bring on spring

The secret to my spring wardrobe this year is two fold. Part one: SHOP MY CLOSET. I really don't do this enough I can't tell you how many times I have been surprised to "re discover" items in my closet. Which brings me to part two: add a few key pieces.

A great way to make a statement is by color blocking. This top does all the work for you and I also love the shape and how light and airy it is.

The bright color of this bag is amazing. I must be rebelling against huge "I have three kids and can take everything with me" bag, because I have been carrying this type more and more, but my closet is screaming for this wonderful orange that surprisingly goes with so many things.

When I need an instant look I add a blazer. Honestly it works with everything dresses, skirts, pants and I under the right circumstances, shorts. I almost have one in every color it seems but my closet does lack one in white. Something I will remedy thanks to this great blazer from Zara. White is so versatile and so crisp. I can't wait to get this baby in rotation.

Candy colors are screaming spring this year and these jeans from F21 are perfect. I don't normally wear a lot of pink but I am thinking about making an exception this spring. These pants will also look great with a contrasting belt.

These color blocked sandals are a perfect mix, the brown makes them neutral enough to wear with oh so many things and the shots of color give them a fun edge.

Happy almost spring and remember SHOP YOUR CLOSET!!!

bedtime

Tucking your kids in, reading to them from favorite books, singing the same songs that your mom sang to you, exchanging kisses and hugs and then turning off the light and then relaxing peacefully on the couch as wonderful thoughts of gratitude for your angelic children meander through your head.

HA HA HA!!!

Lets get real for a moment, bedtime at our house is not even close to this. Our usual bedtime routine is as follows. The moment either Chad or I announce that bedtime is at hand, and eruption of whining, complaining and immediate hunger ensues. I am not sure what part of "it is time for bed" makes small boys instantly starving, but at our house like clockwork this is what happens. So after a bartering of sorts in the kitchen, ( I am not going to cook you a quesadilla or make Mac & Cheese for a bedtime snack) we are off to the bathroom for teeth brushing.

Teeth brushing is not a difficult task for our family, the kids love it. The thing they dread is fluoride. My boys act as though I am asking them to jump through a flaming hoop when I tell them they need to swish the bubblegum flavored liquid in their mouths one minute.

Then it is story time. We have hundreds of children's books in our house and it always baffles me that our kids tend to pick the same few books. Which is fine because some of them have been read so many times I can recite them from memory. I actually love reading to the kids. It seems most nights we are reading something by Mo Willems or Dr. Suess and laughing the entire time.

This next part of bedtime is more a challenge than anything. When we have the kids all settled into their beds and tucked in, I turn off the lights and sing one song to each of the boys. I love singing to my kids, the challenge comes from what I have to sing to appease them. I would been fine with any number of Primary songs etc. But my kids want me to make up songs about Star Wars, Indiana Jones and BYU. I regularly rap to Wheels on the Bus, and one time I even sang the ABC's backward.

Que the least favorite ingredient of our bedtime recipe. Chad and I sitting on the couch as we hear the kids yell into us, "I need a drink," "Mom, Milo won't stop talking," "What are you watching?" "Can Milo and I sleep in the same bed?" " I need my other blanket" And one or both of us responding with "go to bed," "stop talking and go to bed," "don't make me come in there, go to bed!"

Finally sitting on the couch at the end of the nightly ordeal hearing nothing but silence, does make me grateful. Grateful for one more day to do it all again, and because I know that some years from now I am going to wish I could sing my made up song about Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. It is a crazy chaos our life, but how lucky I am to be a part of it. And honestly how boring would life be if our kids were angels all the time.

pick me up

Have you ever looked at the free section of your local classified ads? Every once in a while I check it out, mostly for the laugh but every now and again you actually run into some amazing stuff.

I know, this mattress is anything but amazing. In fact it is absolutely disgusting. I am always in awe that people will take the time to see if anyone wants their, lets be honest, crap. I promised though that there was actually some good finds. Here are a few I found recently.

If you are up for a little DIY project this desk is yours and best of all it is FREE!!

The possibilities are endless for this pallet. And if you don't get this one there are lots of others. (on my local classifieds)

How many places could you hang this old piece of glass?

