greetings in june.

goodbye may. hello june. 

goodbye school. hello summer. 

goodbye orange nail polish. hello lovely pink. 

goodbye california home. hello salt lake city home. 

goodbye bachlorettes and bachelors. hello newlyweds galore. 

{thanks to the lovely wedding season in utah}

goodbye america. hello italy.

goodbye being home. hello to foreign adventures.

goodbye familiar people and places. hello unknown excitement.

goodbye ballet season. hello summer break. 

goodbye "up the amp". hello "snob". 

{i'm talking mac lip stick colors, of course}

goodbye to living out of a closet. hello to living out of a suitcase.

goodbye "heavy" makeup. hello summer makeup, or the lack thereof.  

goodbye pasty white. hello sun kissed skin. 

goodbye to books on the shelf. hello to any recommendations?

{i'm desperate. please tell me your favorite book.}

goodbye layers of clothing. hello layers of sunblock.

goodbye tiny fear of flying. hello loooong flight to europe. 

goodbye roots. hello hair appointment. 

goodbye to lovebird for a little chunk of time. hello to romancing in florence. 

goodbye to birthday month. hello to first official month of summer. 

goodbye ballerina toes. hello pedicure.

goodbye never seeing my brothers. hello to lunch dates and tickle time.

goodbye to quite the little road trip. hello salt lake temple being oh, so close.  

goodbye early morning schedule. hello sleeping in. {ops!}

goodbye may. hello june. 

*please link up/refer back to my blog if you carry on with this idea!

i appreciate it and thank you kindly. 

happy june. 

summer lovin'

{when in doubt: add blush.}

just a little list of my current obsessions.

summer, obsessions that is:

must have makeup item: blush. i don't go a day without it.  

{currently using and loving this one in "rose lustre" from avon.}

home decor: these anthropologie mugs. 

book: rick steves' travel book for italy, of course. 

beauty product: burt's bees tinted lip balm in honeysuckle. 

{it's on clearance at target right now. run (literally) and get it!}

go-to clothing item: maxi skirt in any and every color.

summer secret: baby sunscreen. it works like a charm.

snack: these delicious pretzels. holy cow- addicting.

color: orange. i'll sport anything orange. 

activity: laying by the pool.  i feel spoiled. 

random facts of summer, but thought i'd jot them down.

i'm curious, what are your summer obsessions?

do share. 

"save me a bite".

one thing is for certain:

we had our fair share of dessert this weekend.

actually, it's safe to say solely ice-cream, gelato and frozen yogurt.

what is it with us?

or maybe i should ask, 

what is it with our desire for a cold treat every night at about 9:00?

it's slightly pathetic, but utterly delicious.

we were spoiled by san francisco's finest this past weekend.

 which, if in the area, you must go treat yourself!

{and yes, it's okay to visit all three. we sure did- all within 24 hours of one another.}

1. smitten

unique and tasty ice-cream in hayes valley. 

they literally pour the ingredients in a nifty ice-cream maker right in front of you,

then whip up your individual serving right before your eyes.

flavors change daily due to the ingredients being organic! yum.

{make sure you click the link above- it's fun to watch.} 

2. swensen's

a tradition and classic of san francisco. 

plus, it sits in one of my favorite neighborhoods to shop. 

two things you can't go wrong with.

go for the toasted almond if you're taking a stroll down hyde. 

3. yogorino

certainly the fanciest way of displaying gelato i've ever seen.

arguably, the tastiest gelato i've had up to date. 

{i can't imagine i'll be saying that much longer- italy is just around the corner. yay!}

their frozen yogurt is to die for too-

a necessary treat if you are on chestnut! 

obviously, we have turned into ice cream, gelato and frozen yogurt connoisseurs. 

perfect timing, considering we arrive in the
land of gelato {italy} in just two weeks. 

some may say it's weird that i'm already anxious to take 

my first bite of pistachio gelato on the streets of florence...

but, what can i say? it's that simple: gelato in florence, italy. 

if only i could bring back a taste for each of you.

as my mom would say, "save me a bite".

