gifts unwrapped

well, well well....
woke up to a lovely christmas, yet again.
(man, santa claus is good)

pearl earings. a husband's requirement for every wife. and i got mine! yay.
camera bag. "so sick", as lovebird would say. thanks core.
clothes. can't go wrong there.
a new painting for our house. we love it.
candles. i'm obsessed, in case you didn't know.
a new purse. never can have too many.
nail polish. excitement.
books. i'm a reader. thrilled.
orange peeler. trust me, you'll want this one.
a phone call from a missionary. pure joy.
falling whistle. (personally my favorite gift.)
a nixon watch. yes, that makes several for lovebird. but, he loves them.
boots. obsessed. i've had my eye on them for quite sometime now.

the list goes on. and obviously, i listed more of mine than i did of lovebird's. but that is simply because i'm overly excited about my gifts. i wasn't expecting a thing, and of course i was blessed. now, i know christmas isn't about the gifts... but, i still wanted to share.

also, sorry for not blogging so often. i have come down with a nasty flu. i couldn't even get myself out of bed yesterday. so, stay healthy! wash your hands every five seconds. trust me, you don't want this.

family spells christmas

i had a moment today.

in fact, a very uplifting one.

today, as i sat the table for my family of eight for Christmas eve dinner

i realized at that very moment that those were the most 

important people in my life.

family.

i am so lucky to be able to spend the holidays with my dearest family.

i am much anticipating their company.

my heart aches to those that aren't as fortunate to look across the dinner table

and know that they have a family who loves them with all of their heart. 

i certainly consider this one of my richest blessings.

my heart also aches for the homeless, the needy, the orphans and those

lonely souls out there at this time.

i wish with my whole heart, that there was something great enough that i could do 

to replicate what a home and family feels like.

i know this may be deep.

but i had to "record" my uplifting moment of the day.

it was too important to go unnoticed. 

please cherish your family as you have a lovely Christmas. 

dear santa...

i want one little thing.

a puppy.

i know, i know.... we aren't "ready" for a puppy quite yet.

and as you know, lovebird isn't the biggest fan of dogs. period.

but that doesn't stop me from dreaming.

it also doesn't stop me from hoping that a puppy stays a puppy forever.

my dreams and hopes are high this year.

however, i wont be mad if you leave me a note promising 

me a puppy in about 3 years from now.

thanks kindly.

love always, me

dozens and dozens

beautiful, right?

{wish you could see them in real life.}

i certainly am loved.

a total of five dozen roses. 60 roses. 

i have thoughtful and loving husband. 

and a special thanks to my ballet company 

for presenting me a couple dozen as well.

what a crazy, nerve racking, exciting, successful and busy weekend.

nutcracker shows, lovebird's father in town, christmas parties,

 and a little thing called work. (which doesn't seem so little anymore)

needless to say, it is over. and i am still exhausted. 

however, a new week has already begun and it is about to repeat itself.

another theater week, and another weekend of performances.

oh, how tired i am. but excited that it is almost christmas.

performing nutcracker is a real treat. i feel honored and lucky.

do you know what else i feel lucky about?

that he is mine.

sorry for the creepiness of my face. 

{you can thank stage makeup and slick back hair for that one}

say cheese

this week is crazy. absolutely crazy i tell you.

its so happens that final week and theater week are the same week. 

lucky us. more like busy us. 

however, on the lighter note, lovebird will be done with school tomorrow night at 5:01 sharp. {but who's counting? me. obviously} And theater week always gets me anxious to perform and throws me right into the christmas spirit. this week may be a bit of a stress, but that's the joy in life. what's life without a little challenge? to all of you out there studying for your finals or preparing for you nutcracker performances, i wish you the best of luck. hang in there, because christmas is just around the corner. 

oh! and when life seems stressed take funny pictures. it does the trick. there's never a dole moment when making ugly faces. and it manages to give you a split second of relief and a worry free brain. 

cheers and luck to the rest of the week!

count down

{our little christmas tree}

christmas is coming....

and our little home is decorated!

we are ready.

bring on the holidays!

lovebird and i are anxiously awaiting to celebrate

our first christmas together as lovebirds.

plus, it's a little more special than usual, because lovebird

grew up in jewish household. so....

so many christmas traditions and ideas are new to him.

and isn't he lucky to be married to someone so in love

with christmas? well, holidays in general.

he's in for a treat.

the advents have started.

