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home decor 2
07.31.09

Jewelry Solutions

Wondering how to display and organize your jewelry? Here are a just few ideas – from our family to yours.

Hang your necklaces on hooks in your bedroom and it becomes part of the decor. I got this fun idea from my sister. (side note **sisters are cool about you copying them as long as you give them credit for the idea…at least that’s the way it rolls with my sister)

If you don’t love that idea, here are a few suggestions from Ellie and Addison…

Hang your bracelets on your mom’s dresser drawer knobs…

and hang your necklaces on your mom’s bedroom hutch.

If you’re in the mood to really show some creative flair, then opt for a more detailed approach by creating a jewelry ensemble on your stair case.

Then there’s always the obvious choice…use your necklaces to pull your “horsey” around the house. (side note **this may cause some wear and tear on your jewelry AND your horsey’s teeth. It is not recommended for long periods of time)

(side note **horsey’s perform much better after a kiss…and a carrot)

And last but not least…
You can always display your jewelry where it looks best… all over your father. (side note **not all dads are cool enough to take this kind of abuse. Proceed with caution)

It’s a good thing Kenny is such a good sport.

And incredibly secure in his manhood.

xoxo, Erin
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Family
07.29.09

Sweet Claire

Just sharing some pictures of my sweet niece at 18 months. I can’t get enough of them! I’m going to visit Carly (my sister) in September and can’t wait to spend some time with this adorable baby girl. {It will be especially nice to have some one-on-one time with her without my two munchkins around. They are as fond of baby Claire as I am} :)

xoxo, Erin
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Family
07.27.09

Highlight 5 & 6

{PHOTOGRAPHY 101}

So another major highlight of my trip (yes – I’m still posting highlights. Hang in there with me…this will be the end of it!) was a morning spent with one of my mom’s (and now my) favorite people. Rex is an amazing photographer and when my mom mentioned to him that I was attempting to learn more about photography he offered to take me out for a little 1 on 1 instruction time. {I know – these shoes do NOT go with my shorts, but pants weren’t an option since it was over 100 degrees and we were doing some serious hiking – so – all fashion was set aside} Despite the hiking, and the heat, and the not so cute shoes, I had the most amazing time with Rex! He was incredibly fun and cool to hang out with and he taught me more in four hours then I learned during a two month photography class. I have had so much fun playing around with all the tips and tricks he taught me. We’re planning another little photography lesson for October to get some pictures of the fall leaves. Can’t wait. Thanks again Rex!

This little guy cooperated and held so still for me. If only my girls would do the same!


{LAWN MOWING}

Yes. Mowing my parents’ lawn was a highlight of my trip. My dad watched my girls for me during my photography lesson so I told him I’d mow his lawn to pay him back. What he and I both know is that doing this was more for me than for him. I have always loved mowing lawns! When I grew up it was my Saturday job (kept me dressed in the latest Girbaud jeans) and I grew to love it. I love being outside early in the morning. I love the smell of freshly cut grass. I love the sound of the mower. I love the perfectly cut straight lines. I love zoning out and letting my mind wander while I mow. I love that mowing lawns makes it really feel like summer.
My parents now have a big, beautiful back yard and I love mowing their lawn. Funny thing is that Kenny and I don’t even own a mower. Our backyard is a typical So. Cal. yard which means it’s non existent. We have a patch of lawn about the size of a table – not much fun to mow. So we do the typical So. Cal. solution – hire a landscaper. But in my next house. Someday. I will have a BIG lawn to mow. And I will mow perfect, long straight lines in my grass. And then I will pay a landscaper to do everything else. :)

(In a serious discussion about how to best avoid sprinkler heads. Lawn mowing sparks a lot of serious discussions.)

