Lizzie Carney

Is it any surprise that I love decorating? Well, I browse decorating websites quite often, and had stumbled upon and saved this living room picture.



There were no details about the room, but I loved the color palette and vintage feel. Well today, this room was featured on the Nate Berkus show during his "home proud" segment. Lizzie Carney is the home owner and decorator. How girly can you get? I love love love that she turned the "spare" room into a closet. Who needs a guest room when you can have a gigantic closet? :)

gymboss

My latest discovery in the world of fitness. It's a repeating interval timer. How perfect is that? You just clip it on and set the increments that you want and your good to go. Now you can do your workout without watching the clock (that always seems to stop during a workout anyway) The Gymboss beeps when each phase has finished, so you easily know when to move on or, my favorite, rest. :) Yeah!

Adorable!

This is so cute. You have to watch it.

Weekend Vacation to Wyoming

Wow, what a fun weekend Kim! I crashed with my friend for the weekend out in the middle of nowhere, but close to Jackson Hole, so off we went. So much of it was touristy shops, but we stumbled upon an adorable store we had never heard of called...

There are only 5 in the entire United States, but not to worry, you can get them online. They specialize in flavored vinegars and oils. They also carry a variety of spices. We had no idea there were so many varieties of vinegars. So much of the fun of it was how interactive it was. Your able to sample all of the flavors you'd like, then simply pick a bottle of your choice and they fill it right there on the spot. So fun, and so flavorful.


I actually got some of the spices. Black Lava to be specific. Have you ever seen such a thing? You use it like salt.

Finally, you can't go on vacation without getting a souvenier, so I bought this adorable felted clutch.

I'm in love with....

Frozen yogurt bars! If you haven't been, you've got to try it.

Missionary Homecoming Party

I was so excited to be in charge of Robert's homecoming dessert table. I wish the details showed up better because it turned out so cute. I made the tablecloth out of some suiting material, and the runner mimics a mans dress shirt. Buttons and all. Dad helped me make the cake stands (Thanks dad! It was such a fun afternoon!) and a few square plates from Tai Pan Trading (aka Kung Pow Chicken) finished it off.

Happy Anniversary!

Ben and I celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary!!! (Okay, so it was a few months ago.) He surprised me by taking me to the restaurant he proposed at. Can you believe we hadn't been there since? You would think we would make that a yearly tradition.
I thought I would surprise him with a wedding cake. We never actually had one. At the time a wedding cake seemed so expensive, and I didn't think anyone would notice if it was missing. What a fiasco that idea turned into. I had googled and scoured the internet looking for a wedding cake bakery. (After the fact, I realized I could have just gone to my local grocery store. Sheesh) Luck was not on my side. I found a lot of woman attempting to be professional bakers, but the cakes didn't look any better than I could do myself. I finally stumbled upon a website with beautiful cakes exactly what I was looking for. I found a simple top layer with a large bouquet of fresh flowers spilling over the top. I called the lady immediately. We decided on the perfect flavor and filling. I was so excited! Just as I was about to hang up I realized I had gotten so off track that the cake would have to be picked up an HOUR AWAY!!! A 2 hour trip for a cake??? What had I done? I decided to stick with it because it was what I was looking for and she was so nice and helpful. Betsy was sweet enough (thanks again!) to come along for the ride with me. We got to the house and the lady was so excited and took us into see the cake....which was NOTHING like the cake I had specifically told her that I wanted from her website! It was the same white base, but she had made just a few PASTEL FONDANT flowers. There was one pink rose, one yellow calla lily (do they even come in yellow) and a few tiny lilac flowers. Could you imagine the uproar if she had done this to a brides cake???? I didn't know what to say, but what was I supposed to do? I thanked her and thought it would grow on me, it just wasn't what I was expecting. Betsy and I were both kind of biting our lip on the way home. I dropped her off and decided I really hated it. There was no use trying. It was soooo 80's. I stopped at a florist and told her my problem. After looking at me like I was the weirdest person on the planet, she fixed it.
In addition to the fiasco this cake had become, it was also becoming ridiculously expensive. The cake itself was $35 + $15 for the flowers I had to replace + the gas to pick it up. All I kept thinking was "It better taste good"
Ben ended up loving the cake and the story just made it better. After dinner and our dessert we cuddled up downstairs to watch our wedding video. Ben didn't even realize we had it on video. Wow, it was crazy to watch again. Only 8 years, but feels like a lifetime ago.