{i purchased this one this year}

our house glows from the candles.

the christmas tree is delightful.  

our fireplace holds two stockings

and a garland i made.

check it out....

and best of all we are ready to start our own traditions.

they are so important to me.

what are your holiday traditions?

picture overload

hello friends!

i thought i would share some pics from 

our little trip home over thanksgiving.

they seem to tie up our weekend better

than i can in words, so here you go!

we were so happy to finally make it home!

meet henry our bulldog. he is our pet. 

and yes, he is a stuffed animal. 

if you know lovebird, you will understand this picture.

this is corey. my handsome brother.

a delicious, rather scrumptious homemade apple pie

my brother bret made. he's an excellent chef.

us lovebirds plus joel. my crazy brother.

you've got to meet him.

last but not least, crew. my bestest friend.

isn't he a stud?

yep, we are in love. 

stopped off at vinto for lunch. yummy pizza and gelato.

isn't he handsome? boy, i'm lucky. 

victory! we won!

they utah game was a blast. 

i simply have the world's greatest family.

and certainly brothers. all four of them. 

sorry for the picture overload. but i promised them to you!

close your eyes

don't you agree?

falling in love is a risk everyone should take.

with their eyes closed. 

it's the only way to do it.

let your heart lead the way. 

this & that

i have SO much to blog about.

{obviously}

only problem is...

too much to do, with not enough time. 

{bollox}

for starters....

thanksgiving was a blast.

i have tons of pictures to post. 

the utah game was killer.

the christmas tree is up and standing. yay.

the drive home took for-e-ver.

lovebird has far too much homework this week.

nutcracker rehearsals will be the death of me.

theater week begins on monday. yikes.

i so desperately need to go grocery shopping.

yogurt meal has holiday flavors.

{peppermint stick, gingerbread & egg nog}

and last but not least.....

we got a new camera.

okay, so i know this post doesn't really count.

so i promise to fill you in on our little life as soon as i get the chance to.

until then...

are you going to this? we are. don't miss it! 

have you checked here for ornaments? adorable. 

have you seen this? you have to! it's my favorite movie. 

and perfect for the holidays.

lastly, what are you doing to get ready for the holidays?

home at last

we're home.

finally. and i mean finally.

the normal ten hour drive turned into a 16.

oh well. no matter how long it takes to get home,

nothing is better than seeing the ones you love so dearly.

this thanksgiving will be a blast. scrumptious too. i'm beyond ready for it.

we both have missed dear utah, and it still feels like we belong. 

(which is comforting to me)

check out this gorgeous picture from our road trip...

p.s. my nails are painted red. bright and glossy red. 

supposedly, according to the fashion industry, red is the nail color for

the holiday season. so i am sticking to the trend.

sew excited.

i am anxiously awaiting a certain gift. 

i cannot wait. 

this gift will just add to the crafty junkie that i already am. 

yay. drum roll please....

i'll be the owner of a sewing machine shortly.

as in this week. fingers crossed.  

yipee! 

ramblings.

i love this time of year.

driving down rumble street is currently a breathtaking moment for me.

i do it every sunday. thank you leaves.

and was sort of happy that lovebird wasn't with me, because i

blasted the heat as i took my sunday stroll. {he hates hot air blowing in his face. hates it}

i baked a delicious butterscotch apple cake today.

we just got back from a lovely dinner at our dear friend's house.

my "silly socks" are on. i'm happy. 

i should be packing right about now. but i'm clearly not.

and lastly, lovebird told me how much he loved me today.

and that he was grateful for me.

so....

without further adieu, i would like to return the favor.

i love him.

 he is my second half. my better one, too.

i am beyond grateful for him and all that he does for me. 

i couldn't be happier, more spoiled, or feel a deeper since of love for someone.

it's that time of year to express gratitude. right?

however, i should never need an excuse for my babblings about 

how much i adore my husband,

and just how grateful i am for our eternal marriage.

  

what are you grateful for?