(my biggest helpers)
xoxo, Erin
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Ellie and Addison
07.24.09

Highlight #4

{Kiddos had a ball}

Kenny and I weren’t the only ones partying every day during our Utah trip. The girls had so much fun. They played with friends, swam everyday, and spent a lot of quality time with their grandparents. (recipe for happy kids)

{SPLASH PAD}

Life is good. (Especially when you’re on vacation) :)

xoxo, Erin
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Family
07.22.09

Highlight #3

{FRIENDS}

One of our favorite things about spending time in our home town is getting together with friends. Friends that have been our friends for – ev -er. Friends who know way too much about us and love us anyway. These three guys (Joe, Kenny, and Ryan) have been the best of friends since High School. And since I dated Kenny in High School, they quickly became two of my best friends as well.

(and here’s the proof) This was Kenny’s High School Graduation. Yes – that is me and Koni – two sophomores who were thinking we were pretty cool to be hanging with the graduates. Ryan is to the left of me and Joe is to the right of Koni.
p.s. Why didn’t I just rat my hair a little higher and Kenny and I could have been the same height?

We met up with Ryan and Joe and their significant others for dinner and it was so fun catching up with all of them.

And of course now the three of us are BFF’s as well. :)

(At Pizza Factory with mom, Jen and her girls) (I’m still recovering from too many trips to the good ol‘ Pizza Factory) I love this picture for three reasons. First, I just love these girls. Second, thanks to the gradual hill we were standing on and my new yellow heels I look so freakin‘ tall! (I’m actually the shortest of the bunch). And third, well…I just love these girls. Amber just had a baby and Heidi has one on the way. Lots of reasons to get together to celebrate, not that we ever need a reason.

Me, Mel, and Koni. (Melanie is the missing link from the picture above)

Another get together! We know how to party. An added bonus was meeting my new blog buddy Lainee. (Lainee, how did we not think to get a picture together…especially with that darling basket of fruit you brought by!) Thank goodness for blogging so I can keep up with all of my fabulous friends. I loved seeing you all!

xoxo, Erin
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Family
07.21.09

Highlight #2

{Time Spent in the Garden}

xoxo, Erin
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Family
07.20.09

Highlight #1

So I’m back from my extended VA-CA in Utah and had such a fabulous time. I’ll be playing catch up all week…catch up on the unpacking and laundry, catch up on the house work, catch up on a to-do list that was happily set aside, catch up on So You Think You Can Dance (I’ve been missing it so badly!), and time to catch up on some blogging. There were so many highlights of my trip so I’m going to post one highlight each night until I’m all….well…caught up!

{PARTY TIME}

PARTY TIME! But not for either of my princesses. This was a serious birthday celebration for….

SAGE! (Austin and Dayna’s dog) Oh yes. We celebrated Sage’s one year old birthday in style. Not quite sure Austin loved that his hunting dog’s b-day decor was a princess theme, but that’s what you get when Ellie and Addison are the main party guests. :)

(giving Sage her presents) My girls had so much fun. They’re still talking about how Sage’s party was the best birthday party they’ve ever attended. Thanks Austin and Dayna! The party was a such a treat…a jerky flavored treat to be exact. (I know…not funny. I’ve been traveling all day so cut me some slack)

(these two seriously need a baby)
xoxo, Erin
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Ramblings
07.16.09

Fond…and not so fond

I’m fond of my new family doctor. He’s hip and nice and plays tennis and wears cool shoes. I’m not so fond of my old doctor. She wasn’t warm and fuzzy enough. I like warm and fuzzy. And I like hip. And nice. And cool shoes.

I’m fond of Addison finally giving up her afternoon nap. For the first time in five years I’m not rushing home in the afternoons to get the baby down. I feel free as a bird!!! NOT fond of the meltdowns that inevitably start around 4 o’clock.

I’m fond of the scales at the gym. They’re like big, fun toys. I like to move the black thing back and forth trying to get it to balance. I’m not fond of the way my i pod always seems to add at least seven pounds when I weigh myself. (It’s a mini, not a shuffle)

I’m fond of visiting my hometown of Santa Clara, Utah. I love the crisp, dry air first thing in the morning, running into people I know everywhere, good straight hair days, and the small town feel of the place. I’m not so fond of the excruciating heat that follows the crisp morning air, running into people I know everywhere (make-up is an all time must), and the drivers. Lots of slow drivers. Lots of big 4-wheel drive trucks.

