little joys

happy 2012!

2012-01-24T21:23:00.000-08:00

Wishing you fun, excitement, and joy in the new year. I plan to have some of each myself. :)

just because

2011-12-07T19:11:00.001-08:00

I was going through some old photos and found some pictures I took of the Twin Falls Temple back in 2009, I think. I had just stopped at my grandparent's house and was on my way back to Boise when I drove by the temple and was taken with the beauty of the white temple against the gorgeous evening sky - I had to at least try to capture it! This picture certainly isn't perfect, but I decided the breathtaking blue sky was just too gorgeous not to share.

lucky number 7

2011-11-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

Back in August Jeff and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary! We went to one of our favorite Indian food restaurants here in SLC (please come visit us so we can take you there - yummy!), then went and played mini golf, one of our favorite things to do together. I'm so glad I married my best friend in the beautiful Idaho Falls temple 7 years ago. :)

real country

2011-11-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

There is something about an agricultural field that just captures and holds my attention. Whether is is a vast expanse of potato, wheat, or corn I often find myself pausing to take in the beauty. I love the close up macro shots, as well as the big picture views where the fields look like rich and colorful ribbons. I guess that's just one more thing that makes me a country girl. :)

confessions of a color lover

2011-10-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

I posted a similar picture from the fair in Boise a long while ago, but I still love it!

It's true - I am a lover of color - big time. Color is something I have always been drawn to, way back to learning the order of the colors in the rainbow and the complimentary colors. I even remember contemplating colors combinations as early as second grade (as a child I determined that pink/gray, pink/green, and purple/turquoise were good ones).

The love of color continues today. One of the most fantastic features of our SLC and Maryland apartments are/were the wall colors (LOVE the taupe, blues and yellow). And I have been known to organize my closet, bookshelf, fabric, even DVDs by color. And I admit to not being able to get over the first color issue of the General Conference Ensign issue - epic!

So it looks like I'm not the only one to confess a stronger than average affinity for color. Aarean is dedicating a whole new blog to it (with an awesome giveaway, too). Don't you adore the beautiful items she paired together above? Lovely. I believe I shall be making some more color posts myself one of these days.

project: seat covers

2011-10-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

A little something about me: I enjoy a nice, bold, graphic print. Lately I've been quite drawn to chevrons. I knew I wanted to incorporate this print into our decor somehow, so I decided chair-pad covers for our dining table would be just the place.

Exhibit A: Boring Before.

We bought a 5 piece dining set when we were first married (7 years ago!) from Walmart. The whole set was $100, which I do think was a steal of a deal (especially considering the Provo D.I. is ridiculously overpriced when it comes to furniture). We've had to replace some parts, but overall the chair frames have held up well. However, the boring tan fabric on the chair pads was in definite need of replacement from years of use and abuse. So, I figured the perfect time for this project was when we first arrived in Salt Lake, seeing as how the chairs had already been dissembled for the move. After lots of time in the fabric store (which, PS, can I tell you how wonderful it is to be so close to JoAnn's once again?!) looking for pretty yellow fabric for a decent price, I finally decided to just make my own yellow print with some white and yellow duck cloth that was on sale for 50% off. So, about $15 and a lot of work later...

Exhibit B: The Awesome After!

It took some long, hard thinking, experimentation, failure, seam ripping, and frustration with the staple gun, but I finally figured out how to make my own chevron print chair pad covers (I suppose I could have just googled "chevron design" and found instructions on how to make the print here, but that would have been much too easy). The seams aren't perfect and it took a lot longer than I would have liked, but I LOVE the result! The bright pop of color these add to our home is so fun, and I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I look over and think, "Hey, I made those covers!"

hello there

2011-10-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hello there, friends. I'm alive and planning to post. I just need to get up the stamina to do some of the massive updating that lies before me. I can do this - I just gotta take baby steps. And my first baby step is this little post. Not much substance, but posting this picture of a pretty daisy-like flower from a hike up in Cottonwood Canyon back in August is a start, right?

Okay, that wasn't too hard. Let's see if I can keep this going...

remember

2011-09-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

I remember that morning 10 years ago. I remember waking up and hearing that World War III had started. I remember going to my Political Science 1100 class that morning. I remember hearing my professor, a New Yorker, tell us with tears in his eyes that class was canceled - he needed to find out if his loved ones were okay.

I remember another day just 4 months ago, when Jeff and I visited Ground Zero. I remember walking around the construction site where the now completed 9/11 memorial stands. I remember walking into St. Paul's Chapel across the street, the place of healing and comfort where recovery workers stopped to rest between shifts during that dark time in their individual lives as well as our nation's history.

I was saddened to see picture after picture displayed of the victims whose lives were taken in the attacks. However, I also remember the feeling of gratitude for the many more individuals that gave their talents, time, and prayers to lift up the hands that hung down during that trying time. The chapel was covered with paper hands, origami cranes, and other forms of encouragement from around the world, sent by those who wanted to let the people of New York know they were not forgotten.

These memorials serve as a wonderful reminder to me about the potential we each have to be a force for good in this world. No act of kindness is ever wasted, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant it may be. Truly it is our responsibility to be the hands of God on the earth. As Marjorie Pay Hinckley said, "We all have a responsibility to make a difference, to be an influence, to lift someone." May we all strengthen our resolve to do just that.

summertime, summertime, sum sum summertime

2011-08-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! What a busy, busy summer it had been! After lots of driving, Idaho time, and visiting dear friends and family we are finally getting settled into our new place in Salt Lake City. I don't have a full update at present, but I will share a couple of fun summer photos taken with my new camera, the Canon Powershot G12.

craziness

2011-06-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Goodness! What a crazy few weeks it has been! I wish I had time to get my blog properly caught up on all the happenings of the last, well, 4 months actually, but I just don't have time tonight.

However, one piece of news that I suppose it is finally time to make official on the blog...