A bit of whimsy

The dining room seemed just a bit sterile. Who would have thought a gray striped wall would cozy it up.

Before



After

Grrrrr!!!

What happened to my background??? I was showing some random error a few months ago that I had to google to discover that the background I was using from photobucket had been deleted. I have since tried to add a new background, but when I think I have done everything correct to add one... This dang blue background keeps showing up. help!

Movie reviews

This movie was great. I enjoyed the suspense and dialogue. There were plenty of scenes that you could pick apart, but overall, very good for this genre. I would even say one of my favorite horrors.



Wow!!! This is a must see!!! Unthinkable is the perfect title. I think my jaw was dropped the entire time.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Ben and I were lying in bed the other night, and Ben was snapping pictures of me with the camera from his blackberry. You can tell that I am holding still and the picture caught just as my hand was moving to block the shot, but what is that round thing to the left of my hand? There isn't anything but the wall behind me. Cue Twilight Zone music.

The Grand Canyon

Wow, did I have a great time!!! Ben had been planning a motorcycle trip with his dad and uncle Dean for awhile. The trip was to include the grand canyon, but it was about that time that Ben's bike broke down. They were about 30 miles from civilization in the Arizona heat and motorcycle garb. My dad was so sweet to let me steel his truck to go and rescue my damsel in distress. I was expecting to turn around and head back immediately, but Dean and Ben's dad were so thoughtful and offered to cover a room for us, so I could get a chance to see the canyon. I had been there before, but not like this. We traveled so high into the mountain and stayed at the resort that was built back in 1904. It was spectacular! We spent all day hiking and the view seemed to go on forever.

During the motorcycle ride out to Arizona, Ben had told me about an old man at a gas station who had confirmed some directions for them. They had asked if a specific road would be the one to take. They were clearly in motorcycle leathers, the bikes were visible from this guys view, yet somehow this guy didn't realize the death trap he was sending them on. Ben had to show me exactly what he was talking about, so we took this same road home in the truck. I was horrified. The road was extremely steep, extremely sharp turns, cliffs with no barriers, and all gravel. This went on for 20 miles!!! I still can't believe they are alive.

Our first house

It's the end of an era. Ben and I sold our first house. We bought it 9 years ago (before we were married. What were we thinking??? lol) The house had been in Ben's family since he was a kid and we bought it from his mom. He moved in with some roommates until we got married and we lived there the first 3 years of our marriage (Awwwweeee) renting out the basement. We rented the whole house when we moved out 5 years ago. It's bitter sweet to sell it, but the city hasn't made it easy on us, so on to new and better things. Good-bye old house.

Roots

Why oh why do I love having blond hair and hate going to the salon? There are so many better things to spend money and time on.

Did you walk 9 miles today???

Me either, but I did yesterday. I don't know what got into me. I woke up thinking it would be a great idea to walk to work. 9 miles later I could barely move. Next time, remind me to stretch first. I'm still recovering.

What a great day

Ben was so sweet to run me around... the state... picking up new things for the bedroom (I'm decorating). It was a full day going all the way up to North Ogden. On the way back we stopped at Z'Tejas at the Gateway for dinner. If you haven't had their 5 cheese mac and cheese you haven't lived. :) It's fantastic!!!

So, I think I'm a movie critic.

While Robert was gone, he asked me to keep a list of movies to watch when he get's back. This list has been directed specifically to him, but with the weekend coming up I thought it might be useful to my 3 followers. :)

Duplicity- Julia Robert’s/Clive Owen. Really Good!!! Confusing but had an Oceans Eleven feel. Very well done and worth seeing!

