Christmas is coming....

...the goose is getting fat. 

let the holiday planning begin!

here are some links, helpful tips and ideas.

i'm hoping to use and/or do at least of few of them.

gift giving to men:

we all know that guys are hard to shop for; they don't really need anything, often times don't ask for anything, and getting them the perfect gift (whether big or small) sometimes seems impossible.

click here for a little holiday help. cute stocking stuffers!

christmas crafts:

i want to try this, this and this cute christmas craft from pinterest.

oh, and maybe this one too.

if only i had the time to make a new craft everyday.

{i love far too many wreaths, i can't possible choose just one to post.}

{also- i'm completely in love with putting ornaments, pinecones, treats, etc. in anything glass.}

there are too so many to choose from.  dang pinterest!

onto food:

how about a hot chocolate bar with these marshmellows?

or why not decorate with food. this is classic. 

fun party punch for all ages.

and how about these with all that left over ham. yummy. 

we all know there are limitless options for holiday sweets out there. 

this is just the beginning...

more is to come, i'm sure of it. 

i figured i better start posting now, or i'll run out of time

to post all of the cute ideas out there for this beloved time of year.

i'm hoping i was able start some brainstorming inside that little noggin of yours.

speaking of "noggin"... 

just wait until i post the best family egg nog recipe. 

and believe it or not- it's eggless. and makes enough for the army! yummy!

i hope you are gearing up for the holidays like i am.

tomorrow the advents already begin.

{am i excited and anxious? yes.}

xoxo

picture this:

it seems as though pictures may have a better explanation of 

our lovely thanksgiving weekend than words do.

from top to bottom:

our new favorite pancakes for dinner.

little baby graham tibbs. his cuteness is to die for.

fall cleaning! changing out my summer clothes to fall clothes. 

macy's thanksgiving day parade. santa being the best part.

thanksgiving dinner table at jolene's.

pulling out the christmas tree! time for decorating.

a gift of thanks.

lovebirds on thanksgiving.

so, there you have it.

our weekend was a busy but lovely one. 

{lovebird was working for most of it. including a 12 hour shift on black friday. yuck}

 it was packed full of food, a baptism, christmas decorating, a photo shoot, 

black friday shopping, visiting the tibbs and their baby, more food, studying for a test,

hanging out with friends who we rarely see, church, sleep, and...

did i mention food?

november is nearly over. december is here on thursday.

i'm excited for the holidays and christmas cheer to fill the air. 

until then, happy november.

xoxo

a little thing called busy

...and that about sums it up.

i am seriously-really-so-too-very-just-crazy busy.

it's as though time is disappearing or slipping away.

on top of that, being sick doesn't help.

upset stomach today: requires sleep and a sprite.

being sick has put a damper in my busy schedule.

how am i suppose to get anything done when i can hardly 

keep my eyes open and concentrate for more than five minutes? 

not to mention: i have got to teach piano, study for a huge test 

and go to dance fore 5 hours.

oh boy, the joys of being busy.

{hence the reason the blog has been neglected for the last few days.}

other than business, life is grand.

it feels like christmas in our home.

our cute friends had their baby boy.

and we are making plans for a fun trip.

life is good. just extremely busy. 

hope you're having a fantastic monday.

gobble.

oh, so many things.

today was lovely.

happy thanksgiving

{one last time}

christmas is already knocking at our door.

tomorrow will be spent cleaning and then decorating

for the holidays. 

i'm slightly happy lovebird will be at work all day;

i now have an excuse to craft all day, rock out to christmas music

and splurge by enjoying a nice cold diet coke.

what are you doing?

are you a black friday shopper?

as of now, i'm planning on spending the day inside.

but who knows, i might venture our for a minute. 

probably to visit lovebird on his break. 

meanwhile, anyone have a yummy treat i can bake tomorrow?

or a to-die-for christmas diy project?

i'm thankful for life, love and happiness.

and for days spent at home decorating. 

happy thanksgiving

happy thanksgiving my dear friends.

can you believe it is here? {"it" meaning the holidays.}

what a different {yet lovely} thanksgiving the two of us our having this year.

we aren't home in utah celebrating with our families.

