Your Miranda Writes

Monday Lovely: To the Sky

2011-06-13T17:23:00.003-06:00

As a kid I was a little bit infatuated with Amelia Earhart and ordered multiple books about her from our elementary school book orders. This was pre-Google. (Do you remember ordering books? You'd fill out what you want on the thin, crinkly paper and then wait for the books to get there and it was like Christmas? At least it was for me... Best day ever.)

I used to imagine what happened to her and in my more positive thoughts she was living it up on a deserted island with some fun, castaway friends in cool Swiss Family Robinson-style treehouses.

This new-to-me online magazine Matchbook did a fun feature on Amelia-inspired style. I loved all of the items included, especially the photo of our heroine and her adorable pixie haircut and awesome airplane in the background.

That's like 80 in dog years

2011-06-03T15:52:00.004-06:00

This week Z & I celebrated 10 years of wedded adventure. I can't believe it's been that long.

The photo above is beautiful isn't it? It's from this wonderful blog. And it's a photo of peonies. My favorite flower. Of all the details, big and small, from that day, I remember a few things extra clear, allllllllllll these years later. One of them is the peonies I used to decorate the church and some parts of our reception. They were from my grandmother's garden and serendipitously bloomed just about a day before our wedding. They were bright pink and so cheerful.

I'm taking the fact that they made a magical appearance for our big day as a sign of good luck.

Here's to another decade.

Photo by Oh Happy Day.
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Owl Righty Then

2011-05-27T16:56:00.002-06:00

These beauties and their impressive color were but a mere distraction

to Little A until we could get to the owls.

Little A and I spent most of the early afternoon at the local aviary. We had a blast.

When I told him this morning we were going to the aviary to see the birds he immediately started with the questions. His queries led me to understand he has inexplicably (and overnight) become owl-obsessed. "Are we going to see an owl?" "I want to see an owl and a baby owl." "Where do baby owls come from?" "What color are owls?" "Are the owls there the ones from Aunt Suzi's house?" "Owls say 'hooo hooo' just like a dove. But they are not doves." "I reallllllllly want to hold a baby owl. Baby owl feathers are SO soft!"

We had to run a couple of errands and then finally got to the aviary. We were checking in at the front desk and the college-age guy working was cute with Little A, asking him if he was excited to see the birds. "Yes, I want to see the owls. Do you have owls? Do owls live here?"

The guy assured him that owls do, in fact live there. But, just as our luck would have it, the brand new super impressive extra fun and exciting Owl Forest of all Owl Forests was opening for the first time -- tomorrow. We missed it by one day.

However, he said we could still see the owls from the sidewalk. I was relieved. And Little A's head was about to explode from pure happiness. Then the guy gave us a map of the grounds that had an OWL ON THE COVER and it almost put him over the edge.

We trekked around the aviary, looking at flamingos, eagles bald and golden and some unfortunate looking vultures (poor guys). "Where are the owls???"

Finally, we got to the owls. I lifted A up so he could get a good look and as a large barn owl turned toward him -- I grinned in anticipation of how excited he was going to be -- he mumbled "Oh, there's one."

And then immediately turned his attention, and excitement, towards a pair of ducks that just poo'd on the sidewalk.

Monday Lovely: Conversations

2011-05-23T10:27:00.000-06:00

Little A & Z yesterday at the Living Traditions festival.

Little A: Goodbye, Mama! You are going to work?

Me: Yes, honey, I am. I will see you later. Have fun with Daddy today!

Little A: My cookie monster has a hole. He has a tear.

Me: Oh no! I can fix it. I will sew him up later when I get home.

Little A: You will?! Oh, Mama. You are the most beautiful mama in the world!

Me: Thank you! I love you so much.

Little A: I love you, too. Can I have a hug? I love your kisses.

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Washington Square Park. NYC. 5.12.11

2011-05-20T09:01:00.000-06:00

I took this photo with my phone on a beautiful spring day. And speaking of Washington Square, have you ever heard Ryan Tanner's song of the same name, by his band Atherton? It's one of my favorites.

He loves it when I call him Big Papi*

2011-05-18T21:57:00.002-06:00

Last week I went to New York for a business trip. It was one of the better trips I've had there in a long time, I think the fact that the weather was gorgeous had a lot to do with it. Also, our schedule was perfect. Sometimes we pack so many meetings into a few days that it feels like one gigantic, taxi-dotted whirlwind and suddenly I'm on a plane back home.

This time my clients and I were on our way to meet up with a freelance writer near NYU. That part of town, Greenwich Village, is great -- much more colorful and lively than midtown Manhattan where I usually spend most of my time. Since the Village is home to lots of celebs, including Anderson Cooper, Julianne Moore and Anna Wintour, it wouldn't be unusual to run into someone famous.

We were walking down the sidewalk when a large man in a Red Sox jersey walked toward us and asked us for a hug. I happily gave him one but because I was wearing sunglasses and not my prescriptions my eyes weren't completely sure if I was seeing who I thought I was seeing.

Imagine my surprise that the celebrity I ran into was none other than my favorite Major League Baseball player David Ortiz, a.k.a Big Papi, of the Boston Red Sox.

If you don't follow baseball closely then you may not know that the Red Sox vs. Yankees rivalry may be the fiercest in all of sports. The U of U vs. BYU one may be a close second. It's that bad. So it was a little strange to see someone in a Sox jersey walking around the Big Apple with a huge smile on his face.

What I didn't realize during our hug fest was that a camera crew from the MLB Fan Cave filmed it. I believe this is called, in showbiz speak, "my big break." Since this video launched I have become quite busy/very important/good at 'doing lunch' and am in the process of hiring my own manager.

After the hug that was caught on camera (I'm at 2:40), I was able to talk to him and thank him for signing a baseball for Little A last year (it was a very thoughtful gift from my cousin who works for the team). David couldn't have been nicer.

And I got my best NYC souvenir to-date.

*This post's title was inspired by a comment from my friend Scott.
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"We all get dressed for Bill."

2011-03-17T21:36:00.000-06:00

I'm not the type that watches documentaries very often. I like to think that I am, but I am not. I usually don't have, er, make the time to watch films (because you can't call them movies, right?) that are so often insightful and educational.

Aside from Food Inc. (and I still believe that if you eat food you should watch it), the last documentary I watched was The September Issue, a look into the World of Anna Wintour and Vogue during the finalization of fashion's most important magazine.

And now, I really can't wait for this one.

Bill Cunningham's New York Times photo essays are always a treat (I mentioned one a few years ago here). He is 82 years old and rides a bicycle around Manhattan -- a fact that probably provides enough content for a documentary by itself -- taking photos of interestingly or fabulously dressed people on the street and on the catwalk, too. I keep hoping that during one of my trips to New York he will ride by (and you know he'll keep riding -- no need to snap a photo of me in my TJ Maxx ensemble, I'm sure.).

He is eccentric and bold and Anna Wintour herself says that if he doesn't take a picture of her it's "death."

Bill says, "I'm not interested in celebrities with their FREE DRESSES. I'm interested in clothes."

Although I wouldn't AT ALL consider myself anything close to a fashionista, I think peoples' fashion choices when they're dressing to impress or express -- especially in big cities where it's easier to be anonymous -- say a lot about them.

Bill has a talent for listening.

View the trailer here.

Overheard: Loyal

2011-02-15T09:43:00.001-07:00

Me: What did you think of Lady Gaga and her egg at the Grammys?

Him: * glancing up in disgust * Well, it was no Madonna emerging from a disco ball during the Confessions tour, I'll tell you that much.

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Monday Lovely: Now That's Making an Entrance

2011-02-07T11:17:00.011-07:00

I know I have some catching up to do on this blog but in the meantime, I wanted to share a beautiful video. In the (almost 10! Eeek! Gasp!) years since Z & I walked down the aisle, documentary-style wedding photography has become the norm. No more posed photos (or at least, more than just the traditional, posed photos) -- candid photography is where it's at.

I'm wondering if the stunning footage (and some of the other weddings this talented company has done) below will spark a trend for artistic, music-video style mini-movies to go along with those candid photos commemorating the big day.

Adam & Eve from dolly on Vimeo.

Not only is the videography (cinematography?) beautiful, but the bride is stunning, her veil is In. Cred. Ible. and just watch how she arrives to meet her groom.

Sidenote: On our wedding day, after the ceremony, we stayed at the church to sign the license, take a few (posed) photos and then were supposed to go to our reception, about a mile away. Z & I walked out of the church only to find out that all of our friends and family left us. And, since we were young with not much experience in this sort of thing, we hadn't thought to arrange for some sort of romantic transportation (vintage Rolls Royce? Horse-drawn carriage? Bicycle-built-for-two?).

Luckily, we found my cousin who happened to be rounding up some items and was still at the church. Z rode shotgun in her Chevy Malibu and I, and my enormous hoop skirt, squished into the backseat with my then 4-year-old and 6-year-old family members.

But arriving by boat, like the French bride in the video, would be pretty cool, too.

If you are getting hitched - in FRANCE! - hire this company.

By the way, one of the first places I saw this video was on a site that's a favorite of mine, Cup of Jo.
Check her out!

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Ten before 10/1

2010-09-02T19:38:00.005-06:00

If you read a lot of blogs you may have noticed a lot of "30 before 30," lists or something to that effect, floating around the blogosphere. If you haven't, I have. And take my word for it: they're popular right now. I think they're a great idea -- I am a list-lover at heart and the thought of having all of my goals laid out right before my astigmatism-ed little eyes, WITH A DEADLINE, makes me happy.

The only problem is I am past 30.

31 actually.

And I didn't do one of these lists. And "32 before 32" sounds kind of, well, like I forgot to do a 30 before 30 list. (Although, being from Utah, I should have a soft spot for those two numbers.)

But anyhow, I have decided to do my own list: "10 before 10/1." Ten things before October. I figure that giving myself only four weeks will make me get my arse in gear and actually accomplish something.

So (drumroll, please!) without further ado: My 10 Before 10/1 List:

1. Replace the knobs on the Craigslist dresser I bought (and have been living with for more than one year) when I thought: "That dresser will work great but I can't live with it for more than one day without replacing those knobs."

2. Take pictures of Little A's nursery nook and write a blog post about my favorite part of it -- the changing table/dresser.

3. Put up a piece of art on the gigantic, bare wall that calls my name every time I walk by, reminding me how big of a procrastinator I am.

4. Finish reading the book I started a couple months ago and haven't finished.

5. Find new pillows for our living room couch. Either by buying some I love or making them myself. Which reminds me...

6. ...I need to use my sewing machine. I haven't made anything with it yet even though I've had it for a couple of years. I can't wait to try.

7. Burn the 19 months of video footage from our camcorder onto DVDs.

8. Print out (and put in an album) at least two months of photos from Anthony's first year. I know, I am wayyyy behind on this.

9. Have a picnic at the park while it's still warm.

10. Eat at a new restaurant.

I will report back on my progress. Wish me luck!

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And let the dinner party invites commence...

2010-07-15T21:23:00.005-06:00

I admit it. One of the main reasons I wanted to have a child was so he could intentionally smear food on his face, I could say "show Mommy how the piggies eat!" and then laugh uncontrollably.

In the video below you'll notice that my dream has come true.

The bad news is that I had washed Little A's high chair just before this classic display of Martha Stewart-approved table manners. Time not so much well spent. The good news is that the hilarious little giggle you heard? Pretty much sums up his personality all day, every day.

I mean, what's there to be upset about when you have endless amounts of "GOGURT!" and Cheerios to smear on your face.

Monday Lovely: Today is the Day

2010-07-05T11:30:00.004-06:00

Although our master bathroom has been finished for about a year and a half I haven't really gotten around to decorating it. I am s l o w l y getting back into the groove and picked up a shower curtain (we had just been using a plain white liner because I couldn't find a curtain I liked. How embarrassing. I have a severe, constant case of of Analysis Paralysis.), a towel bar (yet-to-be-hung) and some picture frames so that when I found some works of art I could just hang them quickly before I over-analyzed what kind of frames my future artwork needed.

