thirty-one little photos.

january 2012.

there you have it: a photo a day for the month of january.

{plus the list and an extra "childhood" picture.}

xoxo

{p.s. you can find me on instagram. user name: eleasejane}

nice to meet you.

meet my cute new friend.

meg from the happy hour.

check out her blog over here.

{she was sweet enough to also say a few kind words about me.}

you'll soon discover that she's a real beauty, very charming and simply lovely inside and out.

i hope you enjoy reading about her fun life with her hubby, her tips on "brightening your smile",

and her cute way with fashion. 

{i want to go shopping in her closet and eat all the yummy things she posts.}

i hope you find your way over to her lovely blog today. 

xoxo

love is in the air.

february is quickly approaching.

here are the things i simply adore or am in love with right now.

take a peak, please.

these earrings are to die for. classic, vintage and mint green.

lipstick. i can't seem to have enough shades these days.

it's my make up staple at the moment. 

this "stuff" is to die for. pistachio and salted carmel tie for first place.

our favorite indulgence given lovebird's allergy to milk.

this sweet gift idea. wouldn't you love to find these on your doorstep?

any day of the week. tulips are charming.

this skirt. simply gorgeous and elegant.

it reminds me of a ballerina. 

next diy project. planning on covering my mantel in the spring. 

i've got to start collecting my tin cans. 

favorite quote. lovebird and say this at least ten times a day. 

it's actually become a little game/inside joke of ours.

love it, and love him. 

what are your favorites? the things you adore? or are currently crushing over?

i'm dying to know. 

xoxo

weekend of pictures.

the weekend went a little like this:

1. first day of spring semester. 

{loving it already. i can tell it's going to be a good semester}

2. went to dinner with friends both thursday and friday night. 

{i was oh-so-jealous of leonard's milkshake.}

3. worked on 'decorations' for crew's farewell.

{i'm already getting teary eyed just thinking about him leaving in one month from today.}

4. we gave kramer a bath and cleaned his tank. 

{he is one happy pet now. still our favorite fish. going on 9 months now.}

5. let the fun begin. aka: homework. 

{lovebird's sunday's consist of nothing but doing homework, eating dinner, and kissing me in between.}

6. we got a "valentine's" package from midge. a handmade quilt was inside.

{isn't my mother simply the best? wow.}

7. our little package inspired me to pull out some decorations for v-day.

{need a fun, cute and cheap decoration? fill a vase with heart marshmallows!}

8. dancing in the sunshine after saturday's class.

{as much as i dread going to dance on saturday's, they always seem to be the most fun.}

happy weekend. xoxo.

wake up slow.

the day started out a little like this...

a yummy chocolate drink midge gave me for christmas.

topped with snowman marshmallows. 

{french vanilla-melt in your mouth-marshmellows}

i'm still in lovebird's pajama's embracing my last morning of freedom.

tomorrow is a school day.

it all starts over again.

am i ready?

yes and no.

yes- because i love exercising my brain and learning. nerd alert, i know.

no- because it's been nice to have time to myself.

{time to wake up slowly and sip on a warm drink.}

and because life seems so less crazy without a commute, classes, and study time.

so, today will be a day of enjoyment and relaxation.

life is beautiful. 

especially when waking up slow to enjoy time, the winter weather and the love of

your life snuggled up next to you in bed.

i guess it's apparent that i took yesterday's quote to heart. 

i'm feeling better already. 

relax a little.

happy wednesday.

or hump day, depending on how your day is going.

i posted a little quote to help the week go by quicker. 

this quote rings so true. 

do you ever find your self relaxing when you are extremely busy?

no. it's definitely rare. 

however, when you seem to have a break from the business of life,

all you do is relax and veg.

i'm going to try to remember to take time to relax even if it's for 20 minutes of the day.

school is about to begin, which always makes for a crazy schedule

on top of the {too} crazy one i already have. 

i have a feeling a little relaxation will train my body to enjoy being busy.

does that even make sense? 

i sure hope so. 

i guess it's apparent i'm having a hump day. 

carry on. 

xoxo

day numbered by 10.

it's one of those days....

1. that i wear a bright pink lipstick and hardly any other makeup.

