our favorite movie

Tonight David and I are watching You've Got Mail.

In reality we are both sitting on the couch (me, Craigslisting - Dave, playing Angry Birds).  The funny thing is, we don't even need to look at the TV to enjoy this movie.  Somehow I managed to marry a man who can sit with me on a Sunday night, request my favorite chick flick, and quote it word for word with me even if he's not looking at the screen.

I married well.

Picture 1 via Pinterest // Picture 2 via Pinterest

date night

David turned to me yesterday and said, "Carly, will you go on a date with me tonight?  We can go try out Chi Chi's Pizza and maybe get a Redbox?"

Now this is a normal-ish Friday night activity for us (except we usually try to save a few pennies and make homemade pizza instead), but it was the fact that he asked me out on a date that really got me.  There used to be something so fun about being single and getting a call from a cute boy to go on a date - it was exciting!  Of course it's still fun to plan activities with my husband and of course we enjoy the time we spend together, but this was extra fun.

He opened my doors because we were on a date (he does that anyway by the way).

He wouldn't let me see the bill because we were on a date.

He took care of the movie because we were on a date.

It was pretty darling.

All in all it was a great night with lots of pizza and root-beer and some fine claymation entertainment.  We were satisfied.

P.S. We give Chi Chi's a 5 outta 10, maybe a 6 - we weren't really wowed by any means.  The hunt for the best pizza place in Santa Clarita will continue.

confession

Sometimes I watch the BYU football game when David isn't home just to get a glimpse of those Rockies.

I'm not ashamed to say it: I sure miss that Utah scenery.

Go Cougs!

P.S. Don't worry, we love California too - they're just apples & oranges.

pinteresting

Sometimes I actually make the crafty things I pin on Pinterest.

Sometimes.

Are you ready to be impressed?  I was checking out my food board yesterday night and I figured out I've actually made a decent amount of the foodie things I've pinned!  Like over 40 of them!  (Proof here!)  However, when we get on the crafty side of things I'm not as much of a doer.  We need to eat, I don't quite need  to craft.  Oh well.  But, yesterday I actually made this one AND found a way to use some of my vast postcard collection - your thoughts?

The pinspiration  :

The Carly version :

I love getting to have my postcards on display and our home was obviously lacking in wreath decor.

Win.  Win.

P.S. I also think this would be fun to do with Christmas cards during the holidays!

the flowers

One year ago I wore a big white (pink) dress and had the greatest day of my life.  There was good food, great music, and the people I loved all in one place.  A few days after that great day, on a beach in Hawaii, I sat up suddenly and realized that after that completely wonderful day, I completely forgot to throw my bouquet!

WHAT??  At that point it didn't really matter - the day was over, and we were currently hundreds of miles away on our honeymoon - but all the same it was so disappointing!  I didn't toss my bouquet at my own wedding!

Well, lo and behold, last night I got my second chance:

 
These were the two thoughtful girls who orchestrated the whole thing.  I gotta tell you, I get to work with some pretty great girls at church, no doubt about that.

And here's the lovely lady who caught my flowers - she's only 17 - hopefully she's not plannin' on jumping the gun and gettin' hitched any time soon.

xo

highlights no.51

Sometimes I think these highlights posts are so silly.  I mean, this blog is really more like my journal (that just happens to be open to the public) since I've had marginal success with keeping a pen and paper one in recent years.  As an aside, let it be known that I was an avid journal keeper all through middle school & high school, just no so much during the college years.  I love keeping my blog and I love that my friends and family can see what I'm up to states (or hours) away because, honestly, I'm awful at calling and keeping up ties with people - unless you count my mom who I probably call once a day on average.

Anywho, my point is that, yes, these posts are kind of a funny thing for me to put up on my blog, but I really enjoy doing them!  I find fun stuff on the web all week long and I think this is a fun way to share it.

There.  I feel like I've validated this posting series.  On to this week's fun finds!

how come I didn't register for these babies when we got married??

a most beautiful home

broken flowers

an interesting idea about date night

cleaning tips for those of us who are OCD

why do students cheat?

a day in the life of a wedding planner, aka: my dream job

how much to serve at your party (genius!)

this mom is hard core

measuring the universe

aren't these pictures great?

and  I love this

xo

playin' with the big kids

Today I had a job interview and I picked up David during his lunch hour to drop off my dad's car at the shop.
Also David will most likely be coming home late from the office tonight.