I’m very fond of Australian accents. I think Australian accents are the coolest. I’m not so fond of Kenny’s sad attempts to imitate an Australian accent. Every accent Kenny imitates comes out Jamaican. If he’s trying to sound English – Jamaican. If he’s trying to sound Indian – Jamaican. If he’s trying to sound Chinese – nope – Jamaican again. It’s hilarious.

I’m fond of fruit. I love to eat it and to use it to decorate. Not so fond of the stickers. The stickers on fruit bug me. When I get home from the grocery store I immediately peel all of the stickers off of my fruit. It just looks cleaner. And stickers on fruit just bugs me. Did I mention that already?

I’m fond of beach days. I love to visit with friends while my girls splash in the waves and play in the sand. Not so fond of the way we seem to always bring the beach home with us. Sand in the car, sand all over the house, sand filling up the bathtub, sand filling my washer and dryer…

I’m fond of the spry, little bunny living by my roses in our front yard. He’s awfully cute and the girls love to see him when he peeks out to say hi. Not so fond of the way he is nibbling away at my grass.

I’m fond of my weekends…not so fond of how quickly they’re over.

I’m fond of organizing things. Not so fond of the way my mom takes advantage of this every time I come to visit her.


I’m fond of my new Tarte shimmer from Sephora. It gives my legs just the right bronze shimmer for summer. I’m not so fond of the smell of the stuff. Too coconutty. I read somewhere that Carrie Underwood loves using it so I’m thinking maybe if I wear it enough, my legs will start to resemble hers. Or come dangerously close to looking like Edward Cullen’s chest in the sun.


I’m fond of blogging about complete randomness… it gets all of my thoughts out of my head. Not fond of the fact that while this post could go on forever, I’m yawning and it is time for me to go to bed. Good night!

xoxo, Erin
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Family
07.14.09

RECIPE for a great camping trip

When one is headed into the mountains many things are needed to ensure a great trip. Because I feel the need to cover each of my ‘camping necessities’ this might possibly be the longest post I’ve ever done. If you make it to the end of this post you are either a really good friend who truly cares about my family, or just incredibly bored. ;) Maybe this will at least make up for my lack of blogging lately.

{THE TENT}First on the agenda is to set up a tent and establish a place to call home. Kenny and Ellie had a great time sleeping in their tent. Addison and me? We enjoyed spending our nights in a motel just 20 minutes off the mountain. If you know me you know that I’m a “glamper” at heart. (Haven’t heard of glamping? Click here) My mom is also a glamper which is why she too joined us in the motel. I take a lot of flack for this. My family loves to tease me about not roughing it like the rest of them. They seem to think I’ve become “one of those d*&@ Californians.” They love to tease me and get in a good laugh at my expense. Well maybe I have become a little too “Californian,” but when I arrive at camp each morning smiling and refreshed after a shower and a good nights sleep, I’m the one who’s laughing.

{4-WHEELING}

{AMAZING SCENERY}

We have been camping on Boulder Mountain (Eastern Utah) every summer since before I can remember. My dad’s family all gets together to camp and it is a trip everyone looks forward to all year. Boulder Mountain has some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen in my life. As Ellie said on one of our many 4-wheel rides, “mom, isn’t this breathtaking!” I don’t know where she picked up breathtaking (maybe at pre-school where she usually picks up words like fart and awesome???) but it was a perfect word to describe the beauty of Boulder Mountain.

{DOGS}

My brother and sister both have dogs and hanging with the dogs is one of the things my girls look forward to the most about camping. My girls follow the dogs everywhere and are totally fascinated with them. Probably because their mean mom won’t let them get their own. Ellie is always asking for a pet. My reply…”when you are a mommy you can get a pet.” The funny part is that when I told her this she was overwhelmed with giddiness. She ran to her sister yelling “Add! Mom says I can get a pet when I’M a mommy!!!!” :) Whew…dodged the bullet there. Since it will thankfully be a while before she’s a mommy and has her own pet, my sister’s and brother’s dogs will have to do.