"pac heights and epi shots."

little road trip into san francisco.

golden gate bridge. {75th anniversary}

"mamma rich bucks".

six flags. too much fun.

trying on ugly shoes. 

best friends forever. 

silhouettes on a poolday.

lovebird being awfully handsome at blue barn.

laying out {more like relaxing}.

memorial day weekend has been an absolute blast.

but, that's expected when your favorite friends come into town.

we had too much fun together, and were so sad to

have to say goodbye to them today.

{we are still trying to convince them to move closer}

i can't count the seconds we spent laughing this trip.

so many inside jokes and memories were made.

life is about friends, laughter, holidays, excuses to shop, poolside relaxing,

frozen yogurt, roller coasters, food, deep conversations, bbq's, hot tubbing,

marriage, big cities, road trips and time spent in the company of those you love.

or at least that was what this weekend was all about. 

happy memorial day!

xoxo

summer at last.

school's out! boo-ya, baby!

{picture taken minutes after my final. such a relief to be done}

tuff finals are finally behind me.

summer has officially begun

 and i'm already celebrating accordingly:

i painted my nails this bright color to embrace my happiness.

i went on a little shopping spree at target.

lovebird's least favorite store, for the mere fact that i'm guaranteed to 

walk out with more items than initially planned for.  {every.single.time}

worked a little, played a little and danced a little.

my bestest friend and her cute hubby arrive today!

they're coming out to visit for the weekend- we are more than stoked. big plans ahead. 

the packing for italy has finally started. slowly, but surely. 

 mac lip stick, maxi skirts and messy braids are my favorite summer trends.

give me anything neon right now and i'll love you forever.

favorite summery product: grapefruit all purpose cleaner. 

{completely shocked that my favorite product at the moment is in the cleaning department, but it is.}

i'm totally eating everything in sight. 

in my books, that's the number one sign that's it's summertime.

hope you are embracing, celebrating and rejoicing over summertime.

how can you not?

bring on anything summer. i'm ready for you now.

books before birthday.

{unknown source}

i can't wait to tell you all about my birthday weekend.

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

i have to get through 2 finals first.

total let down, i know.

i hope you had a fabulous weekend.

mine couldn't have been any better.

i've got to turn into a total book worm for the next couple of days.

but after that, i plan on turning into a total blog worm.

i can't wait to catch up on your summer adventures. 

oh, and thanks to all of you adorable readers who sent me sweet

 birthday wishes via twitter, email and texts!

you made my birthday that much better. 

xoxo

five things friday.

five little things before the {big} weekend:

1. remember when i surprised lovebird at work for his birthday?

go check out the genius {and talent} behind the cake pops!

she has an adorable blog full of incredible crafts and the most delicious goodies.

and on top of that, she's one of a kind. i love her dearly.

2. we have a fun trip planned with my best friend and her hubby.

can't wait to meet them "in the middle" at lake tahoe.

say hello to a much needed trip with them, time to just chill, 

and the beauty of such a gorgeous place.

3. i'm so excited to spend my birthday weekend with lovebird.

he has hidden boxes from j.crew, a weekend getaway planned in the city and 

i can already tell he's spoiled me rotten.

why am i so lucky to be married to such a gem?

4. sunshine is the souls best medicine, while

a sunburn is the skin's worst nightmare.

i've experience the love and hate of both this week.

i blame the burning desire to read my book out in the sun. pun intended.

by the way, i finished my book already. loved it.

i'm not going to tell you again- read it now! 

5.a few of my favorite things from this week include:

crisp and clean bed sheets, sally hansen nail strips, a morning date with

my {other} best friend, lovebird's laugh attack, yogurt mill,

the product of a clean house after slave work,

dry shampoo, reading, mac's new russian red lip gloss, and 

complete freedom in the evenings as a result of not having rehearsal.

spoonful of memories.

{source}


a recent discovery:

 talenti belgian milk chocolate gelato.

why you ask?

well, you see... growing up in utah, 

i was spoiled with the a special popsicle... 

 a good ol' fashioned creamie.

they have always been {and still are} one of my favorite treats.

lovebird's favorite: mint 

my favorite: banana or chocolate. 

if you're an avid follower of my blog {which, i thank you for},
you're already aware of my crazy obsession to 

talenti gelato.

{i've blogged about it here, here, here and here.}

it's safe to say, i've tried just about every flavor now. pathetic, right?

