Happy Birthday, Dad!!

 

my amazing dad and me in the mountains

Just wanted to pop in an wish my wonderful father a happy birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad!!! I hope you have an amazing day! I love you!!

Speaking of my dad's birthday, a few years back I made my dad a "party in a box" (paper cut outs of an entire birthday party scene) and mailed it to him a week before his birthday. (This is when we lived in Atlanta so it only had to travel 2.5 hours to my parents.) Trying to help the failing postal service, I opted to use them instead of my FedEx go to. That was over 3 years ago and the box still hasn't arrived at my parents house. Birthday Fail.  Good thing I took a picture of it so my dad knew it actually existed and I didn't pull a whole "wait, my card didn't come yet? How weird..."

So THIS year, I went with my gut and sent it via Fed Ex. Let's hope they don't accidentally misplace a package! (They have just under an hour left to meet their delivery time line so I still have hope.)

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July everyone!! We decided to take a mini vacation last week (hence the silence) and then came back home to a crazy 4 day weekend of Widespread Panic (I do live in Colorado so my being a pseudo-hippie shouldn't be surprisingly to any of you) so it feels like I'm just coming up for air. I'll share photos of our trip next week, but until then I hope you have a wonderful (and safe) 4th! Interesting side note, did you know we actually declared our independence on the 2nd of July? The 4th was just when it was printed! Fun facts you learn from watching the history channel.

Happy Father's Day

"look Mom, matching shirts!"

Wanted to stop in today to wish all the dad's out there a Happy Father's Day- especially one in particular (mine.) Sometimes I think Father's Day day doesn't get the respect it deserves (I believe in Germany it's even combined with a church holiday) which is unfortunate. Maybe it's because I'm a girl, but I've always had a very special connection with my dad. He taught me to tie my shoes, to fish, and to skin a deer (though I'll admit I haven't really needed to use that lesson.) He taught me the importance of manners (my parents never budged on the importance of yes ma'am/sir and no ma'am/sir which has served me very well in life,) how to paint my nails (he's left handed and therefore always had to adapt to a predominantly right handed world, so after watching me struggle with painting my left nails perfectly and then completely messing up when I tried to paint the right ones, he suggested painting my right nails first and then using my "still drying hand" to paint my left so I'd have a similar hindrance with both. Such a smart man and now it's the only way I can pull off my own manicure!)  and how to drive (much to the chagrin of my mom who hates that I adopted my dad's lead foot and signature "one hand on the wheel, one hand on the stick shift"- esp given I drive an automatic and always have.) My dad's influenced my style (he has the confidence to rock everything from a cowboy hat and boots to a seersucker suit,) and he stressed the importance of enjoying life today because tomorrow is never guaranteed. (Case in point, he was the person who taught me that while it's bad for you, eggs always taste better cooked in bacon grease.)

While my dad and I definitely have different views on some things (I'm much more liberal than he is and despite both claiming Christianity as our religion, we have different ideas about what that actually means) he has always stressed the importance of being true to myself and following my heart, which is precisely why I think that's why we're such great friends. He encouraged me to think for myself, not to be discouraged if things don't always go the way you planned, and most importantly, that everything-absolutely everything- happens for a reason.

And when the day comes (hopefully not for a really really long time) when he is no longer just a phone call/plane ride away, I will always remember the lessons he taught me and the memories he gave me. The memories of us riding bikes to go get ice cream, of him letting my sister and I hang out of the sunroof while we drove around the neighborhood, of watching Willie Nelson in concert together, or of him walking me down the aisle into J's arms-those special memories will always hold a special place in my heart and I'll always be grateful to him for them.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. You rock.

This post is part of a promotion with FamilySearch.

Craving: Mothers Day Gift Guide (For the Chef)

 

Wednesday the guide was for the traveler, yesterday it was the gardener, but today's guide is for the mom who always has hors d'oeuvres set out when you visit, mails you clippings of her favorite chicken recipes, and gifted you your very first Le Creuset.

1. Punch up the fun factor in her kitchen with a bold watercolor 

2. Everyone needs a beautiful cutting board. This one, which mimics the lines of a lily pad, is sure to dress up any counter.

