sister shoot.

Most of you guys know that I have an older sister. A few days ago while we were laying out in the sweet sun she made a sheepish confession: she doesn't feel photogenic.



I couldn't believe it- coming from the girl who I've looked up to my whole. I snatched her, threw her hair into a crown braid, convinced her to put on one of my dresses and some lipstick, and grabbed my iphone.

We had a 10 minute photoshoot, and I proved to her that she is not only photogenic, but full of old hollywood glamour.



She loved them, and I loved seeing her feel good about herself in photographs. She sweetly insisted to return the favor. Now, I love being behind the camera, but when I'm in front of it, I become immediately insecure. I couldn't believe what nice pictures Mel was able to take.

Then we took a look at the photos of us in the same dress. What do you think, friends? We totally look like sisters! I've never thought that we look similar, but these photos are pretty convincing...

Now I just need to convince 

my mom to do a photoshoot with us...

sparkle story.

He smiled at me after I'd had a bit of a blue day, and said, 

"Lets go celebrate your last night as a 27 year old." 

 I love him, I love him, I love him. 

So lucky to have a boy who smiles and sneaks kisses in on quiet nights like this.
He's all I need in the whole wide world.

And here's a little movie for you, bloggie buddies.

Thanks for the birthday wishes.
I've felt so loved.

a fourth of july baking story...

We had a sweet and slow forth of july, friends. 

Slept in. Check. 

Snuggled. Check. 

Rolled out of bed, and looked for something to eat in our kitchen. Check. 

We've been out of town a lot this summer, which has resulted in a pretty skinny kitchen. There was cereal, some fruit snacks, and a couple onions in the fridge. (Okay, maybe there were a few more things, but those are the only items I remember...)

So we took a quick run to the market, and grabbed the essentials for a terrific fourth of july treat. It made for a sweet and patriotic afternoon; the perfect thing to do before taking a walk through sugarhouse and enjoying the afternoon activities and evening fireworks. A lovely fourth, though we really missed family- normally we spend this holiday with Gideon's relatives in Salmon.

Wanting to remember our delicious afternoon, we recorded a small video of our holiday fruit tart. Enjoy friends. Keep an eye out for a sparkler video next...

Wishing you all lovely memories from this fourth,

on lucky sneezes.

When I was a kid, I was weirdly lucky. I would win raffles a lot, and convinced myself that I had semi-telepathic powers. Luck followed me throughout college, one time I won a free ipod in a competition for exercising. For every hour you worked out in the SEMESTER, you got a raffle ticket that went into a bowl. I had FIVE tickets in the bowl, and won the grand prize. Another time I won a raffle that I didn't even enter myself in. I kept telling everyone that there must've been a mistake, but they all insisted that I was the winner. How does that happen?! I just smiled to myself and shrugged. Just a lucky girl, I guess...

Something shifted when I married my sweet gid. I stopped winning raffles, and getting thrown free t-shirts consistently at sporting events. I decided that I'd used all my fortune cookies on such a extraordinary husband, and surrendered the juvenile suspicion that I was lucky.

This morning I sneezed six times in a row. SIX! I've never sneezed more than four times in a row! I was bragging all morning to gid and he smiled at me and said, "you know, this means you're going to have a lucky day..." I've had a bit of a cold, and the thought of my sneezes bringing luck seemed too good to be true. 

Guess what, friends? 

I got an email from the U telling me that I was randomly selected to get a visa gift card for $50! 

$50!!! I think this might be the beginning of a new lucky phase for me. (Who am I kidding though- my life is pretty darn lucky without any freebies along the way...)

Just excited and wanted to share friends,

ps- any ideas on how I should spend it? Gid says I should invest it... #areyoukiddingme

This is what I'm thinking...

That last post left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, 

so now I need to write about some other things on my mind:

I'm thinking twinkle lights and candles.

I'm thinking casual chic.

I'm thinking of picnic blankets, champagne glasses, and a playlist full of billie, frank, and ella.