Taken- Awesome!!! You could pick it apart if you wanted, but it was a great action show and had a long lasting effect.

A Haunting in Connecticut- It had the quality of “A Haunting” television series… Very “B” grade, but it had enough to the story that it was worth seeing.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- This movie was fantastic. It was so well done!!! Kind of long, but I liked that about it.

Knowing- Nicholas Cage.- Really good.

State of Play- It was slow and very realistic. Which I usually like, but I didn’t love this movie. Maybe I missed something.

Tropic Thunder- Not my choice to watch, but even Ben was disappointed in the humor. Looked much better than it actually was. Very Blah for the all star cast.

X-men Origins-Wolverine- I haven’t seen the X-men movies, but I really liked this movie… for a superhero kind of movie.

Terminator Salvation- Okay, I should have LOVED this movie. With Christian Bale and being a terminator movie, but it wasn’t fantastic. The Story was weak, but the movie was made well. 

Star Trek- Don’t laugh… Okay, I have never seen a start trek movie, and don’t remember ever even seeing a full episode of any of the star treks, but I liked this movie…. Even more than terminator salvation (eek)

Angels and Demons- Need I say more? It was great. I think I liked Davinci Code better, but I think I’m the minority that thinks that. Angels and Demons was fantastic.

Twilight- aweful. I had my issues with the book, but throw in bad acting….

The Taking of Pelham 123- Denzel Washington and John Travolta- Entertaining, but has some weak spots. Worth seeing.

Up- a Pixar cartoon. I was skeptical because the story was really strange, but it was cute and made me laugh.

Land of the Lost- Will Ferrell- This was so stupid, but really funny. Worth seeing.

Paul Blart Mall Cop- Ben wanted me to tell you it was good, but it was painfully bad. Stay away.

The International- I was excited about this move. Looked like it was done really well, etc…. I fell asleep I was so bored and Ben said it never really got good.


Public Enemies- Okay, let me set you up for this. When I saw the previews for this movie I immediately gave it the title of “my favorite movie ever” It looked so good. I was very disappointed, but you’ll want to see it just don’t have high expectations like I did 

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince- Need I say more?


District 9- This movie was insanely awesome. I have never seen a story line like this before.

Paranormal Activity- I’m not saying anything except to watch this alone in your bedroom. 

2012- Worth seeing, but overly coincidental, and they should have been dead 500 times so it stops being scary.

Brothers- I don’t think they could decide which way they wanted the story to go. War issues, family issues, etc??? It was a bit random… and Toby Maguire (spiderman) is sooooo ugly!!!

Sherlock Holmes- Brilliant. I loved it!!!

The Fourth Kind- This movie claims to have actual footage that they incorporated into the movie. So, if you believe that, it could possibly be one of the scariest movies ever!

New Moon- Okay, now that my expectations are low… it was enjoyable. Still I hate this series, but this one was better than twilight.

It’s Complicated***R***- This was usually not my type of movie, but it was sooooo funny and had Jim from the office in it. I love Meryl Streep and Steve Martin so the movie was going to be great. 

Avatar- This movie has been all the rage. Everything is Avatar. It was what you would expect… maybe a little disappointing. It is very long, but probably worth seeing.

The Lovely Bones- This is a very artsy dark movie that was set in the 70’s. You probably wouldn’t like it.

Defiance- A really good prisoner of war movie. Based on a true story.

The Box- This was weirder than Stephen King on drugs, but it did have a good story.

Amelia- Based on Amelia Earharts life, but I was surprised to like her less than before I saw the movie. I thought the idea would make you believe she was America’s sweetheart, but she was more of a self absorbed slut. The movie was done very well, though, and I loved the time period.

Saw VI- You just have to see it…. You can’t not see a saw 

17 Again- This was actually surprisingly funny… it’s a teeny bopper movie. Also, I think Zack Efron’s character in the 80’s looks like dad when he was a teenager. Mom thinks so too. 

