On A Sunday Afternoon...

We went over to my aunt and uncle's house yesterday to see my grandparents who have been in Los Angeles for about a month. They left early so my grandpa could catch up on work and sleep, but we stuck around for a while to chat and let the kiddies play.

At one point my Aunt Holly looked over and saw the sweetest thing ever: Laura and Taylor were sitting together under their French doors, sunlight hitting them in just the right way, eating Oreos. It was like a shot right out of a commercial, and Sean was quick to snap some shots of them before they noticed we were watching. How sweet is this?


I loved being able to just sit, talk, and relax. Oh, and a warm slice of cherry pie helped too.

(P.S. This big boy is growing up too darn fast.)

Project: $1 t-shirt for the kiddo

I've been working on a couple of fun, quick projects lately and thought I'd post about them on the 'ole blog.

The last time I was at the dollar store I turned a corner and saw a huge bin full of solid-colored t-shirts for... well... a dollar each. Wha??? One dollar for a shirt?? They had sizes ranging from kid's XS up to adult's 3XL. I grabbed three white 3XL shirts (to be used for another project I'll post about later), a large black shirt, and a kid's black XS shirt that I thought would fit Taylor perfectly.

I had seen some cool photos on a DIY website where people had used bleach to make cool designs on dark t-shirts and I thought I'd give it a try. I laid out the kid's shirt with a piece of cardboard under the top layer to protect the back of the shirt, laid out my design with masking tape, and covered the rest of the shirt with wax paper to prevent the rest of the shirt from getting bleached. I then put a mixture of half bleach, half water into a spray bottle, took the shirt outside, and sprayed it lightly.

Once the shirt had changed colors I brought it inside, removed the tape and wax paper, and immediately rinsed out the shirt with cold water before washing it to ensure all the bleach was washed out.


Obviously some of the bleach leaked through the tape and paper, but I actually think it looks really cool. I also used this technique to tie-dye the other black shirt and plan on using the fabric for another project later on.

What do you think? Not too bad for $1 and some water and bleach, eh?


P.S. Sorry about the grainy, blurry pictures. My good camera is unfortunately deceased and I'm in the process of replacing it.

Family Pictures

Last month we had our family photos taken up at Sundance by Heather Mildenstein, a super amazing photographer in Provo. We had a difficult time with Taylor that night and he wasn't being very cooperative; that said, Heather was able to get some really great shots! I wasn't too sure about having our pictures taken during my pregnancy (I'm self-conscious enough without someone taking tons of pictures of me), but I think they turned out well. These will be our last family pictures as a family of three, which makes me excited and nervous at the same time.

Sorry there are so many; I have lots of favorites! Click any image to see it larger.

Sizzling Summer

Every year I'm determined to love Summer. I try my very hardest to accept the heat and enjoy the sun, but it gets to about this point in the season when I just can't handle it anymore. The heat is too much and I find myself longing for Fall and cooler weather.

That said, we have done some fun things this summer, with plenty more to come!

With the temperatures rising we've tried to find fun ways to cool off, and we're so grateful to have a swimming pool just a few steps from our front door. Taylor is getting better and better at swimming and we always have a blast together splashing, racing, and pretending to be sharks.

One day we went swimming with my brother and Jim wore Taylor out so much that after we got home and cleaned up, Tay fell asleep on the sofa while watching a movie. His hand was even in the popcorn bowl! So sweet.


It's also been nice to have a playground close by for those times when Taylor needs to get some wiggles out. We'll usually go over in the evening after the sun has gone down and it's a little cooler outside. Taylor has so much fun with his daddy, and I have fun laying on a blanket and catching up on some reading.


We've also stopped by the ice cream store a handful of times this summer for a nice chilly treat. Tay insists on eating his ice cream himself, resulting in a very messy, happy boy.


Last week Taylor started a gymnastics class at The Little Gym. Initially he wasn't sure about it and was begging me to take him home, but once he warmed up and started participating with the other kids he had a ball. By the end of class he was happy, sweaty, and looking forward to his next class. I was so proud of him!


I've been in a crafty decorating mood lately and have taken on a couple of small (and not so small) projects. The biggest project I'm working on is stripping and re-finishing a dining table and four chairs. I'm so excited to see how they'll look when they're finished, but it's also an incredibly tedious and time consuming process. I may not be finished until Fall, but I think it'll be worth it.


This Friday I will be 20 weeks and officially half-way through my pregnancy! I'm feeling pretty good aside from having a difficult time in the heat. I feel the baby move constantly, which is fun and also really reassuring. My ultrasound is next Friday and we'll finally find out if we're having a boy or girl. I can't wait!


Well that's a little recap of what we've been doing this summer. I hope you're all enjoying the sun and staying cool!

How would it be...

I remember finding this picture in a design magazine several years ago and had it hanging on a cork board in our bedroom for years while I was in school. Talk about a summer sanctuary! If I had something like this in my backyard I don't think I'd ever leave it.

{photo via Bits of Beauty}

Fifty Facts

If you're bored and super interested in how weird and quirky I am, I'm about to make all your dreams come true.

I give you:

FIFTY [random] FACTS ABOUT ME!

