this & that

Lovin' THIS little statement necklace ($20 from Target!  Pretty much a no-brainer).

Eyein' THOSE darling tortoise shades from Madewell (Go figure - I love everything from those guys).

We're off to California for the week to try to find a place to live - wish us luck! Hopefully we won't need it and something amazing will fall right into our laps, either way we all ought to keep our fingers crossed. . .

April showers

Bridal showers, I get the drill.
Baby showers, I'm still working on.

My darling sister-in-law is expecting a baby boy in a WEEK (so excited - and my other sister-in-law is expecting in a month - craziness), but I wasn't quite sure what to get her for her shower this afternoon.

Enter some creativity, photoshop, a plain white onesie, and iron-on paper.

This is what I came up with for baby Ethan:

The little Utah onesie says "Locally Grown" - I kind of love it.

I think they turned out pretty darn cute, perhaps this will be my baby shower go to for a while. . .

P.S. I also made this little print for a girlfriend of mine a little while back (tis the season, right) - thoughts?

adventures

Due to the fact that David and I have a limited amount of time left here in Utah we decided to come up with a bucket list of things to do before we move - you know, the types of things you just never seem to get around to doing even when you've lived somewhere for 4 years (or in David's case, most of his life).

I mean, I've been to Salt Lake City loads of times while in college, but I've never seen THE Great Salt Lake.  What's up with that?  Problem solved yesterday when we drove by it on our way to the Bonneville Salt Flats - which were, by the way, much more fun than the lake (and smelled a whole lot better).

It was windy as all get out and my face felt like I'd been at the beach all day (being pelted with salty air) when we got back in the car, but it was pretty fun:

The flats are kind of forever away (an hour drive north to SLC, turn west and an hour or so drive that way as well), and I'm pretty sure we actually made it across the Nevada border at one point, but it was an adventure.

We rewarded ourselves with shopping at City Creek (okay, that one was for me) and another bucket list check-off: Bruges' machine gun sandwich

We're talkin' a fatty fresh baguette stuffed with lamb sausage, french fries and a whole lot of Andalouse sauce (mayo with spices in it, I think) - needless to say it was a man sandwich and I only survived a few bites - also please note we only got ONE of those beasts to share, I knew better than to get my own.

All in all we thought it was a pretty productive day - ending with a fort in our living room and watching Cars 2 on David's laptop.  Cheers to more Thursdays spent like this one.

celebrating

I'm pretty sure I've got the best friends around - the kind of wonderful friends that will take you to your favorite restaurant to celebrate your birthday and top it off by baking you a funfetti cake and, well, bring it with them:

We were the talk of the place - everyone wished they were sitting at our table, and for good reason.  Jarelle bakes a mean funfetti cake.  They even lit the candles (quickly) and sang me happy birthday.

I'm sure going to miss excuses to celebrate at Zupas (and we've had a few), but I'm gunna miss the group of people at that table even more.

Good thing I get to take that cute guy with me wherever I go, and we'll always have an array of ample excuses to visit Provo.

xo

highlights no. 33

This week David and I have just decided to enjoy the...nothingness.  No school.  No work.  Just chillin' and enjoying our new found graduated freedom.  Of course this won't last long (I'm pretty sure I'd go crazy if it did), but for now we are eating leftovers from last week's celebrations, soaking up the warm weather, and kicking our feet up.  Surprisingly (in a good way) this fit of relaxation hasn't involved much screen time so this weeks tidbits are kind of short - I hope you enjoy them all the same :)

a print I'd like have

unique museum tours

the perfect recipe for a chocolate craving

indoor plants that help purify your air (read full article here)

a book on my wishlist

some darling cupcakes (scroll down a ways to see them)

a great tissue holder

and a DIY banner I need to make

xo

double duces

Yesterday was my 22nd birthday and the weather was kind enough to be in the 80's, just like I asked for - thanks Utah!

David surprised me with presents in bed (wrapped in tinfoil due to our lack of wrapping paper - classic) and a lazy morning.

Lunch was picked up on our way out of town up Provo canyon to enjoy the sunshine - could you ask for a better way to spend the afternoon than sippin' on root beer, listening to our book on tape while sitting next to the Provo river/stream?

It was delightful.

 And then it was off to Color-Me-Mine (a tradition in the making I think) for some painting - laugh if you want, but it's seriously one of my favorite places.

We'll see how well our pull knobs turned magnets make out...

After a stroll around the Riverwoods (and some shopping with well earned book sell-back money) we went to dinner at Gloria's Little Italy where I promptly forgot to take any pictures and thoroughly enjoyed my food & free birthday gelato (not necessarily in that order).

All in all a completely and utterly wonderful and relaxing birthday full of family, love, and good food.

Bringing it on year 22 - I have a feeling it's gunna be a good one.

xo

on to the next

Well friends, we finally did it.

We graduated from COLLEGE.  Crazy right?

It's been a long, lovey, family filled weekend and now we're all grown up.  Well, at least we're all educated and have a piece of paper in the mail headed our way to prove it.

 Yahoo!  Now on to the next adventure.

highlights no. 32

Welp folks, the day has finally come.  I am now officially done with my finals.  I picked up my cap and gown this afternoon and I am ready and set to graduate.  It really is crazy how fast time flies when you're having fun.  Wasn't I just a freshman yesterday?
In other news, here are some fun finds from the web:

5 ways to wear glitter like a grownup

a recipe for Italian soda (my favorite!)

unique Disney posters

how to know if you're wearing pants , just in case you're unsure

frosting my numbers - good to bookmark

faces of Olympic divers (priceless)

a fun way to store your polish

rainy windows

some fun wall decor

drawing with leaves

a genius idea for nail art

and I seriously want this little pig

xo

mile mark #8

It was 8 months yesterday!  Except neither of us realized it until I saw it on the calendar - that's what finals week will do to you folks.
We decided on some impromptu celebrating with two shake Tuesday and then went back to the books.
I'm thinkin' we'll really have to make up for that with some extra birthday celebrations next week.

