Lots and Lots

What a glorious weekend! The weather was soooo beautiful, I spent most of the weekend outside. I actually took some time to lay out on Friday afternoon and it was Heavenly! Mmmm, so relaxing. Cody and I took a trip to Home Depot and finally bought some flowers for our front planters. It looks all Summery now! I should take a picture, I'm quite proud of how they look.

My friend Kate flew in this weekend and I got to spend most of the day on Saturday with her! We drove around and went to lunch, we had such a blast. We ate at Burger Supreme (one of my favorite places on Earth...obviously)...

...and later quenched her 'Baja Blast' fix at Taco Bell (where we spent most of our High School lunches).

We got some great pictures and I must say that I love Provo - it's such a pretty place and this time of year is one of my favorites.

Saturday night we went to see "Blades of Glory" with our friends Jon and Brittany. The movie is what you would expect - shallow, crass, but still super funny! The best news of all - we found out that Jon and Britt just bought a house that is literally 30 seconds from our house!!! They came over Wednesday night after they walked through it and told us they were thinking about putting in an offer. I am SO stoked that they will be living so close! They close in just a few weeks, I'm so happy for them. Now if only I could get everyone else to move into my neighborhood...


There are so many things I want to do to my house. Some are simple, like painting a room or a cabinet in the bathroom. Others, not so simple - like replacing our front door and installing a new counter top for our Master Bath. One of these days I'm going to set aside a few hours, go to Home Depot and just buy everything I need to complete the little projects I want to do. If I were as savvy as this lovely lady in safety goggles, I'm sure I could tackle each home improvement project I have in mind and complete it in record time. However, I don't know that I trust myself to actually finish something and have it look great. Of course, if any of you have any home improvement skills or tips you would like to share, by all means - let me know! I will probably be up to my arms in caulk and will be in dire need of your assistance...

Blossoms

It is no secret that I am a sucker for blossom trees. I love them! Mmm, they smell so good and they are simply lovely. We opened our windows tonight and our house has this thick, sweet aroma of blossoms. It's Heavenly!


I don't even have that many blossom trees around my house and it smells so dreamy outside. These are some pictures I took of some trees downtown - aren't they gorgeous? Cache and I sat on the porch right at sunset tonight while Cody mowed the lawn - a perfect Spring evening if you ask me.

Bridal Shower

What a night! It was quite a successful little party and I'm glad it turned out so well. It took a lot of work, but it was all worth it! The house looked perfect (Natalie was gracious enough to let me host the party at her house) and she got some great stuff. I have many a picture to post, so get ready!

This was a little nook between the kitchen and the living room - this is where some of the lovely martini glasses were with the favors for the guests. The little favors were really fun, just some pink mints wrapped it tulle with black ribbon (thanks to Ann for letting me use her black cake plate). Note - I did not enhance this picture, turns out the glaring color of the pink is quite vivid on film!

I wanted the theme to be "60's sex kitten lounge" - ish, so we used lots of animal print pillows and throws which Natalie had on hand - who knew! The living room looked so awesome. I even draped some lingerie across the table and from some shelves...

This was an "Oath of Secrecy" that the guests signed. Perfect way for Natalie to remember who came to her shower!

Ahhh, the spread. I am pretty proud of this sugary table. I had a picture of a pin-up hung on the wall that read "Come and get it!"

This was really easy to put together. I put Ring Pops in a heart shaped pan for all the guests to wear during the evening. Fresh strawberries, starburst, pink mints, pecan sandies and cream puffs dusted with powdered sugar (ALL store bought, can't beat that!). The punch was just strawberry 7-up with frozen strawberries floating in it to keep it cold.

I brought my veil so Natalie could wear it during a game. I asked Ryan a bunch of questions and if she got the answer right, she got a rose to create a bridal bouquet!

This is Natalie's friend, Tierra. Along with the lounge theme, I encouraged guests to dress with a pin-up flare. Tierra won the coveted pink boa for arriving not only in fishnets, but in a corset!! She looks fabulous, what a dish.

Natalie got so much stuff! I was little jealous, may have to do some shopping for myself tomorrow...