We're moving....

to Utah!

What? Didn't we just get to Maryland a year ago? Yes, yes my friends. But life has a way of leading us down certain paths where we think we know the final destination, only to lead to another, completely different path.

In short, after trying out the PhD program at the University of Maryland (and enjoying his professors and doing well in his classes, of course) Jeff has come to realize that the PhD route just isn't for him. Jeff loves to learn and had the ultimate goal of teaching in mind when he started the program at UMD, but Jeff came to find out pretty quick that teaching is not the focus of the PhD program he was in. The research heavy focus at UMD was too theoretical and philosophical for Jeff. He wants to be involved in the practical application of business; he doesn't want to write papers about business and study it - he wants to DO it.

So, after much research on graduate programs, pondering our future plans, and prayers for guidance, we came to the decision to go to Salt Lake City so Jeff can pursue an MBA at the University of Utah. Why Utah? Well, they made Jeff a great offer, which includes a spot in their entrepreneur center that Jeff is pretty stoked about. We are also hopeful this move will help him build his professional network in the west, seeing as how we love it there. Of course this is to say nothing about being closer to both of our families, which will of course be a big plus.

Although we have lots of reasons to look forward to and anticipate this big change, I don't think either of us were fully prepared for how sad we are feeling to be leaving our new home here in Maryland. I have an amazing job that has given me the opportunity to know some incredible people and to do some phenomenal things. We have had the opportunity to travel to so many places and learn so much about this country we both love. We have met so many dear friends out here, people we truly love and will be so sad to leave. We've come a long way from the homesickness we felt those first few months out here and are sad to be leaving behind so much we have come to love. During those times of sadness we are grateful to have the guidance of the Lord to help us know where to go, what paths to choose and what direction he wants our lives to take, even if we don't see the reasons why at present.

Something we have seen over and over in our lives - Heavenly Father is mindful of us and is directing our lives. I remember telling my brother that we were moving back west, and his first reaction was, "Man! What a waste!" feeling as though we moved all the way out here for nothing. However, we can honestly and truly say our time out here has been anything but a waste. We have learned so much, gained so much, and come to love so much out here. We see so many blessings from being here and are grateful for the time we've had - it has been a wonderful blessing from a Heavenly Father who loves us, knows us, and wants what is best for us.

So, here we are again, packing our lives into boxes for a big cross country move. We leave in about a month and will be spending time with family, friends, and loved ones in Idaho for a couple of weeks before we head to SLC. Hopefully we weather the big changes without too much sweat and tears and will settle again in the West soon. I can't make any guarantees on posting between now and then - I have a lot of catching up on our trips of the last few months as we've tried to squeeze the whole east coast before we leave! The above picture is from our trip to NYC. You can see my photo album on Facebook by clicking here.

Finally, lest you think Jeff is trading his Cougar Blue in for Ute Red, please be aware that Jeff still holds that you can attend the U without become a Ute and is proud to proclaim he still bleeds blue. Let's hope we can hold true to that!

dearest may

2011-05-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

Oh May, I love you! So many happy things to look forward to: New York, my birthday, softball, seeing friends, Boston...yep, it's gonna be a good month.

mmm...mmm...mmm

2011-04-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend you do yourself a big, fat, favor and make this yummy yum yum Bread in a Bag. Do not be deceived - it is as ridiculously good as it is ridiculously easy to make if you ask me. Simple, quick, and not messy to make means I can create this loaf of goodness on a weeknight after I get home from work - oh yes! And I'm thinking this would be a fantastic project to do with kiddies.

We never seem to make it through a loaf of store-bought bread before we throw it out. So when bread is this easy to make, well, why bother buying the store bought stuff? This loaf disappears FAST! Especially when there's tasty apple butter from Amish country to slather on it. :)

Enjoy!

stunning

2011-04-03T18:37:00.001-07:00

I do so enjoy the stunning night sky behind the Capitol, even when it's rainy out.

quilt fun

2011-04-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

Quilts! Quilts are fun. Time consuming, but fun. Here is a quilt top I made for Relief Society (we tied them for the RS birthday party). I've done humanitarian quilts before, so I was excited to do one again. However, I was quite surprised when I was handed a bag of random fabric that was not cut into squares. What? I was going to have to cut it into squares myself? At first I was nervous, but then I got pretty excited as I looked online for ideas and started cutting. This is what I came up with. What do you think?

I know, terrible lighting, but you get the idea. And don't look to closely - there are definitely crooked lines and imperfect seams. But I am definitely glad I was able to get my creative juices flowing to make something nice for someone in need. And don't the colors look nice together? Berries n' Cream is what I call it.

Doing this quilt has inspired me to do some more quilts of my own! I have been going through my fabric to get rid of some and put some to good use in projects. I don't have a picture yet, but I will report my progress soon.

still

2011-03-29T19:23:00.001-07:00

saw dandelions for the first time this year :: they still make me happy

day trip - gettysburg and lancaster

2011-03-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about living in the east - DAY TRIPS! Everything is so close out here that it would be silly not to pack up and see the sights when we have a chance. Last weekend we headed up north to see Gettysburg and Lancaster. I posted more details on our family blog, but here are some of the highlights:

First and foremost, a great travel planner and buddy :)

History in Gettysburg (loved this apron in the museum!)

Amish country

Wide open spaces

Quality time together. :)

Crazy mirror fun

Beautiful homes to admire

and tasty, tasty food!

You can read and see more on my other blog post.

good, good news

2011-03-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Have I really not posted since January? Wow.

Things have been crazy around here - all sorts of fun going on! In the past couple of months we have had 2 sets of visitors (one from out of state, one from out of country), gone to Philly, Lancaster, Gettysburg, and downtown DC. I also made a journey across the country to spend a week and a half in Idaho for my job. Oh yeah, and Jeff started a new job and got a new calling. Like I said, all sorts of fun!

