Blondes, Books & Berries

The ward we attend is 90% great grandparents and 10% college students. (I think "great grandparents" is a better term than "extremely elderly".) One of the great grandparents brought this cut-out from a Land's End Catalog and handed it to me. I thought it was pretty cute that he thought she looked like me so much that he took the effort to cut it out and bring it to me. Maybe I missed out on my modeling career and maybe I need a tan.


The University of Utah was on Spring Break this week which meant 11 lonely nights for me and I found myself with extra time to read. I skimmed through Becca's reviews and picked these three that I borrowed from the library. I wrote reviews for two on Goodreads and I will write one for Contact when I finish it.

Coming of Age in Mississippi has some rough language so I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but I am glad I read it. It is an autobiography by a girl born in 1940 who grew up on a plantation farm in Mississippi. Even though I was raised under different circumstances, I still related to her and was continually reminded that Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us. This book increased my sense of gratitude, helped me develop a greater understanding for others, and gave me an optimistic perspective on my own life. Thank you for the reviews Becca.


One of my teeth got a tiny chip after I had some dental work done in December. It hurt but I thought I would adjust to it over time. I figured I could mostly chew on the other side and avoid foods that caused me the most pain. After being encouraged by my loving husband, I went back this week and celebrated today by enjoying every bite of this delicious bowl of strawberries. Strawberries are my favorite fruit. My mom used to buy huge flats from the strawberry stands and we would make them disappear fast. I am so glad to have it fixed.


That's all for now. I hope you are having a great day :)

Make My Day

I thought I would highlight some of the little things in our home that frequently make me smile. It is the little things that make my day more often than not and there was a lot to choose from so I may have to do a sequel some day.

Sometimes there is nothing better than starting the day with a warm bowl of Old Fashioned Oatmeal. I know I'm getting old because I've lost my desire to eat crunchy cereal. My teeth just aren't what they used to be. But a warm bowl of oats fills me up and makes my tummy smile.


Then, I know this is a little silly, but I really enjoy getting ready in the morning. I think it is partially because it is the one excuse I have everyday to justifiably use my artsy talents without feeling guilty about wasting time. Maybe I'm vain, but it is fun for me to play with make-up and I can easily spend more time in the bathroom than the average girl does if I don't watch the clock.

I used to buy super expensive stuff but since I've been married, I have made a huge effort to find less expensive products I like. It has been challenging, but I think I've done well. My favorite product these days is the green stuff on the left by Smashbox. It balances out red skin tones. I can honestly say, I have had a morning when I didn't want to get out of bed, and do you know what ran through my mind? "If you get up, you can put the green stuff on." Yes, I know you think I'm odd. But that did it for me, up I went and I got ready.


If you thought I was odd about make-up, you may want to stop reading because it gets worst. Yes, next is toilet paper. Quilted Northern to be more specific. I use it everyday. I do like the quality it provides but really, the little hearts sewn in by the quilters :) is what makes me smile. I have tried many brands over the years but nothing ever feels as good as seeing those little hearts.



Birds. Our kitchen has some cute little birds that always make me smile. These love birds were given to us from Betsy while we were dating with a note that said something like, "May the enchantment never fade." She saw how we were always cuddling and these birds made her think of us. We decided to use them as our wedding cake topper.

And then I have to smile when I see these birds that were given to us as a wedding gift. We went from cuddling to one bird flapping its wings and the other doing all it can to pay no attention. :) They sit on our toaster oven where things can get heated up. How can I not smile at our birds?

Last is our laundry closet. Who wouldn't want to do laundry here? It is plastered with wonderful memories of going to the Animation Academy at California Adventure. For those who don't know, in Disney's California Adventure there is an Animation Academy where you can take a 15 minute class and learn how to draw a Disney character. We actually got to draw Mickey Mouse on my 30th birthday. :)

I hope some of the little things in my life that make my day made you smile too.

California

Work messed up my schedule last week and for the first time ever only scheduled me for 9 hours. That left the rest of my week very open. My husband was awesome and jumped on the opportunity to give me a glorious week of rays. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for sharing your home with us this week. The sunshine was truly heavenly.

The first time we went on Buzz Light Year years ago we made a deal that whoever lost would have to yell, "I LOST!" really loud as we walked out the exit. No matter how hard I try, the tradition hasn't died and I have always been the one to yell, "I LOST!" Booo!

You guys may think I'm a little crazy. I've never taken pictures of flowers at Disneyland, but I couldn't resist this time. I wanted to do all I could to take them back with me. Even though I went to college out of state, the whole time we were there I was continually reminded how much I took beautiful weather for granted when I used to live in California. It was hard to come back to Utah.

Spring is officially here.

My husband was awesome and was always willing to be my photographer. He is so patient.

I had a little bit of Mickey while we were there. Apologies to the woman behind me.

More flowers.
They were wonderful.

The castle.
Corona del Mar. Heaven on earth. We couldn't get enough of it. Shorts and a t-shirt!

Are you tired of seeing photos of me? I am.


This was by Bug's Life in California Adventure.

It was an awesome week. I needed it. I feel fully motivated and excited about life. :)

Thanks for dropping by.