Today I feel like a grown up.
And I'll feel even more like I grown up if I get that 8-5 job...

And today I'm okay with that, but regardless of this new-found semi-grown up status I've acquired, I still fully intend to run around LA tomorrow with my girls and completely disregard it.

Baby steps my friends, baby steps.

Picture via Justin Hackworth Photography

when we met

Saturday night my parents were kind enough to meet up with us in Huntington Beach for dinner at BJ's and some good quality family time - I've been getting to play with my mom a lot lately (due to my lack of a job situation), and David wanted in on the fun - can you blame him?  I pretty much have the best family - who wouldn't want to hang out with them?

Anywho, being at BJ's, we definitely had to get a PAZOOKIE for dessert and that put me on a walk down memory lane all the way back to the summer of 2010 when I met David for the first time, while noshing on a pazookie at a party for a girl neither of us knew...

It was July 20th, 2010 & I had just gotten back to Provo after spending the spring and half the summer gallivanting around Europe.  I had bunked with a girlfriend for the remainder of the summer months, and while she was finishing up her summer term classes, I, well, partied.  It was fabulous.  It was from one of those such summertime escapades that I returned to our apartment complex to find out that our neighbor was having a birthday party down by the pool.  Now, it must be told that I had never actually met my neighbor up to this point and really I just decided to go for the food and maybe to meet a few new people - turns out I got lucky on both counts.

They were serving pazookies, and not in the clean, hygenic sort of an individual piece for everybody way, but more in a here's a huge cookies sheet full of the stuff - have at it.  I was fortunate to grab a bite before the crowd of double dippers descended on it, but honestly, it was pretty gross to share that whole pie with 30 other people and their dirty spoons.  I didn't go back for seconds.

After turning my back on the sugar fest I chatted up a girlfriend until a boy walked up and joined our conversation.  I remember him being cute and tall and rather slim - she introduced him to me as her friend David (you see where this is going?).  She ducked out soon after that and left us to talk.  We exchanged pleasantries and where are you from's and found out that we both had ties to Mission Viejo, California.  I told him that I, you know, lived there & he told me he was born there.  I got so far as to tell him that he was born in a nice hospital before I was pulled away (to go on a pseudo-date with one of his friends no less).  We didn't even talk for more than 2 minutes - we didn't even get to the what are you majoring in questions - that's how short this conversation was.

After I was pulled off on my "date," David sat down with a girl friend who probed him about who he had met at the party (the party of this girl he had never met either by the way - yes we're a pair of party crashing, pazookie eaters).  He told her he had met a girl named Carly, but didn't catch her last name, phone number, or where she lived.  As luck would have it, this girl he was talking to was also friend of mine (since I was 5 years old crazy enough) - coincidence?  Perhaps...  Anyway she gave him my last name, and honestly the rest is history.  I don't even remember (or I'm not sure I ever knew) the name of the girl who's birthday party we were at, but thanks neighbor.  It is because of you and your alluring pazookie party that I met my husband.  Hats off to you, wherever you are.

september 22nd

In honor of the first day of fall, the weather here was kind enough to stay in the 80's - that's chilly for around here folks - I actually wore pants.  Now if only the leaves would start turning colors I'd really be a happy camper, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.  One wish at a time.

Happy autumn.

Picture via Pinterest 

an all day affair

Alright, so I kinda like to watch So You Think You Can Dance - it's been a summer show staple for me since my junior year of high school and since then I've turned my family (and, of course, David) onto it too.  It's definitely one of those guilty pleasure kind of tv shows, but it's stinkin' fun to watch and I'm not gunna lie, I enjoy it. 

Earlier this summer I figured, since we live so close to LA now, why not put our name in to see if we could get tickets to a live taping of the show?  We waited, but nothing came back...until a week ago when they sent us ticket vouchers for the finale!  It turned out to be an all day event (first taping at 7:30 AM & second taping at 3:30 PM), so David couldn't come with me, but my mom was kind enough to volunteer to take his place and spend all day on the sidewalk outside CBS studios with me (regardless of the fact that neither of us are teenagers).