{which, we are terribly sad about.}

however, as much as we miss them- 

we are grateful that we are stable, comfortable and happy to be here in our own little home.

we are surrounded by beautiful people; 

who make us feel as though we have the next closest thing to family.

i'm beyond grateful today for many things:

{here's my list as of today:}

the beautiful changing colors of the trees. they symbolize that god is real.

family, period. 

peppermint hot chocolate.

my healthy active body. i realize this is a rich blessing in today's world.

lovebird. in his entirety.

peanut butter. by the spoonfuls.

our little home. it's beyond cozy and truly feels like home.

my loving parents. gratitude isn't a strong enough word for them.

fall fashion. grateful for layers of colors and warmth. {scarves too- my favorite}

laughter.

my father-in-law.

the ability to dance. its a passion and way of expression.

creating memories and traditions with lovebird.

our roof over head and our bed. {including the 100 pillows on it.} 

candles. especially holiday scented ones.

the gospel. life is complete because of it.

red shoes. and red lipstick.

the glasses of ice water lovebird brings to my bed stand each night.

my brother crew. he's my best friend. 

{check out this post and this post from him.} 

perfume. oh, how i'm addicted.

hugs and compliments from unexpected people. 

adventures in unfamiliar places.

moments captured by a camera. 

phone calls regularly from my brother bret. and our relationship.

honesty.

people who say please and thank you.

desserts of all sizes, kinds, textures, and calories.

did i mention lovebird already? 

i'm thankful for the gift of life 

and all that it entails. 

i hope you all have a wonderful day full of nothing but turkey, relaxation,
friends and family and a whole lot of pumpkin pie. 

we've been celebrating this day by watching the macy's thanksgiving parade, taking a little stroll to starbucks for a pastry and a warm drink. Now we are headed to our dear friends home for a yummy and organic feast. what a lovely holiday.

congratulations {overdue}!

i'm slightly embarrassed that i'm just now getting around to

posting about lovebird's new job.

{which isn't so new anymore.}

he got a job at apple! {insert cheer here}

lovebird was born to work for apple.

either that- or he was born to own too many of their products. 

this job was a match made in heaven.

he has loved everything about it.

his new friends, learning the "secrets", exploring the products, and so much more.

the only thing he has hated:

not having time to do his homework.

the hiring process was crazy; and after a handful of interviews and two hiring seminars,

we had the feeling he hadn't made the cut.

but, it turns out he did. 

they loved him. and i'm not surprised. 

the "one" thing i love most about his job: his enthusiasm in coming home

and telling me the new trick he learned. or something fascinating about apple. 

i love the stories about the fun and crazy people he helps.

oh, and of course the perks. period.

the "one" thing i hate: feeling like we never see each other.

that's what we get for having extremely busy schedules on opposite days.

poor planning, on our behalf. maybe...?

oh, and i hate that he has to work on black friday from sun up to sun down.

who is going to decorate and go shopping with me?

any takers?

anyway- we are both thrilled about this job of his.

its always good to work. earn money. and learn.

congrats lovebird! 

picture: the day he found out, i came home with one of his favorite treats:

an orange mango smoothie from starbucks. i customized his drink just a tad. 

discovery of the year.

i about fainted when i walked onto the candy isle to discover....

christmas cadbury eggs.

{what!?!? these exist?}

i adore cadbury eggs.

not to mention, i could devour bags of them by myself.

until now, the only problem with cadbury eggs, is you can only 

find them during easter time. 

not for long! thank goodness. 

i'm anxious to try the christmas ones.

as soon as thanksgiving passes i'll be ripping a bag open.

i'm thinking they'll be my holiday treat as i decorate for christmas.

point blank: this discovery makes me happy.

very happy.

side note: i just dedicated an entire post to chocolate.

am i surprised? truthfully, no. 

it's here! the weekend, that is.

why?

because it's friday.

thank goodness. 

the weekend is finally here. 

which, in my case, the weekend doesn't really mean "weekend."

i still work and dance all day today and tomorrow. 

lovebird works all weekend too.

but, i'm okay with it.

better that we both be busy, then me left at home waiting for 

him to do something.

right?