Me and the bride. We were wearing red lipstick for the retro theme (a lot of the girls did) and it was a bit too bright for the camera! Sepia is a little easier on the eyes. Ahh, the party was a smash hit and everyone seemed to have a great time. It was so much fun to do this for Natalie! Now I think I will take off my heels and climb into bed...throwing parties makes me sleepy.

Craziness

Ahhhh! I have been away so long! I feel like I have been going non-stop for days. Not true, of course, but I feel like I'm stretched so thin. I remember when I was working full-time I always thought, "Man, if I could stay home all day I would get so much stuff done!" Don't you believe it! Not true, not at all. Yes, I have spare time and yes I get more things done than if I did still have a full-time job, but I am amazed every day by how quickly time flies. My cousin's shower is tonight and that has totally taken over my life. I have almost everything ready, but there is still so much to do! Things to bake, things to frost, errands to run - and I must look fresh and glossed by 7:00. Possible? Who knows...


I did, however, have to post these cute little shoes I bought for Cache last week. Could you die?? Oh, how I love them. I had to take a picture before they got too dirty - you know how little boys are. He calls them his "Green Shoes".


Last night Cody and I took a break and went to visit our friends Adam and Ann in their new house! They bought this older home and completely remodeled the entire thing. No easy fete - they basically tore it down and started over. It's been a long process and we were so happy that they were able to move in last night! We brought over a celebratory first meal - pizza - and ate in their new dining room. Cache was busy playing with Adam (who was very sleepy from a long day, but quite possibly the best babysitter ever). I was able to catch up with Ann, it was great to be able to hang out with them.



Cody has been sick this weekend, poor guy. We went to a baseball game on Saturday night with some friends and his voice started going. He was coughing a lot and didn't feel well by the time we got home. He stayed home from work on Sunday and had a rare day off yesterday. Cody works so much, so it was nice to have him around. Bless his heart, I think we all know that men don't do well when they're sick. Nobody does, I guess, but men? Goodness. I was about ready to send him back to work! He felt a lot better yesterday but he still doesn't have a voice. He went to work this morning and won't be home until tomorrow night, so I guess we'll see!

Well - I'm off to the land of errands! Someone call me today...please...to break up the madness!

Midweek Ramblings

I thought I would take some time this afternoon and post some randoms. I'm feeling really tired today, no energy to do anything - therefore, here I sit to post.

My cousin Natalie is getting married next month and I am throwing her a bridal shower! I'm super excited and I just finished the invitations yesterday. I think they turned out pretty well, she wanted a lingerie shower so hopefully the invites are spicy enough:


I had to mail one to the Bride for her to keep. I printed the picture of the pin-up on vellum, so it's slightly sheer.






Here's what you see once you lift up the picture. I don't know if you can tell in this shot, but there is a little hint of glitter on the invite. They were really fun to make, but I had to make 30 of them - whoa. I was so relieved when I was finished! I tried to talk Cody into coming to the shower in his Firefighter gear and dancing for the ladies...he didn't think that was such a great idea.

Saturday was BEAUTIFUL and Cody and Cache spent most of the afternoon outside doing yard work. We widened our driveway last Fall and had it colored and stamped to match the stonework on our house. Cody was able to fill in the gap between the driveway and yard with some sod and Cache was willing to help out.

Cache got this little wheelbarrow for his 2nd Birthday and loves driving it around.

Here he is counting the rocks he loaded into his wheelbarrow. I think there were only about 8 in there, but he kept counting until he reached 20, then he would start over...

Speaking of beautiful weather, yesterday was so lovely! So nice and warm, I was getting all excited for Summer (which is why I posted Powell pictures). Today? Not so great. In fact, as I sit here and type I can look out my window and see SNOW. I am in the middle of a blizzard. It's all mushy and sleety, it's not sticking but it's wet and cold. Oh, and it's APRIL. Ugh, I'm so ready for the cold to be gone! I feel like if it doesn't let up, my house will look like this tonight:

Too bad we already took down our Christmas lights - I new we should have left them up for a few more months...








And finally, I have a question - does anyone have crown molding in their home? Did you install it or have someone else do it?