One of the biggest and best things that has happened in the last little while is that we finally have all our paperwork done for adoption, meaning Maryland has determined that we are okay to adopt as soon as we find a baby. YAY! This is a big deal for us. Our caseworker said that, from her experience, Maryland is the hardest state to get approved in, so we are THRILLED to be over that hurdle. Now on to the whole part of finding a baby - the next hurdle. :)

We'd love for you to keep us in mind should you know of anyone who is looking to place their baby for adoption. If you haven't already, please take a look at our profile (link to it here) and pass it along to others who may be interested. We hear that having friends and family on the lookout for you is extremely helpful when finding a baby, so we sincerely appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and efforts on our behalf. We are so excited to be parents!

Also, it's not something I talk about a lot on this blog, but this journey has been quite interesting, challenging, and amazing in a lot of ways for us. I have and continue to learn SO MUCH as we go through it. It certainly isn't easy - I've had plenty of low points and tough days, which probably won't magically disappear. But I see our Father in Heaven's hand in our lives, guiding and helping us along to let us know He has a plan for us. This process helps me learn what faith is all about - hope and belief in something, or, more appropriately, Someone you can't see, trusting that His plan for you is greater than anything you had planned for yourself.

I hope each of you who reads this recognizes that the same is true for you - God has a plan for you, and it is amazing! On days when you're doubtful and discouraged, He is there, watching you and certainly mindful of you. It hurts Him to see us hurt, but He knows this is how we learn and grow - by facing challenges, wading our way through them, and finding peace in putting our hopes, wishes, and desires in His hands and trusting He will give us what we need most. It may not be in our time frame, but He WILL fulfill each of His promises to us, just as He has fulfilled them for others and even to us in times past. In fact, we can trust that He will bless us with even more than we can imagine!

As you can probably tell, I could go on and on. :) If any of you are going through similar struggles or just need someone to listen, please know that I am here. I am certainly not perfect, nor have I learned patience and faith perfectly, but I know how helpful it is to have someone who will listen and help you realize there is hope, even if you can't see it yourself at present. My email is karlaehlers (at) yahoo (dot) com. Please let me know if I can help. :)

saturday projects

2011-01-30T18:10:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is exactly, but I've been going to town the last couple of weeks in making our apartment more like home*. I've been hanging pictures, moving furniture, and arranging trinkets to give our place a more polished look and make it ours. I guess it's high time, considering we've been here for over 5 months now. :) Additionally, I also had time the last couple of Saturdays to work on some projects, which was fantastic!

First up is this Petal Pillow. It really was quite easy, although I made a few alterations from the tutorial posted for it on V and Co. First, instead of using felt I used some white fabric sturdified and made fray-proof (hopefully) with fusible interfacing. Second, I added a button to the front. And finally, I added a pretty yellow jewel button to the back to secure it. I really like how it turned out, much better than the old one I made about 6 years ago that no longer matches our decor. Although I will say Jeff was disappointed when I told him he couldn't actually lay on this pillow - for decoration only!

Next is this sweet little Valentine garland. It took me longer than I expected, but it turned out very cute. I'm not sure the pictures quite do it justice.

Finally, this is something from our time back in Boise that I never posted about (haha - not the first time I haven't posted a project). This bookcase, given to us by some friends, started out as one of those cheap $20 Walmart speicals. While I love Walmart and cheap furniture has its virtues (believe you me we have plenty of these items scattered around the house) I wanted to give it something to make it extra special. A small can of paint and some Snow & Graham wrapping paper, adhered with Mod Podge, did just the trick. Who needs fancy pre-assembled furniture when you can whip up something like this? Then again, pre-assembled furniture does sound pretty amazing. Someday... :)

*While we're on the topic of home, our LDS Family Services caseworker came to our place last week to update our home study. For those who don't speak adoptionese, that means we are VERY close to having all our paperwork done to get approved to adopt in the state of Maryland. That doesn't mean we have a baby all lined up to adopt, but at that point our online profile will be reactivated and we'll ready when a birthmom chooses us, whenever that is. Fingers crossed we're approved soon!

dresses!

2011-01-30T17:18:00.000-08:00

Ah, I do love dresses! Every year at this time I start dreaming of spring and what beautiful skirts and dresses I would like to wear in the warmer, sunnier days ahead. Here are some lovely ones I've spied over at Shabby Apple.

Let's start with an everyday dress. Enter L'Artiste dress. This is one I can see myself wearing all the time, whether to the grocery store, an outdoor party, or on a Sunday afternoon. I think that's part of the reason I love it so much - casual and wearable for everyday, but just enough femininity to make it something special.

As for the next step up in formality I like the Sierra Nevada dress. Not sure how the flowers on top would actually look on me, but I just love the cut and the belt.

Now this is a dress I've had my eye on forever, the Antiquated dress. I would love to have this as my "little black dress" that could be dressed up for fancier events like weddings and parties, but not so formal I couldn't wear it to church on Sunday.

What is your favorite Shabby Apple dress? Post about it on your blog and get a free pair of earrings. Details here.

i heart idaho

2011-01-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas break it was! Jeff and I were lucky enough to spend lots of time in Idaho with family, friends, and loved ones. It was so nice to be home. :) While we were there Jeff gave me this lovely necklace. He got it from Etsy seller Truche, who makes all sorts of amazingness with metal. It is truly exquisite! It makes me so happy to carry such a beautiful little reminder of home around my neck.

As for some of my other favorite things from the trip, please see below.

Reed's Dairy Ice Cream! Not sure I will ever be able to restrain myself from the double scoop waffle cone. Mmm...mmm...mmm!

I made all sorts of fun snowflakes for my Mom. Here is the octopus one I came up with.

Pomegranate lemonade from Applebee's. Oh yes, it is tasty. Especially when you get free refills.

Snowshoeing - blessed, blessed snowshoeing. Here I managed to do a little quasi-sledding on the snowshoes. Don't tell the rental joint.