{okay, let's face it, i'm trying to be optimistic.} 

sometimes i wonder what it feels like to have free time;

a whole day to myself. 

am i selfish for wanting that?

or even an hour to sit on the couch and not feel guilty that i should be doing

my homework rather than resting my feet. 

no, i'm not throwing a pity party.

just a wishful thinking party. 

nonetheless, it is friday. 

and for some reason friday equals happiness and a sense of freedom.

what are you doing this weekend?

gearing up for thanksgiving?

i think i'll spend the weekend dancing, homework-ing, eating, and sleeping.

i've got lots to catch up on.

thank goodness thanksgiving break is just around the corner.

after all is said and done,

make today ridiculously amazing;

friday only comes once a week. 

cheers to the weekend!

naughty or nice?

i did something naughty today. or did i?

i couldn't resist.

i'm not one of those people who decorate for christmas before thanksgiving,

however, i did just go out and buy too many decorations. 

i figured i should get a head start this year.

after all, i have an excuse; lovebird is working all next weekend,

and i plan on decorating and crafting my little heart out.

{while of course rocking out to a little mariah carey and justin beibs.}

besides, it's the only weekend i get off before christmas rolls around.

{nutcracker is a busy time, i tell you.}

needless to say, i think i've come up with enough excuses reasons
to justify my spending.

lovebird is going to think i'm naughty when he finds out.

on the other hand, santa will think i'm nice.

i hear he loves to enter homes that have been decked out with holiday cheer.

cross your fingers lovebird won't make me return anything! 

maybe if i hide everything, he won't know until i whip them out next weekend.

and when he asks, i'll simply say, "i don't know what you are talking about".

is that being naughty too?

let's be honest, lovebird is pretty consistent when it comes 
to checking our accounts online.

i often times give him a hard time about checking it too thoroughly. 

i have a feeling the computer screen will have naughty written all over it. 

santa, please help me!

time for thanksgiving

i'm a little behind on sharing these goodies from the weekend.

but... better late than never, right?

pictures above:

1. november 11, 2011. in other words, 11-11-11.

{p.s. i made certain to make the wish of a lifetime}

2. lovebird and i. after our date on saturday night. what a lovely evening. 

just spending time together, which is more special to me than anything at the moment.

3. our yummy salad for dinner. 

why do i find food so fun to photograph? 

4. malachi and isaiah: quite possibly my favorite little boys.

enjoying kalea's soccer game early saturday morning. 

we just love that family to pieces.

the week is already cruising by. it's tuesday.

time seems to be escaping, rather than flying by.

lovebird just said last night, "i can't believe thanksgiving is next week".

doesn't it feel like halloween was yesterday?

christmas will be here before we know it.

which reminds me...

i'm already gathering ideas, brain storming and planning on how to decorate.

thanks to pinterest, the options are endless.

my problem: not having enough time, having self control to not spend a bajillion dollars

just in crafts, oh and my home is too little for all that i have in mind. 

but, and it's a big but, let's get back to thanksgiving!

it's one of my favorite holidays. 

i adore it, because i feel as though the focus is being with family.

nothing is quite as awesome as sitting around a table with delicious food, intimate company,

a heart of gratitude and pumpkin pie. 

oh, and let's not forget stuffing. 

arguably my favorite part of the thanksgiving feast.

and one of the best things about marrying  lovebird...

he hates stuffing. which only means i get his portion too. 

bring on the love, time with family and the pounds.

i'm ready for you, thanksgiving.

hunger games

the hunger games.

yes, it's the official trailer.

and yes, i am already doing a countdown until march.

i may even read the book again. {for the third time}

please tell me you've read it,

and are just as excited as i am. 

happy monday.

if this doesn't brighten your day, i'm not sure what will. 

turn life off.

life is full of distractions.

tons of them. big and small.

i'm not a big tv fan. in fact joel and i rarely, if ever, watch it.

however, the computer seems to be a big distraction for me.

i could spend days on pinterest and reading blogs.

i'm going to take heed to this quote and settle in for the night reading.

thanks to my little midge who sent me a thanksgiving package...

i have a new book that anxiously awaits to be read.

title: two from galilee.

she says it is a lovely book. especially when read around the holidays.

if you are in need of a good quick read- go pick it up!