We decided that instead of leaving the house before the crack on dawn on Tuesday morning, it would be ridiculously more convenient to rent a room close by and walk over to the studio.  Little did we know that we would end up being able to look right out our window and watch the line form for the morning taping.  That was awesome, our hotel, however, was...less than awesome.  In their defense, they did gave us a complementary breakfast, let us park in their lot for free (all day), and they've got a great location - so I'm not complaining.  By the end of the day, their peeling paint and permanent marker ended up being rather endearing :

We ended up making friends in line for the morning show and decided to put forth a team effort for the long haul of waiting for 3:30 taping.  We spent most of the afternoon perusing shops along Beverly Boulevard and eating lunch at THIS really yummy restaurant before hopping back in line for a couple of hours.  Not a bad way to spend a day if you ask me.

It was a long, long, LONG wait for the evening show, but we made it, and we ended up having a really good time.  We watched wonderful dancing, had third row seats, and were showered with confetti at the end of it all - what more could you ask for?

Now the real question: was it worth getting up early & waiting in line all day?  Mmmm...for me this is probably a one-time thing.  It was fun, I'm glad we did it, and I'm fine watching it next time from the comfort of my couch.

P.S. The outfit I wore that day was SO colorful, ya know, for me - no neutrals??  This is craziness. Our tickets specifically told us to dress hip and upscale - I guess my closet translated that into vibrant hues.  But those blue pants were easy to spot on camera!

highlights no.50

Happy Wednesday!  It's feelin' more like a Friday night over on our end because we're going out tonight!  David's company just recently relocated from Burbank to their new office in Santa Clarita - we're thrilled about his shorter commute, our smaller gas bill, and his longer mornings at home.  Tonight we're going out to eat with the office and having a look at their new space.  I'm excited to get to know more of Dave's coworkers and for some good food!  It should be a fun time.  Meanwhile here are some fun posts from around the web:

some amazing photoshop skills

I'd ride a bike more if I owned one of these babies

the story of Polaroid 

this looks like a good book

these jeans

the best job listing 

are Furbys making a comeback? (and since when did they get so expensive?)

for kicks and giggles 

a fun idea (that I want to adopt)

the reviews for this product are pretty amazing

a great jewelry DIY

tips from the pros

and did anyone else not know that Dick Van Dyke played two characters in Mary Poppins?  Craziness.

xo

a good date

Last night we ate homemade pizza, Skyped with family, watched a chick flick, and ate cookie dough egg rolls (which were incredibly delicious, by the way, and also incredibly rich - if you're making that recipe for two half it for sure).

If copious amounts of sugar and cute old men with German accents don't make you smile, I not sure I can help you...or if we can be friends.

higlights no. 49

Not much going on around here except, you know, meeting Tim Gunn and stuff like that (and perhaps working on going to a taping of So You Think You Can Dance next week!. . . we'll see if we get in)

I'm still trying to figure out why I didn't take full advantage of all the fun things going on in LA when I was in high school - it just never entered my mind to brave the traffic.  It is my goal to make up for that now.   In other news, here are some fun finds from around the web :

isn't THIS ring fabulous?

the book is always better

I need a skirt that is this yellow

an easy heel upgrade

pray more, worry less printable

storage solutions for small bedrooms

cute postcards

everything tastes better sipped through a straw

75% off some sweet swimwear

a great calendar

some pretty advertising

THESE would make lunch so much more fun

we could use a table like this . . .

a great shirt

AND Downton Abbey is starting up again next week in the UK!  We have to wait till January to get it over here across the pond, but you can still watch the teaser trailer here.

our friend Tim

Early Tuesday morning I hopped in the car, braved LA commuter traffic, and got in line at Barnes & Noble at The Grove to buy Tim Gunn's new book.

There just happens to be Barnes & Noble right down the street from us, but if I drove (an hour & 45 minutes) to LA - are you ready for it? - we could get wristbands to go to Tim Gunn's book signing that night!

We were, you know, a little excited about it.

I gotta tell you, I don't get star-struck easily, but we are pretty big Tim Gunn fans around here (yeah, even David), so this was a ridiculously fun night.  And he is just what you'd expect: striped suit, patterned shirt, and so gracious to all the people that were there to meet him - it was just like he walked out of our TV and into Barnes & Noble!

Needless to say, it was worth the early morning.  Tim is one nice guy and our new claim to fame is that he told David he looked good in his T-shirt and shorts (!!).  We completely enjoyed ourselves and wished we could have listened to him talk longer.