I took too many pictures to post them all on my blog, but you can see pictures of our snowshoeing adventure here and just general pics here.

Is it bad that I'm already excited to go back?

i - k - k - kea*

2011-01-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

Ooh - I'm loving me some Ikea fabric right now. I particularly enjoy the following two fabric lines, Kajsastina and Annamoa. Nevermind the fact that I already have more fabric than I know what to do with. A girl can always use more fabric, right? Especially when it's as hip and cute as this:

I'd love to use this gray and yellow color scheme to make curtains and pillows to decorate a room.

And I think these little motifs are quite charming. I think they have potential for a child's room, though I wouldn't use all of them together.
While we're on the topic of Ikea, these are the curtains I bought a few months ago. I love the pop of color they add to my front room. And being 1/8th Swedish makes me a feel a bit like I'm bringing a reminder of Sweden into my home with the blue and white. :)

* When I talk about Ikea Jeff often says, "k-k-k-kea," to the tune of the Chia Pet jingle. Love that boy.

putting a spring in my step

2010-12-01T20:09:00.001-08:00

So I finally joined the 21st century a few months ago and got an iPod, which is quite a pretty one if I do say so myself (thank you iSkin).Thanks to my trusty iPod I have had an extra spring in my step on my evening commute, and I mean that quite literally. Isn't it amazing how music can just transport you to another world, cheer you up and make you happy? I've wondered more than once what my fellow commuters make of the smile on my face when I'm all earphoned out.

Make fun of me if you will, but here are a few Christmas tunes that I've enjoyed lately:

*NSYNC - wow! This takes me back to sophomore year of high school. I remember listening to this on the bus during basketball season, and it is possible I had this album on cassette tape (haha - I was even behind the times then!).

David Archuleta (aka Archdawg around our house)- we are thouroughly enjoying his Christmas album:

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

betchya didn't know

2010-11-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

Did you know that November is National Adoption Month? Well now you do! Adoption has been on my brain a lot lately, so I guess it's appropriate that this month is an extra special time to be thinking of it.

To give you an update on us, Jeff and I are currently in the process of getting approved for adoption in the state of Maryland (different states, different standards), which hopefully will be squared away soon. We have had a number of birthmothers express interest in us over the last few months, but nothing has come to fruition for us (yet). We so much appreciate the kind thoughts, words, e-mails, and prayers you continue to offer on our behalf. It's wonderful to know that so many people are thinking of us and pulling for us!

I mentioned this a few months ago, but we would love for you to keep us in mind if you hear of any situations where a birthmother is considering placing her baby for adoption. We still have our LDS Family Services profile posted here, and this blog and our family blog are other places you can direct them to. I am hoping to get some pass along cards as well (I'm entering this contest to win some free ones - wish me luck!), so please let me know if you are interested in receiving some of those once we have some.

Adoption is so beautiful. I love the way is can influence really countless lives for the better - the adopted child, adoptive parents, and birthparents, not to mention extended families and friends of each of those parties. What a gift it can be! Jeff's wonderful older sister Becky was adopted, so we have witnessed some of those blessings firsthand.

How had adoption touched your life or the life of someone you know?

remember that one time...

2010-11-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

that I went to Hawaii, said I would post about it, then never did? Yeah, that was a year ago.

Shameful.

I've been thinking about doing it for a while, but it just seems so daunting. But I have this Thursday off. Maybe, just maybe I'll get the motivation to do it. We'll see. In case I don't, here's a little sneak peak.

How's that for committment? :)

longwood gardens

2010-10-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Jeff and I went to Delaware and Pennsylvania to see his brother Rob and his wife Jolene. It was wonderful to see family out here and spend some time with them. One of the things we did was go to Longwood Gardens. It was so amazing! I kept finding myself telling Jeff, "I want one of these someday!" Just exquisite. Our time was quite limited, but I did manage to snap some pictures of what was growing there.

Oh, these beautiful mums! I think I could take pictures of the purple ones forever.

A Bird of Paradise, Jeff's favorite flower.

I loved the water lily gardens. I kept telling Jeff that I just wanted to float away on one of those big lily pads - they were huge!

Flowers weren't the only thing they had at Longwood. This wall was incredible! So green, and the fresh vegetation smell was lovely. It was one of the things I told Jeff I want in our house someday. :)

paperie goodness

2010-10-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

Ah - I love paper! I've told you about my love of paper things before, but now I'm going to do some more showing of why I love it.

First are envelopes I am making from some vintage magazines I got from my dad. I think there is something special about snail mail, especially when it comes in a beautiful envelope. I'll need to make some labels to write the addresses on to ensure they make it to the inteded recipient.

Staying on the handwritten correspondence theme, here are some fun little flower notecards. When I got them for Christmas last year they were just plain, solid colors, so I dressed them up with my Paper Source Cottage Bloom stamp to make them extra special.

Who knew a plain old Staples clipboard could look so good? All you need for this project is some pretty paper and Mod Podge to stick it on with. Isn't the little bird paper fun? It's Snow and Graham wrapping paper.

I don't know about you, but I continually find myself drawn to animals and critters - birds, butterflies, squirrels, etc. I made this little guy and don't really have anything in mind for him, but I still think he's cute.

Finally, another little critter. I wish I could take credit for designing "Skip," but all I can claim is the purchasing, downloading, printing, cutting, and pasting. Mibo has some clever, clever paper animals. I got a bunch of the PDFs on a special deal a few months back and absolutely adore them! They're fun to give as gifts, and also fun to keep. :)

Isn't it amazing how much you can do with paper? What are some of your favorite paper projects?

last minute crafts

2010-10-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

Soo...I figure it's time to post some crafty craftiness from me. :) Those who know me well know I am a procrastinator. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I had put off a couple of projects prior to our move out to Maryland, so I was rushing to get them done at the last minute before we moved back east.