I am really interested in putting some in our house. Naturally, I would love to have it done before the baby arrives, but we are also trying to accomplish about 50 other goals before then, too. I think it can look really classy, but I'm not looking forward to the fact that I will have to paint the molding before it goes up on the walls. I'm so lazy! Cody says that crown molding is a snap to put up, but he says that about everything and it never ends up being that easy. Any info would be great! Am I crazy? Should I not delve into that home improvement project?

Flashback Tuesday

This picture was taken about 5 or 6 years ago when Cody and I were dating. We went to a Masquerade Ball before Halloween - check out our fancy masks! I remember staying up super late the night before finishing that feathery thing...

Ode to Powell

Ooooh, how I adore Lake Powell. For the past couple years, Cody and I have gone down each Summer with some of our friends for 3 or 4 days. Since today is so gorgeous, it's getting me super excited for this year's trip! Still working out a date when we can go - hopefully sometime in June. My friend Heather will be pregnant with me, so the two of us can simply lounge around, sipping cold beverages and floating in the water. Here are a few pictures of trips gone by:

We found this perfect rock for jumping and swimming. Did I jump you ask? No sir. I did better taking pictures from the boat.

This trip is actually from two years ago - it's nice to just stop in the middle of the channel and do some swimming!

This was taken during that same trip - we were up Antelope canyon. It's so beautiful up there, the rock walls come straight up out of the water. When the water is totally flat, you almost can't tell where the water line starts!

This was taken on a trip with my family later that Summer. As you can see, we wakeboard until sunset!

Awww, sweet Cody. I love this picture. This is after he had his last run of the day.

I cannot wait to go this year! I mean, I'll be huge and buoyant - but it's Powell. I wouldn't miss it! Get your water wings ready, kids!

Baby Lucy Jane

One of my best friends Sara delivered her baby this weekend! A gorgeous baby girl named Lucy Jane Ivie. I LOVE THAT NAME!!! Oh, I'm so beyond jealous - that name is beautiful. Sara is doing great and the new little arrival is super cute and healthy. I am so happy for the Ivie family, congrats you guys!!

If My Life Was a Movie...

If my life was a movie, what would my soundtrack be?

Here's how it works:
1. Open your music library
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.

Opening Credits: "Living and Living Well" by George Strait (Cody and I share our music library, can you tell?). Actually, I do like George - and I can totally see this song at the beginning of a movie.

Waking Up: "Can't Stop Now" by Keane. Hahaha, this actually is a great wake up song. I love it - it's perfect for that.

First Day of School: "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauryn Hill. I used to LOVE this song when I lived in Vegas. Great High School song, still dig it.

In Love: "A Real Fine Place to Start" by Sarah Evans. No way! K, hilarious. This song totally makes me think of Cody - when I first heard it I thought about the Summer that Cody and I met. The video for this song also has a young couple riding around on a Motorcycle, so it's the perfect song for being in love.

Fight Song: "Don't Let Him Go" by REO Speedwagon. HA! Despite the title, this song it actually really fast and fiesty - so 80's, I love it.

Breaking Up: "I'm Movin' On" by Rascal Flatts. Break my heart, this song is so rad.

Prom: "Good Night My Love" by Harry Connick, Jr. Ahhh, it's a beautiful song - perfect for dancing.

Life's OK: "Forever" by The Explorers Club. YAY! HAHAHAHA! I totally found this song on iTunes by chance one day - it sounds like a 60's, surfer-beachy song. It's so great! Man, I LOVE that this song just came on. Now I must listen to it.

Mental Breakdown: "Jump" by Simple Plan. Um, not so much a breakdown song, unless you consider the title..I guess. Oh wait, now I'm listening to the lyrics more closely - dude...this song is a perfect breakdown song!

Driving: "I'm Not at All In Love" by Doris Day. Yeah....well, I do love old movies and old musicals, so it's not unusual for me to be driving around singing my heart out to something like this!

Flashback: "Any Dream Will Do" Jospeh and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Oh, how funny is this? Everytime I listen to this soundtrack I think of doing this play in 8th grade. Pretty sweet flashback!