"TGIF"

happy friday!

this week flew by. thanks to how busy i was.

however, due to pure exhaustion.... 

i am now sick.

bollox.

so, lovebird and i will spend the night in.

cuddled up next to a fire watching all the hp's.

{aka harry potter}

while eating a scrumptious dinner. 

yes, this sounds lovely.

minus the sickness.

and i hope your weekend plans are lovely, as well.

xoxo

oh grams!

to "celebrate" the year mark of lovebird's homecoming from the mission, i had high hopes of making this dessert he talks about quite frequently. being the sneaky little girl i am, i emailed a sweet sister over in bulgaria to get the recipe to surprise him.... one huge problem... the recipe was in grams. okay, it doesn't sound that complicated, but it is; because grams of flour weigh differently than grams of sugar. yikes! struggled with that one. but long story short, i asked an experienced cook at my work. the next day, she brought me in julia child's cook book that included the cheat sheet to converting grams. {bless her little heart.} the conversation evolved into the women at work challenging me to do the "julia child" blog challenge. i told them that there is no way in heck i could ever do that. i am too busy, point blank.

however, i did promise that i would commit to making at least three meals a week and one dessert every weekend. {mainly so i could take in the yummy treat to work on monday}. anyway... i guess i've been challenged. so we'll see how it pans out. i can promise you i'll blog about the desserts, and i'll try to blog about the dinners- however week nights are far more busy than the weekends, so i'm not making any promises there. i have decided to take all my dessert recipes out of the martha stewart holiday cookie magazine that my dear friend joe gave me. why? because i haven't made any of them before- they are all new to me. obviously, lovebird and i will both turn into fat creatures but who cares! it's the holidays right?

which reminds me, thanksgiving is next week! can you believe it?

is this year flying by for anyone else?

i mean christmas is just around the corner.

yay.

okay! so the challenge has begun.

i made a delicious pot of taco soup for dinner and this

weekends treat is the cookie in the book that lovebird has requested. 

stay posted to find out.

love you all. thanks for reading such a long post. xo

today in 10

picture via: style.com    {look at number 7 on my list}

today.....
1. i tasted the new and delicious MilkyWay. just caramel. {newsflash, in case you didn't already know, caramel is one of my all time favorite "foods"} pretty tasty. i still like the original better, though.
2. i started up an account on twitter. unsure how i feel about it... but check IT out. 
3. i am indeed thankful for the comments and emails i've been receiving from new readers. which leads to say, i'm now addicted to your cute blogs. 
4. lovebird called me a diva. oh, no. am i?  
5. i made two huge turkey.cranberry.creamcheese bagel sandwiches for lunch. lovebird managed to finish his in two seconds flat. 
6. lovebird complimented me on my eyes today. not once but twice. thank you very much. he is convinced green is my color to wear now. we'll see. it's hard to compete with his incredible eyes.
7. fashion trends i'm addicted to write now: boyfriend watch, red lipstick, fedoras, and socks peeking out of boots.
8. church today was a bit on the boring side. just being honest. lovebird was a good cuddle buddy, however.
9. i am starting the countdown to thanksgiving today. which equals a trip home to utah, the big game day, and of course the reunion of seeing our lovely families. 
10.  i was reminded of what a blessing it is to live out of state. the challenges, experiences and friends i would have no other way been able to experience and meet. 

karaoke!

karaoke night!

it was a dear friend's birthday last weekend,

and to celebrate we had a karaoke party at Torri's.

it was a blast.

can't really explain the night,

because most of it was spent in front of the karaoke machine, 

however, here are just a few pictures from the evening.

p.s. the highlight of the night. had to have been when the drunk lady called me out of the crowd to come up to be her back up dancer. i guess my new name is "blondie". sweet. 

i was embarrassed and turned bright red. but i went up there and lovebird has it one film to prove it.

also. my two bestest friends from dance are rockstars. {upper right corner}

we are in love. 

sat.ur.day

{just thought i'd post a little lovebird picture on this fine saturday}

i'm up early.

lovebird is snoozing away in bed. 

i've been blog hopping for quite sometime this morning.

it's official, i have a new blog obsession.

she is adorable, beautiful and SO thoughtful.