Little A and I took a trip into Urban Outfitters to pick up some Father's Day items for Z (we found this, which he loves for its practicality and I love for its old-fashioned-key-lookingness) and I discovered a little bowl in the same shade of green that our bathroom is painted. It also features some bright reds, blues and other colors as accents. I decided this is the color scheme for our bathroom and I bought it (for $2.99 on sale). So now the hunt is on for vibrantly colored accent items.

A quick search on Etsy and I discovered a little treasure from this shop.

I love its motivational message (and, boy, could I use some motivating these days), bold color and great font.

And the award for rosiest cheeks in a short film goes to...

2010-07-01T21:42:00.006-06:00

Please click below to view a documentary featuring Little A modeling his dad's super sweet triathlon swim cap.

Bonus features include him making a frog sound and doing a little jig. We thought of holding onto this for a major Sundance release but decided to distribute it to the public free of charge instead.

You're welcome.

Monday Lovely: Florapalooza

2010-05-23T18:56:00.005-06:00

I really really want...

This vase. It's so pretty.

Mama Mia!

2010-05-18T22:40:00.008-06:00

We went to Price a few weekends ago to celebrate Mother's Day and party it up with the family. Little A and I headed down on Friday. Zach, since he had to work Saturday day and night, was going to stay home for the weekend. But instead, he was missing his wife and child (we are pretty incredible) and decided to surprise us by riding a train that left Sunday, Mother's Day, at 4 IN THE MORNING - like, when it's still dark, really dark - and arrived in nearby Helper at 7 a.m. That's still early. Like, really really early (especially if you're the one who had to roll out of bed to pick him up).

But what a great guy.

We had a fantastic time in Price (as usual). We went to visit a 500 million year old friend at a College of Eastern Utah dinosaur excavation not far from my parents' house.

(L) Little A touching a real dinosaur tooth. (R) Preserving the dinosaur vertebrae in plaster.

Little A being held by his Grandmother, who should also be known as the World's Best Mother,
and hanging out with his BFF, Grandpa Randy

Hosted an impromptu Valdez family hula hoop party. It was harder than it looks.

(L) Aunt Suzi showing us how it's done. (R) Cousin T.J. busting a move.

(L) Mal and mom (M) Sara (R) Little A

(R) Birthday Girl showing her dad and Uncle Jimmy the proper technique
(L) Linsey, Zach and Grandma Darlene

Celebrated Karley's birthday.

Celebrated Malarie's official college graduation (even though she finished her classes a year ago - she's smart like that).

Toasting the graduate, unfortunately the awesome photographer didn't get a picture
of the graduate during this toast.

And celebrated some pretty incredible Mothers on their special day.

Little A and his Great Grandma Inez and Great Grandma Darlene.

All mothers should be so lucky. We had a blast!

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Monday Lovely: Beautiful Bistro

2010-04-05T19:50:00.005-06:00

Are you familiar with Terrain? News of this chic home/garden/landscape shop's online arrival has been all over the Internet like (expensively priced) moss on a stone. And I'm sure its popularity isn't hurt by the fact that it happens to be a sister company to the store that is to Utah women what crack is to junkies.

I was browsing through its pages and thought this red patio set was so dreamy. Can't you just imagine lounging around in this cheery, red chair, drinking a refreshing glass of lemonade and reading a favorite magazine? Yeah, I can't either. Who has time for that? But in another life I would totally be up for it. Especially with this chair's gorgeous, high back.

And I would love to set my cool, refreshing drink on one of this adorable flower-shaped table's wire petals.

If you like this table and chair, too but don't want to drop the pretty big bones it would take to buy the whole set, check out this option from K Mart. Just as lemonade-worthy, I think.

Stay at Home Dad: I don't take drugs I get high on baby hugs

2010-03-30T11:56:00.009-06:00

Before Little A was born Zach & I decided we would trade off being home with him so that I could continue to work without having to rely on babysitters (for the sakes of both convenience and my anxiety level). We're really lucky that Z's job allows for this kind of flexibility. Three days a week I go into the office and it's boys' time at our household as Z & A hang out together. It's working out great and they have a blast, even if sometimes when I get home two people (who shall remain anonymous) are still in their pajamas.

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Monday Lovely: Better looking than the TI-85 I spent big bucks on in high school

2010-03-25T20:02:00.009-06:00

Confession: I partially chose my college major based on the area of study that required the least amount of math classes. Yayyyyy for my bachelor's degree in communication. I do think, though, that if I could use a beautiful abacus such as this one from CB2 I would rethink my dislike for counting.

Anchored properly, I know it would be the perfect wall decoration above Little A's crib. He could slide the beads back and forth, and who knows, maybe use it to do our taxes.

Overheard: Partying Like Rock Stars

2010-03-25T13:26:00.002-06:00

Me: Oh. My. Gosh. Tonight on Iron Chef it's Battle: Cabbage!

Him: I love cabbage.

Me: This is the best Saturday night ever.

Little A's Birthday Balloon Invitations

2010-03-23T10:08:00.003-06:00

Back in December, the glorious birth month of Little A, we had a small family party to celebrate. But because of the size of the Valdez clan, our family parties are never small. We all squeezed together and had a great time although I did realize one of the downsides to having a birthday party in the middle of winter (and especially when your house is the size of a shoebox) is that there is nowhere to have it.

Anything outdoors is obviously out and since Little A was turning one, things like bowling or bouncing or skating were out for now. So we had a little party at our small restaurant. It was fun and we were very thankful for those who were able to celebrate with us.

Because we couldn't decide where to have this grand event, the invites were kind of a last-minute deal and went out mostly to just his youngest guests.

I liked the idea of using a balloon in/as the invitation, so after rounding up some blue balloons and left over heavy stock metallic paper, I (with the help of a lovely assistant) made some.

Step 1. Find a lovely assistant (preferably one who is full of hot air: see above.). After realizing that the recipients of this balloon invitation will likely blow up the balloon themselves, use the air filling tube to a seldom/never-used yoga fitness ball so that said lovely assistant's mouth is not directly in contact with the balloon itself.

Step 2. Once the balloon is filled with air, use a (red!) Sharpie to write the party details - what, where & when - on the balloon.

Step 3. Deflate the balloon. Once a bazillion balloons have been inscribed with the grand event's details start sticking them (printed side back, so that it's kind of a 'surprise' when they're blown up) using Zots onto card stock on which a little poem you've created has been printed and then cut to size of a pretty (red!) envelope.

Step 4. Mail them out to adorable little family members. Let the celebrating commence!

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Monday Lovely: Saturday Night 'White'

2010-03-08T21:27:00.003-07:00

It's true! It's true!

Image from CrabbyGoLightly.com

She is hosting. What is more lovely than that? Not much. Although this one time, back in St. Olaf...

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Monday Lovely: Kinky Boots

2010-03-01T09:00:00.007-07:00

Did you like the name of this blog post? Hopefully it got your attention. It did mine when Zach told me this was the film he watched when he was up with Little A at 2 a.m. a couple weeks ago (teething made our little guy restless so Z got up with him since this mama was working the next day). It doesn't exactly sound like a family friendly film.

But don't let the name mislead you. We watched this Sundance Film over the weekend (Z had DVR'd it, knowing that I'd probably like to watch it, too) and I fell in love. It's about a man who inherits his four-generation family shoe making business and has to come up with a plan to save it. So he decides to focus the company's efforts on a niche market: drag queens. Hey, those girls need cute shoes, too. Oh, and it's based on a true story.

Besides the drag queens' colorful, choreographed performances and the film's charming characters, it also teaches a great lesson about learning to accept others' differences.

And why 6' 4" men need extra reinforcement on their stilettos.

[Note: If you want to check it out, we found it on the Independent Film Channel on DishNetwork.]

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Monday Lovely: Snowy grandfathers + grandsons

2010-02-22T09:10:00.007-07:00

Little A & my dad, taken just a couple weeks ago.

While the view from my home includes a trash-strewn parking lot

2010-02-20T10:29:00.007-07:00

As you may or may not know, I am one of the world's most loyal Golden Girls fans. My favorite character, of course, is Rose Nylund. Besides our occasionally ditzy personalities, she and I also share a first love: Our hometowns.

Price is my St. Olaf.

So it should be no surprise that one of my favorite things to do is take Little A down there where we can breathe in the (fresh! clean!) air, look at the (clear! blue!) wide-open sky and enjoy long conversations with the relatives of my aunt's across-the-street-neighbor in the customer service line at K Mart. (Small towns are like real-life experiments of 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon.)

We also enjoy taking advantage of the beautiful scenery just steps out my parents' back door. So all the way back in November, just days after Thanksgiving (I have lost 5 pounds since these photos were taken, thankyouverymuch), we went for a little sunny-day walk.

The family set out on an expedition...

...to look for these: seashell fossils.

The view wasn't bad.

The people-watching was riveting.

And the expedition proved to be a success.

We had such a fun day that I think that even Rose would be a tiny bit jealous (though she probably wouldn't admit it. She is surprisingly competitive.).

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Bueller? Bueller?

2010-02-12T15:51:00.004-07:00

A spider web I noticed at a castle in Italy. I imagine the spider that lives here wears a tiny cape and crown and goes around saying "ciao, bella!" to all the ladies when they walk by.

Hello Internet! Is anybody out there? I'm planning to dust off the cobwebs and update this thing shortly. Stay tuned...

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Monday Lovely: Boo! (But say it with a British accent)

2009-10-26T14:42:00.003-06:00

My talented friend Maegan took these beautiful, or should I say "boo-tiful," pictures of a cemetery in London. I thought they were quite appropriate to post just before Halloween, and with their stunning colors and textures they are a nice departure from the typical October orange-and-black everything we're used to on this side of the pond.

Photos: Maegan Leoni

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My brain has turned to low-pulp, calcium-fortified mush. Now with Vitamin D!

2009-09-12T10:37:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I woke up with little A (and waking up to the sounds of a baby jabbering a very cute, although unrecognizable, story is a very good way to start your day, I tell you what), fed him, played with him and then put him down for his morning nap.

I decided to take advantage of the quiet time to make myself some breakfast. I made my usual meal, poured myself a glass of OJ, scarfed it all down and put everything away quickly so I could get myself ready and little A's things packed up to make it to his 10 a.m. doctor's appointment.

I was feeling pretty proud of myself as we strolled into the doctor ON TIME (yes, I know, I was shocked, too), ran our errands and made it back home for his early afternoon nap.

All of this "being organized" stuff had me feeling quite thirsty so I reached in the cupboard for a glass.

I saw this.

I am telling your this story so you get a visual representation of how my life is going and so you will know why I have been such a terrible blogger lately.

And, food-born illnesses aside, just for the record I think that storing orange juice in the cupboard is an excellent idea. It really cuts down on preparation time when you have your glass and your beverage on the same shelf.

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Bridal Shower Tea Invites

2009-08-17T20:50:00.005-06:00

So a while back we had a bridal shower for my sister, Malarie. We decided that a tea/luncheon would be a fitting event since that's more of her style than a raucous gathering.

I hunted around for the perfect invites but couldn't find anything that we really liked.

So I made some.

They were super easy. So super easy that anyone can make them, yours truly included.

Since her wedding ring is a 1920s beauty that she had just scored at a great little antique shop, I thought it would be fun to do some invites that had a 1920s/30s vibe. So I rounded up some card stock, printed out the info and cut them into tiny little cards. I then stamped them with my vintage-style stamp set I bought to make homemade Christmas cards years ago (I never made these, just for the record).

Then I stapled each little card to a tea bag, the invite acting as the tea tag.

Since I stamped them in metallic blue/green ink, I put them into little metallic blue envelopes.

They were very fun and easy to make.

And the bridal tea was very fun, too. Despite its lack of raucous-ness.

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The Great Family Photo Shoot of 2009 (AKA Unless You Are One of Our Grandparents This Features Entirely Too Many Photos of Us)

2009-08-06T20:10:00.019-06:00

A few months ago when Little A was a wee little six month old (On Saturday he will be eight months! It's also my dad's birthday...) I asked family photographer extraordinaire Kirstin Roper to do a wee little photo shoot of us at Liberty Park.