2. can't stop eating. {and no, it's not pms; just food cravings.}

3. go to lunch with a best friend.

4. walk to a parked car and try to get in it, to soon realize it's not mine.

{can you say embarrassing? and yes, people were watching.}

5. wake up feeling like i hardly even slept.

6. i can literally feel the anxiety of school staring back up again.

that, and realizing i only have a couple more days of true freedom left.

7. i have a burning desire to get so many things done; yet manage not to do any of them.

8. where my hands and feet are icicles. 

{due to either bad circulation or this wintery weather}

9. could squeeze lovebird to death. 

you know, the days you feel like you just can't get enough of him?

10. have major plans to cook dinner. but dread going to the grocery store.

yup. that's my day in a nutshell.

take it for what it is.

there's a little good, a little bad and a little lazy.

happy tuesday.

xoxo

{photo: proof of the pink lipstick. lovebird loves my addiction to lip "stuff".}

{... yes, i am being sarcastic. he thinks i'm crazy.}

weekend in review.

this weekend was a little whacked out:

friday: girls night out.

all you really need to know is:

we stayed up until 5 in the morning. 

{i honestly don't think i've done this since the dating days with lovebird}

was it worth it? yes. 

was i exhausted? yes. i still am, actually.

saturday: dance and date night.

after getting three [very short] hours of sleep...

i had dance/rehearsal all day.

a new level of tiredness hit me that day.

maybe i'm getting old.

i raced home to shower and meet our favorite friends for din din.

we played games and chitchatted- yet again, far after my bed time.

sunday: a time to relax. well, sort of.

waking up for church today seemed like an impossible feat. 

teaching my little ones in primary was glorious and challenging.

it wore me out a smidgen more. 

{if that was even possible.} 

came home to eat a hurried lunch, and cozy up on the couch for a much needed nap.

spent the night at our other favorite friends house for a delicious dinner.

and came home to finish cleaning, laundry and homework.

weekend overall: exhausting yet necessary. 

girl friends, dinner dates and little sleep can sometimes be therapeutic.

i'm reminded of how blessed i am to have friends, food, a night full of sleep and love.  

{picture: anytime not in public this weekend... was definitely spent in pi's and glasses.}

boys will be boys.

let's talk about boys.

yes, some of them still have cooties...

but for the most we can see past those cooties of theirs.

first guy on the list: zac efron.

i've never been a die heart fan of him. in fact, i haven't really

ever been googly eyed over him. until....

i went and saw new year's eve in the theaters.

he is a complete stud in that movie.

he's got the looks and the personality going on in that movie. 

well done, zac.

next guy on the list: our future president.

that is assuming he will be a boy.

what do you think?

are you following politics right now?

i'm a little torn and confused right now.

third guy on the list: jude law.

let's face it... he will be on every "boy" list of mine.

he's my crush, obsession, and i like to think of myself as his biggest fan.

next guy: josh hutcherson

casted as peeta in the hunger games movie.

is he a perfect match?

quite possibly.

are you in love with him?

i'm still sitting on the fence about this one. 

fifth guy: lovebird.

if we were numbering in order of importance he'd be number one on the list.

but, i'm not. i'm numbering in random order to throw you all for a loop. 

lovebird is simply my everything;

my love and my happiness in life.

he completes me. the end

up next on the list: the bachelor.

don't pretend like you don't watch the show;

we all know you've seen a glimpse of it.

ben is a cutie. 

i hope his heart isn't shattered again.

{i actualy haven't watched this season, yet. shame on me.}

next guy up for discussion: your first "true" love.

do you ever think about him?

do you ever wonder where he is in life?

the last time you were with him was at sixth grade graduation, right?

or maybe you were swinging on the monkey bars right before you 

pinky promised to love each other forever.

or maybe he came along in high school; 

and maybe you've watched his life unfold from a distance. 

first loves are first loves- you will always love him.

and lastly: your daddy.

daddy daughter relationships are irreplaceable. 

my dad takes the cake on this list of "boys". {shh! don't tell lovebird}

dad's are special.

and maybe that's because they warn you about boys and their cooties.

they are always looking out for your best interest.

they never break your heart, but rather mend and support it.

love for dad's are infinite.

i'm lucky to have the one i do.

i'm curious to see your opinions about this list of boys.

or by all means, please add to the list.

remember: boys with cooties aren't allowed. 