Cheers to another month and pictures in pajamas!

keep calm and...

but mostly...

We're down to t-minus 5 days folks.
Let the countdown begin.


Cupcake via Etsy
Write via Etsy
Summer via The Curious Brain
Cary Grant via Pinterest
Graduate via Pinterest

priorities part 2

Remember LAST TIME finals week came around and all I wanted to do was fiddle on photoshop?

Well, the bug is back:

Hopefully there is another map in our near future...and perhaps some studying.
Stay tuned.

celebrating

Living close to family is the best.

Brendan and Megan are going to be out of town (as in out of the country, on a plane to Rome) on my birthday so we decided to do some impromptu birthday/ graduation celebrating early.

Dinner was a surprise at THIS new Provo place I've been wanting to try for a while now, and I wasn't disappointed.  The joint serves Native American cuisine and was pretty delightful.

We're sure going to miss living close to these two.  They're headed east to Ohio State for optometry school in a month.  I told them they should have come west with us, but no luck.  The Buckeyes are calling them  Oh well, I tried.

xo

P.S. People often think that David and Megan are siblings instead of me and Brendan, do you see it?

fin

Yesterday was both of our LAST, last day of school.

This picture is actually completely misleading.  While I was appropriately giddy to be done with my semester classes, the whole ordeal was more bittersweet than anything else.

I honestly stayed on campus from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm trying to prolong the inevitable (in which time I successfully studied for and took the final for my online class this semester - a feat I've been trying to muster up the motivation to accomplish for two weeks now).

The truth is I'm really going to miss BYU.

I'm not going to miss homework, heavy backpacks, and final exams, but I'm going to miss my classes.
I'm going to miss the commrodery.
The belonging to something.
The friends and the acquaintances and the professors.
I'm going to miss driving home to California for Christmas, and then driving back to Utah, a place that has started to feel very much like home.
I'm going to miss the campus life, our tiny south campus apartment, and our married-student ward.

I'm going to miss a lot of things.

I've decided I'm not going to cry at graduation (just like I decided not to cry at our wedding - and it almost worked), but you can bet yourself a pretty penny I'll be shedding a few tears come the end of May when we drive away in our U-haul...

It's been fun BYU, thanks for the good times.

highlights no. 31

Today is April 11th, and you know what that means?
Only 12 days till my birthday!  I know you're counting down too.

While we're waiting, here are some fun finds from around the web:

clothespin shenanigans

spray painted plates

Dave and I laughed a bit over this meme

a fun DIY with rope

a cheaper psychiatrist 

modern cookies

how to grow a RAINBOW - so cool 

some great pranks

a great pregnancy guide

an unexpectedly funny commercial

beautiful ceramic necklaces

lovely B/W cakes (the first one is my favorite)

and a DARLING idea for a gender reveal - I'm definitely taking notes for down the road on this one

xo

and then there were three

Three days until the end of college.

And today was my last day of Monday classes.  EVER.
Well, at least as a student at BYU.

This is pure and utter craziness.

Who decided I was old enough to graduate from college?


Picture via BYU

sunday

We had such a delightful Easter sunday up here in Provo.  Both David and I sang in the choir at church and who could disagree with this 70 degree weather?
Lovely.

Happy Easter!

P.S. Our apartment complex definitely had an Easter egg hunt this afternoon.  Success.

Picture via Frolic!
Found via Pinterest

wonderlust

A couple years back I did some traveling through Europe.  I didn't have nearly enough room in my suitcase to pick up a properly sized souvenir from each country I visited, so I started grabbing a postcard whenever they caught my eye.

Affordable & packable.  They were perfect.

Now state-side, I have been trying to figure out a way to display those suckers.

Well, problem (finally) solved:

Now I can switch out the cards whenever I fancy and swap out the quote as well for a fresh look.

I'm likin' it.
Your thoughts?

P.S. Funny story about that postcard from Paris in the upper left-hand corner.  This summer, a week before we got married, David and his family took a trip to Scotland and France.  While in Paris he thoughtfully sent me that postcard with the Eiffel Tower on it...the same postcard I had bought myself in Paris a year+ earlier...
Great minds think alike I guess.

highlights no. 30

Happy Wednesday!  Graduation is JUST around the corner and I can taste it!  (Which is why I'm blogging right now instead of doing my project...)  Enjoy some treats from around the web!

just what my kitchen cabinets need

what to wear when you have nothing to wear

a good article on books vs. films

forced perspective

the truth

how to use your old CD cases

a great spin on the low pony

a little bit about LA (we're starting to get excited! ...and nervous...)

cute and affordable rain boots 

origami

a great poster

 I most literally looked through this whole gallery

and a cuteness overload 


xo

decorating

Have I ever told you my floral design class is the best?  I'm pretty sure I have (like 15 times), but it's still true.

Our latest assignment was to make an "everlasting design," aka a fake flower arrangement, and I've had my eye on THIS DIY for a while now.

Hellooo excuse to decorate the apartment.
I love it.

David has deemed them a little Dr. Seuss-esqe (specifically something out of The Lorax), and I've decided to take that as a compliment.

P.S. We're seeing The Hunger Games tonight - so excited.

the best month

April is finally here and its brought with it a whole bundle of wonderful things, including, but
not exclusive to:

birthday
graduation
warmer-ish weather
birthday
trees full of bloomin' flowers
Easter
my last bout of final exams
post-graduation partying
did I mention birthday?

Welcome April, it's oh so good to see you.


Pictures via Style Me Pretty
            & Ruche
Found via Pinterest