[Note: You may recall that Kirstin is the fabulous photographer who took the lovely pictures of my beautiful sis.]

The park is one of our favorite spots, since it is all of about a two-minute walk from our house, and I adore the old-school carnival ride area almost as much as I love its snow cone booth (But not quite. When we're talking about Tiger's Blood there is no comparison. No matter how cute the tiny little airplanes are painted.).

So, I raced home from work, convinced Z to put on a shirt that has real buttons and no pizza stains and then we loaded up the A Train, after combing his flowing locks of hair, of course.

Kirstin went waaaaayyyyyy above and beyond, trekking over hills, through puddles and across grass to get some great shots. Mostly, though, she had to work with my husband and his um, unique sense of humor. I hope she'll remember to charge us double next time for the wrangling fee.

We had a fun time taking pictures and the carnival ride operators at the park were so great about letting us climb all over the rides.

It's strange to see Little A so grown up in these pictures since I still think of him as a tiny newborn baby. But I know that soon we'll look back at these and won't believe he was ever this small. It is right about here that I was wishing I could freeze time...

...Or maybe it was here.

... Or right about here.

But since time-freezing is not an option, I'm glad we have these photos.

Thanks, Kirstin.

(She also took some photos of just Little A and me since Z had to leave early to run to a meeting. I'll post these later since if you're still reading this and haven't fallen off your chair from Family Photo Overload already, you will.)

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Monday Lovely: Crazy for Cabin Fever

2009-07-27T14:26:00.008-06:00

The A Train and I walked up to Trolley Square last week when we noticed the windows at Cabin Fever. I love black + white images paired with bright colors. And I love Elvis. And butterflies.

The trifecta!

[Editor's note: This window momentarily brought me back to my childhood aspirations to be a store window decorator, a la the hit 1987 movie, Mannequin. I was actually able to live out my dream during a short-lived high school stint as a sales girl at the bustling Fashion Crossroads on Price's Main Street. Elastic waistband pants, anyone? After a few times of alternating between the oversized sunflowers and oversized crayons, I was out of props and my window displaying days kind of ran out of steam...]

Carbon County Celebratin'

2009-07-22T09:32:00.007-06:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, last weekend was a very big one for us. We went to Price for wedding festivities galore, spent time with much-missed family members and I turned the big 3-0. As I've said to friends, I'm sure somewhere, somehow there was a miscalculation. I don't feel 30 but I guess I'll take it.

Little A loved every minute of being the center of attention while we were hanging with the family. His older cousins (my cousins' kids) are all so sweet with him and since the next-youngest baby in our family is already 4 (?!), he gets passed around constantly by all the aunts and uncles. He loves meeting new people and seeing new things, which works out well since we're almost always on the go. He is a very happy and calm baby (although I realize now that by typing this I am tempting Baby Fate and will likely be witness to a serious in-public meltdown, that may or may not involve a large diaper blowout. I guess I'll take my chances...) and handled all of the changes to his schedule like a champ! He also had his first stint with a non-family member babysitter for a few hours during the end of my sister's wedding reception and handled that like a champ, too (although it was a pretty tough one for his mom).

A few photos from the weekend...

Monday Lovely: Malarie's Bridal Pictures

2009-07-20T13:58:00.007-06:00

I know I haven't posted anything here forever. With re-opening the restaurant, working and planning my sister's wedding--not to mention caring for my favorite boy--I haven't had much time to spare.

The wedding was this weekend and it was incredible. I can't wait to share pictures on here of the big day. We had a great time and my sister, Malarie, was one of the world's most beautiful brides. Really, the Guinness Book of World Records called and confirmed it.

I have a feeling they based their decision on these photos taken by the super-talented Kirstin Roper Photography. Malarie's then-fiance (now husband!) is Japanese, so she wanted to include something from his culture in the photos and the parasol was the perfect touch. We picked up the bouquet for $10 from the farmer's market. It was gorgeous and fit her personality perfectly.

You can see more of the bridal photos on Kirstin's blog.

Home cookin'

2009-06-30T18:47:00.006-06:00

Somebody really really likes cereal. I'm not saying who. Hint: It's written, er, smeared all over his face.

Monday Lovely: Porch Pals

2009-06-29T22:50:00.003-06:00

And in matching outfits, no less. That sound? It's my heart melting. (Just in case you were wondering.)

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Monday Lovely: Stiletto Soaker

2009-06-22T21:48:00.004-06:00

I was reading my new issue of Elle Decor (even though Z hates this magazine because he thinks it's pretentious and snobby and features rooms with way too much toile) a week ago and actually laughed out loud when I saw the double-page ad for this over-the-top bathtub from Sicis, a mosaic art company (their work really is spectacular).

It's fabulous, ridiculous, shiny and sporting a serious heel: everything a bathtub should be, right? I have no idea how much this costs, but I assume it isn't cheap. If I had stacks and stacks of money lying around there's no doubt I would use one of them to purchase this. Just for the ability to say, "Sorry, can't talk now. I have to sit in my giant shoe and shave my legs."

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Anthony's Plain Plane (Ha!) Nursery Mobile

2009-06-03T10:05:00.003-06:00

Throughout my pregnancy I entertained myself by planning the nursery decor. Not actually decorating it, mind you, since the nursery nook's construction wasn't even completed by the time we were high-tailin' it to the hospital to welcome our little bambino. But picking out fictional nursery items and doing nothing with these ideas was something that I did really well.

I had a general idea of the colors (lots of 'em), theme (none! thankyouverymuch) and style (cozy modern) but not a clue of what kind of mobile to put up above the crib. So I waited. And found some I liked on Etsy. But didn't buy any since I didn't see any I couldn't live without. So I waited some more. And then I found one when we were in Rome but Zach was being grumpy after a too-long day of walking and so he said he didn't like it (even though I think he really did). So we didn't buy that one either. So we waited some more. Then I went with Teri to a craft store for inspiration and to buy items to make one. But I didn't find anything there so still no mobile. And we waited some more.

Now, Anthony is almost six months old and as of last week he was still mobile-less. I decided that last weekend was it. We would find ourselves a mobile. I had some criteria: Definitely nothing with characters licensed by a giant movie studio. Preferably no sports-related items. [Editor's note: I have nothing against sports-related items. But let's be honest. Little A has as much chance of inheriting my severe lack of coordination as he does getting his dad's athletic genes.] Animals and airplanes are desired. Vintage-looking items preferred. Oh, and what I find must be affordable, ideally under $10. Good luck, right?

I loaded Little A into his stroller and trekked up to our favorite store, walking up and down the toy aisle. I was hoping I would find what I was looking for and stopped in the classic toy section. I was able to scoop up these little beauties.

I originally had planned to paint every airplane a different color, each in a shade that we've used in the nursery nook (currently orange, brown, red and green). But after I put them together I decided their retro detail was just too cute to cover up.

Thinking of things from Anthony's crib-level perspective (I'm thoughtful like that), I realized that staring at natural-colored wood against a white background isn't as exciting as it sounds. Actually, it would be exactly as exciting as it sounds.

So we broke out the red paint. And I slapped on some detail (using a kid's watercolor paintbrush, the only one I could round up on the spot) to the underside of the planes, making them stand out for his little baby eyes a bit better.

Mid-way through the project, I included a very important step: Impromptu nacho eating. This makes the project much easier to complete and must not be skipped.

After using some of my college-level physics to figure out how to hang them without making them tip weirdly, I strung them with fishing line. Anthony's nursery nook is super tiny (it will likely be transformed into a walk-in closet on the tragic day we must sell our beloved teeny little home) so I didn't want to hang anything from the ceiling that took up too much space, out of fear of making the room look too cluttered. Fishing line seemed perfect since it's darn near invisible.

I hung them from eye hooks and I must say they are a big hit with our little guy. He loves staring, reaching and kicking up toward the airplanes and because they are actually light-weight gliders, they flutter and move around when the air conditioning turns on. Perfect! No batteries necessary.

The whole thing cost about seven bucks. And the cool shadows they make on the wall? Those were a freebie.

key words: affordable mobile, modern baby mobiles, baby mobiles, vintage baby mobile

Crazy 8

2009-06-02T12:26:00.006-06:00

On this day EIGHT years ago, Z and I tied the knot. These years have been exciting and fun, plus some hard times and struggles thrown in to keep it real, but I can't wait to see what else is to come.

Happy anniversary, to my better half.

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Monday Lovely: Air Mail

2009-06-01T13:37:00.004-06:00

I recently checked the mailbox for the (usually boring) daily delivery of bills, catalogs and occasional magazine (and now that Domino is no more, my magazine delivery anticipation has seriously waned). Imagine my surprise when I found a letter--delivered by ROYAL Air Mail, no less!--from my over-the-pond friend, Maegan.

There is just something about getting a handwritten note that can't be beat.

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For days he went around telling all the other babies, "You're Fired!"

2009-05-23T11:48:00.008-06:00

A couple days after we had Anthony, the hospital staff came around to do the infamous newborn hospital baby photo. I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of these pictures since the poor little babies are still trying to figure out what in the world is going on, like why am I wearing clothes? and what happened to my nice, cozy 24-hour swimming extravaganza? and who are all these goofy people staring at me and making exaggerated facial gestures? So to make them lie still keep their eyes open while they stare at a flashing object seems a little cruel.

Plus, in my experience, the babies change so much in that first week that the pictures don't even look like them (then again, I guess all the more reason to do the photos in the first place...). But, I think these photos will be great to look back on when Anthony is all grown up.

So the hospital photographer came into our room to do the photo. I was having some complications and was being attended to by some fabulous nurses so little A, Zach and my mom had to go into the empty room next store for the photoshoot.

I heard hysterical laughing but since Zach was in there, I figured no big deal, he probably just mooned somebody.

After the photos were taken they wheeled Anthony back to the nursery. When they brought him back to me a little later the nurses with him couldn't stop laughing and neither could Zach.

Instead of being placed in the nursery window looking like this, alongside the other newborn babies...

Visitors to the hospital nursery saw this, lined up amidst the other precious little infants:

The night I went into labor, in our rush to get out the door to head to the hospital, you may recall that we didn't even have clothes ready to take for our poor child because they were packed away in boxes while we finished our bedroom and nursery remodel.

However, Anthony's dad DID grab what he saw as the most important thing--the baby toupee (Anthony is modeling "The Donald" in case you were wondering).

PS: And yes, I grabbed these photos off the hospital Web site. A picture of a toupee-clad baby boy is what visitors to the hospital site see when they click on our child. His father is very proud.

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Monday Lovely: Baby Talk

2009-05-04T21:50:00.008-06:00

Overheard: Exercise

2009-04-20T14:22:00.003-06:00

Him: I really like that the new car has those push-button windows.

Me: What do you mean? Our old car has push-button windows.

Him: No, the new one has one-touch, push-button windows. You just push it once, quickly and the window rolls down by itself.

Me: Our old car had that.

Him: But it didn't have that for rolling the windows back up. The new one does.

Me: Was it really that hard to hold your finger on the button for five seconds to roll it up?

Him: It was annoying. It's much easier to just push the button once.

Me: I can't believe some people think Americans are lazy.

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Monday Lovely: Baby Mine-Classic Songs for Bedtime CD

2009-04-13T22:26:00.006-06:00

I may not be great at singing or staying in-tune or remembering the right words to songs (Hold me closer, Tony Danza) but I do know with absolute certainty that this is one of the best CDs ever recorded.

It's a collection of music that is perfect for lullaby-ing wee little babes to sleep without causing the parents to suffer from Elmo-Induced Psychosis. All of the songs are incredibly beautiful and Anthony loves it. I played it for him often while he was taking up residence in my abdomen and I really do believe that he still recognizes the songs even now. During one of our first nights in the hospital right after he made his grand arrival, he was fussy and nothing seemed to calm him down.