{my mom knows her books. she reads one a day. quite literally.}  

we can have a mini book club online.

happy sunday friends.

xoxo

coat closet

i'm going to let you in on a something a little personal.

we have a coat closet. a coat closet that barely shuts.

why? because lovebird has so many jackets.

of course his answer would be that i have too many jackets. 

i've been asking him for weeks to go through his jackets and throw some out.

he still hasn't done it. so....

today upon total frustration{or rather curiosity to see how many coats he has},

i simply asked him for the hundredth time if he'd done what i'd ask. 

he said no... and next thing i know we both went racing for the closet.

as we fought for control of the closet we settled on counting our jackets first

to see who needed to get rid of some. 

i'd be ashamed if i told you the number of jackets we own.

we could clothe several families. which i feel guilty about.

i blame it on the fact that we lived in utah and needed heavy coats,

and now we live in california and need light weight jackets.

heavy coats + light weight jackets= more than enough.

plus, there's a jacket for every occasion, right?

a sweatshirt {or five} to simply hang out it.

a heavy down coat for snowy blizzards.

a jacket to wear on a cool fall day.

a blazer to wear as a fashion statement.

a fleece for comfort and warmth.

a fancy number to wear to the ballet or to church.

an old fashioned pea coat. mandatory.

something knitted. 

a pull over.

a few little-bit-nicer than a sweat shirts.

help us please.

we've counted, sorted, thrown away and settled on the fact

we won't be buying a jacket for quite sometime.

unless, of course, santa {aka midge} brings us one that's irresistible.

p.s. lovebird absolutely loves when i wear his jackets.
especially when i wear them to dance.
and yes, i am being completely sarcastic. 

great minds think alike.

what an intelligent woman.

this quote is spot on reality.

 this quote simply says it all; i can't say it better. nor will i try.

what i do know, is that i want to have a great mind.

discussing ideas rather than people.

gossip is a waste of time. it's hurtful. and serves no purpose.

have a great mind; let's discuss ideas.

like the billion different ways to tie a scarf.

or how to bake a scrumptious feast for thanksgiving.

we could discuss the speed of light. that seems to be a hot topic right now.

let's talk about our economy. both the good and the bad.

we could even chat about the techniques behind interior design.

talking about photography never gets old.

we could discuss religion. 

anything, really.

anything and everything; but discussing people.

happy thursday friends.

school, ballet rehearsal and homework make up my entire day.

oh, and a fun lunch date with one of my best friends.

things wanted:

lovebird says, "you always want, want, want things..."

he is correct. these are the things i want as of late:

i want to read a book. meaning, i want the time to do so.

i want to curl up in a bathtub full of clear water with a hint of lavender.

i want to travel to bulgaria. to meet the people he adores.

i want an endless supply of pillows. decorative pillows.

i want more time with my husband.

i want to jump on the bed like i did when i was five years old.

i want to go to lunch with my mom on any given day of the week. {gosh dang it, distance.}

i want to sleep in. just one day please. 

i want to live on the east coast. even if its just for a second.

i secretly want {or maybe even need} a cleaning lady.

i want to remember my dreams detail by detail. wouldn't that be interesting?

i want {more} perfume. i am an addict.

i want an infinite amount of new pointe shoes. 

i want to relive that feeling of christmas morning as a child.

i want simplicity. 

i want to sit at a piano with chopin.

i want to write. maybe even as my profession, when i grow up. 

most of all, i want lovebird to want more things, so i don't feel so guilty. 

he's just so content. so easily pleased. and always happy. 

please know that i am more than grateful for what i have, this is simply a wish list.

xoxo.

b is for: busy, ballerina, bowling and blt's.