3. My mom actually has a lemon tree (or an olive tree, I forget) and loves it. Cooking with fruit from your own tree? Yes, please.

4. Written by the author of smittenkitchen.com, this cookbook is filled with straight forward, easy to follow, and delicious recipes that feel straight out of your grandmothers recipe box. 

5. Dishes suck. Make them suck less with fun dish towels

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Any big plans? Think we're going to try to soak up some sunshine and relax.

Craving: Mothers Day Gift Guide (For the Traveler)

Mother's Day is just around the corner so I thought I'd put together a few gift guides based around three different paintings I've created. Up first is a guide for the woman who loves exploring, never says no to a trip, and knows her frequent flier number by heart.

1. A watercolor featuring one of her favorite places

2. Block Shop makes some of the most amazing scarves. Perfect for dressing up an outfit as well as keeping warm on a chilly flight.

3. Maybe it's just me, but every time I fly my skin gets so dry. This hand cream not only smells great, but is small enough to stash in her carry on.

4. Sometimes you only have a weekend to get away. This book is filled with ideas on where to go, things to see, and places to eat. Bonus, it's separated by region so it's really easy to find a getaway close by.

5. Between the fees and the lines, checking bags is a pain. Save your mom the hassle with a beautiful carry on bag.

6. Turn her Instagrams into fun magnets that will remind her of her travels every time she grabs the milk.

Recognizing the beauty- thoughts on our housewarming party

via courtney khail

With the horrible tragedy in Boston, I was originally going to postpone this post. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that we all might need this. At least I need this. Because when the world looks so ugly and dangerous, sometimes we need to remember the beauty in our lives. I'll be praying for everyone in Boston. I hope you all can find your beauty again very soon.

This past weekend, J and I finally hosted our housewarming party! Without getting too too sappy, it was really amazing seeing new and old friends fill our home and backyard. It's crazy how many people we've met and become friends with in less than a year and now I don't think we could ever imagine our lives without them in it.

Something else amazing? We have a permanent home. While I've loved the other places we've lived, they were never really ours since we were renting. But these walls- in all of their concrete glory- are ours and that's such a cool feeling.

*It was also our friend's (who happens to be one of our amazing neighbors) birthday so I tried my hand at high altitude baking. A little more difficult than I expected, but overall a success (and now I want more cake.)

Happy Valentine's (plus 20% off!)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I know it's not for everyone, but I absolutely LOVE Valentine's Day. Not so much the commercial hooplah, but I adore the idea of slowing down and taking the day to tell people just how much you love them. Glittery hearts, boxes of chocolate (which just happened to be a large part of my breakfast this morning, no judgements), flowers- I love it all.

Okay, well I don't love the commercial that tells men they're going to getting lucky by giving your lady an oversized teddy bear. That creeps me out. Almost as much as the footed pajama's with a "back flap" for added convenience. Really people?

Valentine's Day is just a beautiful reason to really reflect on how much love is around you. The love of your spouse, your parents, your siblings, your friends- if you actually take a minute to think of everyone you love and everyone who loves you- it's pretty damn humbling and heartwarming.

And like I said before, this holiday encourages glittery hearts and flowers. ENCOURAGES IT. If that doesn't make you happy then maybe this will:

To show my love for all of you this Valentine's Day, enter VALENTINES13 and get 20% off your order.

And on that note, Happy Valentine's Day everyone! If you're so inclined, I'd love to hear what love you're celebrating today.

Embracing change and what is to come (happy new year!)

Although a little late, I wanted to stop in and wish you all a wonderful 2013. A lot of times after the rush of the holidays and the midnight kisses have been exchanged, we can get into a funk because it seems like everything is "over." Your decorations are down (well maybe yours are, mine aren't and probably won't be for a few more days) the gifts are opened, the radio is back to playing what it did before Thanksgiving, and maybe for the most part your mailbox contains more bills than merriment. But I guess I'm just a little different- the new year excites me. It may have something to do with the fact my birthday is only two weeks away, but for the most part I think it's the possibilities. The adventures that we've yet to have, the memories yet to be made, and the lessons yet to be learned. I used to think I was a creature of habit who was afraid of change, but when I took a hard, long look at myself I realized that wasn't true. Well I definitely have anxiety at times, change excites me. They offer new beginnings, new challenges, and a way to grow. Hell, we moved to Colorado-away from amazing family and friends and what we knew- just because it felt right.  And this past New Year's Eve, while I stood in a crowded house surrounded by new friends (and with thoughts of the new and old ones we weren't able to be with that night) I couldn't help but feel so incredibly blessed. I'm healthy, married to the most amazing man, have a wonderful family who always has my back even if they don't always understand my choices, have truly exceptional, loving, and supportive friends, live in paradise, and I get to create art for a living. I feel like the luckiest person.

