plant."

We made cinnamon bread in our fancy new bread maker, it turned out like Frakenstein and too scary to photo, but tasted delicious

A treasure I found for Ryan at Rocket Fizz

I made about 7 dozen oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for my fam

And we dog sat Annie for the day, she just kicked it on our couch all day.

Breakfast.
Gardening.
Bread making.

Park day.

Souplantation.

Stake conference.
San Diego.

Superbowl.

Food.

The End.

New Project

2011-02-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

I went to visit my Mom a few weeks ago, and she's decided to getting rid of all of her kids junk that we've left behind. She cleaned out a closet and found my blanket I began crocheting about 6 years ago...wow, long time. So I had a few spools of yarn to continue it, but it's been so long that I can't get any extras. My Mom had noticed that I kept my stitches really tight, so she suggested that I undo what I had started and start over, ugh. Not so bad I guess since I hardly even remember doing any of it. So here I am unwinding all of my yarn in to a massive ball of yarn. I"ll show you my progress and my finished product as I go along.

Today's Date

2011-02-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

My awesome friend Emily and I hit up Silver Lake and Burbank today for some arts and crafts stores. While we were going in and out of shops we headed to Porto's for lunch. Sooooo delicious.

We ordered their famous cheese Danish, a chicken empanada (only 99 cents, how can you pass that up?)...

...and this little beauty, a Cuban "Medianoche" sandwich. Awesome, awesome day.

Red Hot

2011-02-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

Mila Kunis looked absolutely gorgeous at the SAG awards. Love love love that dress. I want it

Das is good

2011-02-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

We ate ours too fast to take a picture, so this is a picture from the internet to give you an idea

I look extremely Asian in this picture, but that's ok, just embracing my adopted roots

and this is me flying away with some balloons we picked up for a church activity. just thought I'd throw it in there

Ryan and I had a breakfast date at Jagerhaus, a 27 year old German restaurant. We were supposed to go here for Ryan's birthday breakfast, but we ended up not going. Ryan's a huge fan of German pancakes. If you haven't had a German pancake, they're like an eggy crepe-ish pancake in the center and then out toward the edges it's like a souffle. We split the pancake and some eggs, potatoes, and bacon, and tried some of their homemade plum jam. Delicious.

Maternity Clothes

2011-01-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

I just went shopping with my mother-in-law the other day at Fashion Island. One of the best places to shop in Orange County, mostly because of the location, but it has some great stores. We hit some of my usual shopping spots: Forever 21, Nordstrom, Anthropologie, and some cute boutique stores they have. I couldn't find anything I was remotely interested in buying. I keep seeing the same styles over and over, the loose striped/floral/geometric shirt that hangs off the shoulder or billows out, making you like twice your size. I have a few of these shirts, and I enjoy the freedom and comfort they give, but I don't want to have a closet full of maternity clothes. I enjoy having a structured and fitted blouse/jacket/t-shirt that shows my actual size. Does anyone else share this same sentiment? Or am I missing out on this great trend?

My running group is better than your running group

2011-01-25T16:47:00.000-08:00

The wonderful women I miss!

Our Saturday gang.

I love love love the women that I get to run with 4-5 times a week. They're all mom's and dedicated wives to their husbands. They all are amazing women, and everyday we run I just get to listen to their hectic but happy lives. We run with a group of about 5-8 women (depending on who is ready to get up for their 5:30 AM runs), and I've been running with them since August. It's the best way to stay happy and healthy, running and gabbing with your friends every morning.

About two months ago I went on an early morning run, and started to get some knee pain and was only able to finish about 3 miles. I thought, ok I'll just put some ice on it and take a few days off. Two days later we went on a long Saturday run (my favorite kind). We ran along the trails by our homes and my knee felt pretty good, by mile 7 I was in bad shape. I was trying to hold it together, and not make my friends worry, but my knee was killing me. We ran another mile, and they decided they wanted to make another loop and add on a few more miles. I thought: "no way am I going to add on to this pain," so I walked/ran back to our cars. My knee was not good. I kept ice on it, took some anti-inflammatorys and stayed off of it. Fortunately, I work at a physical therapist clinic and they were able to check me out.