I turned to my beloved iBook (may it rest in peace) and clicked on the BabyMine CD in my iTunes. Instantly he relaxed. It's baby magic. Plus, it features the vocal stylings of one of my all-time favorite local celebrities.

You can preview the album (and then buy it instantly because you seriously won't be able to wait even one more second) on iTunes.

Overheard: True love

2009-04-07T09:36:00.005-06:00

This weekend I was able to meet up with one of my good friends/former coworkers. We had a great time catching up and reliving the crazy stories that happened daily with our former employer. At this company, our boss and his wife worked together and had a, shall we say, tumultuous relationship that made for an interesting office environment.

Our storytelling brought me back to a specific conversation that occurred shortly before I quit. Our boss was out of town and his wife and I were talking about his schedule with this latest overseas adventure.

Me: Wow, that trip he is on sounds exciting.

Her: I know, it really is. But I'm very nervous about it.

Me: You are? Why?

Her: Well, it just sounds kind of dangerous. He's flying around that country in a tiny plane. What if it crashed in the ocean and nobody even knew where to look for them?

Me: * Blinking in disbelief that she actually cares about her husband. My heart is warmed.*

Her: I mean, for me to get his life insurance they have to find a body.

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Flying by

2009-04-02T09:19:00.010-06:00

Before we had Anthony, Zach and I were always told by friends and family members that we had no idea how fast time can go by until we had a child. They were so right. The last four months have flown by and undoubtedly been the best of our lives. Having a baby is a lot of work. A LOT of work. But I'm enjoying it more than I ever could have imagined, and I know Zach would say the same thing.

Anthony is generally a very happy baby, a good sleeper (knock on wood) and is showing more personality every day. Z & I spend most of our free time watching Anthony giggle, figure out how to wildly move his arms, kick his chubby little legs and try to talk. We're both fully convinced that he is clearly a genius by the way he shakes his rattle and reaches for his toys.

Einstein, move over (but don't worry... you have no competition in the hair department--yet).

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Paint today, pizza tomorrow... Or maybe in a few weeks

2009-04-01T12:19:00.009-06:00

The new restaurant space is getting closer to being finished. Zach and I are both really excited about being in this new building. It definitely has more of the neighborhood/mom & pop feel we've been wanting. And now that we're officially a mom & pop ourselves we thought the timing for our move was perfect. The fact we're combining a pizza shop & coffee house is a little unusual but we think the two will make an ideal couple.

We're getting ready for paint and so the hunt for the decor is on. I've put together this mood board to help set the tone as we pick out paint, furniture and other items. Our plan is to go with more neutral paint (and if you know me, you know what a hard decision this was) and then accent with more lively colors.

Hopefully it won't be too much longer until Z is in the kitchen baking up some fresh pies...click on the image above for a larger version

Monday Lovely: Her Morning Elegance

2009-03-30T11:43:00.003-06:00

I saw this posted on DesignMom recently and thought it was incredibly beautiful and creative.

Proof

2009-03-30T11:05:00.002-06:00

My dad putting his new purchase to good use.

Caution: May encourage users to join the circus

2009-03-16T09:42:00.002-06:00

Him: I learned what happens when I take an Ambien before I get online.

Me: What?

Him: I buy things. On eBay.

Me: What did you buy?

Him: I am now the proud owner of a professional-model unicycle. It arrives Wednesday.

Me: I hope it comes with a helmet.

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My electric personality

2009-03-11T17:41:00.006-06:00

My one reader out there (hi, grandma!) may have noticed that I haven't posted much lately. That's because, as my current streak of really really bad luck would have it, I shocked my computer and it died.

True story.

While working on the computer, I stood up from our dining room table, took approximately a step-and-a-half to put Anthony's pacifier back in his mouth (Does that make me a bad mom? I'm new at this.), sat back down at the table and touched my finger to the keyboard (the nerve!). There was a small shock and the entire computer blew up.

Well, not blew up like in the movies. That would at least be dramatic. (But probably would have scared the baby.)

Something internal blew up and there went my beloved MacBook and all its contents. Thanks a pantload, Steve Jobs. Luckily, the geniuses at MacDocs think they saved the info on the hard drive (including pictures of my child that many are beginning to doubt really exists because of the lack of photo evidence), but I won't be able to tell until I get a new laptop. Which should be soon, I hope.

Until then, I'll be putting my "energy" (ha!) into doing this:

Overhead: Documentary

2009-02-25T13:23:00.002-07:00

"Well if you would just watch House Bunny, you would understand that not all sororities are like that."

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Overheard: At least the last part is true

2009-02-18T09:51:00.002-07:00

Me: Oh those sweaters look so cute on TV.

Him: See son, those are nerds.

Me: Whatever! They are student body officers.

Him: Exactly.

Me: Uh, excuse me. I was a student body officer.

Him: * Laughs *

Me: And don't tell my baby I was a nerd.

Him: OK, son. Those people are nerds, but you still have to be nice to them.
They may be your boss one day.

Me: * Coughs *

Him: Or your wife. Which is the same thing.

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From Baths to Babes

2009-02-13T09:43:00.012-07:00

Abby pointed out to me that I've been slacking on posting pictures of a very cute baby who happens to live in my house.

But it's for good reason! We've been busy. On top of restaurant-induced craziness (I've decided that about 90% of the craziness in my life is attributed to that. Good thing I really love cheese.), I was fortunate enough to get a horrible illness last week and so my parents came up from Price to get the little prince and myself since I couldn't take care of either one of us and Zach was swamped with work.

I'm feeling much better now and actually went back to work yesterday; I'm going into the office two days a week. Zach had his first full-day of being a part-time stay-at-home-dad (whew, that was a lot of hyphens). He and the baby had a great day of hanging out together. And the dishwasher had even been emptied when I got home, which was a plus.

A few updates:

My mom introduced Anthony to the fun of a bubble bath. He hadn't really loved them before this point, now they're his favorite. Since this picture was taken he's outgrown the kitchen sink, though.

He loves going to Price and getting to spend time with members of his crazy family who treat him like royalty.

Back at home, we have decided that the cold weather is an excellent excuse for him to sport varieties of fashionable headwear.

Last week, Anthony went on his first date with Joelle's little beauty, Natalie. Don't worry, their moms chaperoned. We all met at the coffee shop and let the kids be wild and crazy (see below) while Joelle and I enjoyed our half-caff lattes.

Isn't Natalie adorable? Joelle pointed out that Natalie is a cougar since she's about three weeks older than Anthony. Which is great for him because he loves older women. I think he was trying to play hard-to-get, though, because he slept during their entire date. His strategy is to make Natalie think he is a man of mystery. I think it's working.

And maybe the best part of their relationship, as Joelle pointed out on her post about this outing, is that thanks to Natalie's grandmother's home town, Natalie is part Price-onian, just like Anthony. A match made in heaven, er, Carbon County. Same thing, right?

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She's demanding we replace the tap water in her bowl with Evian

2009-02-03T19:43:00.008-07:00

I don't mean to brag, but we have a superstar in the family.

Zach took Sydney to the vet last month to have some stitches removed and while they were there, a commercial shoot was in progress. Well, once the crew saw Sydney's movie star qualities they instantly begged her to star in the ad. (OK, I may be exaggerating here. Just a tiny bit.)

But the point is, she is in the commercial--the opening scene, in fact.

I have a feeling this is going to be her big break.

If the video doesn't work above, you can click here to see it.

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His bum will have a lemony fresh scent

2009-01-30T09:51:00.002-07:00

Last weekend, Anthony and I took his first trip to Price. I loved introducing him to our large extended family, Anthony loved getting spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa and I'm pretty sure they loved spoiling him, their first grandchild.

When we realized we were running low on baby wipes, Grandpa volunteered to run to the store to pick some up.

My poor dad didn't know why we were all laughing when he walked in and handed us these, which he pointed out, he got in both colors since he didn't know which ones we would like best.

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Great Danes are the New Mutual Fund

2009-01-27T11:09:00.009-07:00

About a week ago, we finally got Anthony to sleep and were looking forward to catching some much-needed shut eye. I just gotten into bed and was drifting off to dreamland when I heard our first-born (our giant dog, Parker) throwing up at about 1:30 a.m.

Great, I thought. Something fun to clean up in the morning. (Because I was NOT going to get out of bed to clean it up then, no matter how gross that sounds. I was exhausted. And that's why tile floors were invented.)

But I heard him pacing back and forth and just had a feeling something wasn't right. So I got up to check on him. I'm glad I did.

Turns out that he wasn't just sick from eating his dinner too quickly or some other benign reason that pets get sick. His stomach had flipped upside down, something that is called "bloat" and is a major threat to giant breed dogs (although it can happen to any dog, so read up on it here). It's the second leading cause of death among big dogs after cancer and we've been terrified of it ever since getting Parker as a puppy because it can kill them within a couple hours and can occur at any time, without warning.

I grabbed my trusty laptop, read about his symptoms and figured out what was happening. I yelled for Z to get out of bed to take Parker to the vet while I stayed with Anthony and then yelled louder for him to get dressed QUICKLY since literally every minute counts with getting the dog treated in time.

Z rushed to the emergency, 24-hour vet where we took Sydney when she ate a sock last year (we have the best luck, don't we?) only to find out that they didn't have a doctor in until 8 a.m. So, while Zach was driving all around the Salt Lake Valley at 2 a.m. with our dying dog in-tow, I found another vet that was open, called Zach to give him the address and then I let the vet know that Parker was on his way in.

They immediately did an x-ray and the vet confirmed that his stomach was flipped. She then told us that she could do emergency surgery which would save his life but cost us a small fortune. If she didn't do the surgery he would definitely die within a few hours.

So, we did the surgery even though this is not the smartest investment we could make with our money. I don't believe Suze Orman or Dave Ramsey recommend putting your hard-earned cash in something that boasts such impressive returns as pooing Volkswagon-size presents on your back lawn or shedding enough hair to make Donald Trump a new toupee every single day. But, since we are not the kind of people who can look into the eyes of an animal that we love and see as a real part of our family and just let him die when he doesn't have to (and, for the record, I am glad we are this kind of people), we did the surgery and he is making a stellar recovery.

And besides, when was the last time your 401-K snuggled with you on the couch?

Parker has to take 16 pills a day while he's recovering and he has a pretty brutal scar, but is already acting like his old self. Minus some testosterone. (While he was out, we also had him neutered. Poor guy.)

Image taken by Atelier Photographie

If you live in the downtown/Sugarhouse/Millcreek/Highland area of Salt Lake and have a pet that you care about, I recommend you put this number and address into your cell phone in case you are in need of help in the middle of the night. They're open 24-hours and did an excellent job taking care of Parker:

Advanced Veterinary Care
1021 E 3300 South
(801) 485-2306

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Monday Lovely: Marcae's Marvelous Cookies

2009-01-19T08:09:00.003-07:00

My great friend, Marcae brought a platter full of these beautiful cookies over last week and they were almost too beautiful to eat. Almost.

(For the record, Z & I ate EVERY SINGLE ONE before the night was over. Our only regret was that we didn't have any for the next day.)

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For the grandparents

2009-01-17T14:18:00.003-07:00

In case you're interested, recent photos of Anthony are available here...

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Monday Lovely: Super smart sisters

2009-01-12T15:36:00.005-07:00

My sister Malarie is a senior at Southern Utah University (go T-Birds!). She worked hard last semester, juggling work and school, and got straight A's--a 4.0.

Now, when people tell us apart they can officially say she's the pretty, athletic AND smart one. That makes me the uh, old one. Great.

Oh well. Congrats, Mal!

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Our newest new addition

2009-01-09T18:14:00.015-07:00

If you're like me and occasionally catch something on TV, or maybe saw on a blog you're stalking, about some person who has prepared for months (Maybe years? I have no idea about these sorts of things), sacrificing food cravings, committing to daily, hours-long, grueling athletic training, turning their body into a perfect machine in order to complete an exhausting triathlon, mountain climb or some other extraordinary physical feat, and you thought to yourself "Why would anyone want to make their life SO HARD?"

