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Friday, February 27, 2015

teal nacklace

a couple of weeks ago, kimberly posted a sneak peek of a dress from her spring line for her etsy shop. we posted back and forth a few times about the dress and additional accessories for a photo shoot she had coming up. i got home that night and realized i had some supplies to make a quick necklace for her. 
i love how it turned out. it was so simple and took about a half an hour to make. 
paint wooden circles
dust with fine silver glitter
let dry
hot glue to rope
tie

for more info on the photo shoot and products, check out the following on instagram
Mint lace scarf and headband: @corababywraps
Mint and cream lace scarf: @everydaypitpat
Moccasins: @willowandfig
Aqua and mint headbands: @holly_blossoms
Aqua circle necklace: @aubreyzaruba
Dresses: @shopolivethethings
Photographer: @redheadmemories
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Thursday, February 26, 2015

blogging the bach 19.10

after last week's marathon bach watching, i wasn't sure we would make it another week, but here we are. i can't believe we're already at this point in the season.


who's watching...celsey, amanda, me

date 1...kaitlyn
what i saw...
her booty-where's the black box?
what i heard/said 
romance is outside of your comfort zone?
eeeww don't put me in your armpit--cel
why isn't he in a breathable t shirt--cel
i hate animals, but those baby monkeys are so cute
her hair looks awful-cel and me at the exact same time
i'm falling in love with you as well--chris--is that even allowed?
what i thought
kaitlyn says she's falling in love, chris doesn't have a clue how to respond so he just says it back. they close the blinds in the suite and we can all use our imaginations about what happens next. we're pretty sure she's going home.

date 2...whitney
what i saw
we were all pretty distracted by her tan situation
also an unfortunate dress situation
what i heard/said
all of these dates are always the same-on a boat, exploring the town, how annoying--cel
she looks like she took a bath in a bag of cheetos--amanda
did she have a ross gellar moment in the tanning salon--amanda 
small is an understatement--cel about arlington
what i thought
chris was sweating bullets talking to whitney about arlington=he really cares about her

date 3...becca
what i saw
i usually love beeca's wardrobe choices, but these fabrics are no bueno
what i heard 
she wants to die--amanda
her hair...what happened? and did she lose her suitcase--cel
did she find a 5 foot asian woman and borrow her dress--amanda
do they not allow sunscreen?--cel
could they make the card any more awkward?
i'm kind of getting sick of her saying she's a virgin. definitely should have counted that.
i feel like it's not that big of a deal--cel
what i thought
being a virgin seems preferable to someone who has a shady past
we're pretty sure there must have been some editing. he was totally fine with her telling him.
we're also pretty sure they don't have sex. he's not going to do that to her on national tv.

rose ceremony
what i saw
traditional outfits
terrible hair poor girls
what i heard/said
bump its went out so long ago--amanda
whitney looks super confident-as she should. becca looks terrified.
tell us how you really feel whitney--cel
do you hear their heartbeats?--amanda
what i thought
when he came back with becca, it was pretty obvious she was staying
kaitlyn is a strong contender for bachelorette 

word tally
farm...1
journey...1
love...51
amazing...8
husband/wife...3

what i predict
it seems like chris really wants it to be becca, but i don't know if she can get to the place she needs to be. we really like becca a lot, but we're worried for her. we're pretty torn on what we think. what are your thoughts?

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Wednesday, February 25, 2015

how we wore it...round 2

i'm happy to join brooke and these other lovely ladies for another round of how we wore it.

our inspiration comes via Moiology

 i had very similar pieces in my closet. i have almost gotten rid of this green and white stripe shirt so many times. good thing i kept it.


old navy top|gap outlet jeans|ross shoes|mall kiosk glasses|gifted purse

because i basically never leave the house without a cardigan
target cardi
photo credit life of bon

make sure to check out how everyone else wore it
Brooke at Silver Lining
Deidre at Deidre Emme
Brielle at Ready or Not
Brooklyn at A Little Too Jolley
Bonnie at The Life of Bon
Bri at Breezy Days
Alexa at He and I
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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

boys and girls


i have this theory that boys and girls can't really be just friends. at some point in the relationship one or the other is interested in something more than friendship. i had this discussion last might with my friend's boyfriend. it blew his mind a little as he started thinking about some of his female friends. even though they may not admit it, i guarantee one or both had interest at some point. 
what do you thin? can boys and girls really just be friends?