We now officially refer to him as our friend Tim.

P.S. We were thinking of you Megan & Kristin!  Tim says hi!

the not so miserables

In an effort to make our 1st anniversary celebrations last into September, my wonderful parents gave us tickets to see LES MISERABLES for last Saturday night and, honestly, I was living all last week for Saturday . . . and it took for. ev. er. to get there.  

Longest.  Week.  Ever.

But it was worth it because we had the best time.

First we Yelped and found a place to eat before the show, which turned out to be a wiener, I mean a winner.  We ate at Garage Dogs, which had more hotdog options than I've ever been confronted with, the yummiest strawberry milkshakes, and some killer sweet potato fries.  Sadly, any hotdog joint makes me crave a Jdawg, but this one held its own and was so yummy.  Five stars.  Recommended.  Go try it if you're in Venture County.

Due to my over-excitement we left for Thousand Oaks an hour earlier than we needed to.  (What if we were late?  I wasn't going to risk it.)  So we ate, we found the theatre, we walked around some darling shopping centers - seriously, really cute shopping centers, with tons of restaurants and outdoors seating around a little lake - and then we sat outside the theatre enjoying the warm evening, watching the clouds turn pink and the hills turn purple (and playing a bit of Angry Birds too).

Again, the show was totally worth the wait.  It was fabulous!  And since David had never seen it before it was extra fun to be there with him for his first time.  Les Mis is one of my all time favorites and a soundtrack that I grew up listening to around the house.  I've got a soft spot for it and a love for the story and its characters.  Luckily David loved it too (as if he really had a choice) and we left the theatre arm in arm humming all the songs.

It was the best night and one I'd love to do again, and again . . . and again.  (So please feel free to give us theatre tickets whenever you want.  We'll make sure to free up our schedule.)

Thanks again Mom & Dad!  We love you!

today's thoughts

I almost never paint my nails (clarification: I almost never paint my finger nails - my toe nails are turning colors due to a lack of exposure to sunlight underneath a constant coat of bright red polish), but today I did.  It's just a light pink, the sort of pink where you can barely tell I painted them, but I like it.

David is studying away over at the kitchen table.  I'm on the couch.  I'm really proud of him for working so hard.  He's a rockstar - but sometimes I want him all to myself on a Saturday afternoon.  I'm holding out for December & then I'm going to throw a "Woohoo! Dave's Done With His CPA Exams" Party.  Everyone's invited.

Tonight we're going to see Les Mis.  I'm excited for an excuse to dress up besides church.  

BYU is playing Weber State right now, but we don't get BYUtv so Dave is giving me updates from his phone.
BYU's winning.

And it is hot, hot, HOT outside right now.  I talked to a local Santa Claritian last night and she told me not to believe anyone about it cooling off around here for the winter.
Darn.
I was hoping (against hope) that we'd get at least a little fall crispness over here, but I think it's going to be a no go.  Oh well.

Cheers for Saturday afternoons.

Picture via Pinterest

marriage, among other things

Somehow we haven't had ice cream in the house for the last couple of weeks.
I know.
I know.
I have no idea how this happened either.  We've been busy eating no-bake cookies and who knows what else and somehow ice cream didn't make its way back into our freezer til this Thursday.

The trouble is we've got quite a bit of it on hand now:

Count em'.  That's four gallons right there . . .

You see, I picked up two gallons Thursday afternoon (two for $5.00 of course - how could I resist?).

Chocolate for me and cookies n' cream for David.

Then I sent Dave to the market after work to grab me an avocado for dinner and he, being the cute, thoughtful guy he is, brought me home two gallons of ice cream.

Chocolate for me and cookies n' cream for him.

I laughed so hard when he walked in the door.
We know each other too well - more importantly we both knew it was high time we got ice cream back in the house.

Is he the guy for me or what?

summer reading

I love summertime for its long warm days, the tight feeling of your skin after a day in the sun, and, of course, lots of time to read, read, read.  I was quite the bookworm growing up (we're talking lots of late nights tucked in bed with a novel and a crick in my elbow from keeping myself propped up on it for too long) but when college rolled around it was hard to want to sit down and relax with a good read when I was scanning textbooks all day.

However, now that I'm graduated, I'm hittin' the books again!  And it's oh so good to be back!

I stumbled across THIS cute post the other day and loved the idea of giving a little review of all the books I read this summer - so here goes!