DX: Patella femoral pain syndrome, chondromalacia of the patella, and IT band syndrome.

Yikes, not good news to a committed runner. So basically I have run only one time since that diagnosis. I've stayed off of my knee by riding the stationary bike, stretched, iced, and now I've started swimming. It's rough missing out on your friends lives. I know phones were invented to communicate with people, but I miss those early morning runs where we talk about everything under the sun. We've even names our running group "TMI." You can imagine how personal things get with married women. It's hard to get the texts to come running, and your body not let you do it. Anyways, I'm trying hard to get back, and getting treated 3 times a week by my therapists in hopes of returning.

Now on to the reason why I wrote this post. Recently, one of my good friends from my group posted on her blog about her experience with becoming an addicted runner. She went from being obese and inactive to a 50 lb. weight loss and certified "runner." Her story is amazing, and so inspirational. If you're having a hard time getting motivated to start working out and being healthy, read Kelly's story, and hopefully it will inspire you. Also my friend Lisa wrote about her experience with helping Kelly complete several races. Check them out! Happy running!

Birthday Festivities

2011-01-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

"the" briefcase

the sleeve

Sushilicious, our tower of plates

For Ryan's birthday this year I: got him some new clothes, an awesome leather briefcase (Christmas/birthday), a computer sleeve, made him a chocolate cake, went to sushilicious for dinner (amazing rotating sushi bar) with some great friends, and had Sunday dinner with his parents. What a good weekend!

New Year's Blog Inspiration

2011-01-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

This week, I read this article:

Why I can't stop reading Mormon housewife blogs, as I'm sure many of you did. I loved the article. It's great that so many mormon women's blogs can make such an impact on very "not so mormon" women, to the point of making them want to have children. So I decided to read some of the blogs that the author was obsessed with, and I found my new blog inspiration. Her name is Naomi and her and her husband live in D.C. They are an adorable couple, and she's cuter than I can handle. I want her clothes, bangs, talent, everything. Don't get me wrong I'm happy about who I am, but it's nice to get inspiration from others. So now I've resolved to blog more, and become more interesting by being more adventurous and learning new things. 2011, it's going to be a good year.

Cozying up to my new best friend

2010-12-30T16:58:00.001-08:00

My ry-o bought me a kindle for Christmas. I have gift card money to load up a lot of books, but I'm just excited to read all of the free ones they offer. Lots of classics. I'm trying to be more cultured and "well read", hopefully these new books will help :)

Thanksgiving - Much much overdue post

2010-12-14T14:55:00.000-08:00

My first time making pies from scratch

Apple crumb, coconut cream, and pumpkin chiffon

Newly pierced ears

Funniest kid on the planet

Our Dav-O

Seaport village, 80 degree Thanksgiving

Dog pile on Ry-O

A seasoned marathoner

2010-11-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

I just ran my first half marathon on Saturday! I feel so accomplished! I've been training with friends for the past three months, and all of those 5 AM runs weekdays and Saturdays finally paid off. A group of friends and I decided to run the Santa Barbara marathon, some ran the half and the brave ones ran the full. It was a good race, hard to keep a good pace amongst all of the people, but I was happy with my time. And the end of the race Ryan asked: "How did you feel crossing the finish line?" (expecting a very thoughtful or emotional response). I said "I was just happy to stop running." I guess that emotional and crying state will come after my actual marathon. I plan on continuing my training, and possibly gain another running mate with Ryan, and completing a marathon next year (possibly the Salt Lake marathon, but who knows?).

*not a good face in the picture, but you can tell I'm pretty tired.

In need of some advice...

2010-10-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I have a design dilemma! I've been having trouble trying to figure out what window treatments I want for our dining room. It's a bay window so it has an odd shape. I really like the blinds we have in the windows, but they just need some more life. I'm interested in putting up some drapes, but I'm not sure as to how/what kind. Any suggestions? I'd love some input. And yes, we haven't hung up those paintings yet, this room has been a challenge.

Orange Slices and Capri Suns

2010-10-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Cheering section

Future soccer star

MVP

This Saturday Ryan and I were able to go to our nephew's soccer game. Here are a few shots Ryan took while we were watching.