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Monday, February 23, 2015

random rambling...friend journal

last week i talked about family. my family is so important to me, and i love and miss them so much. today i'm talking about friends. my friends are also so important to me. i love meeting new people, and i want everyone to be my best friend. i have lots of best friends, and i really love it so much.
i love spending time with friends and family and making memories together.
we all know i have a lot of stuff-nail polish, cardigans, shoes, etc. one of my most favorite things i have is my friend journal.
i can't remember the exact assignment, but in high school i did a project where i started a journal with entries from friends. they wrote notes to me about our friendship, and i loved it from the start. i loved it so much i decided to keep doing it. throughout every era of my life-high school, summer camp, college, study abroad, post college, work, etc. i continue to have friends write in my friend journal when they move, get married, move on. some people write serious things. some people write silly things. some people share memories. it is the perfect way for me to remember our friendship. i haven't had my friend journal for the past year and a half because someone took it to write in it. i got it back a couple of weeks ago. i couldn't resist staying up late reading some of the entries. it made me so happy and a little emotional to read notes from friends. thank you high school for one of my most prized possessions. 
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Friday, February 20, 2015

foodie friday...stuffed pepper poppers

i love stuffed peppers. they're really healthy and a nice change from my usual chicken and vegetables. i make them as a main dish regularly. this week i needed a gluten, dairy, egg free appetizer to take to a dinner this week and i had the idea to turn stuffed peppers into an appetizer.

ingredients
small peppers
turkey sausage
garlic salt
mined onion
tomatoes
pepperjack cheese


season turkey sausage with garlic salt and minced onion. cook on stove.
dice tomatoes and add to cooked sausage. cook.
let cool and add pepperjack cheese
stuff sausage mix into peppers
bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees
serve warm

when i make stuff peppers, i usually use ground turkey, but the turkey sausage really improved the flavor. the pepper poppers were a big hit.


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Thursday, February 19, 2015

unblogged bloggable...sundance film festival

the sundance film festival comes to utah every year. sometimes i go, and sometimes i have good intentions to go. this year started out as one of those good intentions years until last minute plans came up.
opening weekend is the best time to go especially if you want to see celebs. i am not star struck at all, but it is pretty fun to stand a foot away from jack black. i went up to park city with kristie and a few of her friends. one of her friends is a sundance pro. she knows where all the celebs are and how to talk to them. it was pretty exciting to watch actually.
we started out at the library

one of the tricks is waiting outside the media tent before the movie premier. 
sometimes the celebs come and talk and sometimes they rush inside
after the library we went to main street. we didn't see anyone there, but it was fun to walk around.




i'm happy those last minute plans came up. it was definitely a fun time.
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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

blogging the bach 19.7/19.8

there was a whole heckuva lotta bach this week. i love the bachelor just about as much as anyone, but 5 hours in one week is a bit excessive.
who's watching...celsey and i watched the first 3 hours with a little bit of shawn here and there. amanda and alexis joined at the tail end of hour 3 through the end.
chris tells all
what i saw
kelsey in a hideous crocheted doily dress, ashley onion girl's audition tape (how/when did she turn so weird)
what i heard
"i clearly know less about women than i ever thought i knew"--chris
what i thought
what was the point of interviewing kelsey? is she not coming to women tell all?
i wanted to cry with andi. i am so so so sad about it.still.
can anyone please tell me the point of the chris tells all hour? it was a little unnecessary.
week 7
i'm not loving starting the show with the rose ceremony, chris does what he wants i guess.
these girls are way too excited to go to iowa..it's not that great. i promise.
date #1,,,jade...join me in my hometown
what i saw
farmville-i could never live there.ever
what i heard
she looks like she got her outfit at buckle.5 years ago,and she's not layering properly--cel
he would have to make enough money so i could be a stay at home crafter with an etsy shop--cel (i don't disagree)
i would have taken someone a little more outgoing on this date--cel
football players=band members #notreal
what i thought
jade and chris don't have much of a connection. they're not going to make it.
date #2...whitney..let's look for love in des moines
what i saw 
definitely more excitement than when chris saw jade
kissing.lots and lots of kissing
chris does weird things with his mouth-did we ever establish if he chews?
what i heard
they take good pictures together. she's a good poser--cel
chris being super impressed with whitney
because of her hair, her teeth look yellow--cel #truth
what i thought
whitney and chris seem like a much better pair than jade and chris
whitney seems pretty realistic about what she's getting into. i'm sure reality would still kick her in the butt though.
date #3...britt, carly, kaitlyn..icy our future together
what i saw
britt in another crop top and another
carly needs to borrow some lipstick from someone.like every other girl there
what i heard
she's wearing a fringed top. she robbed dolly's clothes--cel about carly's awful attire
why do they always have to run away?--cel about britt and chris
carly tattle telling on britt #worstideaever
i feel like he trusts what they say a little too much--cel
i don't understand why this is so awkward--cel--this isn't the first episode of this show. we all know how this show works.
britt making a major fool of herself. she definitely should have stopped talking the second she started.
you're on the bachelor. you're never going to be the last one until you're the last one--amanda
her feelings would be valid if she wasn't on the bachelor--alexis
what i thought
this is the first time chris has had any sort of real conversations with anyone
i really like britt, but she totally showed her crazy this week. being on the bachelor definitely got to her this week.
if this was real life, chris would probably date kaitlyn. she started out strong, but she seems a little too far behind at this point
week 8
date #1...date with becca from last week
what i saw
becca has amazing style
the most amazing sunset
what i heard
k. all the crime in des moines..killing me--cel
i could do without the sound effects whenever they kiss--alexis
what i thought
becca got a slow start but seems to have caught up