{i "publicly" want to thank you for your kind email and new tutorial}

today i have dance until six.

lovebird probably has homework until midnight.

but, we are going to a birthday party for a friend.

karaoke party, baby. 

also, a stop off at one of my favorite stores in modesto

will certainly top off the day. 

have a lovely saturday.

i'll be reporting back with pictures.

"peace&blessings"

hump day

i'm a ballerina.

he's a student.

we are busy. extremely.

it's overpowering, lately.

we are also happily in love

i am thankful for that.

hump days are our busiest days.

therefore, i've started to resent wednesdays.

i remind myself that i am a ballerina because i love it.

and he reminds himself he is a student because he has a purpose.

and i constantly tell myself it is just a wednesday.

it ends in less than 24 hours. no big deal.

little obsessions

isn't she beautiful?

me-o-my. 

gorgeous skin, hair and lips.

love it. 

(picture via anne koch)

dreams and rings

dreaming. 
isn't it crazy? absolutely nuts?
dreams are unreal. 


i woke up today from an intense, somewhat horrifying, dream involving the past and future.
i ran into find lovebird studying, at the crack of dawn, to make certain my dream wasn't real after all.
he walked me back to bed and tucked me in.


however, 
i put my wedding ring back on. 
{i always take it off before bed}
they told me not to sleep with my ring on... but why? DO YOU?


it seems as though my dreams of the past don't creep in when i have it
wrapped around my little finger. 
so i have noticed that, when waking from a bad dream, i don't hesitate to put it right back on.
lovebird came up with this idea. consider him genius.


...and consider me crazy or superstitious.... because i'm both. 


just an observation. worth posting about. 

eat your greens

i know, i know...

i need to eat my vegetables.

but i don't want to.

lovebird loves them.

he eats bell peppers like apples. gross.

help me, someone. 

have any recipes loaded with green things?

roses

i know i've already told you a million times that i am the luckiest girl to be married to such a handsome stud... but i must tell you some more. get this...

the other day, i was having a "terrible, horrible, no good very bad day" and as the day seemed to go on, things didn't let up. being at work all morning, 
lovebird didn't really know the status of my day.

and ironically, just at the nick of time, a "messenger boy" {aka lovebird} 

walked into work with a bouquet of roses. orange roses.

"a delivery for elease stice" he said. simply embarrassing me.

he handed me the roses, i pounced him with a few kisses

and he continued to deny that he was my husband. he was a messenger boy, duh.

he left in a flash. and i was left a work. feeling so much better.

the roses were the perfect fix to a rotten day.

oh, and of course hearing that i had the most romantic, handsome and 
awesome husband from all of my co-workers certainly brightened the day as well.

p.s. if you haven't already, you MUST read this classic children's book. 

it certainly will be a book upon the future shelf in my nursery one day.

halloween

we took a trip to the pumpkin patch

on the most perfect fall day.

we looked at SO many pumpkins.

some with warts some with multi colors.

and some BIG and some small.

these were the lucky two.

little did they know their guts would be

ripped out and...

that they would turn into these two

jack-o-lanterns.

{mine is on the left, lovebird's is on the right}

it was a spook-taculor halloween.

couldn't have been better.

we enjoyed it with a scrumptious bowl 

of homemade chili and cornbread;

{carrying on the "carlson" family tradition. yum!}

the house was decorated with

ghosts, spiders and witches galore. 

The air smelt of fall time and brought with it a 

crisp, cool breeze. 

the warmth of the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies 

snuck out of the oven and filled our home.

and 'thriller' played in the background, as we cozied up

and snuggled the night away.

hope your halloween was a real treat.

weekend

what a perfect weekend. 

seriously, though.

it was a down pour all weekend. 

rain rain rain

we cozied up and snuggled lots.

lovebird was sick this weekend.

so, i made delicious homemade 

chicken noodle soup. 

yum.

we visited the pumpkin patch this weekend.

not one, but two... actually.

we had to get the perfectly plump ones. 

we saw "life as we know it" this weekend.

funny and cute movie. we loved it.

not a necessarily a must see, though.

we danced in the rain this weekend.

sunday was a delightful day.

rain, church and a cozy fire.

we extended our weekend.

yep, lovebird slept in with me and missed his

first couple of classes. lucky me. 

what a perfect weekend.

craving

i'm craving change.
but what exactly am i craving? and why?