P.S. Please feel free to make recommendations - I'm on my way to get myself a library card ASAP!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry Potter 1-7 - J.K. Rowling

Yes, I went on a nostalgic kick and stole all 7 books from my parent's bookshelves and read them one by one by one by one at the beginning of the summer.  And, yes, I loved them all over again.  David (for whatever reason I can't comprehend) never read the H.P. books as a kid - yes, I've already told him he missed out on childhood - and he kind of thought I was crazy, but I loved them all the same.  Of course I recommend all 7 of them.

Heaven Is For Real - Todd Burpo

I loved this little book about a 4-year-old boy's trip to heaven and back as told by his father.  It's sweet, it's short, and it's worth reading.  Go get it.

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

This was a hard, but good read about a crazy couple of parents and the children they raise (who somehow turn out normal & successful).  Momma was an artist and daddy was an inventor and their travels take them all around small dessert mining towns and then head eastward.  Its a great story about human spirit and the will to be better.

Half Broke Horses - Jeannette Walls (again)

This is the story of Jeannette Wall's maternal grandmother - her growing up, marriage, and family life.  You get an interesting look into how Jeannette's mother grew up and how she turned out the way she did in the previous book.  I liked reading these two in this order and thought they were a great testament to hard work and determination.

Wicked - Gregory Maguire

Alright.  First things first - I've started this book before and just couldn't get through it.  I love the musical, but I wanted to read the book too!  I knew the plot differed and I wanted to see how much (it differs much, much, much by the way).  The story is . . . interesting, definitely full of captivating writing, but not exactly something I would recommend.  Save your pennies and go see the play instead folks!

O Pioneers! - Willa Cather

This book was a slow start, but once I got to the end I was completely invested in this batch of characters.  It's a story about the European/American immigrants that braved taming the Nebraska prairie and the lives they lived there.  It's a sweet, fast, and a rewarding read - definitely one to recommend.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn - Betty Smith

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something about this book that hooked me and pulled me into its story about the Nolan family working to survive in pre-WWI Brooklyn, NY.  It was a plot I loved to pick up and delve back into until David would pull me back to the surface.  Go pick it up.  It's a good one.

highlights no. 48

Happy Wednesday!  I love long weekends because it makes the week after feel shorter too!  It's a win-win for two weeks in a row.  Can't beat that (except when I had a 4 day weekend EVERY weekend my last semester at school - you really can't be that).  Fall is sort of, kind of in the air, but I've decided to completely ignore it for now and enjoy our sunny (92 degree) afternoons around here. 

In other news, David and I can't wait for this Saturday because we're going to go see THIS awesome play in an effort to continue celebrating our one year anniversary.  We.  Can't.  Wait.  And Dave has never seen Les Mis before!  It's really going to be a treat.  While we wait, however, enjoy some posts from around the web:

I want to make some of these for sure

this girl puts together high end fashion looks on a budget - I like it

they say these pie pops are for kids . . . but I want a set

pretty funny commercial

a great idea for organizing!

hipster soup?

I want THIS book

cute tote tutorial

the scariest rides at Disneyland - this is spot on, Indiana Jones & Splash Mountain were always the worst for me

cute spoons - wouldn't these we such a great wedding gift?  I want a pair . . .

(awesome) pictures of the day

Ratatouille - I've wanted to make this since the movie (you know you have too)

& my brother sent me the heads up on this one - in honor of national Museum Day (September 29th), a bunch of establishments are opening their doors to you for FREE if you print off an online ticket - check HERE to see if there's a participating museum near you!

xo

Labor Day

Any day where you spend the majority of your waking hours in your bathing suit is considered a winner in my book & Monday was that kind of day.

We washed cars, we pooled, we lounged, we ate,  we played Monopoly, we talked, and we generally enjoyed ourselves silly til the sun went down.

It is my official opinion that every weekend should be Labor Day weekend.

You like that blue pasta?  The noodles are definitely in the shape of little cougar heads.  

Go BYU.

And, yes, we could only find our Star Wars Monopoly set, so the game included such twists as Han Solo mortgaging the Millennium Falcon and Darth Vadar sweeping the board for the win.

We miss you already family!  Thanks for a wonderful long weekend!

And P.S. we missed you Midwesterners!   We hope you had a great Labor Day too!