{p.s. i only included three pictures- due to not wanting this to turn into a lengthy post.}

gulp.

it's official... lovebird has gone off the deep end.

he's jumped into the sea full of greens.

aka: he's juicing.

you know, the thing that all celebrities swear by?

or what vegetarians promote?

or what extremely healthy people do for all three meals?

or what half the nation is doing right now, thanks to new year's resolutions

of eating healthy and slimming down?

regardless, he's jumped on that band wagon.

and, i hate to say it, but he loves it. 

on the other hand... i am not so in love with it.

why?

1. i typically haven't been a good "eat your greens" person.

2. i can't cook a dinner full of meat, carbs, starches and all things i love. 

3. the juicer is a pain in the butt {excuse my language} to clean. 

but, that being said...

it is growing on me.

if i chug it down in one sip, the aftertaste can be cured with a piece of gum.

my body does feel different and better.

and i can finally say i'm somewhat of a healthy eater. 

we'll see how long this healthy kick lasts.

{we are both hoping to last longer than the push from it being a new year}

i'm feeling it might be a permeant thing for lovebird.

as for me... it might just be a trial run. 

one things for certain:

eat your greens

whether juiced, raw, cooked or covered in ranch. 

you will feel better.

and that's a promise. 

cover to cover.

i'm a magazine junkie.

i tell you, i could spend hours at barnes & noble

{currently my favorite place on the planet}

simply reading magazines from cover to cover.

home, fashion, health, times... and the list goes on.

it doesn't matter which one or how many.... 

as long as i'm sitting in one of those wood chairs, 

inhaling the smell of new books, while being serenaded with "bookstore" music.

this has become a slight problem, however.

i have every intention of going to the bookstore to catch up on my 

long list of books to read.

life is too short to not read every single day. 

think of all the books out there you will never read, simply due to not enough time.

that thought kills me. 

if only it was world wide requirement to schedule an hour a day just for reading.

that would be heavenly.

until then, time spent sifting through pages of magazines

will be my sinful addiction. 

what magazines are you subscribed to monthly?

{come on... let me know of your secret stash.}

or what magazines to you gravitate towards reading when you have time to kill?

p.s. i love this, this and this craft with all of those extra magazines that sit and collect dust! 

...and this is an adorable valentine idea! 

read, craft, and dream on. 

xoxo

this one takes the cake.

it's time to let you in on another little secret: 

the honest truth: i can't buy the "good" or expensive stuff

  at the rate we lovebird goes through shower gel.

so leaving those luscious bath and body work scents behind,

we've resulted in trying a billion different kinds. 

you name it: target brand, aveeno, olay, walmart brand, aveda, suave, dove...

yep, we've gone through them all. and probably all of the different scents too.

last weekend, i made a quick trip to rite aid... 

and came across this clearance item:

i thought, "what the heck, why not?"

brought it home, and naturally placed it in the shower.

the next morning, lovebird calls out from the shower, "why did you buy baby stuff?"

 i assured him to look closely; baby brand but "adult" stuff.

after his pickiness passed, he lathered up with what has now become our favorite.

{okay, probably more my favorite}

i'm telling you, it smells delicious and truly moisturizes.

both are key if you ask me. 

lessons learned:

1. it's okay to buy "baby stuff".

 2. never judge a book by it's cover.

3. husband will devour you with kisses if you shower too close to bedtime. 

{thanks to the delicious smell that last until your next shower.} 

"if" is the key word.

happy friday.

i always embrace friday with open arms.

i hope you have a lovely weekend planned out.

our's consists of work, rehearsal, snuggles, 

books and "what if's"...

if i could have short hair, this would be the look.

{image via}
if i could eat "junk" all day long and not gain a pound, i so would.

{image via}

if i could climb into a bed, i would jump into this one.

{image via}

if i could buy one thing right now, it would be a big bookcase to house all of my books.

{image via}
if i were to ever get a tattoo, it would be of a bird. no questions asked.

{source unknown}
if i had to describe the way i felt about life in just a few words, these would be them:

{source unknown}

if i could do one thing forever and for always, it would be to dance.