I'm thinking cake (for the sake of cake).

And maybe even an outside flick to finish the night off.

Just an evening of summer fun with good friends. That's what I'm thinking.

Who's with me? Shall we throw a summer party just for fun?

ps- I had so so many friends send me private sweet messages today.
So lucky to have such great people in my life. Thanks everybody.

some "ugh" things on my mind lately...

I just need to apologize for a second, friends. I say apologize, because as much as I despise it, this is a venting post.

I have stuff that needs venting. Usually I just call my sister, but today I found myself writing.

"Ugh" things on my mind lately:

1. not just saying "it sounds like you had fun!"

So gid and I went on a trip abroad recently right? Here are some conversations-- literal verbatim conversations -- we've had since returning:

*names have been altered for fun and for protection of unfortunate personality owners* 

Robby- "so I heard you two went to Paris for a few days."
Me- "we did! it was such a blast!"
Robby- "you know, you can't really see paris in three days..."
Me- "well, that's how we planned our itinerary, and we feel like we got to do quite a bit."
Robby- "did you see Versailles or Normandy?"
Me- "...no, bu..."
Robby- "NO??! Well, you didn't see anything then, did you?!"
Me- "..."



Taylor- "how did you like your hotel in venice?"
Me- "we actually stayed at a small apartment about 15 minutes outside of Venice because the hotel prices were so expensive. It was darling, it had a little..."
Taylor- ".... seriously?! Well, that's really too bad, staying in venice is the best part of visiting venice."
Me- "..."

Al- "so, how long were you guys in Europe?"
Me- "we were lucky enough to visit for 18 days."
Al- "huh. That's not a lot of time to see Europe. You know, my wife and I went last month for threee whole weeks."
Me- "..." (thinking- you know three weeks is 21 days, right??)


Janice- "Did you get to see Ireland at all?"
Me- "Well, a little bit. We had an 15 hour layover there coming and going from the states..."
Janice- "...so, you didn't see it then."
Me- "A little, I mean, we did go on one of those hop on, hop off buses that takes you around- and we were lucky that our layover was during the day from 8 am to 11pm ..."


Janice- "Yeah, but you didn't really get to seeee it in that little of time..."
Me- "...."

Is it just me, or is this obnoxious? 
Am I oversensitive? 
I might have oversensitivity syndrome...
I think the next time I travel anywhere I might just keep it to myself. Thank you to those of you who were just excited for us for having such a lovely trip, and not competitive in expressing how you've been ten more times than us, and had so much more fun than we could ever experience...



2. this whole mommywars movement
You know that girl? The one you went to church with who was hoooooorrible to everyone in high school (name calling, fat shaming, "we only wear pink on wednesdays", the whole mean girls bit)??
Well now she's a mommy, and gets her feelings hurt by mommy blog wars. I'm sorry, but I have to: my eyes are rolling. "I watched you make people cry for four years of high school, lady! Now you've found yourself in tears because some woman you've never met thinks the way she potty trains her kid is superior to yours. Get a grip."

ok, ok, sorry- that one was snarky and uncalled for.

ps-  I think when I become a mommy I'll understand better why mommywars are truly so painful. 

3. The "so, what's next" question that haunts me everywhere I turn.

Aunts/Uncles, Neighbors, Strangers: "So, what's next for you guys?"

Me- "We're both working for the University of Utah; Gid has secured a terrific full time job working in administration, and I've been commissioned for the rest of the summer semester to do a videography project. (forced smile)"

Aunts/Uncles, Neighbors, Strangers: "Yeah, but what are you going to do after that?? Like, that's not what you're actually going to do with your life, is it??"
Me- "....."


Sigh. Obviously I don't handle transition gracefully, friends. I think I'll just drown myself in bed covers. Bed covers and popsicles. Tomorrow I'll be more positive, promise. To the future! And trying not to get frazzled by people.

ugghhhhh,