another weekend jam packed with things to do:

school, work {for the both of us},

rehearsals, church, bowling, decorating, 

house sitting, homework and cleaning.

life is oh so busy right now.

i can't stress enough how busy it is.

i'm still in shock that joel and i manage to get everything done.

on top of that, we hardly ever see each other.

thank goodness we have forever to spend with one other.

friday's eventful night: homemade pizza, rehearsal, lovebird worked, friends came over to hot tub.
saturday's hectic day: rehearsals and work {so repetitive}, bowling for the ballet, and frozen yogurt
with our good friends.
sunday's lazy day consisted of: church, a bundled up walk, and BLT's that were to die for.

pictures above:
lovebird sporting his school shirt. handsome and a complete goof.
some days require BLT's. i think they are underrated.
so simple, yet so delicious. perfect for a dinner in need of a quick prep.
i wore red today. head to toe. lipstick and all.
bowling was a blast. lovebird happened to be "lucky" and bowled enough
strikes for the two of us.
we were in good company. a big thanks to my friends who supported me and CWB.
the start of our thanksgiving decorations. i need some turkeys!
a picture of our rings. they never get old. remind me of what eternity stands for.
a busy november. and that's just my ballet schedule.

i wish i could capture our life better in words.
but for now, pictures will have to do the story telling.
thanks to our busy life which only allows time for a snap shot,
rather than a entry with complex words. 

be grateful

today i am thankful for these five things...

• school. i love to learn. nothing gives me a better since of accomplishment. knowledge is a quality i constantly seek to gain; simply because speaking with someone who portrays wisdom is inspiring. 
• the new pancake recipe i discovered. so delicious and healthy. lovebird devoured them. {thank you katy.} 
• sleep. never have i ever felt so busy and exhausted in my life.
• the realization that i'm getting older. believe me, this is not always a good thing. but, today for some reason, i am thankful for the opportunities that come my way due to being old growing up. 
• lotion. period. i get so dry in the cold fall and winter months. lotion is my body's oxygen right now. 

being november, i am going to post little thankful lists. it's always a good thing to count your blessings. each and every one of them. no matter how big or small. 

i double dog dear you to make your own lists. 

addiction

yet again, i am giving you up.

lovebird doesn't believe me, nor does he believe in me. 

but, i will prove him wrong.

i am giving it up for just one month.

that being my short term goal. 

{my fingers are crossed}

the real question is: how many times am i going to have to post

about giving up this delicious darn drink?

school days

lovebird's school is gorgeous.

my school has geese. 

lovebird's school looks like it belongs in england.

{red brick buildings, old, cobblestone walkways, small campus.}

my campus is wide, covers space and looks just like a california university.

lovebird's school is expensive and private.

my school is is public and decently populated.

lovebird's school is 45 minutes away from home via highway 99.

mine is 30 minutes away via country roads. 

lovebird is taking four classes.

i'm taking two.

we both love school.

and i've decided we will want our future little ones to know about

our schooling days... so that's what inspired this little post. 

greetings in november.

goodbye october. hello november.

goodbye halloween treats. hello healthy snacks.

goodbye jack-o-lanterns. hello turkeys.

goodbye swan lake performances. hello nutcracker rehearsals.

goodbye witches. hello pilgrims.

goodbye empty space. hello a new couch.

goodbye halloween. hello thanksgiving.

goodbye withdrawals. hello glee.

goodbye pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. hello pumpkin pie.

goodbye ballerina flats. hello boots with tall socks.

goodbye roots. hello blonde hair.

goodbye hopes of going home for thanksgiving. hello being just the two of us. 

goodbye dirty carpets. hello free cleaning. {thanks to renting for over a year}

goodbye old iphone. hello brand new. 

goodbye empty neck. hello scarfs. 

goodbye crowded counter top. hello thrifted bathroom cabinet. 

goodbye sugar cravings. hello self control.

goodbye iced drinks. hello warm ones.

goodbye feeling busy. hello feeling too busy. 

goodbye to warm weather. hello goosebumps.

goodbye october. hello november.