This King size headboard is good to go the way that it is, I would feel guilty taking it for free.

I think my favorite part about the free section is the reminder to me that there are kind people out there, and that they just want to help someone out. Whether it is baby formula, half used hairspray(true story) or a couch. It is true what they say one man's trash is another man's treasure...sort of. Happy Hunting.

(p.s. I apologize that the pictures are so tiny, if you are local and are interested in any of the above everything was found on KSL.com in the free category of the classifieds)

bij

We have finalized our dates so now you can finalize your Calendars:

2012 Provo Spring Market Dates:

Friday April 13, 10 am-8 pm

Saturday April 14, 10 am-6 pm

Historic Southworth Hall 116 W Center Street Provo

Get ready!

mix + mingle

Now that Christmas is taken down and boxed up, I can some much needed interior design. I typically don't change anything in my home from the months of September to January due to all the Holiday decorating I do. So come January I start to fill a little ancy. Here are some of the pieces I have added.

Verla Ivans Arrows

These handmade arrows are amazing. And they look perfect over one of my favorite pieces of art. Manly Dance by Rachel Loose.

A quick game of musical spaces on the wall while adding some new things make this feel completely new.I revamped my old boring Tuscan patina chandelier with yellow spray paint. If you are planning on doing this wait till it is warm, mine bubbled in places due to the freezing temps.

I bought this mobile at an estate sale of sorts over the summer and just now got around to hanging it. It has a different shape every time you look at it. I have had so many people ask about this one, I am making them and selling them at the next Bijou Market, this spring.

I love how industrial these pulleys look, and how much they compliment the softness of this photo of the Mount Timpanogos Temple (Christmas gift thanks Paul & Sharlene.) My original plan was to hang these pulley's on the wall but after seeing how many times the wheels on Augusts wall fall off I didn't want to risk an injury. I am thinking about having them powder coated, what do you think?

The one thing that gets me through the first few months of the year are lots of projects. So stay tuned for what I whip out. Happy almost February!

p.s. I uploaded 200 pics today I have a lot of posting to catch up on. There went my new years resolution.

deux

This time exactly two years ago I was getting my membranes stripped. Ahh, memories.

Fast forward to today and I am going through something equally painful. Okay maybe not as painful as that, but getting a two year old to take a nap, in a bed and with no pacifier can feel like torture. Someone must have filled August in on the secret mom oath, that you won't get after your kids about anything on their birthdays. It took me an extra hour to get him to sleep, but now he is and all is right with the world again.

So I am taking advantage of the quiet for a few hours before we go and celebrate at Chuck E. Cheese. Maybe I will spend it thinking about #3 and how much our family LOVES him. Most likely though it will get spent picking up all the cute messes #3 makes.

Happy Birthday Goosey!

aloha

I know I promised to wrap up Bijou Market this week. But after one crazy week it will just have to wait, because the Aloha state is calling my name. Chad and I are leaving for Hawaii today sans the kids {always bittersweet.} So while all of you are getting right into the thick of Christmas preparations I will be lounging on the sand, or hiking to a waterfall, or having the most amazing shaved ice ever, well you get the point.


But I don't want to bum you out too much so I will let you locals in on one of my families most favorite Holiday Traditions, that sadly we will miss this year. The Living Nativity.


Head North on Main Street in Alpine, and when you see the L.D.S. church with all the cars, you made it. Your kids will love it and don't forget your camera for some great photo ops.

the actual address is 900 N main st. Alpine UT if you want to google it.



Enjoy and I will see you next week.

half way there

I am smack dab in the middle of the Bij. I am having an extremely hard time getting excited for anything because all my mind can process right now is things that start with Bijou and end with Market. Thanksgiving being three days away and Hawaii a mere 8 days after that is not even registering with me.

Having said this, I do need you to understand that as stressful as this crazy circus of a life is right now, it is by far the most amazing, fun, thrilling, and energizing thing in my life. Provo was as always wonderful. It is always fun to see old faces and make new Bijou friends.