{source unknown}

if i could get away with it, i'd paint my nails a different color every day. unlimited supply, please.

{image via}


"if, if, if..."
if only life were that simple.
i'm not complaining. i love daydreaming.
what are your "if's"? i'm very curious.

picture promise.

today i feel lazy.

i'm not a lazy person. so, perhaps it's a state of relaxation.

just yesterday, i told lovebird i am going to enjoy every last second of my school break,

because once school is added to the mix... i feel as though i barely have time to breathe.

back to being lazy.

there is one thing that i am lazy at;

 that would be uploading my pictures to my computer off my "real" camera.

today's total of pictures: 982. 

yikes. that is a lot of sorting, fixing, remembering and organizing.

it's so convenient to have a nice camera on my phone.

it's always with me, it's light weight in my purse, and it's literally fun to 

take snap shots of everyday life.

i forget to grab my camera and put it around my neck.

next to my iPhone- it seems bulky, heavy and far too professional. 

but, and it's a big but....

i do love the pictures my camera takes far better than my phone.

the image is a billion times different, sharper and prettier. 

why am i lazy about it then?

this makes no sense to me.

that is why, this is one of my new year's resolutions.

after all, we did drop some serious cash on this little baby.
so, why have it sit and stare at us?

maybe if i put it on the table by the front door, i'll feel guilty about leaving it behind.

i do get attached to things that really don't have feelings.

it's one of my strange qualities that lovebird finds amusing. 

so, there you have it:

i've admitted to being lazing in the photo department.

i've admitted to being a weirdo.

and i've admitted that i'm promising something i may not live up to. 

please expect pictures on the blog. 

and if you aren't seeing them, i would love a friendly reminder. 

love vs. hate

things i love as of late:

1. pistachio gelato, quinoa and a vegetarian burrito bowl from chipotle.

food. food. food. 

these are my cravings lately. 

2. going back to my second home in life; the dance studio. 

as nice as it was to stuff my face with carbs and sugar during break...

it's not so nice putting leotards and tights  back on.

that being said, the motivation to get back in shape is exhilarating. 

3. reading.

oh, how lovely it is to pick up a book for enjoyment rather than for school.

we've been cozying up while reading ourselves to sleep. it's the perfect ending to a day.

4. aquifer lip balm.

it's incredible.

i've been addicted to aquifer for years. but the new lip "stuff" takes the cake.

5. little old grandpa's and grandma's out and about.

they melt my heart on a daily basis.

movies, grocery stores, restaurants...

i wonder and hope we'll be as charming and as cute, years down the road from now. 

things i hate as of late:

{strongly dislike or am easily bugged by}

1. the "bumps" on the road.

california roads have obnoxious bumps as dividers for the lanes instead of nice smooth lines.

it sounds and feels like a miniature earthquake every time you change lanes.

2. the opposition in our school semesters.

lovebird started this monday. i start in three weeks.

this so kindly makes our spring breaks and the last day of the term one month apart from each other. boo.

3. the way my body aches. 

welcome back to ballet.

every muscle is screaming. quite literally.

especially my neck. i underestimated just how much ballerinas use their necks.

4. dry skin.

i'm a crocodile right now. and that about says it all.

5. when someone walks out of a public bathroom without washing their hands.

yes, i'm a germ-a-phob. but, that's besides the point.

it's disgusting in every way.

a little love-hating in life can never do you harm.

{as long as you love more than you hate.}

empty walls and ideas.

i love january.

it's a fresh start for so many things.

it's rejuvenating, rewarding, and relaxing after the holidays.

however, i have one {minor} issue with january....

i don't know how to decorate my home.

taking down the christmas decorations is a hassle, but always feels so good.

after doing so, my house feels quite empty.

i no longer live in a place with snow, so i can't do snowmen.

january is in the winter time. but decorating with snowflakes just doesn't feel right,

when i look out my window to find large palm trees, green grass and sunshine.

any suggestions?

i've raided pinterest and several magazines.

do i get a head start on valentines? 