"belgian milk chocolate" being the latest flavor to test. 

the first bite flooded my brain with childhood memories.

it was as if i was sitting at the tennis club with my best friend

biting into a soft chocolate creamie. 

the memories kept coming. and so did the bites of gelato.

i was walking down memory lane all night long,

thanks to the incredible sense of taste and smell that triggers 

the ability to recall such vivid memories.  

this flavor is a must.

even if you are skeptical {like i was} on buying "plain old chocolate" for an outrageous price.

it's well worth it, because after all, memories are priceless. 

p.s. if i haven't yet convinced you of this gelato- watch this. 

or see how many other people are in love too.

just one.

source

i sometimes find myself wishing for this or that.

i often times try to be like her or her.

i always put a lot {too much} on my plate.

i sometimes feel like i don't see lovebird enough.

i often worry about my appearance way more than i should. 

i always say yes to people. 

{more like i have the hardest time saying no.} 

i rarely break rules. 

i sometimes wish money grew on trees; only so i didn't have to work so much.

i often feel as though i fall short of people's expectations.

{or rather the high expectations i have for myself}

i am a perfectionist.

 life is a gift.

here's the correct way of saying those phrases above:

i am grateful for what i do have. wishing is a good thing.

i am who i am, and lovebird thinks i'm perfect. so that's all i need.

i put a lot on my plate because i love serving others.

we are at a busy stage in life. time with lovebird is bound to come later.

{every minute i get with him now, is truly lovely.}

appearance isn't everything. in fact, in the grand scheme of things, it's nothing.

i need to learn to say no. 

i plan on breaking more rules. 

{as in, i may just have to give into that rebellious streak of mine.} 

money doesn't grow on trees, and for that i am thankful. 

{working for things is vital for true happiness and success.}

i won't lower my expectations. 

but rather be satisfied with what i did accomplish, instead of dwelling on what i didn't. 

i will always be a perfectionist; it makes life challenging, and that i love. 

i am truly grateful for the one life i have been given.

it is up to me to make the most of it. 

today, my attitude about life has been changed forever...

and i'll be certain to act accordingly. 

happy living! 

xo

snapshots.

 well, hello there.

since life never gets the hint to slow down,

i thought i'd try to catch you up on our little life via  the quick 

snapshots of our crazy life as of late.

1. jean shirt and ray bans. never can go wrong with either.

2. raisin bread toast. an instant reminder of my grandma duffin. 

3. current read: between shades of gray.

{a quick read; certainly worth it. it's so beautifully written.}

i'm carried away in it's pages. find it here. 

4. mid air- just proving to my brothers who the real athlete is.

{obviously, a family inside joke}

5. one of our local organic markets. simply heavenly.

6. my graffiti on a chalkboard table. doodling is arguably my favorite hobby.

7. finally let lovebird take me to see the avengers.

i'll admit, i should have gone sooner. it was quite good.

8. i've been craving poolside time lately.

summer feels like it's begun, even though i still have two finals next week. 

there you have it. 

come follow me on instagram and lead me back to your fun pictures.

i can already promise i'll stalk you- as in be your biggest fan, of course. 

{username: eleasejane}

xoxo

p.s. don't forget to email me if you 
are interested in guest posting!
there are still some available days- 
and i'd love to feature you!
thelittlelovebirds.blog@gmail.com

technology saved the day.

being away from both of our mother's was a bit hard yesterday.

we miss them both oh, so much.

my dear mother is in utah,

while lovebird's sweet mother is in heaven.

we're thankful for the remarkable mothers they were and continue to be. 

my mother being my everything- including my best friend

and lovebird's mom being his inspiration and maker of his personality...

is just the beginning to who they are to us. 

we are forever indebted to their sweet spirits.

they've showered us with kisses, hugs, advice, tears and support.

we love you, both. 

hope you enjoyed receiving flowers through the phone-

bet you didn't know we were that on top of it, did you?

mother's day meant something different this year:

crew's {aka: elder carlson} first mother's day on the mission!

we {finally} got to speak with him and see his handsome face!

due to the wonders of technology,

he was able to call home {via skype} to my family in utah.

they then called us {via the iPhone} so that we could use FaceTime to see him!

it was all so complicated.

viewing him through two screens was better than nothing.