Spending two days straight with these lovelies makes bijou over the top for me which makes me so glad that we get another day this coming Saturday. So if you were feeling blue because you didn't get down to Provo this weekend cheer up, we will be up in Taylorsville for our first ever Bijou Market Salt Lake City.

In the meantime, if you missed seeing me talk about the Bij on Fox take a look. click here.

coming soon, my Bijou Market picks.

Santa

I thought that this would be the year that Gavin finds out the "big secret." Not that I want him to find out, we have just done a really bad job hiding gifts and lists. I have to say that I think we got Gavin back on the right track last night.

Last night Gavin gave us a riveting FHE lesson about prayer to fulfill a cub scout requirement, and after we made our way to Parker's Drive in for 25 cent ice cream cones {for you locals every Monday is 25 cent cones at the Parker's in American Fork} and then Chad remembered we needed a light bulb for our refrigerator, so we hauled everyone in. If your kids are like mine, they ask for EVERYTHING when we go to a store. Last night was no exception and they{mostly Gavin} were getting on our nerves about buying a video game, when we saw and old gentleman who looks A LOT like Santa. We pointed him out to Gavin and told him that he was Santa and he was watching him so he better stop asking for things and be good.







You would think that seeing a man that clearly looked like Santa would be enough to make any child into an instant angel, but Gavin didn't buy our story for a second, so I whispered to Chad to go and ask the gentleman if we would be Santa for our kids. So while I kept the kids occupied Chad slipped away and asked the man if he would help us out, and then told him our kids names.

After a lot of prodding we finally got the kids to go over and ask if he was Santa, but before Gavin could even say anything "Santa" said "Hello Gavin, how have you been this year?" Gav, turned as white as a ghost and stood there silent. Then ,without any help or info from us the "Santa" said, "Are you going to ask me to bring you a video game this year, I thought you would be sick of those by now?" I couldn't have scripted it better myself. The day before we told the kids we didn't want them to ask for any video games this year.

Then he sat and talked with Milo about the drums he wants. And of course as I was sitting there I realize I don't have a camera or my phone for a picture. It's okay though, I don't think Gavin or Milo will ever forget it. As we walked away Gavin said to Milo "That was the most amazing moment of my life!"

So thank you to "Santa" in Walmart. That was the best gift you could give my kids this year!

Boston II & III

If you were wondering about the rest of my vacation to Boston, wonder no more! Here you go.

Day 2
Location: Plymoth, Plimoth, Plymouth and Cape Cod
Lessons Learned: I would be a horrible Pilgrim, but I think I could hack it as an Indian thanks to the menstruation houses. {another post entirely} Rachel Ray gives good advice on eateries.


Clockwise from top left:
-Thatched roof at Plimoth Plantation
-"Surfing" on a cannon
-Millie, Mom Pilgrim {who doesn't know what a camera is} and me
- The Lobster Trap, great seafood at a fraction of the price
- Plimoth Plantation- Everyone should go here. SO FUN!
- Plymouth Rock
-Us with some pilgrim women who also didn't know what a camera was
- Camille eating a boys daily catch
- My mom and I napping pilgrim style.
- Hanging from a cannon
- trying to catch a chicken
- Looking out the porthole of the Mayflower II
- My mom hunting with some pilgrims {she was a good sport even though she did not want to pose for this picture AT ALL!}
-Hanging out in the captains quarters on the Mayflower II
-Eating in the captains quarters on the Mayflower II
- Millie and I playing with our dinner at The Lobster Trap
-Trying to decide if we should buy these amazing hats
-Eating dinner with the Indians
-Inside the Pilgrim fort
- Millie being sea sick {or dead} in the Mayflower II
- Helping and the Indians fish
- Rubbing the Indians bum for good luck {does that work?}

phew- Are you still with me? Okay here is the rest.

Days 4 &5
Lexington, Concord, Salem, Cambridge, Walden Pond
Lessons learned: Salem is LAME!!!, Emerson and I have the same idea for gravestones, Massachusetts in the Fall can't be beat



Clockwise from top left:
- Monument of Mary Estes - one of the victims of the Salem Witch Trials, and an ancestor
-Philosophising with Thoreau
-Grave of Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Walden Pond
- The largest lighthouse we saw
- Sitting in Thoreau's house {he lived on Walden Pond for two years}

We honestly had such a great time, we saw lots of sights, got off the beaten path, strengthened relationships, and pretty much laughed the ENTIRE time.

p.s. if you were paying attention you will notice no Day 3, that day was deticated to shopping, an thrifting.

gift guide

ATTENTION!!!!!