Learning in comfort

2010-09-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

I saw this pillow on Apartment therapy, and I just love love love it. The designer, Elsie Dodds, created alphabet pillows, and each pillow has numerous pictures of things that begin with that letter. They're so beautiful, I love her creativity. Too bad they cost so much.

For our Lu.

2010-09-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

I want to get this for our dog Lulu. She's basically a cat right? Maybe a Christmas gift for her? I know, lame dog owner.

Time for an update.

2010-09-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

And so it began...

Gaudi in Barcelona

...inside...

2nd most visited location in Europe, Gaudi's Sagrada Familia

Bike ride around Bacelona. It's the best way to see the city.

Train station in Nice, France

Eze village in Nice.

The glorioius "David." Simply stunning.

The Duomo in Florence

Vatican museum

Remnants of a pepto bismol tablet.

Train ride into Rome.

The Vatican. 100 degrees outside, you're pouring sweat, exhausted, and there's no sitting allowed. Anywhere.

Treve fountain.

Dubrovnik

Our swimming spot.

Gorgeous and delicious restaurant in Venice, we found it thanks to our good friend Anthony Bourdain.

wnadering the Doge's palace.

Reenacting our honeymoon photo.

Underground ruins of Split, Croatia.

Yes, it was hot.

Walking through Positano.

What a beauty.

So I've been a blog stalker lately. I've been reading all of my friend's blogs, but have been to lazy to update my life. So I figured it's time to post pictures about our summer (which sadly was 3 months ago), and what's been happening lately.

So this summer we went on a trip with Ryan's parents to the Mediterranean. We started in Barcelona, then headed to Nice, Florence, Rome, Dubrovnik, Venice, Split, and Amalfi. It was beautiful and such an awesome trip. There was a heat wave in Europe during our trip, so we had many stops with 100 degree weather and serious humidity. Our favorite places we visited were Dubrovnik and Positano. Dubrovnik was so beautiful and so picturesque, I'd love to stay there all summer! It's definitely a spot you should consider visiting. The water was so calm and clear, and the people were so friendly. I had no idea how beautiful Croatia is. Our second favorite spot was just North of Amalfi in Positano. It was definitely one of the most beautiful coastal cities I've been to. So much life, relaxation, delicious food, beautiful clothing, and art work. The water was so nice and warm because of the black rock. It was a wonderful trip, and we were so so lucky that our parents brought us along. They're amazing.

In August we went to Lake Powell and stayed on a house boat for a week. It was so relaxing, I always enjoy laying out in the hot sun, and swimming in the cool lake. I also got to practice my wake boarding skills, which was nice. We had such a good time, and remembering all of these trips makes me miss summer time. It's nice and hot out here, but it's just not the same when you're in school and working.

So now I'm back in school, my last semester, wahoo! I'm running 20+ miles a week training for a half marathon. It's been a great outlet for me, to get up early, run with friends, talk, and get in shape. I'm the YW secretary in our newly organized ward, and Ryan is the 2nd counselor in the YM's program. We're taking an BofM institute class together, and are enjoying reading the scriptures together. We are having so much fun right now, keeping busy with work, school, church, friends, and family. Enjoy the pictures! I'll update more I promise :)

BABIES!

2010-05-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

This is a must see movie! Ryan and I saw it last night and fell in love with all of the little babies! The movie documents the birth and development of four babies in different areas of the world: Namibia, Mongolia, Tokyo, and San Francisco. All of the babies lived in such different places, and had all different experiences, but they all grew up through the same way. You'll fall in love with each baby immediately.

Inspired by Sixx

2010-05-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

The couple, and their book.

Our Inspiration

The working project, we'll be adding more soon.

Ryan and I love this new show on Bravo called "Nine By Design." This couple living in New York buys dilapidated properties and creates these four/five story homes all over Manhattan. They build, design, and decorate each home with their own style, doing all of it while having 7 children. Seven children, who besides Mormon's has seven children anymore? They're really awesome parents too. Watching their show inspires Ryan and I to complete projects in our home, so here's our latest project, and our inspiration. Check out their show!