i'm craving to color my hair. 
and cut bangs.


i'm craving to learn a language. 


and one step further, i am craving to move to 
another country. yes, far away from this one.


i'm craving a new hobbie.
sewing or becoming a chef. undecided still.


i'm craving a new look.
longing for a new fashion and style. 
completely feminine. 


i'm craving dark eyebrows and a deep lip color.
and i'm craving eyeliner. (which is so not me)


i'm craving a new addition to the family.
a puppy.  


i'm craving books.
i am changing into a read-aholic. 


i'm craving so many things.
things that i hope will spruce up the details of life.


i'm craving change.


where shall i start?

white out

alright, ladies and gents...

it's past labor day-

do you know what that means?

STOP wearing white.

yes, i am a firm believer of the 

saying and 'rule'.

plus, it's a huge pet peeve of mine.

a white shirt, blouse or sweater that isn't the main focus of your outfit is

clearly okay. but white pants, capris, skirts.... they need to go.

put them away. deep within your closet. 

come memorial day they can slowly start to claim their fame again. 

that's all.

just a suggestion, but almost a command. 

soy

favorite fall treat

since lovebird can't drink milk,

 (which i happen to love, drink often and grew up on)

i have come to love soymilk.

one of my favorite fall treats

is a vanilla soy steamer from starbucks.

i am in a constant craving for one.

test it out.

and if you're feeling extra groovy,

any pastry of theirs is quite scrumptious. 

let me know what you think.

xo

guest

been cleaning ALL day

for our special guest who's staying the weekend

.....

my dear mother arrives tomorrow!

finally.

she hasn't seen our little nest yest.

i can't wait to show her.

busy weekend to say the least.

performances, san francisco, shopping,

cooking, playing, church going, and

drinking diet cokes. 

just wanted to post about nothing really.

other than to tell you i'm dying to spend time with "the midge"

and i wanted to wish you all a happy, lovely and adventurous weekend.

live a little!

"peace & blessings"

finally fall

                                                                                                          picture source: jamie

What is it about the changing of summer to fall that is so breathtaking? Fall is when the earth takes on the transformation of a fresh, earthy and deep beauty. Warm colors; brick red, mustard yellow, pumpkin orange and chocolate brown. The crisp air is sometimes shocking. However, it serves as an instant reminder that the weather is changing, summer is revolving into fall and lastly it reminds us of holidays so gratefully celebrated. Fall is beauty. I find that my long sleeves and sweatshirts dominate my closet. Scarfs come out of their hiding spot and wrap around my neck almost daily. Long pants and closed toe shoes, please. How silly it is that I live in the same world day in and day out, year after year, season after season... yet this time of year I find myself constantly gratifying in earth's magnificent beauty and ability to portray such rich colors and images. Childhood memories of fall: driving up the canyon to observe the changing of leaves, a visit (or two) to the pumpkin patch, hot chocolate and the yummy smell of soups, cookies and spices that sneak out of the kitchen. Fall is beauty. Speaking of baking; Try Mom's pumpkin cookies, beef stew or homemade chili- each one being a fall favorite of mine. Let's not forget the festivities. From Halloween to Thanksgiving, what's not to love? A time to dress up while inhaling sweets, and then stuffing your face with a feast after giving thanks to Him above. Doesn't it seem as though fall is the start of a new year? It's when school, ballet, piano, sports,etc all resume. Things seem busy and active. Fall moves at a fast pace. However, if you observe your lifestyle, I bet you find that you are starting to spend more time at home. Inside. Your body is gratefully accepting a rest from the wild thrill of summer. Fall is a time to be with family, friends and favorites. Fall is beauty. I believe fall brings hope, warm tidings, and change. My life seems vulnerable to to change during these autumn months. A time to make decisions, prioritize, devote myself to 'projects' and aspire new outcomes or goals. Isn't it remarkable that a change in season can effect or have an impact on ones lifestyle? I have succumb to fall; It has my decisions in a whirlwind, captured my undivided attention with it's rich colors, and has demanded that I stay busy, active and healthy. Fall is glorious. Fall is fresh. Fall is rejuvenating. Fall is gratifying. Fall is fun. 

Fall is beauty. Thank goodness it's finally fall.