Exhibit A: a lovely apron for one of my girls camp young women who graduated in (ahem) May. In my defense, I had gone shopping earlier for fabric for this apron, but I didn't find something that just fit. Something that is very important to me when working on a special project is that I find fabric that "fits" the person I'm making it for. Lucky for me, just before we moved I found the perfect fabrics for Kayla's apron in her favorite colors - purple and green. I had to go to two separate stores to get them, but the extra effort was so worth it - she loved it!

I also made her a little wallet with the extra fabric. I still think these wallets are fantastic! I use mine all the time.

While I was writing about finding fabric that "fits," I remembered the bag I made for the beatuiful and talented Beth back in, um, March or April, for her birthday. Again, that was another project where I did a little shopping around to find the right fabric, in addition to some procratination on my end. But, again, the recipeint was thrilled with the final product. She wanted a bag to carry her kids' library books in and I think this fit the ticket!

And don't forget the horribly-photographed-but-cute-in-person interior pocket.

Finally, this is something I made for a girl in my ward who won a handmade bag from me at our Relief Society service auction in...um...yeah I don't even remember what month it was in. :P But the important thing is that I finished it before I left! She requested a beach bag and this is what I came up with.

Okay, this is fun! Let's see if I can get myself to post some more of my projects from the past few months. :)

"i got a whole lot of happy" (birthday)*

2010-10-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

Happy, happy birthday to Jeffrey! Today is his 28th birthday. This is a particularly happy one for Jeff in light of the San Francisco Giants winning the NLCS just minutes before midnight last night to make it to the World Series! Jeff loves baseball and has fond memories of watching the World Series on his birthday, so what a gift it is this year that he gets to watch his favorite team fight for the title! As a present, he got to go to Game 1 of the NLCS between the Phillies and Giants last Saturday, but I'll post more on that later.

Lots of candles - while shopping for them I realized we had reached a milestone because one package of candles will no longer cut it. 2 packages it is!

It may look like it, but no, the cake itself was not actually on fire. :)

We also realized that the 28th candle is the straw that broke the camel's back, as it took Jeff 2 tries to get all the candles. He had a good laugh about it. :) These pictures aren't completely in focus, but I love them anyway.

Happy birthday, Jeff! I am so glad you were born!

*NOTE: To explain the title of this post, go here to read about the quote from Juan Uribe, one of the Giants players. Love it! :)

texting snippet

2010-09-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Said Karla to Jeff via text after her morning Metro ride into work on Friday:

"Can I tell you something? I love the Gospel! Since I left my stuff at work yesterday I just pondered on the Metro in today. I thought of The Living Christ, the Family Proclamation, the Young Women's theme, and the Relief Society theme. And you know what I realized? The Gospel brings me more joy than any of these DC thrills ever could. They are fun of course, but they don't even compare to the full, happy joy the Gospel brings me. It was a needed reminder that I always need to ctr so I'm worthy of Gospel blessings. Thanks for letting me share."

And it's true - Christ's gospel makes me happy. :)

what are you thinking about?

2010-09-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

Ah - love this video. It's an oldie, but a goodie.

So, the question - what are you sinking...er...thinking about? In the words of President Henry B. Eyring's father, "When you walk down the street, when you're in the shower or when you don't have anything to be thinking about, what is it that you think about?"

Perhaps you have heard the story, but this is the question President Eyring's father asked him to help him discover what it is that he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Trying to follow in his father's footsteps, he was studying physics. However, after pondering his father's questions, he changed his major and studied business, went on to get a PhD, and ended up teaching it.

Now don't take this as an introduction to a big career change. But I am starting to notice there is something I think about pretty much every day - at home, at work, on my commute. I just can't seem to get it out of my head, even though I probably should. That little something is...

FOOD!

Okay, well, not just food, but baking. I LOVE baking. I can't get enough of it. I want to do it every day, seriously. Not cooking - I mean who wants to go home and cook dinner? Haha, okay, I know there are some of you out there that love cooking deliciously nutritious meals for your family. I'm not so much one of them (much to Jeff's chagrin). Me, I want to bake my most favorite things, and two of those things are bread and treats. Mmmmm....yes, bread and treats. For example,

Chocolate caramel crakers
Pumpkin cake
Apple honey challah
Vanilla breadsticks (a variation of these)
Buckeyes (not technically baking, but a treat nonetheless)
Cookies n' cream fudge
S'mores bars (omit the nuts to be like me)

just to name a few...

Oh yes, I love me some bread and I love me some treats! Unfortunately my 10-11 hour work days (when you factor in the commute) do not leave me the luxury of spending as much time baking as I would like. Someday perhaps, someday. However, my waistline could probably do without. :) But baking is one of the ways I can create, taking raw materials and producing a wonderful end product that would not have existed without my vision, my hands, and my work. Mmm...being a baker makes me a creator, and that is something to feel happy, fulfilled, and satisfied about.

How about you? What do you think about when there's nothing else you have to think about?

vacancy?

2010-09-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have asked, or who wanted to ask, or who might someday ask, the answer is YES! There are vacancies at the Ehlers' place! Please please let us know if you're ever in the area and need a place to bunk for the night(s), stop by before/after your temple trip, etc. We'd love to have visitors, and we have a dependable air matress with your name on it. :)

lunch break - installment II

2010-09-20T17:55:00.001-07:00

For lunch today I walked to the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art. I had only been here once before and didn't spend a lot of time there. I didn't have a lot of time there today either, but I was glad I went.

Again, the lovely Capitol, looking toward the West Front on the walk down Capitol Hill.

They had a Dutch painting exhibit where I spent most of my time. Ah - you know how I feel about flowers, even in 2D. :)

Pictures truly don't do this painting justice (especially from my little phone camera), but the detail on the arches was so amazing! I loved it!