1. I've always wanted to be a vegan but so many vegan foods gross me out.
2. I love having a clean house but usually have a hard time motivating myself to clean it.
3. I wish I could do all the crazy things my son does in public without people thinking I'm completely nuts.
4. One of the reasons I love being a stay-at-home mom is because I'm a home body and love to feel safe in my own environment.
5. I love the outdoors but don't hike/camp/do outdoorsy things as much as I'd like.
6. I'll never stop being head-over-heels in love with my husband.
7. Someday I'd like to go back to school, get a PhD in English, and be a college professor.
8. I love photography and am always so excited when I snap the perfect picture.
9. I have very few close friends that I love and would do anything for.
10. Oreos are my ultimate comfort food.
11. No matter how old I get I will always want my daddy's approval.
12. I love to sew, knit, and create things but never seem to have the time or space to work.
13. I'm petrified of being a mother of two.
14. I think my toes are too big.
15. I think my nose is too long.
16. I have a love/hate relationship with having super short hair.
17. Even when my son has been a terror all day, part of me hates putting him to bed at night because I miss him when he's sleeping.
18. I compare myself to other women too much.
19. I love to vacuum.
20. My very favorite band is and always will be Weezer.
21. I like the idea of gardening but lack the knowledge to successfully make anything grow.
22. For the past year or so my knee will occasionally pop out of place, leaving me in excruciating pain until Sean straitens my leg and my knee pops back in. I should probably have that looked at.
23. I absolutely love living so close to the mountains. At certain times of the year I feel like they call to me.
24. I am no longer a member of any organized religion, but wholeheartedly support those who are.
25. I love going on road trips.
26. I'm obsessed with the smell of rain and campfire.
27. When we buy a house I hope we have a big tree in the backyard so Sean can build me (and our kids... I guess..) a treehouse.
28. My favorite season is Fall.
29. I have a degree in interior design but always feel weird giving people design advice.
30. Places I've never been but would love to visit: Seattle, Maine, Paris, Athens, London, Rome, and Venice.
31. When I was little I wanted to be a Marine Biologist and work at Sea World training dolphins.
32. I love old jazz music. It relaxes me in a way no other music does.
33. I'm in love with architecture from the Arts and Crafts era and adore anything that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
34. I'm not much of a girly girl and would take Converse shoes and comfy jeans over jewelry and heels any day.
35. My favorite colors are yellow, orange, and green.
36. I love peanut butter and chocolate ice cream.
37. I love Irish dance and jogging but can't do either one because of my bad knees.
38. Cooking is very therapeutic for me.
39. I love getting ideas from the internet on decorating, fashion, and party planning, but wish I had a way to organize all the ones I really like so they're not just filed away in my mommy brain, soon to be forgotten.
40. I believe in karma and that the key to happiness in this life is to treat others how you would like to be treated.
41. Every time my husband kisses me I get light-headed.
42. I worry non-stop about my son's future.
43. Every time someone knocks on our front door or rings the doorbell I get really nervous until I know who it is.
44. Some day I want a huge claw-foot tub to soak in.
45. I refuse to ever own a dog, no matter how much my kids beg me.
46. I'm actually really excited about the idea of getting older [and wiser, I hope].
47. I don't have much in common with my siblings, but I'm glad they like being around me anyway.
48. I really want my son to learn how to blow his nose.
49. Almost every weekend my husband lets me sleep in and sneaks off to the store with Taylor to buy us all fresh donuts for breakfast. I hope he never stops doing this.
50. I love zucchini sauteed in butter.

Phew, that was a lot harder than I thought it would be! If you actually got through the entire list, congrats on learning a bunch of useless facts about me! Feel free to try this on your own blog; it's actually pretty fun.

And now I should probably go do something productive...

A week in review

This last week has been nothing short of crazy. Between moving, unpacking, and celebrating both our anniversary and my birthday, we've been busy around here to say the least. I'll attempt to catch up in one post, and I apologize in advance for not including pictures.

We packed up our apartment up in Salt Lake last Friday and Saturday morning we headed back to Orem. The move went pretty smooth and we had a lot of family and friends who helped us. I was a little stressed about the move but felt right at home our first night here. There are so many things I missed about Orem and I'm really happy to be back. I've worked hard this last week to get every box unpacked and everything organized in it's proper place, and I'm so happy with the way our home looks now. Once I get around to it I'll post pictures.

Tuesday was our 8th wedding anniversary. I honestly have a hard time believing we've been married so long. Guess time flies when you're having fun! We didn't do much for our anniversary, but I did manage to make some yummy chocolate caramel brownies that we had with Martinelli's that night.

I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to be married to Sean. He and I think so much alike and we work so well as a couple and as a team. He's so sensitive to my needs and always puts his family first. I just absolutely adore him and all he does for me and Tay.

Yesterday was my 26th birthday and I was SO spoiled this year! I spent the day cleaning and organizing our house (sounds boring, but I LOVE having a clean house) and preparing the soil in our garden area to plant flowers. That afternoon I got to go to lunch with three of my favorite men - Sean, Tay, and my dad. My Aunt Holly came over with her girls and brought me the most delicious cupcakes ever, and my mom stopped by to bring me apple pie and vanilla ice cream. Mmm... Last night Sean, Tay, and I went to dinner and then went shopping. I've been so frustrated with trying to find cute things to wear that are comfortable for my growing belly, and I had a blast last night at Ross, Old Navy, and Motherhood Maternity buying clothes that actually fit me. As a matter of fact I may or may not have done a little jig in the dressing rooms on several occasions because I was so excited. After Taylor went to bed last night Sean and I curled up on the sofa and watched So You Think You Can Dance before I zonked out for the night. I had a great day, and thanks to all of you who wished me well via Facebook, calls, and texts. I feel so loved!

It's been a hectic week, but I've had so much fun too. We've only been here six days and already I feel at home. I take Taylor over to the playground at our apartment complex almost every day, and we've already been to the pool twice since moving here. I'm excited to be really active this summer and to make the most of the warm weather.

I hope you're all enjoying your summer too!