I'm afraid that Z & I are those kind of people (only with fewer rippling muscles, a lot less discipline and higher junk food intake. Um, much higher junk food intake.).

Right smack in the middle of our house remodel, an international vacation (thanks, SkyMiles & Maegan's Bed & Breakfast) and oh, a little thing called PREPARING TO BIRTH, HOUSE AND CARE FOR A BABY, we decided it was a great idea to buy a building that we will remodel and then into which we will move our restaurant.

This is exactly the kind of decision that is typical of us. We always do things the hard way, I'm not sure why. The first year we were married we lived in a charming little apartment (it was smack in the middle of an industrial area, but I thought it was still charming). I was working at my first real job out of college and Zach was working three jobs (we're still not sure why he did this, there really wasn't a reason for such madness): UPS, Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Rock Creek Pizza.

When his friend decided to sell Rock Creek, we bought the equipment and put it in storage for a couple years until we could find a location and get funding for Z's restaurant.

In the meantime, we bought not just one dilapidated old, run-down house (which caused my grandmother to cry out of sadness--real tears!--when she set her beautiful brown eyes upon it), we bought TWO dilapidated, old, run-down houses. The reason we were able to buy two of these beauties is because they were so old and neglected that they, together, cost less than one normal house.

We decided to renovate them and become landlords while living in one and renting out the other. So we lived without a fridge for a few months, with cut-up plastic garbage bags--and the free ones that the city provides for leaf collection, no less!--on our windows in place of curtains and without a real front door for longer than I care to admit. But we were happy in our (once-) sad little house.

This craziness we're now throwing ourselves into should help the restaurant gain the more neighborhood-focused feel we've been looking for. But it's also kind of insane. We're going to do some remodeling on the building that currently houses Highland Perk Coffee. And, we're keeping Highland Perk running through the construction (or at least during most of it).

Which means Zach is currently running two businesses. Which is a lot of work.

Which means he's home less than usual. Which is a lot of work. For me.

But, once summer rolls around and we have our new pizzeria/coffee house and we're sitting on the little patio, taking in the geraniums (don't you think this place is just begging for some geraniums?) and chatting with the wonderful neighborhood customers, I think it should be worth it.

At least I hope so.

Since we're joining the two businesses, Z Pizzeria and Highland Perk, we need a new name. Ideally, we want to keep the name "Z Pizzeria & [SOMETHING HERE] but are unsure of the 'something here' part.

Any suggestions?

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Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T23:00:00.003-07:00

Our family had a great time during Anthony's first Christmas. For the first time, Z & I hosted our families at our house. We celebrated by dressing Anthony in holiday appropriate attire (that his dad pointed out made him look more like Liberace than an elf) during our fun and festive Christmas Eve dinner with my parents, my brother Derek and his fiance Paige, Zach's parents, his sister Amie and her boyfriend Adam.

On Christmas day, my sister Malarie and her fiance Terah arrived from Florida and we all enjoyed a Christmas dinner of tamales and enchiladas. Anthony enjoyed being held nonstop by Aunt Mal.

My mom stayed with us for about five days and Zach and I were busy trying to figure out a way to convince her to never leave. We were spoiled with meals made, the house being cleaned, laundry washed and folded, the living room curtains I bought six months ago were finally hung and she was constantly changing Anthony's diapers. She even brought me Oreos and milk in bed the other day, I am not kidding.

We all had a great holiday; Parker and Sydney were even visited by Santa Paws who brought them new stuffed animals.

Hopefully you had a great holiday as well, and may your New Year be filled with junk food that is lovingly brought to you while you lounge in your bed. There really is nothing better than that.

Reason #10,457 to have kids...

2008-12-27T22:07:00.006-07:00

...Getting to dress them up in holiday-centered attire before they are old enough to defend themselves.

Anthony in his Santa hat, Christmas onesie, shoes and blanket

A close-up of his adorable Santa shoes

Hopefully everyone had a very merry Christmas, we'll be posting a recap soon!

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Monday Lovely: Childhood Christmas Ornaments

2008-12-22T20:40:00.005-07:00

Zach & I are loving having our little guy home for Christmas. Today, Zach's parents brought over one of Zach's favorite childhood Christmas ornaments his "hohsie."

He has taken up residence on our mantle and I hope he'll stay here for many years to come.

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Monday Lovely: Baby Cash's Birdie Mobile

2008-12-15T21:54:00.001-07:00

Our friends Ryan & Emily are two of the hippest (and nicest) people we know. They are super cool, so talented and have unbelievable eyes for design (not to mention two of the cutest kids I've ever seen).

True to form, when Emily designed a mobile for little Cash's room, she created one that's incredibly beautiful.

Check it out.

I totally stole these pictures off Em's blog. I couldn't help it. I just had to share.

Home sweet home

2008-12-12T21:48:00.006-07:00

We were able to leave the hospital yesterday!

Dad and Anthony

The hospital made him a Christmas stocking

Our first morning at home

It's so good to be home.

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He's here!

2008-12-09T20:35:00.009-07:00

Sunday night (Monday morning, technically) I woke up at 2 a.m. with a terrible backache that would come and go. Zach kindly pointed out that my backache was coming and going exactly every five minutes. Then every four. After a couple hours he convinced me that I was in labor. We called the hospital and they proved him right even though I'm not due until the 21st. I didn't want to show up at the hospital too soon out of fear of being sent home so I hung out at the house as long as possible. I took a bath, and then between contractions, rummaged through the boxes of still-unpacked baby clothes and blankets, frantically trying to find his newborn-size clothes and some sheets that we could wash so we could put them on his crib (I had big plans to wash everything and put it away after my Monday evening pedicure with my friend Joelle. Lesson here: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE.)

We arrived at the hospital at about 5:30. I was quickly put into a birthing room and examined, they told me I was already measuring a 6.5 (if you're not familiar with childbirth terminology, just know that this means things were quickly moving along). After getting an epidural about an hour later when I was at a 7.5, I was still in a lot of pain since for some reason it didn't work on me. The doctor removed it, put in another and I was then about a 9. Let's just say I was glad that I didn't doze off during the relaxation breathing techniques section of my birthing class. It really helped and I was able to get through the intense pain OK (more or less).

Everything had happened so quickly that by a little before 9 a.m. it was soon time for the baby to make his grand debut. And then things slowed down. After a little more than 3 hours of pushing he was here! And it was wonderful. And totally worth the pain. In fact, although it's only been a day since the event I don't even really remember that part of it. The combination of adrenalin and epidural is a beautiful thing.

Meet Anthony Jon:

Our 7 lbs., 5 oz. little conehead (being stuck for three hours will do that to you)

He already had quite a fan club waiting for him, both sets of grandparents and his Aunt Amie were able to greet him just a few minutes after his birth.

Proud grandmas

Aunt Amie and Uncle Derek

His dad is a shoe-in for Dad of the Year. Anthony is pretty much glued to Zach, who has been the #1 diaper changer/baby comforter/bath-giver. Z was the perfect birthing coach and cheerleader.

First bath. Notice the four smiling grandparents in the window.

Mom & Anthony

We enjoyed our first day as a family cuddled up in our hospital room with snow falling outside. It was perfect.

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Taking advantage of not having to suck in my stomach

2008-12-03T08:49:00.002-07:00

As a baby gift, my incredibly creative and generous friend Janelle at Atelier Photographie offered to do a pregnancy photo shoot. Honestly, the last thing I thought I would want to do after gaining dozens of pounds over a short amount of time and retaining enough water to hydrate a small country is have my picture taken; but I thought about it and realized that having something to remember this exciting time sounded like a good idea. I'm so glad I did. Don't hate me for saying this, but I have really enjoyed being pregnant. I know that this annoys some people, but because I have totally lucked out so far (knock on wood) and haven't had any complications and relatively little morning sickness, I've felt pretty good. And because, for 28.5 years the thought of pregnancy COMPLETELY freaked me out, I think I had set my expectations pretty low. So I've been pleasantly surprised at how great I feel. I have really enjoyed carrying around this little guy.

Janelle came over about a week ago and took lots and lots of pictures. I was worried that her poor camera wouldn't hold up against the force that is my huge more-than-8-months-pregnant belly, but it seemed to do OK.

Janelle is so talented and I am forever grateful to her for suggesting that we do this. And maybe even more grateful that she made Z come up from working on the nursery to take some shots of him, too.

I like the look of our little three-person family so far.

You can see our complete album here.

[If you are in need of pictures of your kids (four-legged ones included--she shot our family pictures last year), yourself, your significant other or anything else worthy of being immortalized on film, I strongly recommend you drop her a note. Or, even if you're not in the market for some lovely photos (but seriously, who isn't?), at least visit the Web site for fun. The beautiful photos on it make me happy.]

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Monday Lovely: Letterpress prints

2008-12-01T11:43:00.005-07:00

I never thought I'd say this: We're in the home stretch of the nursery/master bedroom/bathroom remodel. Carpet will be here tomorrow and the last of the touch-up painting is getting done today thanks to my wonderfulwonderfulwonderful father-in-law. (Did I mention that he is wonderful?)

Last night I took a soak in our new ginormous bathtub (Thanks to my sister-in-law's wonderfulwonderfulwonderful boyfriend. He got us an awesome deal on this SIX FOOT LONG tub. It's incredible. Michael Phelps may be coming over later to swim laps, I'm not sure.)

So now that I can focus on the really important things, like decorating, I ordered a few prints on Etsy that I think will make smashing additions to the nursery nook. I'm so excited to see them framed on the wall.

Bittersugar's letterpressed 'Bridge with Birds' and 'Camping' prints

Showered

2008-11-24T21:38:00.003-07:00

A couple weeks ago my wonderful friends (they're also all from Carbon County, which is why they're so super fabulous) Charity, Marisa, Heather and Holly threw an incredible shower for little Mirando. It was amazing, from the adorable centerpieces to the tasty cupcake party favors.

Thanks, girls! This whole getting-ready-for-baby-phase has been so much fun and made Z & me appreciate how many thoughtful friends and family members we have. We feel so lucky!

Overheard: I thought I heard the same thing from Cousin Eddie

2008-11-19T17:06:00.004-07:00

Very sweet, heavily Southern-accented sales girl in the fabric section of an unnamed big box retailer: Oh my gosh! When’s your baby due?

Me: Next month.

VSHSASGFSUBBR: I thought it was soon. You look so funny with your big ol’ belly pokin’ out from your iddybiddy body.

Me: Uh, thanks.

VSHSASGFSUBBR: My friend just had a baby last week. It was backwards and the doctors had to pull real’ hard on the legs but it finally came out. Legs first.

Me: Wow. That sounds terrible.

VSHSASGFSUBBR: It ended up bein’ fine. When I had my daughter, I broke all the blood vessels in my face because I pushed so hard.

Me: Oh, that’s awful.

VSHSASGFSUBBR: It was OK. But my mama had a real easy labor with me. She just walked out on the front porch and I slipped right out! She didn’t feel nothin’. I just slipped out and fell right on my head.

Me: Wow. That sounds like an easy labor. I hope that happens to me.

VSHSASGFSUBBR: ‘Cept I got a skull fracture. From fallin’ on my head.

Me: Oh, I’m sorry. How scary.

VSHSASGFSUBBR: I was all right, though. But--(* leans across fabric counter, points to forehead *) look: I have a dent. My head never did look right.

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A Sleepover, Socks! and a Shower

2008-11-16T16:47:00.002-07:00

Last weekend (Not the most-recent one, but the one before that. Yes, I'm behind on blogging.) was one of my busiest, but most fun, to-date.

It all started out with a Friday night college roomie sleepover/baby shower at a cute condo on Park City's Main Street.

Jamie, Katie, Marcae and I all went out for dinner.

Then, we walked up Main Street to check into our condo. In addition to the charming sites on Park City's quaint little street, this sexy ensemble was spotted.

Christmas shopping for Zach? Done and done. Just what every man needs--fur bikini underwear. [Editor's note: Not sure why this mannequin has a purse instead of a head/upper torso. Park City can be a weird place.]