{i've never been a huge valentines-hearts-roses person}

or do i embrace the "emptiness" of my home?

i thought i would see what you had to say.

i'm hoping i'm not the only one out there who feels this way.

p.s. dance started back up yesterday.

i can barely walk.

it's funny how long it takes to get into shape,

yet how fast you can fall out of shape.

{funny how that works.}

messy to the next level.

i'm in love:

in love with this new fad of doing your hair over-the-top messy.

{considering the fact that my hair is put into a neat and clean bun every single day for ballet....}

my insides jump for joy at the idea of doing this hairdo on the weekend.

is this flattering to you?

or do you feel as though it looks like a case of bed head and laziness?

regardless, i'm in love with messy, easy and beautiful.

i'll let you know how it turns out.

happy sunday, by the way.

xoxo

just yesterday, you were 4 years old.

oh, wait! how dare i forget to blog about this.

it's awfully important, after all.

crew went through the temple while we were visiting in utah.

{december.twenty.eight.two.thousand.eleven}

what a beautiful day and remarkable thing.

we are both so happy for him. and extremely proud of him.

it was a day spent in love, laughter and spirituality. 

the support of extended family was unreal.

we headed back to aunt carol's for a delicious dinner.

the day could have lasted forever.

it was a perfect day.

greetings in january.

whoa! i am way behind schedule.

i guess that's what happens when life gets crazy.

{traveling, holidays and a busy schedule = neglecting the blog.}

but, i'm back.

and here to stay for awhile.

i've got to keep up on blogging so lovebird and i will always 

remember our little adventures.

anyway...

since it's tradition, i won't waste anymore time....

goodbye december. hello january.

goodbye 2011. hello 2012.
goodbye santa clause. hello confetti.
goodbye bad habits. hello new goals.
goodbye holidays. hello mellow month.
goodbye laziness. hello ballet.
goodbye break from school and dance. hello schedule.
goodbye lack of self control. hello fruits and veggies.
goodbye cracked hands. hello lots of lotion.
goodbye family time. hello just the two of us.
goodbye excuses. hello priorities.
goodbye sleepy eyes. hello reading at night.
goodbye cheerios for breakfast. hello new addiction: grapefruit.
goodbye spending. hello saving.
goodbye soda. hello water. {only because lovebird is making me.}
goodbye to being set in my ways. hello motivation.
goodbye scrapbooks. hello smash book. {i already love you}
goodbye bitter cold. hello pocket of sunshine.
goodbye book shelf. hello bookcase.
goodbye christmas decorations. hello emptiness.
goodbye december. hello january.
goodbye 2011. hello 2012.

cheers to a new year!

{last pictures taken of us in 2011.}

i am not the biggest fan of new years eve.

you can call me scrooge. i don't mind.

the two best things about the holiday are:

1. wearing all things that glitter and sparkle.

2. eating delicious food.

don't get me wrong...

 the countdown to midnight, the kiss triggered by the strike of a clock,

 the fireworks and the lovely friends and family 

we find celebrating with are oh so great. 

but..... there is something that just doesn't click for me.

i sometimes think ordering in chinese food, snuggling on the couch

while just the two of us countdown and ring in the new year would 

make me fall in love with the holiday.

that being said, we did have a fun time last night.

it was spent with family up in park city and midway.

we ate lots of yummy {and expensive} food.

we laughed until we were blue in the face.

we cheered on the utes in the bowl game.

we raced down to celebrate midnight with dear friends.

and we came home to fall asleep talking about things in 2012.

two.thousand.and.twelve.

it's here already. 

we've quickly said goodbye to 2011.

funny how that happens.

it was a year full of all good things.

{staring school for me. new job for lovebird. house guest for a month. trips home to utah. friends tied the knot. more friends engaged. contract with cwb. holidays. visits from family. our one year anniversary. romantic getaway to monterey. got a piano. moved apartments. straight a's. lovebird's quarter of a century birthday. made new, and now close, friends. lovebird tore his cal and got surgery. crew going through the temple; crew getting his mission call. many day trips to our city: san francisco. new church callings. and the list goes on.}

we fell in love all over again in 2011.

and plan on doing just that in 2012.

365 days: so much to do, see, explore and feel.

we are anxiously awaiting everything that comes our way

whether by choice or by fate. 

happy 2012.

cheers to the new year!