Love this picture. THE GREAT STARE DOWN. Austin’s dog (Sage) clearly doesn’t know who she’s messing with.

{PINATA}

My cute Aunts always bring a pinata for the kiddos. Carly and I loved this part of Boulder Mountain when we were little (we’d spend the whole camping trip assessing and trading our loot). It is so fun sharing the tradition with our girls.

{FISHING}
My little Ellie thought fishing was cool for about 5 minutes and then just wanted to hang with Aunt Carly and eat snacks and hear stories. Aunt Carly always tells the best stories…usually about when the two of us were little girls. :)

Addie was my true little fisherman this year. Love these pictures of her – with her catch of the day – in her sister’s shoes that were two sizes too big – that she insisted on wearing.
{FOOD}

Ahhhh…yummy, greasy, fattening food is absolutely essential for a good camping trip. I LIVE for dutch oven potatoes. LIVE for them. They always taste the best in the mountains. Maybe it’s the dutch oven, maybe it’s the high altitude, maybe it’s all of the bacon and onion, or maybe…just maybe…

it’s because the men are the ones doing all of the cooking that makes everything taste especially good. Yup…I think that’s it.

{FAMILY}

I’m not much of a “quote” person, but I heard a quote the other day that I really liked. I heard it from my mom who thinks she heard it from a commercial for CSI Miami. (HA! great – right?) Anyway, the quote was “make the most of the moments you share with the people you care about.” And THAT is exactly what this camping trip was all about.
xoxo, Erin
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Family
07.08.09

Our 4th

We are happily vacationing right now in my quaint hometown in Southern Utah and because of this, I have been happily slacking on my blogging…and my laundry. Which is in a huge pile right now. I’ll get to that in a minute. First – the 4th of July! We had a great one. We spent the morning in another quaint town in Southern Utah called Parowan (home to Kenny’s grandma whom we love and adore). They had a fun parade that was perfect for my little sprouts and such a great way to kick off our Independence Day.


What’s a parade without candy from people on festive floats?

and rub-on tattoos from cool, friendly Harley riders? Gotta love Parowan.

After the parade we headed to the park for games and popsicles.

Then we spent the afternoon back home with my family swimming, BBQing, picnicing, and fireworking.

Yes, we watched our fireworks well before dark. We didn’t make it to the night time fireworks since Ellie decided to wake up super early (she was SO excited for the day’s festivities) and Addison decided this was a good day to NOT take her nap… and I decided overly tired kids wouldn’t make for a fun late night show. Maybe next year. Lucky for us it doesn’t take much to impress them. :) We had a great 4th! (Bummer. Laundry time.)

xoxo, Erin
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Ellie
07.01.09

End of an Era for Ellie

{Last Day of Pre-School}

Ellie and her best friend on their last day of school. Doing what they do best – acting silly. :)

{Pre-School Graduation}

Crossing the bridge to accept her diploma. (tear)

Proud teachers

Proud parents

A few things I want to remember about this day:
-Ellie insisted on wearing her hair all down (I usually don’t give in, especially when I know it will be hot and I know it will be in her face…but it was HER day).
-Kenny and I were some of the first people there to insure the best seats in the house.
-While most kids walked across the bridge, Ellie bounced the whole way and everyone laughed and clapped.
-The kids all sang and signed a song with these words “may there always be sunshine, may there always be blue skies, may there always be mama’s, may there always be me” It was incredibly sweet.
-After the ceremony everyone ate rainbow cake and took pictures with teachers and friends.
-I didn’t cry until we got in the car to leave.
-We took the girls for yogurt afterwords to celebrate.
-I was happy knowing Addison will be there in the Fall. Not quite ready to say good-bye to this school and these teachers. It has been a huge part of our lives for the last three years.
-Ellie was beaming and I was so proud of the sweet little girl she is turning into.
-It was a great day :)
xoxo, Erin
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