Drag Me to Hell- This movie was done very poorly but I still liked it. Ben couldn’t get past how corny it was.

Sweet Tea

Last summer I was spending $3 every weekend to get the sweet tea at the farmers market. I finally decided, I needed to come up with one on my own. It turned out perfect. You'll have to try it yourself.

Combine:
3/4 cup ice
1 1/3 cup water
3 1/2 Tbs organic sugar ( I got it at smiths in the organic section)
3 1/2 Tbs fresh squeezed lime juice

After squeezing the lime juice, quarter each half of the lime shell and add 4 quarters (1/2 a lime worth) to the drink.

Add 4-5 rinsed mint leaves.

Cover and shake until it's a little frothy!!!

Childhood Movie Memories

I was shopping the other day and stumbled upon this version of Alice in Wonderland. What a blast to the past this was. I'm sure i watched it a hundred times.



Got me to thinking...

The Canterville Ghost



Mr. Boogedy



Does anyone remember these movies?

Day trip

A couple of weekends ago, Ben and I decided to go on a day trip instead of doing something productive around the house. He found this place in Salt Lake Called Gilgal. I had never heard of it, but my understanding of it is that it used to be someones backyard and this man created all of these stone sculptures. After he died, his backyard was made into a public park for anyone to see. If you weren't looking for it you would never find it. It's tucked back behind some old houses, but it's very interesting. Makes you wonder what inspired him to spend so much time to do this.




Afterward, we stopped at Moochies sandwich shop that was featured on the food networks Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Ben got the Philly Cheesestake and I indulged in the Meatball sub. They were both great! Turned out to be a really fun cheap day trip!

The things he puts up with

My Laundry room

I wanted to post my laundry room because I think it's so cute. I used a dark blue metallic paint that I love, and sassed it up with a zebra rug and the curly decals.





Did I mention the crowns on the doors? These were originally gold hooks I found at Alice Lane furniture. I cut the hook off and sprayed them silver.



It's just a little more fun to do laundry now.

Crystal Magnets

Well, mom and Bets requested a close up of my crystal magnets so......

My favorite commercial

This commercial makes me laugh every time. Don't you just love men? :)

My 2nd project of the day

I'm really excited about this. The top picture is from Pottery Barn. I spotted it several months ago and wanted to copy it. I was lucky enough to find the frames at a yard sale a few years ago. I think I paid a dollar for each of them. Stole pictures from a book on the bargain shelf and.... voila!

Stupid or Cool?

I "decorated" the side of my fridge today. LOL What do you think? I used some left over decals, that I love, and decided to break my rule of "less is more" and use them again. (I originally bought them for my laundry room, which I'll post later) I love that they are the same color as the fridge so it's very subtle. That's not all I did, though. My mom gave me a House Beautiful magazine that had JEWELED magnets. I loved that idea! So, for less than $10 I made 20. Not bad eh?

Unbelievable

I will admit right off the bat that I believe there should be a punishment when there is a crime. So, all you bleeding hearts out there can stop reading now. I was just informed by a client of mine who had recently spent some time in jail that it wasn't that bad because there is a new "CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM AND ALL THE MEALS WERE RESTAURANT QUALITY" Are you kidding me? I had a frozen dinner for lunch today that I had to pay for myself. I'm feeding the guy who broke into someones house restaurant quality food that he doesn't even have to pay for? How does this kind of thing happen? If they're getting college credit too, watch out. I'll be the person stealing your car.

Lunch

Okay, so my friend Lyndsey and I went to Zupas for lunch yesterday. As we're getting to the register there is an older man and his daughter behind us. The dad was being cute trying to push his way ahead of her, and she says "No, dad, I brought you here I'm paying" Well, I just don't know when to keep my mouth shut, so I said "Do you want to pay for me too?" She said "yes I do" and pushed herself ahead and paid for both mine and Lyndseys lunch. I was mortified!! I was hoping today that I would be over the embarrassment, but.....it's going to take more time. Good thing we didn't order dessert :)