Getting Back Together: "Passenger Seat" by Stephen Speaks. No way, Kate! This is a great back together song, super mellow and summery. Mmmm, I forgot how much I love this song...

Wedding: "I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time" by The Andrews Sisters. Aww, this kind of reminds me of my wedding!

Birth of Child: "Angel Boy" by Tim McGraw. Ok, like I said - Cody and I share. I don't even really know this song? But the title is good...

Final Battle: "Time After Time" by Quietdrive. See, this is slower than a final battle should be...unless we're in dramatic slo-mo. I do love this song, though.

Death Scene: "Final Countdown" by Europe. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ok, normally I would have wanted this for the final battle, but I do enjoy it for a death scene. AHHH! Anyone who doesn't know this song right off the bat - go find it online somewhere and listen to a snipit, then you'll realize why I have tears rolling down my face in laughter. It's super 80's glam space rock. That's awesome, this song is so funny.

Funeral Song: "Nothing Takes The Place of You" by Toussaint Mccall. Wow. This really sounds like a funeral song. Maybe that's because there's an organ in the background? Hmmm, it is a 60's song, so maybe they could get away with Organs in slow songs back then.

End Credits: "Stickshifts and Safetybelts" by Cake. Oh dear! Very uppity and dance-y. Perfect way for my movie to end!

If you are reading this, you should do this on your blog! I would love to see what everyone comes up with - it also may give me some new songs to look up...

Flashback Tuesday

Oh....this is beyond shameful. I am certainly bound to lose a few friends once this picture has been viewed. Kate actually posted this picture on her blog not to long ago for her flashback, but I had to post it on my own. Why do I relish in my dark, fashion-free past, you ask? No idea - maybe because I think it's healthy to be able to look back and laugh at oneself - knowing that regardless of how clueless we all were, we somehow thought we were the sauciest of minxes.

I am easy to spot with my signature super-high pants and...oh dear, I actually cut the sides. Did anyone else do that? I've got to mention that Kate's bangs are sweet. This actually makes me miss my parents old house that I spent my High School years in. Quite the bundle of memories there!

In other news, I've felt the baby move so much lately! Right now the little guy is just kicking around like there's no tomorrow. It's still so weird to feel the baby move. I have an ultrasound next week for my 20 week appointment and I can't wait to have another peek. We still have NO idea what to name him. Any ideas?

Lunch with the Girls

Today I went to lunch with Ann, Brittany and Joni. The lovely Joni is a bride-to-be and is getting married in just a few weeks! I had the best time today, it was a blast to hang out with these ladies. We talked about getting together with our husbands sometime next month - I'm totally looking forward to it! I'm so happy for Joni, it was so great to see her. You can see little Cache in the bottom of the picture - he was quite the charmer! He was saying 'hello' to everyone and requested that Auntie Ann walk him outside...he makes me laugh. All in all, I had a great time today and can't wait to see the girls again soon!

"Welcome to Motherhood..."

My Mom said this to me tonight. I was telling her how protective I am of little Cache, how I just want him to be safe and happy and not have anything bad happen to him. I know every Mother must feel this way. You feel that your child is so special and precious and you just want everything to go right for them. I was so protective of my little brother growing up - he's only 1 year younger than me, but I felt a strong sense of loyalty to him and would not hesitate to come to his defense in any situation. Cache is such a gentle, kind little guy. He loves to be around other kids and he's so eager to make pals. I want to let go of my protective streak and let Cache experience new things and know that it's OK if he's feelings get hurt or if he doesn't understand something right away. I just always want to be there to make sure that he's alright and...I know I can't. He's only 2 and sometimes I will lay awake at night and worry about him - worry about him getting teased or feeling stupid in class. Things I can't control, no matter how much I want to. Growing up is tough, we've all done it and we all have scars. I have to think that the Savior feels this constantly. He wants to protect us from harm and knows that there are things out there that can hurt us. He knows we will mess up, we will get teased, we will get hurt. All He can do is promise to love us no matter what, and that is the comfort we need. Cache is a brave little boy and I know he will do great. I can't wait for him to have a little brother to show around and teach. It was nice to be able to talk to my Mom about it tonight, to really talk about being a Mother. I told her how I worry about Cache and that I just love him so much. That's when she reached over teary-eyed and said, "Welcome to Motherhood..."