quick update:

i'm forever grateful for his distinct laugh,

his devotion {and frustration} with the language,

the happiness that came radiating from his heart,

and his love for mexico, the gospel and the people around him

i hope you all had an awesome day spoiling your mother's with love yesterday.  

we sure did, even being miles and aeons away from them.

xoxo

"oh, the places you go."

time for an announcement:

we have a little trip planned.

okay, i lie... it's kind of a big trip.

we are going to italy!

i repeat, italy. 

i'll let you in on a deep secret of mine:

traveling to italy has been a big hope, dream and fantasy of mine.

in fact, lovebird originally booked our honeymoon there,

but i vetoed {quite literally, canceled} that grand plan back in the days.

shocking right? 

you see, back then i wanted to enjoy being newlyweds-  we were just barely mr. and mrs.

i wanted my new hubby all to myself as we relaxed on a beach after a crazy summer of wedding planning.

now however, i'm ready for the thrill of italy.

i no longer want to sit and relax on a beach with lovebird-

but rather walk the streets of italy until our feet hurt,

eat gelato until our bellies ache, 

and visit the historical museums, monuments and churches.

i want to eat pasta like lady and the tramp,

travel by train with backpacks making many stops,

and spend every waking minute laughing and exploring with lovebird.

obviously, i am still in the honeymoon/newlywed stage of life.

but, i'm completely okay with that.

what better way to spend our days being madly in love 

than in the romantic cities of italy.

we are beyond excited.

so now, let the recommendations and suggestions begin:

we are looking to anything and everything!

i'd love to hear about your trips, experiences and knowledge of italy!

or if you know of any lovely italian bloggers, please leave the link below! 

xoxo

busy being busy.

dear blog:

you can thank my finals for never seeing me.

{and the worst part is, i still have two more.}

you can also thank lovebird-

he has been quite demanding of my time,

now that he knows i have a little extra time to spare.

{obviously, i don't object to this in the slightest.}

i've been as busy as a bee over here.

with dance coming to an end

plus the school semester wrapping up,

things on the busy scale in life have really been amplified.

i'm alive, though.

and for that, i'm thankful.

i'm thankful for performing, testing, stress, lack of time and hardly any sleep- 

they all make life exciting in an unexpected way. 

that being said, i will definitely be

just a little more thankful when it's all over.....

because lovebird and i have a lovely getaway planned.

one that i can't wait to tell you about. 

i promise to be better at posting and writing about our

crazy adventures in life right now.

and to my readers and blogs i love to follow:

i promise i will be back at %100 in the next few days.

i've missed you and your cute blogs dearly.

p.s. if you would be interested in guest posting while lovebird and i

spend time far, far away.... 

please email me at

thelittlelovebirds.blog@gmail.com

{dates of guest posting will be in june and july}

done and done.

the season has come to a close.

{this phrase might be foreign to those outside of the ballet word}

i am officially as free as a bird.

my afternoons and evenings won't consist of five hour rehearsals.

{at least for a few months}

it's time to celebrate.

{picture source}

here are the first five things on my "to do" list now that dance is over:

1. hit the spa, duh.

as in get a pedicure to remove my calluses and cover my bruised toenails,

and paint my fingernails a funky-bright color.

{i've been dying to do these both for a couple of weeks now}

2. spend my evenings with lovebird.

this never happens, and i mean never.

i plan on cooking lots of dinners so we can eat 

at a normal hour instead of at 10:00.

cuddle on the couch, watch movies and eat gelato.

and get planning our little trip that is coming up oh-so-soon. 

3. soak up some vitamin d.

simply sit by our pool, relax, drink lemonade and read a book not related to school.

all, of course, while getting a healthy dose of the sun.

i repeat: healthy.

{i've decided getting a nice golden tan is officially lame and stupid.}

4. study for finals.

i realize this isn't so fun...

however, i'm excited to see what school is like without having to stress

and juggle homework and studying around 40 hours of dance each week. 

{not to mention, teaching piano and my other little job.}

5. clean our little home.

you'd think a tornado had come and gone through our little place.

{rather a tornado of busyness, school, stress and lack of extra time.} 

i'm a clean freak... and it's driving me crazy.

but now, with a little spare time i've already fantasized about being cinderella.

let's face it: i enjoy cleaning.

and i enjoy nothing more than the sight of a clean home.

well, there you have it.

there's my recipe to a celebration at the moment.

i'm looking forward to catching up on all the fun things
that i've missed on your lovely blogs while i've been busy performing.