I was very intrigued with the way the painter made the reflection of the moon so realistic, almost like there was actually light coming from the painting. It was interesting to get up close to it and see that it wasn't real light at all, just paint. Wow.

Another view of the muesum. And I'm happy to report that petunias have the same lovely fragrance over here on the east coast!

lunch break - installment 1

2010-09-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first of hopefully many installments of what I'm up to in DC. I realize that I have some amazing opportunities, being able to work so close to so many incredible places. As a result, I'm making it a goal to use my lunch breaks as opportunities to get out and experience these places and things first hand.

So, something you'll probably be seeing lots of pictures of - our lovely US Capitol (please forgive the low resolution - it was taken with my low quality phone camera). I spent last Friday outside of the East Front door (TRIVIA: did you know there isn't a "back door" to the Capitol? They consider both to be the front door, so there is an East Front and a West Front). I used the time to write a letter to my mom (I did some pondering on the lost art of letter writing, but I'll save that for another post). It was nice and warm. I know it's still early fall here, but I am starting to see why everyone raves about autumn here. It is warm, but not hot. Cool, but not cold. I'm enjoying it already!

fyi

2010-09-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've felt it - the overwhelming feeling of having so much to express, so much to say, so many updates to give. So many that you have to ask, "Where do I even start?" So, I'll start with some of the basics:

We moved to Maryland.
We had an amazingly fun drive across country to get here (above we are pictured in Philly, one of the stops on the trip).

I have more boxes and stuff than I know what to do with.

I have the internet - who knew a 2 week wait could be so long?

Our apartment has a washer and dryer - hallelujah.

We miss Idaho, friends, family, and loved ones.

We are grateful for friends old and new, families who care, and all the thoughts, prayers, phone calls, letters, texts, facebook comments, and e-mails we've received to let us know you're still there and you still care. Thank you!

Being away from home has definitely increased my need to be electronically connected. So never fear - more posts to come!

girls camp

2010-07-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how, but I've managed to get the best assignments and callings in the world. I had the privilege of spending this last week up at Girls Camp, where I got to work with the amazing 16 and 17 year old Youth Leaders in our Stake. It was an incredible week! I truly felt an outpouring of the Spirit in preparation for camp, as well as during the time we were up at camp. It was wonderful!

I was literally laughing until my side hurt! Between getting fake bruises (created with markers), doing acrobatics at the pool, staying up WAY late, traipsing around the woods doing pranks, and the girls calling me Sister Gospel, it was a wonderfully fun and entertaining time. We were even lucky enough to have Jeff join us for a day up there, which the girls loved, of course. :)

In addition to laughing and joking, we were able to share with each other in the Spirit and come closer to Christ. I had an absolute blast getting to know these girls and helping them understand that God loves them and wants them to be happy. It really is amazing to see what strong friendships and connections can be forged in such a short time. I truly love these girls and am already plotting how I can get back to Boise to see them as they accomplish all the wonderful things they are capable of. I love these girls and I love the Gospel!

big news

2010-06-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're moving to...

Maryland? you ask. Why Maryland? Well, Jeff is going back to school to pursue a PhD in Business, specifically in Information Systems (IS). We are thrilled that he has been accepted at the University of Maryland - go Terps!

Not only is it an AMAZING program (their IS program is ranked number 6 in the country), but it is a mere 6 miles away from Washington, DC. As a result, I will be working for the U.S. Senate in our Capitol Hill office!

Jeff has had grad school in mind for quite some time, but who knew we'd be moving to Maryland? Who knew I'd be working in DC? It's so interesting to see the path our lives have taken and continue to take - how it all unfolds.

We feel so richly blessed by the Lord. We know He is mindful of us and has a plan for us, better than the plans we made for ourselves. We are sad to leave Idaho and our friends and family here, but we are also excited for the new adventure that lies ahead on the east coast!

These are my own little "terps" I bought with birthday money from Anthro. Aren't they cute?

my wildflower patch

2010-04-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

I love flowers. Scratch that - I ADORE flowers! I'm not sure what it is, but I just can't get enough of them. Spring is such a lovely time of year, and the flowers popping up everywhere bring me joy. I need to get my camera out and start snapping some shots before the springtime varieties fade away.

Today as I was driving back to work from lunch, I noticed a bunch of dandelions in my neighbors' yards. In fact, a couple of the houses had a mini field of them. I know they are weeds, much like the yellow tansy pictured above. But seeing those bright yellow bursts of color covering the beautiful green grass are somehow cheerful to me. Then again, I'd probably feel differently if it were my own yard.

Following on that, I thought about how wonderful it would be to have enough land to just have a big field of flowers in your backyard. One big field, filled with one variety of a bright and beautiful flower, somwhere to just wander, take pictures, nap, and enjoy at my leisure. But alas, it will be quite some time before that becomes a reality. For now I will just have to dream as I admire other people's dandelions. :)

thank you

2010-04-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

A big, heartfelt thanks to each and every person who read my last post, particularly those who left a sweet comment. I always love comments, but it is especially wonderful to read such personal and kind words as we go forward on this new chapter in our lives. Jeff and I have been so blessed to have supportive friends, families, and loved ones who selflessly reach out with their words, thoughts, and prayers, especially when it isn't easy. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :)

As for the pictures, well, remember how I went to Hawaii 5 months ago and never posted about it? Well, here are some of my pictures. I really am planning to do a recap, but it's one of those things I want to make sure I do right, so as a result I don't do it. Haha - funny how that works. It will come - promise.

We're Hoping to Adopt!

2010-03-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I are very excited to let you know that we are hoping to adopt! Some of you may have already known about this, as it's something that's been in the works for a while. We just recently had our profile published on the LDS Family Services website, so we figured it was time to announce it on our lovely blogs. You can view our profile by clicking here.

The journey that has brought us to where we are today has been a rollercoaster ride filled with lots of ups and downs. With challenges in life come great blessings from the Lord, and we have faith that adoption will be a miracle in our lives from Him. We are sincerly excited to adopt and have faith that this is the Lord's plan for us to bring children into our home.