I wore my lovely tiara and Mom-to-Be banner. From a distance, I looked like a really bloated beauty queen (or perhaps one who was just a little too friendly with the judges, if you know what I mean), if I do say so myself.

Saturday morning we headed back home where we were all tired after staying up until 5 in the morning. Marcae even pulled one of her famous all nighters, except she really did stay up all night instead of falling asleep at 9:45 (good job, Marc!). We made sure that Mirando met his sugar quotient for the next 20 years, thanks to our lovely snack assortment. It was a perfect evening, thanks, roomies!

Fortunately everyone was able to wake themselves up for Saturday night's world-famous Stoked on Socks Sock Hop at Z Pizzeria. Katie and Mitch organized a fantastic event and we had at least three times the turnout we had planned. It was a great night and by the end of the evening more than 900 pairs of socks had been donated to the homeless!

(L): Finn is already a hit with the ladies. (R): Sweet dance moves were enjoyed by all.

(L): Socks! (R): Jamie & family.

(L): Susan & baby Bodhi; (M): Finn is testing out the socks. (R): The Rosenvalls

Thanks, Katie & Mitch for organizing such a fun night (and for setting such a great example for all of us).
There will be lots of warm toes thanks to you!

The following Sunday was busy as well; Zach's family hosted an amazing baby shower celebration. Everyone was so generous and thoughtful and gave us incredible baby gifts which have officially taken over our dining room. And, it's official: Our baby is probably going to be one of the best-dressed kiddos around, as evidenced by his wardrobe-staple onesie given to us by Zach's sister Amie.

Like father, like son.

Overheard: Motherhood Edition

2008-11-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

A transcript of my Gmail Chat with one of my very maternal friends:

Her: Has your doctor moved the due date?

Me: No, it's still the same day. I go in for another appt. on Thursday. Hopefully he will have flipped around so that he's not facing the wrong way anymore.

Her He didn't flip around when you were here? What the hell was he doing???

Me: I have NO idea, he was moving so much!

Her: Babies can be real weirdos sometimes.

Saturday Sock Hop

2008-11-07T15:16:00.010-07:00

A couple years ago our good friends Mitch & Katie went on a tour of the homeless shelter. They saw that homeless people really needed socks. So they went home and did what anyone would do: They set up a nonprofit--filling out the forms and paperwork and tax information and creating a Web site and planning fundraising events--to collect socks for these people who are in need. OK, you're right. Not just anyone would do that. Most of us, at our best moment, would gather up a few pairs and drop them off and then feel good about our good deed for the rest of the year. Not these two. They have worked hard to really make a difference.

And now YOU can help.

By eating pizza. Free pizza.

"What's that?" You say. "I LOVE free pizza and helping others."

Then Saturday night is perfect for you.

Just stop by Z Pizzeria from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov 8 and bring in a packet of new socks--for men, women or children--and you get free pizza. A pizza buffet will be available, as well as entertainment.

A great time is guaranteed to ensue. Because not only are Katie & Mitch really good people, they are also really fun.

DETAILS:

Saturday
Nov. 8
6-9 p.m.

Z Pizzeria
3295 S 2000 East
SLC
(801) 484-ZPZA
www.zpizzeria.com

All socks will be donated to Utah's homeless. For more information on this great cause, check out Stoked on Socks.

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Pumpkin Party 2008

2008-11-06T19:40:00.001-07:00

Last week, Z & I hosted our good friends Mark, Teri and Mr. Lewis for a pumpkin carving extravaganza. It was kind of a last-minute affair so we were sans actual pumpkin carving utensils but found that steak knives and dry erase markers worked just fine. And no trips to the hospital were required, which was a very real fear for most of the night as we poked, prodded and cut to create our jack-o-lantern works of art.

We also enjoyed some delicious Navajo Tacos, courtesy of Z Pizzeria's pizza dough, and Teri's perfect apple cider.

When I wasn't getting caught smuggling a pumpkin under my shirt, I put our bushel of apples (imported from my parents' tree in Price) to good use and made Martha's baked apples with Mexican chocolate.

It was a fun and festive night, but Parker was not impressed.

History.

2008-11-05T22:16:00.015-07:00

Last night I was emotional as I watched the country's first African American man voted president of the United States in a groundbreaking election that once saw legitimate presidential candidates include a woman and a Mormon. I was inspired by President-elect Obama's message to the country he will now lead and excited to see the changes ahead. I am thankful that my son will know that he can be anything he wants to work hard enough to be--proven by a minority man raised by a poor, single mother who was able to reach the highest office in the world, thanks to hard work, an emphasis on education and a lot of hope. I was also teary-eyed listening to John McCain's passionate and eloquent speech and hopeful that his words will help heal the ugly divisiveness that has stricken this country.

Although I personally believe that Americans still have a long way to go towards treating our fellow citizens equally and respecting each others' differences, it's clear we've made a lot of progress.

Here's to making even more.

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Monday Lovely: Mad Men Wardrobe

2008-11-03T09:42:00.010-07:00

I have a huge crush on the person who designs the wardrobe for one of my favorite shows on television, Mad Men. I am completely behind on watching the episodes; I think I have half a dozen stored on my DVR, but am looking forward to catching up so I can ogle the gorgeous clothing the characters wear (along with the dreamy John Hamm).

The show takes place at a Madison Avenue ad agency in the early 1960s where everyone shows up in their finest suits and tailored dresses sporting perfectly coiffed hair every day. Not to mention that these people often host dinner parties where everyone is glammed out in their appropriate party clothes. And although I am glad to see that the sexism, in-office smoking and rampant workplace adultery are things of the past I can't help but be a little sad that it's now completely acceptable for me to work at an agency wearing baggy maternity jeans and an ill-fitting sweater.

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Fortunately we didn't have any client meetings today

2008-10-31T14:25:00.007-06:00

This year, my coworkers and I were instructed by our party planning diva Diania that we would be having a work Halloween party and that WE WILL DRESS UP AND WE WILL LIKE IT. Oh, and we'll also have fun playing Halloween games OR ELSE.

It was a very festive day and we had quite an assortment of costumes on display, including:

Jeff: Our boss scarred us all for life with his biker dude attire; Erika: A Swedish viking; Jamie: The world's greatest Elvis

Gail, a favorite body builder of ours; Courtney: An M&M! I resisted the urge to take a big bite out of her costume. You know how I love chocolate.

Diania: Hula Girl; Clint: An exceptionally fabulous workout aficionado (He's been blaring Olivia Newton John's "Physical" on his iTunes today. Although, that's not unusual for him.); Melanie: A pirate. Arrrrghhhhh!

Amanda: Our office poo (We have a piece of rubber poo that gets passed along whenever someone has to take on an exceptionally good project. Did I mention that everyone who works here has the sense of humor of a 13-year-old boy?); Patrick: Amanda's favorite guy was a monkey at first, but stripped down to his pumpkin outfit.

Me: Angelina Jolie, with six kids, lovely full lips and a belly that is 7 1/2 months pregnant with Brad's 7th child.

Happy Halloween, dah-lings!

And... We're back!

2008-10-29T09:21:00.009-06:00

Z & I arrived back from our week-long European vacation last Saturday night. We had a great time visiting our good friends Maegan and Gabri, who live in Rome. Zach had never been there so it was so much fun showing him the sites (but let's be honest, as incredible as the historic sites are, the food kind of steals the thunder). We also cruised up to Tuscany to check out charming Florence for a bit.

The travel was surprisingly easy, although I was fortunate enough to catch a brutal cold just in time for the 23-hour travel day home. Let's just say that 15 hours of flight time + a 3-hour layover + 5 hours of traveling to and from airports and going through customs + being 7 months pregnant isn't as glamorous as it sounds. But we made it back safe and sound and I think little Mirando gained about 10 pounds while we were there. That boy seriously loves Italian food (notice how I'm blaming my gluttony on him--another pregnancy bonus).

Maegan and Zach were astonished at how big I got while I was there, although they did kindly try to help my ego by saying to me several times, "Your arms look really skinny because your belly is so big." Um, thanks.

Here are some highlights from the week-long trip:

Surprising my grandmother and great-aunt who were also in Rome, and enjoying their company at dinner and a visit to Trevi Fountain, where we tossed in a coin to ensure a return visit to the Eternal City one day

Grandma & me--dinner was fantastic and I ate all of it; Throwing in our coins

Having Maegan nearby to laugh at my lame jokes and having Gabri nearby to laugh at my lame attempts at speaking Italian

Maegan (through clenched teeth): "Her jokes really aren't that funny. I'm just laughing because she's my friend.
And she's huge. She could squish me."
Gabri: "You think those are bad, you should hear her Italian.
She just asked the waiter to bring us a side of automobile radiator."

Lots and lots of pizza

Even more gelato

Refreshing our history lessons by visiting classic sites like the Colosseum, the Forum and Palentine Hill

When we got here it was the center of civilization, but then I ate it.

Z at the creepy Colosseum

Zach getting busted photobombing some beautiful blonde girls' picture in a bustling piazza

Getting free gelato -- the workers said it's "for the baby"

Getting free desserts -- the waitress said it's "for the baby"

You KNOW that I ate my free desserts. I mean, the baby did.
(For the record, there are four kinds of dessert on this plate.
The waitress said I needed them when I told her I'm having a boy. Who am I to argue?)

Always getting a seat on the bus "for the baby"

Beautiful treats on every corner--a whole new meaning to "eye candy"

Playing rummy on the train back from Florence in front of an audience of elderly (English speaking) Italian ladies who thought Zach's trash talking to Maegan and me was hilarious

Did I mention gelato?

Getting to read UK versions of InStyle (And I found a typo! A secret, and admittedly nerdy, thrill of mine) and Elle Decoration

Italian grocery stores (where we scored heavenly chocolate bars for just 40 cents and a $60 Barolo wine for just 12 Euro! Don't worry, we're saving it for after the baby makes his grand arrival.)

Visiting enough churches that I think we're covered for at least 12 years of Sundays

Walking everywhere

Visiting Bernini's sculptures at Galleria Borghese--I could admire those all day long

Visiting my favorite Roman Holiday sites, the Mouth of Truth and the Spanish Steps, and pretending to be a much more uh, round, version of my idol Audrey

We're checking the Mouth of Truth to see if it is hiding any food in there that I can eat

Gregory Peck was here, but I ate him

Being tourists

On the bridge in front of Castel Sant' Angelo

Swapping out my open-toe heels for--brace yourself--Converse All Stars (These shoes are a genius invention! They have no heel but they do have some things called SHOELACES. Who would have thought?)

Doing some laundry and hanging it outside to dry just like a real Italian!

Those are our pants!

Finding out that Delta offers ice cream as a snack on the return flight home

Spending time with Zach

Snapshots

2008-10-23T09:28:00.007-06:00

I know how you just love looking at other people's vacation photos, here are a few from our trip last week. I'll be posting a recap in the next couple days...

Overheard: Match Making

2008-10-21T14:50:00.007-06:00

Upon boarding a train from Rome to Florence, we spied a wonderful, wonderful woman. She was, ahem, a very large lady and was wearing some not-large-enough stretch pants, a blouse decorated with loudly colored cartoon characters, bright red Sally Jesse Raphael-esque eyeglasses and pink and blond-ish hair that was half pulled up into a wild ponytail. She also sported an ample of amount of makeup and was escorted by her multiple pieces of fluorescent pink luggage. Upon my deathbed, I know that it will be one of my life's greatest disappointments that I was not able to get a photo of her.

Despite the fact that the train was completely full, the ride was eerily silent. So much so, that Zach and I, seated across from each other, whispered to talk to one another so as not to disturb our fellow passengers (and you know how hard it is for him to whisper).

The only thing to break up the silence on the crowded train was our heroine and her cell phone. Fortunately for everyone on board, she did not speak softly.

Below is a rough transcript of her conversation (thanks to Maegan and her interpreting skills):

Hello?

Hello?!

Who is this?

Oh, yes, I saw your profile.

I'm on a train.

I'M ON A TRAIN. I'm going to visit my daughter.

So, what do you do for work?