We are a mere 7 days away from Bijou Market. If you want a sneak peek jump over to Bijoumarket.com. You can also see my Holiday Gift Guide, as well as Emily's and Nicole's. Have a great weekend!

THANK YOU.

alerts

Bijou Market is upon us, we are busy putting finishing touches on everything to make this our best Bijou Market yet. As it gets closer it is always fun to get a Google alert when people talking about the Market. This alert however was just weird... and a little funny. Click here. Ever wonder what happens to pictures of you? This is what happens, they end up on some strangers foreign blog. Totally normal.

By way of invitation here you go...

Massachusetts

My sister Camille {number four} is living in Boston for a year and so my Mother and I hopped a plane to spend a week with her. Words alone can't express how wonderful it was. I didn't realize how much fun a trip with your mom and one sister can be. And until you have seen New England in the fall, forget about it.

Day one
Location: Boston, MA
Activites: Freedom Trail, Mike's Pastry, etc.
Lessons Learned: Bostonians have no patience when it comes to driving, or walking or anything really. No one says excuse me. Everyone walks EVERYWHERE! Unless you are very brave {like me} do not wear a Lakers T-shirt in Boston, you will get lots of comments and dirty looks.

Clockwise from top left"
-bulidings are so close to each other you could jump from one to the other
-One of many pictures I took of architecture that inspired me
- me, millie, and mom after our trip to the top of Bunker Hill Monunment
- posing at Fauevil Hall
- amazing grave stones, I took about fifty more just like this one
- Old North Church, you know one if by land two if by see...
- Sweets brownie cupcake
- Memorial to soldiers killed in the Iraq wars
- Lobster roll, you can't leave Boston without trying one
- Millie and Me standing in front of Paul Revere the statue
- Bunker Hill Monument {294 steps to the top}

August's guide to carving a pumpkin

Step 1 have dad open the pumpkin

Step 2 Put my hand into the pumpkin

Step 3 get grossed out about the pumpkin

Step 4 Think about putting my hand back into the pumpkin, while also thinking "why do people think this is fun?"

Step 5 Show dad how gross the pumpkin is in case he doesn't already know

Step 6 Hand back into the pumpkin. Seriously I am almost two, I have got this!

Step 7 I will show this pumpkin who is boss. You will not beat me little pumpkin.

Step 8 Am I done yet? Forget it, my mom will finish this for me.

Halloween roundup

Halloween is my favorite holiday. People don't understand why I love it even more than Christmas, I don't even understand it but I do love Halloween the most. So here is our re cap of my most favorite of Holidays.

I will start with Nightmare Express. This is a fun tradition for our family, that Gavin tells me each year he will only attend if the sun is still shining. He tries his best to act tough but this VERY mild train ride/spook alley always makes him want to hold our hands and not leave our side. For you locals click here for more details.

Next is the Lines Halloween Party. We always do different costumes for this party than the ones we wear on Halloween, usually something easy and cheap {meaning whatever we can find around the house.} One year Chad and I went as my Mom and Dad. This year we opted for a Meet the Robinsons theme. Meet Louis, Wilbur and the Bowler Hat Guy sans the bowler hat.

Onto pumpkin carving. we only have one rule in our home, you can't trace. You can copy a picture but you have to free hand it. That said, Gav decided he was on his own this time around and the result was pretty good, for 8. We only had to remind him every 12.7 seconds to move his fingers out of the way of his knife.

Chad went with Oogey Boogey, Milo of course did a Y, and I crafted a waving Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba for August because he was too busy running around yelling How-ween, How-ween!

My neighbour Emily and I decided to host a costume parade this year to kick off Trick or Treating. Not expecting more than five people at this shin dig I was so excited to see so many fellow lovers of the Holiday come out and support.

Happy Halloween...yesterday!