rose ceremony
what i saw
bad outfits-they must be running out of dresses
chris doesn't care one little bit about what britt has to say
what i heard
looks like they're all putting on a few lbs--cel
they're all in depression because they're in iowa--alexis
chris once again throwing someone under the bus
beg the producers to let you go buy something else if you've gained too much weight for your dress--cel
i'm pretty sure i had that dress in 7th grade. it's out of style--amanda about britt
what i thought
britt clearly lost her mind, but all of those girls were rude.
there must be some short hometowns after spending so much time on this
hometown date #1..becca
what i saw 
i usually love becca's style, but this shirt is awful
what i heard
i don't really get it. you can't have a boyfriend if you're a virgin?--cel
she looks like a salsa dancer--amanda
why is her sister acting like her mom?--cel
does she want her sister to have a chance?--alexis
wait, that's my dream--alexis about the ferris wheel
i'm going to put on lots of makeup and get myself a melt--cel and alexis about becca's sister
what i thought
becca definitely made up for lost time
she might be a serious contender for the bachelorette
hometown date #2..whitney
what i saw
whitney is such a skinny 
big statement necklaces
chris needs a haircut
whitney and her sister look nothing alike
what i heard
what are they going to do all day? she doesn't have parents--amanda
she's a fertility nurse not a fertility doctor--amanda
what if jade is in that playboy?--amanda
does anyone else in the family talk like her?--alexis
i feel like you have to say yes if you're on the show and pray for a long engagement--cel about asking for the sister's blessing
what i thought
obviously the sister is concerned, but has she ever seen this show?
after their date in iowa+the end of the hometown...strong contender
hometown date #3...kaitlyn
what i saw 
canada
kaitlyn seems a titch underdressed
things don't seem to be going as well as they did on the last group date
what i heard
why is she behind the dumpster?--alexis
they're a laugh match for sure--cel
how much plastic surgery has that girl had?--shawn about the mom
that's the camera--cel when kaitlyn's mom said she sees the light
what i thought
chris likes kaitlyn but not as much as he likes whitney and becca
hometown date #4...jade
what i saw
no date before meeting the fam
they're looking at the photos and we're all freaking out
what i heard
dark cloud of pornography--amanda
i think her step mom got a buckle shirt from a consignment store--amanda
i think her mom went and got her hair done--alexis
it's so sad all this is coming from her family--amanda
his heart just died--amanda
juelia dropped the bomb about her husband at a pool party--cel
what i thought
i can't believe jade showed him the photos/video even if the producers really encouraged it. whoever he picks in the end is going to freak.
rose ceremony
what i saw
these girls need some styling help
chris crying
what i heard
hallelujah--alexis about jade leaving
what is whitney's hair doing? it's like a bump it--alexis
she got those massive earrings so there's that--cel
she's really going home because she didn't look good naked--shawn
what i thought
i'm surprised how sad he was about jade. it seemed obvious that she was going home,
word tally-from all 4 hours
farm...2 (is that for real after being in iowa for one whole episode?)
journey...1
love...65
amazing...11 (i probably missed a few of these)
wife/husband...5 (probably missed some of those too)
what i predict
kaitlyn has really grown on me since the first few weeks. she is pretty hilarious, but i just don't see it with her. my guess it will be becca and whitney in the end.
did you survive all 5 hours this week? what did you think?
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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