You work in an office?

Oh, you sound like someone I would like to get to know.

Well, maybe I could meet you, but I need a close-up picture so I can see if you are beautiful.

I know, but the picture on your profile was from far away. I need a close-up one so I can see if you are beautiful.

You should give me your phone number so I can call you.

*Pause*

Hello? What is your phone number?

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?????

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Monday Lovely: Market Flowers

2008-10-20T09:19:00.005-06:00

A visit to Rome's daily market that sells produce, meats, cheese, liquors, flowers and clothing at Campo de' Fiori is always a treat.

I spied these flowers there and thought they are a nice way to start the week. I wish they were sitting on my desk right now. Or, better yet, I wish I was sitting next to them on a fountain while eating some more delicious gelato...

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Arrivederci!

2008-10-10T00:20:00.005-06:00

Z & I are off on a last-minute trip to Italy. We'll report on our adventures when we return, using lots of accents and hand gestures.

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Master Bedroom Mood Board

2008-10-03T22:47:00.013-06:00

We have a mattress and box springs in our closet (Just some info on why you may have noticed that I'm usually wearing the same shoes every day: I have to fight a Serta for my stilettos.). A rocking chair/recliner has taken up residence next to our front door and baby clothes and supplies have been living on our dining room table. The double-sink bathroom vanity looks dashing on our back patio. And the kitchen counter has been transformed into our temporary office, complete with a printer and files amidst cutting boards and can openers.

We're living in the middle of a transition, waiting for our bedroom, nursery and master bathroom to be completed. Until that's done, we're getting creative with how we're storing things in all 800 of our square feet.

The remodeling project is still going OK, although not nearly as fast as I'd like it to be progressing. While I wait for the sheetrocking to start, I've been trying to pick out the furniture and other items so that once the "important" stuff, like uh, walls, are in place, we can just slam everything in and be nice and cozy.

Here's what I'm thinking so far for our bedroom...

I've tried to do similar colors to the adjoining nursery nook, just on a more muted palette. Now if we can find a place to store this stuff before the room is done, we'll be all set.

I think there's still some space in the bathtub.

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Really really incredibly good looking

2008-09-30T22:56:00.008-06:00

I don't mean to brag, but with parents this stunning, it's pretty much guaranteed we're having one handsome kid.

With some really sweet hair.
Thanks to Maegan for "finding" these treasures.

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Monday Lovely: Highway 6

2008-09-29T22:53:00.006-06:00

This weekend I drove to Price. You know how sometimes when you've seen something a lot you don't realize exactly what you're looking at? Like, let's hypothetically say your laundry room needs a finished paint job or you have a small hole in your bedroom door from that one time your dogs were wrestling or, oh, I don't know, your car really really needs a good cleaning but because you see these things every. single. day. you don't really see them?

Well, this weekend on my drive, one of the dozens of trips I've taken on this highway, I suddenly realized how beautiful the canyon is, especially at this time of year. I'm glad I finally noticed.

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Flashback Friday: Chameleon

2008-09-26T10:06:00.004-06:00

Since Parker is such a large dog, he naturally has large ears and he absolutely hates getting them cleaned. A while ago, when we were preparing to clean them, he took off running and tried to hide.

Unfortunately for him, there aren't many places where he can be incognito. He blends in here about as well as I would on stage at the New York Ballet or even in a friendly softball game or anything else that requires any kind of athleticism or coordination.

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Even worse than the dream where I was being chased by 4' tall detached human heads

2008-09-25T14:24:00.014-06:00

Sorry to get political but I saw this clip and, if I thought getting to sleep before seeing it was difficult, I had another thing coming.

The fact this person could be the next vice president of the United States -- a position that is a heartbeat away from calling all the shots and requires going toe-to-toe with some of the world's most ruthless leaders; speaking quickly and succinctly on the spot; improving this country's shaky global reputation; navigating us through a horrific and astronomically costly war; and being instrumental in repairing our crumbling-by-the-second economy -- is absolutely terrifying to me. This clip also reveals exactly why the media have been kept so far away from this candidate.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Yikes.

Seriously, this was the best person who could be found to run for the job? Americans should be offended. I am.

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Overheard: One-track minds

2008-09-23T16:57:00.004-06:00

Below is a transcript of several comments I heard in our open-floor-plan office. All of the comments were not part of the same conversation, but since I heard them one right after the other, it sounded like they were and made for an interesting eavesdropping moment:

Person 1: Are you really going to pee on that?

Person 2: Don't worry, I'm bringing the bag.

Person 3: I just have to tell myself: 'Remember to pass along the poo!'

In case you were wondering, or are planning to ask the health department to make a friendly stop by our marketing firm:

Person 1: Was asking our boss about a free PH-level test she found in a magazine.

Person 2: Reminding our department she is bringing the Halloween candy to the meeting.

Person 3: Talking about how she doesn't want to forget about the rubber dog poo that's on her desk and has been making its way around as the latest office prank.

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Monday Lovely: Elephant Teapot

2008-09-22T22:20:00.006-06:00

I picked up this little guy at the store I shop more than any other, Smith's Marketplace. (I've been known to shop there three times in one Saturday, mostly going back for items I forgot in the previous visits. Note to self: Must get better at making lists.) His simple design and sweet style reminded me of a much more affordable version of a Jonathan Adler elephant. I thought that he was so cute I grabbed one for my sister, too. I've actually never served tea out of him, instead he sits on our piano in the dining room/entry way where he's among the first to greet our guests.

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Go.

2008-09-19T09:02:00.011-06:00

Last night Zach and I were invited to attend a preview of the "Body Worlds 3: And Stories of the Heart" exhibit at the new Leonardo in downtown Salt Lake, thanks to an invite from our good friend Alex who was instrumental in getting this exhibit to SLC. [Sidenote: The Leonardo is incredible and I'm so glad it's here!]

I have to admit, Z & I were quite squeamish about attending. In case you're not familiar with it, Body Worlds is an exhibit of actual plasticized human remains, many of which are posed in athletic situations, often activities that the person who donated their body enjoyed. The entire idea of it totally creeped me out and I was fully prepared to have to leave the exhibit early if it was too much for me, the one who is completely grossed out by a skinned knee or even hearing a Lasik commercial on the radio.

But I was blown away.

After all of those years of sitting in high school and college biology classes, I never fully understood to what extent that human life is a complete and utter miracle. Seeing the muscles, nervous system, digestive track and the heart, the heart!, up close and reading about the intricate things they do every single day, without us even realizing it, just completely floored me.

I'm sure it also struck me a little harder because I'm pregnant and like every mom-to-be, have been following the development of my baby so closely. Seeing that the heart is the very first organ to form and that it does so when a fetus is just four - six weeks old, and that it is the last organ to stop working, is amazing.

This exhibit is all that Zach and I have been able to talk about and it has also showed us in (once-) living color exactly why it's so important to take care of our bodies. Seeing a set of lungs that belonged to a smoker left 1,000 times the impact than any ad campaign, poster or lecture. They looked like a mound of coal. It was so very sad.

And looking at the obesity display was astounding. Thinking of putting the body through any unnecessary stress after all of the incredible things it does for us each and every second seems almost cruel to me now.

But for me, easily the most powerful part of the exhibit was that of the fetus. It feels so morbid typing that, but what happens in even just the first few weeks of development is a miracle. There's no other word for it. I've read and looked at illustrations of what happens after conception, so the information itself wasn't new, but seeing it in-person was. I was in awe of how quickly a fetus goes from looking exactly like a flake of instant potatoes (sorry, but it does) to having fingers--including fingerprints--and toes. In just nine weeks.

I was speechless and still can't believe that my body--the very one that bruises too easily, is clumsy and has a penchant for root beer floats and gummy worms--is a miracle in itself and is creating another one right now.

Find out more, and get your tickets here.

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So long, Big Apple. See you next time.

2008-09-17T09:46:00.018-06:00

I've worked in New York a lot over the years but this time, as I was preparing to go last week, I realized it will be a while before I'm back as it officially marked the last of my business trips until after the baby is here. I've compiled some of the details of it so that in a few months from now when I'm wearing the previous week's dirty laundry and smelling of milk and baby wipes, I can remember it. My friend & coworker Courtney and I traveled together for a client's event and had a great time.

A list of our Big City highlights follows. We:

- Were unable to get a direct flight from SLC to JFK and had a short, but surprisingly pleasant layover at Dulles in DC. At the airport restaurant we realized we were sitting, practically at the same table because we were so close, next to Olympic Silver Medal figure skater Sasha Cohen. Fortunately, Courtney knew it was her. I kept staring at her thinking she looked familiar and wondering if it's because she vaguely resembled one of my brother's friends. I should be commended for refraining from striking up a conversation to compare her devastating 2002 medal loss to my devastating 1st grade ice skating wrist fracture.

- Stayed in a Radisson on Lexington and 48th. Lex is one of my favorite streets on which to seek shelter because it's just far enough away from Times Square that you're not constantly annoyed by the tourist from Boca who is walking s-l-o-w-l-y up the sidewalk with his head cranked heavenward, mouth agape. While wearing socks. With sandals. Combined with the shorts pulled up to his armpits and the ubiquitous camera dangling around his neck. This Radisson is actually very charming (as Radissons go), and is the recent recipient of an overhaul. I love this hotel because it's small room-number wise by NYC standards, but the rooms are not terribly tiny plus they are clean and modern. And it has a Starbucks.

- Our meeting was a success, we hosted a successful media event at this super cool hotel where we spied a painting by a high school friend of Zach's hanging in the lobby.

- Ate like champs. I've always found it fitting that New York's nickname is associated with food since if there's anything this city is known for (besides ridiculous amounts of shopping opportunities, Donald Trump and his ridiculous hair and really really ridiculous real estate prices), it's the food. For breakfast one morning I enjoyed a bowl of yogurt that was topped with fresh berries that were almost as big as my growing-by-the-minute belly. Some of my favorite eating joints we visited this trip:

Rosa Mexicano: The Lincoln Center location is great. The freshest of fresh guac made right at your table. My dining companions enjoyed what seemed to be delicious pomegranate margaritas and I loved my fresh mango juice. The food was good, too.

Bar Americain: Bobby Flay can cook some mean comfort food. We stopped into his place for chicken pot pies (for Courtney & Jeff) and a bacon/gorgonzola pizza for me. I had to try this cheesy bacon concoction so I could report back to Z, it's part of my ongoing "research" to benefit his restaurant. I'm really generous that way.

Pinkberry: Courtney and I walked for what seemed like miles to get to Pinkberry and it was definitely worth it. The frozen yogurt is extremely, uh, yogurty. Not like froyo that tastes just like ice cream, this has an extra dryness to it that is delicious, especially when topped with fresh raspberries and bananas like mine was.

- Engaged in shopping. Of course, we jetted over to my favorite NYC store of all-time, Lee's Art Shop, at our first opportunity. I picked up two sets of lovely thank-you notes here (and nearly peed my pants waiting for the bathroom to become available. It was a close one. Lots of water drinking + 5.5 months pregnant + lots of walking + few bathrooms = not a wise decision).

Image from leesartshop.com

- Since I am a Project Runway junkie, I just HAD to make it to the designer fabric haven, Mood. Courtney won the BEST FRIEND EVER IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE AND THEN SOME award for humoring my Mood quest. We walked six blocks in the wrong direction, then back up the six blocks then up and down the fashion district's streets until we found the unmarked entrance and the button-less elevator you have to take to get into the three-story store (it actually has an elevator man who uses a crank to make the elevator go up and down! An elevator man!). I found the upholstery fabric I didn't know I had been searching for my entire life, which I shall use to recover an ottoman. This fabric is shown below on a sofa that, as I noticed a few days ago, was in the background for about .05 seconds in an episode of PR (!!!). My fabric is famous.