As mentioned, we are going through LDS Family Services, which allows birth mothers to choose the couple their child will be placed with. As a result, we don't know how long it will be until a mother chooses to place with us. If you know of an individual who is considering placing their child for adoption, we would love for you to direct them to our profile and get in touch with us!

The greatest strength we have found in this journey is the peace and comfort that comes from the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We have faith that He is ever mindful of us and that His plan for us is greater than any plan we had for ourselves!

spring

2010-02-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

is just around the corner

and that is something

to be happy about. :)

anthro

2010-01-29T21:57:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you, but I do love me some Anthropologie. I feel lucky to be able to walk/drive past this store everyday for work - I'll admit I've been known to jaywalk just so I can get a closer look. :)

Not only are the clothes beautifully unique and the home accessories to die for, but the window displays are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! If you want to know what I'm talking about, just google image search "anthropologie window displays" for some great eye candy. It makes me want to have a huge window in my house someday just so I can make incredible displays out of everyday items like cardboard, paper, etc.

An ostrich made out of paper? Yes indeed!

A few months ago I noticed a little sign in their window for "Visual Tuesdays." So, for a few weeks, I spent my lunchbreak at Anthro helping design their holiday window display. The theme was "15 inches of snow," so lots of white! We used some pretty random items - paper receipt rolls, paper cups dipped in wax, etc.

It was really fascinating to see how they do their displays. Each store has a visual director (not sure that's the actual title), which is a full time job. Every time Anthro does a new display they send a little inspiration booklet to each of their visual directors. It is full of images, some of their own images, some from other artists, to inspire the director. Then the director gets to decide how to execute it in their individual store. I LOVE the concept of giving the director freedom to make the display what they want it to be - what a way to encourage creativity!

So bottom line - Anthro is fresh, fun, and inspiring. A little pricey for my current situation, but you can get a whole lotta inspiration for free by just doing a walk through of the store - or just the window for that matter.

new digs

2010-01-26T18:32:00.001-08:00

So I was just reviewing my posts for the past 6 months or so, and I realized there are almost NO pictures of Jeff and me! You would think we have no lives beyond weddings, crafts, food and photography, which isn't quite true. :)

However, I do love having this little spot to share my creative musings and latest (or not so latest) projects. Therefore, if you want to keep updated on the family happenings of Jeff and me, take a little hop on over to our

family blog - woot woot!

I've had this address for a few (ahem) years and am finally getting around to using it. But better late than never, eh?

Enjoy!

dasily + mckay

2010-01-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

December brought yet another wedding in Jeff's family, Dasily and McKay. Yes, that's right, 3 weddings in 12 months! Props to Jeff's parents for surviving that! It was a beautiful winter day for a beautiful couple. Congrats, Dasi and McKay!

The Idaho Falls temple - we kinda like this place :)

The happy siblings

I can't even tell you how much I love this face!

Tasty reception treats (LOVE that argyle!)...

and the full spread!

I made the turquoise tablecloths. As for the recipes for some of the treats (including those AMAZING argyle cheesecake pops my mother in-law made), you can find them here, here, and here!

You can also see more wedding pics from the photographer here.

winner winner

2009-12-24T16:35:00.000-08:00

And the winner of my most recent giveaway is...

Becky!

Congrats, Beck! Send me an e-mail and let me know what colors you want me to use for your little custom made package.

In fact...why don't all of you who did a blog post on my Etsy shop send me an e-mail with your address and favorite color (karlaehlers (at) yahoo (dot) com)? I do love to make things, so I'll send each of you a little something. :) Thanks again for the shout outs on your blogs!

How's that for a little Christmas Eve present?

NOTE: I made these earrings for a friend a few months back and never got around to posting about them, so there you go!

ho hum

2009-12-18T22:19:00.000-08:00

Remember how I used to blog? Yeah, I know it was a long time ago. These last couple of months have been crazy! Someday I will start posting again, and I hope that day is soon. :)

Let's start with this: I will commit to posting about my second giveaway before Christmas.

Deal? Deal!

shallie + jesse

2009-11-30T21:16:00.000-08:00

Okay - so maybe I shouldn't get ahead of myself. I haven't posted many details about my sister in-law's wedding, now have I? And that was way back in October...a long time ago!

To make a long story short, I was Shallie's wedding planner and had a blast helping her plan the big day. I spent hours and hours thinking and brainstorming for it - so fun! Martha Stewart and Snippet and Ink were my main go-to websites. I can definitely see myself being one of those moms that just wants to plan their child's whole wedding for them.

We started planning back in June when she got engaged and used a special, private blog I set up (which is now public) to share ideas since we are in different states. It was stressful at times (those centerpieces were just about the death of me), but it all turned out fabulously. Shallie was such a beautiful bride and we are so happy to have Jesse in the family.

The bride and groom, with Shallie's cute little boat shoes peeking out. :)

Where forever started.

An Ehlers' wedding isn't complete without No. 1 making an appearance (family joke)

Jeffrey + Me

Wasabi - hilarious (a Jeff and Karla joke)

The centerpieces that almost brought me to tears, first tears of frustration, then finally tears of joy.

Blessed, blessed pumpkin cupcakes - YUM!

Paper lanterns...they make me so happy

Be sure to check out the wedding blog for more pictures and sourcing information for most everything we did. And definitely check out their engagement pics here, bridals here, and their wedding pics here from the real deal photographer, Eric Izlas. Amazing!

And by the way, I CERTAINLY can't take credit for everything. Becky and Rod were HUGE contributors - they are responsible for the incredible lighting. Mindy was also a major factor in all the inner tent beautifulness. Grandma Ehlers did a ton of baking. And of course, none of this would have been possible without my wonderful parents in-law, Mike and Lanette. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

back from paradise

2009-11-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

We're back! Okay, so maybe we've been back for 2 and 1/2 weeks, but I've just been too busy doing other things to blog. :)

More details and fun pictures to follow!

aloha!