Easter!

Easter came so fast this year! It's crazy to think that Spring is already here. On Saturday we took Cache to Cody's Grandma's house for the Easter Egg Hunt she has each year. Cody filmed Cache and I searching for eggs, but I only got a couple pictures to post:

It was such a beautiful day and Cache was very thrilled with all the eggs and candy he got to take home!

On Easter Cache and I went up to my parents house for dinner and a movie. Cache had a great time throwing rocks into the stream in the backyard with my Mom.

He was helping my Dad with the grill...

...until he decided that throwing rocks in the water was a better way to spend his time!

After a yummy dinner we all went downstairs and watched "The Great Race" - a family favorite.

Has anyone seen this movie?? It's so good, I love it. Ahhh, it was great spending time with the family! Happy Easter!

Many a Dinner with Friends

It has been a busy week! Last Monday I was able to go out to dinner with Hannah and our old friend, Angie. I have known Angie since 5th grade and we have always stayed so close (look at the Flashback picture from last Tuesday - we have to stay close because that picture has excellent blackmail potential). Angie is married and now lives in Florida with her husband, but she is able to come visit every now and then and it was SO great to see her! It was also a blast to spend some time with Hannah. Her Birthday was last weekend and it was fun to be able to have an evening to catch up with her. Sadly - no picture of this dinner! Hannah and I don't have a photo, but Angie did take one so as soon as I get it from her, I'll post it.

On Wednesday night I went to see a play with my friend, Luone. Luone and I were in a play last Fall and became very close! She is hilarious, she's one of my favorite people. Here we are during the run of the play:
(She is going to kill me for posting this picture - she had all this make-up on to make her look like an old woman). We went to see our friend Kathryn (who directed the play we were in) in a Musical she's doing in Orem. Again, it was fabulous to spend time with them! We had a great evening enjoying the show.

On Friday night (yes, another) I went to dinner with Rhonda and Sara. I met Rhonda and Sara at the same time about 7 years ago. Sara now lives in the UK with her husband and new little son, Oliver. She has come back to Utah to stay with her family for a few months so we were able to spend some time together! Rhonda flew in for the weekend and we ate at our favorite local spot - Los Hermanos.


Saturday night Cody and I got together with Jon and Brittany. Alas, I have no picture of this wonderful evening. We met at Brick Oven where I proceeded to eat everything in sight. Our kids were extremely well-behaved and we had the best time! We watched the new James Bond movie after dinner and simply relaxed. It was so fun to see them, they're great. Goodness, a busy week all around! I think I need a nap.

Little Boy

Ever since he we was born, Cody and I have let Cache's hair grow out. His hair is white-blonde and it always looked so cute long! However, we began to realize that maybe it was time to give him a little boy haircut. Cody was going to get his hair trimmed the other night, so he took Cache along. Now he totally looks like a little boy! It's taken me a few days to get used to it, but doesn't he look so handsome?

Cache has this little habit of twirling his hair when he's tired, so I was wondering what his reaction was going to be when he tried to reach for his hair and it was gone! He hasn't really noticed, though. He sometimes will touch his head and rub his hand over his new haircut. I just think he looks rather dapper! Cody said he behaved like a champion during his haircut. He sat very still and was a star client. As much as I miss his long hair, I will tell you that it's a lot easier to do his hair in the morning! Awww, he's so cute...

To leg?

Leggings. They are back. With a vengeance. At first, I was not happy about this trend returning. I mean, I already did this! I wore leggings in Elementary school and sure didn't think they would ever make a big comeback. Alas, I eat my words - I'm starting to really dig 'em. I think the just-below-the-knee-length is my favorite. To avoid buying maternity tops, I've been buying some empire waisted dresses that are really cute and really long. However, I've had a hard time deciding what looks best with them - and then it hit me, "Hmmm, I wonder if leggings would look cute..."

Am I crazy? Thoughts? Tell me what you think about the leggings craze. Can I wear a different color than black? I'm not talking cobalt blue or crazy patterns or anything, but what about creams or greys? Come on fashion friends, spill!