Image from Moodfabrics.com

- Checked out Fashion Week at Bryant Park where we were short on celebrity sightings but had enough graphic PETA posters shoved in our faces that I can 100% promise I will never, ever, ever wear fur as long as they never ever, ever, make me look at another one of those hideous posters again (not that I ever wore it before. But still.). I also realized that 1. EVERYONE in the fashion industry smokes and 2. I am definitely not hip enough to pull off the plastic sunglasses-sans-lenses look I saw a few fashionista/os sporting.

- Shared a plane ride home with Natalie who was also in New York for work. Fun times and gossip magazine-sharing ensued.

- Were so happy to get home.

Also? I did just fine in my "walking shoes" thankyouverymuch.

Weekend Update: It's electric!

2008-09-16T11:28:00.007-06:00

This picture sums up how we spent our weekend. Z & I decided on the paint colors and tile for the basement bathroom and are narrowing down the color palette for our bedroom. We also bought a new mattress so my poor aching back is now a happy, non-aching back and we scored a rocking chair without having to deal with a salesman who is high on drugs. Oh happy day!

Also, the electrical was finished. Hopefully we can get plumbing squared away in the next week or so and then we can drywall... As an expecting mama I don't think these projects can get done quickly enough but I'm trying my best to be patient.

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Monday Lovely: Changing Table

2008-09-15T11:40:00.007-06:00

Ever since I realized that we have a bun in the oven, I've been scouring craigslist, consignment shops, DI, yard sales and anywhere else that could possibly be housing the dresser/changing table of my dreams.

I'm a big fan of the European design style of combining modern furniture with older, almost country-style pieces. And since I'm loving the Amy Coe modern baby crib, I wanted to pair it (or something similar) with a used vintage-style dresser. Unfortunately, though, I haven't been able to find one. I had an idea in mind that I want a smaller dresser that sits up off the ground on legs and hopefully has some whimsical detail.

I think that this dresser obsession was started while I watched the Sex in the City movie. During the 2+ hours I stared at the big screen, I was not only completely engrossed in the girls' shenanigans, I was stopped mid-popcorn bite by the black and white striped dresser in little Lily's bedroom:

So imagine my surprise when we were in Price a few weeks ago and what did I spy just a mile down the road from my parents' home?

This little beauty.

My parents saw in my eyes (and heard in my shrieks) that it was the furniture piece I'd been dreaming of and they snapped it up quickly from the highway-side flea market (thanks, Mom and Dad!). My dad has already stripped it of its old paint and stain and discovered that it's actually an old television that has been transformed into a dresser that will soon be retrofitted into Mirando's changing table.

With a snappy new paint job and some fun knobs, maybe these or these? It's going to be the perfect addition to our nursery nook.

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Overheard: Potential Employee

2008-09-12T08:55:00.006-06:00

Z & I have been on the hunt for a rocking chair that fits our "cozy modern" aesthetic and our Deseret Industries-level budget. Not an easy feat. We went to a local furniture superstore, you know, one of those with the horrible ads and endless direct mail pieces, to check out the inventory.

In the first five minutes of walking into the store we were chased, er, greeted by no fewer than five commissioned salesmen, including one nice, 50-ish white-haired gentleman who had this brief exchange with us:

Salesman: What can I help you with today?

Zach: Oh, we're fine. Just looking at rocking chairs.

Salesman: We have plenty of selection.

Z: Yes, I see that. Thanks, we'll let you know if we need any help. We're just looking today.

S: How about this wooden glider rocker?

Me: That's nice but it's not really the style of what we're looking for. Thanks anyway.

S: You know, this one is going for $425, and with the ottoman it's well over $600.

Me: Wow. Yeah, we're not interested in it. Thanks, though.

S: * Leans in and whispers * I have one in my garage. Brand new. I can sell you the whole thing for $300. But don't tell my boss.

* Awkward silence *

* We observe his glassy-eyed stare *

Z: Uh, no thanks.

S: *Whispers again * How about an exercise bike? Brand new. $200.

Z: No. We really don't need one.

* Z & I scan the store for the quickest exit *

S: What kind of work you in?

Z: I own a pizza restaurant.

S: Interesting.

* Pause *

S: Do you fire people a lot?

Z: Uh, sometimes.

S: You drug test?

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Big Appetite

2008-09-08T11:44:00.003-06:00

I'm working in the Big Apple for a few days, so no new posts for a little bit. Have a fabulous week.

I'm off to have some cheesecake. And pizza. And street vendor hot dogs. And apparently a few extra pounds to put on.

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Flashback Friday: Thanks, Craigslist

2008-09-05T11:03:00.011-06:00

A little over five years ago, I rushed out of the office to grab a quick, nutritious lunch from Wendy's. I pulled my 1993 Acura Integra (known affectionately as Teg) into the drive-thru lane and was in deep concentration while debating my Dollar Menu item selection. It was my turn to pull up to the ordering board. I put my car in gear and pressed on the gas while letting off the clutch. Teg made an awkward noise, an automobile equivalent of an old man's last breath, and lurched forward. It then died while being stuck in first gear.

I couldn't move.

There were at least five cars behind me, the line wrapping all the way around the restaurant and into the street, and eventually they started honking for me to pull forward. I couldn't start the car and I couldn't even get it in neutral to push it out of the way. I ended up leaning my seat all the way back, putting my pointy-toe-slingback clad foot up on the dash board and pulled back as hard as I could on the stick shift. I figured either I would break off the shifter or die of an embarrassment-induced heart attack. I preferred the former.

It worked and my car was suddenly able to move into neutral. I don't remember what happened next but somehow, I was able to make the car hop/lurch a few feet over to where a parking spot had miraculously just opened up. I left the car there and called Z to come and rescue me from my humiliating fast food predicament.

That week we fixed the problem--a worn-out transmission--and decided it was time to upgrade to a newer vehicle.

A few weeks later I was in New York on a media tour with a client. I was in the back of a cab, puttering along in East Village traffic when my cell phone rang. It was Zach telling me about the nice couple who replied to our Craigslist ad about the car. The couple, whose car met its own untimely demise when a girl ran a stoplight, came over to see Teg and decided he wasn't a fit for them either, but Zach liked them a lot and joked, "Then can I interest you in a house?" Our rental house next door had just come up for rent.

The couple kind of laughed at the thought of looking for a car but getting a new house and decided to humor him and take a look. They loved their Avenues apartment but since they had just adopted a friendly golden retriever named Bonnie, decided a house would be better for them.

They took it on the spot.

When I returned from my trip, I met the couple, Maegan and Gabri, and immediately liked them and the way Maegan acted like it wasn't a big deal to sign the rental contract while sitting on our couch that had a folded sleeping bag in place of where a cushion should be since our new giant dog ate it. The fact her husband had an adorable, charming Italian accent didn't hurt either.

We hit it off immediately and Burly, Idaho's Maegan soon became one of my very best friends.

They moved back to Gabri's hometown of Rome, Italy a couple of years ago. I visited her there last summer and while we were sitting in a small, sidewalk cafe as Maegan gave me a wine-infused Italian lesson, I realized how lucky I am that I never got to order my Junior Bacon Cheeseburger.

Maegan & me near Rome's Villa Borghese

Overheard: Their services are held next to baggage claim

2008-09-04T11:20:00.003-06:00

Her: What's that guy wearing? Is he in that weird religion?

Me: What weird religion?

Her: You know. The airport one.

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Flashback Friday: Father's Day Family Outing

2008-08-29T09:51:00.011-06:00

This year for Father's Day, my brother and I decided to team up and give our dad the gift of golf. My parents are avid golfers, playing every few days--my mom even played 27 holes in one day last week.

Since they rarely venture up to the Big City, Derek and I told my parents they must come up and spend the day with us so that we can golf together as a family (although we were missing one--our sis, Malarie). Sure it's supposed to be my dad's chance to pick whatever he wants to do, but since he's a good dad he lets us boss him around.

We had a great day, we golfed at Wing Point so that my airplane aficionado father could enjoy watching the jets take off and land at Salt Lake International.

[Update: I just realized the two pics above are actually from another golfing trip my bro & parents were on together. Somehow they ended up in my photos from this day, but since they're so cute I'm leaving them in anyway.]

I opted out of golfing myself, since, in my delicate condition I wasn't feeling up to playing 18 holes (actually, I was just being lazy but I've found that people are much more sympathetic if you blame things on being pregnant).

Instead I was Derek & Zach's cart companion. The three of us enjoyed speaking with accents, something that we always do whenever we're together although none of us are sure why. This day we alternated between "hillbilly" and "British" (we had to class it up a bit since we were on the course, you know) with an occasional bit of Irish brogue thrown in.

We also observed how much my brother and dad are alike. Ever since Derek was big enough to move around, he's always stood, walked and gestured exactly like my dad. Them' are some strong genes.

And lucky for us, he also inherited my dad's gift of telling stories and adding so much detail that we all feel like we were actually there witnessing his funny adventures. This explains why my stomach muscles hurt the next day even though I didn't do anything strenuous.

Laughing-related injuries are the best kind.

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Happy thought

2008-08-28T12:42:00.010-06:00

The last couple weeks have been especially sad ones for many of my family and friends. There have been several accidents that have taken beautiful, vibrant people far earlier than anyone ever would have imagined.

These things have reminded me to appreciate the people in my life and how lucky we are to have each other around every day. I've also realized that in the grand scheme of things, little annoyances like a week without air conditioning; a house overflowing with unfolded laundry, dirty dishes and sawdust; and job-related craziness are truly not a big deal.

As scary as it is, I'm thankful that Z & I are gearing up to welcome our little bambino; I'm also feeling especially fortunate to be going through this getting-ready-for-a-baby phase with one of my best friends, Tori. She and I are due a day apart with our first kiddos--a girl for her and a boy for me. Yes, an arranged marriage is already in place. Mark your calendars for Spring 2028.

Here's to good friends and family and enjoying them as much as possible.

T (without her trademark platinum blond locks!) & me at her casa in Phoenix
at the start of our second trimesters.

Rock-a-bye, baby, in your teenytinybuthopefullythoughtfullydecoratedroom...

2008-08-20T21:42:00.010-06:00

Z and I* have been busy remodeling our funky, 1907 basement into the future home of our bedroom, the nursery and a master bath (*my contribution is staying out of the way until my expertise is needed) . It's our hope that by doing this, we're converting our shoe-box-sized home into at least a snow-shoebox-sized one that can hold both of us, our 175 pounds of dog (actual weight) and our wee little bebe.

Zach's friend Joel is our contractor and had his stellar framing crew knock out the basement in a couple of days. Now we're moving the furnace and air conditioning unit to make more use of the quirky square footage. Which means no A/C for us tonight. Yikes.

I'll be posting more photos of the remodeling process as we progress, but for now, let's turn our attention to what we're calling the "nursery nook." At 6'x9', it's not quite big enough to technically be called an actual nursery, so hence its "nook" moniker. It's going to be part of our room and will be able to be closed off behind double-doors. When the sad day arrives that we have to sell our beloved shoe box, it will be converted into a second walk-in closet.

But for now, it is the soon-to-be home of little Mirando.

And speaking of him, take a peek below to see what we're thinking so far for his decor. Z & I are not really "theme-y" people, so as we've been deciding on nursery ideas, our taste tends to lean more toward cozy modern (I just made up that term) with a monchichi thrown in for good measure.

Click on the photo for details & sources

Flashback Friday: Notre Dame

2008-08-15T16:49:00.005-06:00

Last month, Kristyn traveled to Price from her home in Washington to baptize her beautiful little girl Ava in our hometown church. (Fun fact: Kristyn is one of my best friends, I've known her since I attended her older sister's birthday party when I was the whopping age of two weeks old.)

Ava's baptism was at Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic Church which just so happens to be the same place that Kristyn, Marisa, our friend Rachele and I made our First Communions when we were in second grade. It's also the church where Z and I were married.

After the baptism festivities, Kristyn's husband Lance took a picture of the three of us, with the girls, on the front steps of the church:

(R): Marisa & Ella, Me & Mirando (in my belly) and Kristyn & Ava

Which looked surprisingly familiar to one of us in the exact same spot around 1986, although we were much more dressed up here:

(L): Father Schuh, Marisa, me, Rachele, Kristyn