running fun

running isn't for everyone. just because i run doesn't mean i think everyone should, but i get asked about running all the time. i shared my full running story a few years ago. it's no secret that i don't love running. i love a lot of parts of running especially with my group, but i don't love going outside my front door for a quick 3 mile run. 
most of the time i run marathons and occasionally a half marathon. yes, they are hard and take a lot of hard work and training, but i am much more of a distance runner than a sprinter. there are so many 5Ks here all.the.time. i could literally runa 5K every weekend if i wanted to. i don't run a lot of them, but the color run is definitely worth doing.

i ran the color run last year with my co-worker chris.
The Color Run, also known as the Happiest 5k on the Planet, is a unique paint race that celebrates healthiness, happiness and individuality.
Now the single largest event series in the world, The Color Run has exploded since its debut event. They have more than tripled their growth, hosting more than 300 events in 50+ countries in 2014.

The 2015 theme is the Shine Tour which pretty much sounds amazing. Everyone in 2015 will receive a limited edition Shine Tour Participant Kit, including: custom race tee, gold finisher's medal, tricolor headband w/ silver stitching, brand-new shine packet, and shiny tattoos. Talk about "bling" with benefits!

We're pumping up the 5k course and finish festival too! Look for a unique Sparkle Zone and killer photo ops on course. At the finish festival, get ready for confetti cannons, shimmering clouds of color, and more!



last year was a total blast, and i expect this year to be even better. are you convinced yet? use code MLC143657 to save $5 on registration. sign up now!
code works after the first 30 days of registration 

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***i received an entry to the color run in exchange for this post. all opinions are my own.

Monday, February 16, 2015

random rambling...family+funny story

for the majority of my adult life, i have lived away from my immediate family. both of my sisters lived in utah at separate times for a few months. i absolutely wish i lived close to my family. i miss them all the time, and saying goodbye when i do see them is just about the worst thing ever.
my mom is from southern utah, and my dad is from iowa. i grew up mostly in north carolina which means we didn't live close to any extended family at all. 
we didn't see our first cousins much at all so we definitely didn't see even more extended family. most of my mom's cousins and their families live in utah, but i still don't see them like ever.
my friend kristie had a small valentine's day party. her good friend eric walked in and asked my last name. (i think kristie mentioned who was coming so he probably heard it at some point). i told him, and i was completely unprepared for his response.
"we're cousins"
um,,,no. we're not.
as it turns out, we are in fact cousins, second cousins. eric's mom and my mom are cousins. i've probably only seen him 2-3 times in my whole time, but i still felt super embarrassed. he was nice and we joked about it.  it was definitely funny but also a little awkward and a lot embarrassing.
do you live close to your family? do you know your 2nd and 3rd cousins?
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Friday, February 13, 2015

for the little tykes...messy play

i'm a complete neat freak. like a lot of people, i like things to be clean and organized, but it's good for kids to make messes and play with messy things.


what do ziploc bags have to do with messy play? the simple answer is everything. it's good for kids to explore different textures like playdough, slime, paint, putty, etc, but some kids/people don't like to touch messy things. here are a few quick tips for success.
1. start with dry textures-shredded paper, beans, rice, popcorn 
2. move to creamier textures-whipped cream, yogurt, pudding, floam, shaving cream
3. try wet textures-jello, slime, flarp

and a few more tips
1. put it in a ziploc bag
this allows exploration without actually getting messy hands
2. give the child their own towel/washcloth to wipe their own hands
if we constantly wipe their hands and faces for them, it teaches them that messy is bad. let them be in charge of their own cleanliness
3. don't be afraid of food play
food exploration (often in the form of play) often leads to better eaters

as much as i like to be clean, i love messy play with kids. i'll be back next month with more ideas for messy play. in the meantime, try the ziploc bag. let me know how it goes.


