great success

Today's accomplishments in no particular order:

1) Getting up early even though it's Saturday.  Impressed?  The truth is I've been working to keep my internal clock on Utah time (1 hour ahead) so as to encourage being an earlier riser and an earlier to bed-er.  So far it's kind of working.

2) I made strawberry jam by myself for the first time!  Yippee for having homemade jam in the house again (no offense to the Smuckers currently in our fridge...)

3) Finally thought to use this handy-dandy hand blender (to squish up the rest of the strawberries when my potato masher wasn't doin' the trick).  I've had it since *cough* Christmas (thanks Mom!) and I just never think to use it!  Anyways, I love it now.

4) Not exactly my accomplishment, but David has been CPA studying non-stop since 9:00 in the AM today (it's almost 3:30 now) - that boy has more dedication and focus than I often care to muster in one sitting.  I sure hope our children take after him in that regard...

P.S. You like how he decided to match the table?
P.S.S. That's our new table!  I will get around to posting about that eventually, I promise.

5) And lastly I HAVEN'T eaten ONE cookie today.  None!  Zero!  Zilch!  I often have a problem resisting any sort of baked goods in the house and these cookies are no exception, but today (for some miraculous reason) I haven't given in...yet.  After dinner cookies will not count.

highlights no. 37

Happy hump day!  This past month has consisted of David and I doing whatever we pleased when we pleased to do it, but now real life has come to settle in (aka: his job), and Wednesday has started to mean something again; Wednesday = only 2 more days til the weekend!  Woohoo! 
Now don't get to excited.  The downside is that the boy is still studying to take the CPA exam (ahem, and will be doing just that for the next 6 months of so)...which means the weekend is just chock full of extra time to read, practice, and prepare himself for those tests. 
(Le sigh)
Good thing Valencia has some decent shopping to speak of to keep me diverted.  You better believe I'm already concocting a huge party for when Dave takes his last exam.  You are all definitely invited.
In the meantime here are some fun finds from around the web:

this is HILARIOUS and the best ventriloquist act I've ever seen for sure

19 things that will drive your OCD self (you know it's true) crazy

a cute and unique way to decorate - blow it up!

if I were to have a fish (slim chance though it may be) I'd want one of these aquariums

a list of great DIY knock-offs

an awesome sign-in idea for the wedding

45 life lessons from a 90 year old - this is quality stuff, my friends

a great 'We've Moved!' card

ink and stencils

how to redo your room on the cheap (two thumbs up for that idea)

drawer organizing tips - Yes, I've already filed all the clothes in our drawers.  Yes, I kind of really like it.

a darling travel the world map kit

and last, but not least:  the world's most darling proposal - if you've already seen it you should probably watch it again anyway (and if the link doesn't work for some reason google: Isaac's Lip-Dub Proposal.  Yes, it's worth it)

xo

the beginning

Today is David's first day of school work!  That still feels weird to type, let alone say.  Are we old enough to be having full time jobs?  After being in school for the past 16+ years, the habit is hard to break.  I'm so used to filling in the little bubble that says 'student' on application forms and the like...now I fill in the little one that indicates 'unemployed, but looking for work.'  I think I prefer saying I'm a full time student. . .

Regardless of how weird it is to be growing up, we celebrated with cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning, and, of course a first day of school work picture.

Now I've got the apartment to myself for the day till 6:00 - perhaps I ought to get going on that unemployed status. . .
Or maybe I'll just start planning how to paint our apartment ;) I'm lovin' the stripes in THIS picture - I know, stripes.  It's a shocker.  Your thoughts?

xo

this & that

Lovin' THIS little sugar bowl from Anthropologie - we use it all the time and it's so much nicer not to have to reach for my huge sugar canister every time I need to sweeten my cheerios. (P.S. it's only $10)

And seriously eyein' THAT sheet set from West Elm...very seriously, actually.  Perhaps a belated birthday present to me?  I think so.

Hope you all have a lovely Saturday!  We're going to try make it out to the beach sometime today after David is done CPA studying (bleh) for some much needed vitamin D - don't worry Mom, I already packed the sunscreen.

xoxo

things of note

This morning marked two important events.

First of all, today was the first time in a year that we've unloaded dishes from a dishwasher.  Such appliances were few and farther between in our Provo married housing experience, and I seriously woke up and turned to David this morning with an excited smile that, " Our dishes are CLEAN!  And all I did was rinse them!  Let's go unload them!"  A bit too much excitement in there?  Perhaps.

This morning also marked the first morning I've eaten breakfast at an actual TABLE - as in sitting in a chair, not slumped on the couch over the coffee table (like we've been doing for the past 10 months).  You know why...?  Because we (finally) bought our very first dining table last night!  I'm all sorts of excited about it, and so is my back.  Pictures on that to come, ya know, when the house looks a bit more presentable to the public.

xo

P.S. Also, one more event this morning, Pinterest decided to have a nervous breakdown and delete everyone I follow...what was once almost 200 now is down to 4.  Darn it.

Picture via Pinterest