So for this upcoming year- instead of resolutions like read more (though I do want to do that)  I'm going to do my best to remember all that I have. I'm going to do my best to remember that change -even something that may look bad at first- offers new beginnings and new opportunities. I'm going to do my best to be kinder, more understanding, and more appreciative. I'm going to try to compare myself less to others and stop fixating on doing "what I'm supposed to do/what they are doing" and instead do what my heart tells me. I'm going live more in the moment and try to let go of anxiety that might be holding me back.  This year is bringing a lot of changes (many this month) and to be completely honest I'm scared to death and so freaking excited at the same time- and I wouldn't change a thing. 

On that note, Happy New Year you guys! I wish you all a year filled with happiness, health, and amazing memories (and would love to hear what you're looking forward to this year if you're inclined to share.)

Merry Christmas

via dust jacket attic

Merry Christmas everyone!!

For the first time since our honeymoon*, we aren't spending Christmas with our families. Due to a complicated work schedule, it was best for us to stay in Denver and start our own family traditions. (One in particular: J. and I collect an ornament from each place we travel/an ornament to represent something from that year. It's so fun to see all we've done together!) And although a little strange to be on our own, it's also kind of exciting. After dinner last night, J. and I cuddled up and watched Home Alone (is this toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association?) while a blanket of snow fell outside. (It's our first white Christmas so I may or may not have continuously looked out the window, smiling and jumping up and down a little.) As for today, two of our other friends also couldn't head back to their parents for the holidays so they're coming over for Christmas dinner. I cannot wait to host our first "grown up" Christmas- feels like such a milestone. Have any of you ever experienced that?

(Oh! Also, there is apparently a house just a little while away that coordinated it's lights to a radio station that I'm going to try to talk everyone into going to see. If that goes well, I may even suggest an epic snowball fight.)

What about you all? Any big Christmas plans or traditions you're excited about?

*Since we were married so close to Christmas, we actually spent our first Christmas as husband and wife lounging by a pool with frozen drinks.

please excuse this interruption

Getting married in December you kind of expect it to be nice and cold. It was 70 degrees outside. (Photo via tim willoughby)

but it's our fourth wedding anniversary! I still sometimes have to pinch myself with just how lucky I am to have such an amazing husband. I whole heartedly believe in fate, in soul mates, and in God introducing you to the one you're supposed to be with and I know that six years ago (while dissecting a cat in college of all places) that's exactly what happened to us. J. encourages me to follow my dreams, believes in me, pushes me to be my best self, challenges me, makes me step out of my comfort zone, makes me laugh when all I want to do is pout, and on top of all of that, (at the risk of sounding really cliché') he loves me for who I am (which then gives me the freedom to just be.) I really feel like the luckiest girl alive and I am so grateful and honored that of everyone out there, he asked me to be his companion.

So.. Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart! Now that I've probably embarrassed you, thank you for making everyday an adventure, for loving me (even when I don't feel very lovable) and for always being by my side. You're the best gift I've ever received.

from the studio: DIY bat place cards

Why yes, we did dress as Double Dare contestants for Halloween.

Normally I don't do "from the studio's" on Wednesday, but given it's Halloween and that's what these are for, I figured I'd break that rule just once. These can be whipped up in just a few minutes and while I labeled them as place cards, they'd be perfect to tie around a bag of candy for trick-or-treaters (just write "from the so and so's) or a gift tag. Personally, I think they would be amazing on a "Dark Shadows" inspired table with black tables, silver candle sticks, and lush low lying burgundy colored flower arrangements. And for all of you that get a little scared of watercolor, these will give you amazing confidence because you really can't mess them up.

Happy Halloween!