{i'll post pictures of the show soon- i promise}

xoxo

p.s. don't forget that the coupon for nicole's shop is still up an running!

go take advantage of an awesome discount on such lovely prints! 

coupon code: lovebirds

sharing the stage for the last time.

tonight is opening night of 

romeo & juliet.

so happy the performance is almost here.

we've been rehearsing for what feels like forever,

and nothing beats the thrill of finally performing.

as happy as it will be to do what i love most in life,

tonight may cause a few tears to fall.

it's my best friend's last performance with the company.
he's been more than just a best friend to me,

he's been my everything in life.

{and i can even say he's been my romeo.}

i'm happy for his adventures that will soon come his way

and for the new chapter in life he's about to begin. 

i'm forever thankful for the memories we've shared on stage together,

the diet cokes we've laughed over, and the countless days

we have spent in the company of one another.

i love you joe.

good luck on your last performance as romeo,

you will be nothing short of the best. 

{here's a little teaser of our show!}

bet you didn't know i could sword fight.

{more like fence, but sword fighting sounds more impressive}

grab your ticket to the show now! 

one last thing:

giveaway winners announced!

{drum roll please}

the giveaway winner of a print from haley's shop is: 

and the giveaway winner of a print from cole&co designs is:

congratulations!

send me your mailing information via email so we can ship you your lovely gift! 

xoxo 

on the go.

hello lovely readers, 

happy thursday.

i'm doing all i can to keep my head above water right now.

the word busy is an understatement.

that being said, busy is a good thing.

it keeps me on my toes.

{quite literally.}

i have just enough time to make a list of a few things

i'm simply loving at the moment:

1. i adore this hair color. so rich and beautiful.

i'm thinking this will be the picture i take into my next hair appointment.

2. i love catching myself in a moment of happiness. 

{one that makes me stop and smile to myself.}

right now, i catch myself in those moments when i'm day dreaming;

day dreaming about the adventures and mini trips lovebird and i will soon go on.

3. if i could be a wedding dress model,

i would beg to wear this one. 

simply put, i'm smitten by the bow. 

4.hearing my little brother's voice on the phone this week was amazing.

it's only been two months, but boy do i miss him.

hearing his laugh on monday will get me through the next 88 mondays.

5. i'm a ballerina, it's no wonder i love:

these cute colors, this leotard, and this hair tutorial.

i hope you are having a busy yet fantastic week.

the first week of may deserves a little celebration every day. 

i'm on the go as usual,

but i hope to sit and stay awhile next week.

{i'm counting down the days}

xoxo

greetings in may.

goodbye april. hello may.

goodbye easter. hello birthday.

goodbye 22. hello 23. {i'm getting so old.}

goodbye rehearsals of romeo & juliet. hello last performances of the season.

goodbye april showers. hello may flowers.

goodbye dance. hello extra time in the day. {freedom! yay!}

goodbye lectures. hello finals. 

goodbye old desires of getting a dark tan. hello to sunscreen and pale skin all summer long. 

goodbye bruised toenails. hello to multiple pedicures.

{bonus to being done with the ballet season}

goodbye delaying homework due to being busy.
hello to buckling down and actually doing it.

goodbye to working out in the dance studio. hello to the gym.

goodbye "dear elders" to crew. hello long distance letters.

goodbye to a closet full of clothes in the "awkward" season.
hello to summer clothes on the hangers.

{awkward season= a little bit of winter and spring mixed}

goodbye high maintenance hair. hello messy braids.

goodbye dinner at 9:30. hello evenings spent with lovebird.

goodbye pointe shoes. hello sandals and flip flops.

goodbye tied down saturdays.
hello day trips and to san francisco, yosemite, and the beaches that surround us.

goodbye carb craving. hello vegetable indulgence.

goodbye staying up too late. hello "early to bed and early to rise".

goodbye dreams of traveling. hello planning reality.

goodbye april. hello may.

happy may!

it's my favorite month of the year.

{i swear that has nothing to do with it being my birthday month- i just love the month of may.}

i am excited to see your "goodbye-hello" lists this month.

link up or leave a comment below leading me to your lovely lists! 

xoxo