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Thursday, February 12, 2015

blogging the bach 19.6

i've pretty much been dying since last week. to be continued is torture.
who's watching...celsey, amanda, alexis, and baby mav (she always makes the most appropriate noises at the best times)

kelsey is CRAZY! and also manipulative. and a black widow
mackenzie and samantha got sent home. we wish we would have seen more of samantha, and we didn't miss mackenzie one little bit.

welcome to deadwood, south dakota-the perfect place to fall in love
south dakota is the perfect place to fall in love. said no one ever--cel

date #1...let's give love a shot-becca
what i saw
becca and her amazing style
kelsey bringing out more and more crazy
what i heard
she's lucky those pants fit her like a glove or else--cel
no that was your second kiss. the first was terrible--cel
what i thought
love becca
date #2...let's make some sweet music together-whitney, jade, britt, kaitlyn, carly, megan
what i saw
hideous outfits-all of them
what i heard
why is megan so dumb?--cel
why is megan still here?--alexis
i would never be the spaz running ahead of everyone--alexis
i think half her brain is empty and full of air--amanda about megan
i think she traded out brain for boob--cel about megan
this is the worst date. i hate it so much--alexis. me too alexis
when in doubt, feel free to take it down an octave--cel about jade
the girls are going to be so mad. i'm most excited to see that--alexis after chris took britt away
what i thought
i can't believe he gave britt the rose after having a 1-on-1 last week.
why didn't he send the other girls back to the hotel?
the girls are mad at britt, but they should be mad at chris. he's kind of dumb about his time when other girls are around.
date #3...let's have good times in the bad lands-kelsey and ashley
what i saw
ashley thinks she is kim kardashian, and it's awful
kelsey is dressed like 2010 and/or a mom
what i heard
that vest looks like a bath towel with a shoe string around it--alexis
i feel bad for chris. both of these girls suck--alexis
he has to keep his hands on his arms to brace himself from getting knocked over from her--cel about ashley
she's acting like a 14 year old
he looks like he gives really nice hugs--alexis after we talked about how awful this date is for him and all of us watching us
i'm like negative 1% in--cel
this is emotionally draining. get the helicopter running--amanda about chris leaving on the helicopter and leaving kelsey there
there's no way they would put them in the same helicopter as him. they would push him out--alexis
what i thought
i'm pretty sure we all thought the same thing. that date was terrible, and we're all glad it's over. we're especially glad they're both gone.
word tally
farm...1
journey...0 (is that for real? i feel like kelsey prob said it a few times)
love...10
amazing...5
future wife...oops i forgot to count this one
why didn't they show the rose ceremony again? this is killing us
what i predict
megan has to leave soon. right?!?
the girls are going to freak right out when they go to iowa. i can't really picture any of them living there.
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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

what would you do...with a date night

kimberly and i are back for another round 

with valentine's day later this week, we want to know
WHAT WOULD YOU DO...with a date night?

dating has been a hot topic around here lately. i am working on my focus on love goal of exploring online dating. let's just say i have more work to do. good think i still have some time left.

i'm not a creative dater at all. i'm pretty happy with the generic dinner+something. i'm not much of a movie watcher so the movie part of dinner+movie is a little tricky. i tend to fall asleep during movies so it's not the ideal date situation.


here are some of my preferred date night ideas
1. dinner only (especially for blind dates)
2. something outside (fireworks, baseball game, concert)
3. something active (tennis, running, light hike)
4. cooking dinner
5. walk around the park

a few tips for a successful date night
1. make a plan-who is in charge? does the other person know what you are doing? are you eating on the date or should we eat before?
2. dress up a little-a little effort goes a long way
did you catch my date night outfit+giveaway yesterday.
3. have fun

link up below and tell us what you would do with a date night.
come back next month when we want to know
WHAT WOULD YOU DO...with gold glitter?

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

wear it not wednesday...lularoe

i usually like to do fashion posts on wednesday. today is obviously not wednesday, but i that's ok right?!? i've been hearing about lularoe for months now, but i've never actually tried it. i got the cassie pencil skirt, and i've pretty much fallen in love.

this skirt is perfect a little more dressed up with heels

 or a little more casual with flats




 it's perfect for date night
especially for valentine's day date night

photos brianna d
target cardi|old navy chambray|lularoe skirt|etsy heart jewels

i love this skirt so much. i'm teaming up with christie to bring you your own cassie skirt. enter below.

come back tomorrow for what would you do with a date night.
blogging the bach is thursday this week.
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a Rafflecopter giveaway