2009-11-08T00:21:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give a little shout out from the middle of the Pacific Ocean. That's right - Jeff and I are currently in HAWAII! We just got here today and are already having a blast!

And just a little update - I will be announcing the winner of the giveaway, but I need to figure out a little detail before I do. Until then...

Aloha!

happy election day!

2009-11-03T13:59:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to get informed and vote today!

winner, announcement, and another giveaway

2009-10-26T23:44:00.001-07:00

Thanks to random.org we have a winner! And that winner is...

Becca!

Congratulations, Becca! Send me an e-mail when you get a chance and I will send this happy package on its way.

And for those of you who want to get your hands on some handmade goodies, well I have some good news for you...

I opened an Etsy shop!

You can see my shop by clicking here or on the gallery pictures to the right. I have a few items listed and more on the way, including some pretty bags, handbound journals, and little bird pendants, so definitely stay tuned. I love creating handmade goodies and I'm glad to finally have them available to the public! Please feel free to spread the word. In fact...

How about another giveaway?

Here's the deal: you make a post about my Etsy shop on your blog and I'll enter you for a special *custom* giveaway, meaning you will get to tell me what colors you like and I will make 3 items especially for you. After you make the post on your blog, come back and make a comment on this post before Monday, November 2 at 11:59pm and you will be entered in the giveaway. Feel free to use any images from my Etsy shop for your post. :)

happy birthday, jeff!

2009-10-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

A beautiful fall day

to celebrate a birthday.

Happy Birthday, Jeffrey!

giveaway time!

2009-10-17T13:24:00.001-07:00

Finally - it's time for a giveaway! It's over two weeks late, but I hope you'll think it was worth the wait.

Here we have a lovely little handbound journal, small enough to carry around in your purse, scripture case, etc.

Next is a set of 12 little notecards.

Also included is a little chocolate brown wallet, perfect for carrying your credit cards in - I use mine all the time!

And last but not least is the cute little bird charm made from a Scrabble tile. Don't you love this paper?! I think I might be making another one of these for myself.

So, how do you enter to win? Just leave a comment on this post before Friday, October 23 at 11:59pm. Also, as a little bonus to everyone who has commented on my blog since I first announced the giveaway in September, once you comment on this post, I will enter your name again for each comment you have made since that time up until I made this post. I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting comments, so thank you! :)

here i am!

2009-10-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

So, remember how I posted 7 days in a row and went MIA for over a week? Yeah, sorry about the absence. I would have posted sooner, but I've been planning and coordinating my sister in-law's wedding. In fact, I've been working with Shallie on wedding plans since June! The wedding was this past Saturday and it went beautifully! Here are a few pictures of some of the happy details.

And don't worry - I'll be doing another wedding post sometime in the near future. In addition, I am still planning to do the little giveaway I promised! That should be coming later this week, so stay tuned...

fruits of their labors

2009-09-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

Someday I will have gardens. Plural. I need a flower garden for looking at and another for cutting - wouldn't it be phenomenal to have fresh flowers is your house every day? And of course I will have a food garden - tomatoes, peppers, zuchinni, squash, pumpkins. And maybe a little raspberry and/or strawberry patch to boot. As an apartment dweller, it's easy to dream big, especially when I haven't weeded for...well...a long time. We'll see how big my plans stay when I'm the one doing all the laboring.

In the meantime, I'm lucky to have friends who will share their bounteous crops with us. In the last couple of months we have been showered with the fruits of other people's labors: zuchinni (of course), tomatoes (roma, cherry, yellow, etc.), peppers, cucumbers, butternut squash, green beans, nectarines, raspberries, and even Asian pears (oh my - AMAZING!). This has led to some experimenting with new recipes, which I am pretty much always up for. I recently made Nectarine Raspberry Cobbler which was quite enjoyable (I substituted raspberries for blackberries and omitted the almonds). Now I want to try Peach Raspberry Cobbler - mmmm.

What do you/will you grow in your garden?

inspiration

2009-09-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

Something I have noticed about designers - they always seem to keep beatiful things around them to inspire them. They don't have to be big or expensive - something as small as a vintage button or postage stamp sometimes does the trick.

Since I've made our spare room (aka Spare oom) into a craft room, I've have a place to lay out little knick knacks to keep me inspired. Pictured above is a beatiful card sent to me by Kacey. I ADORE the colors and the print. It's already been the source of inspiration for 2 other projects. Great taste, Kacey!

I also finally have room to put out finished products that haven't yet been put to use. That category includes these cute little containers Beth showed us how to make. Aren't navy and yellow lovely together? And yes - those are washed out tin cans, covered with pretty paper secured by double-sided tape. Beth is amazing!

What inspires you?

mr. petty

2009-09-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

My dad is a pretty cool guy. He is the biology teacher at the only high school in my hometown, so most everyone knows him as "Mr. Petty" (in fact, Jeff still does and probably always will call him Mr. Petty. We sat by each other in his class for a semester). He is a bug expert extraordinaire - along with being a cornacopia of knowlegde in many other areas, too. He really has a passion for teaching and is great with kids of all ages.

To his credit, my dad was just highlighted on the local news station's "Head of the Class" segment for being a great teacher. You can watch him in action by clicking here.

I took a couple of classes from him and have some good memories. One of my best memories: One afternoon I walked into my dad's room, went to his refrigerator, and proceeded to polish off a bit of apple juice straight out of the jug. My dad came in and said, "Karla! Don't drink that!" I thought he was just upset that I didn't ask if I could have it, so I swallowed the last bit. After doing so, he exclaimed that there had been about 10 mold samples in that apple juice. UGH! Luckily I didn't get sick, but I still didn't feel well after knowing I had just downed someone's extra credit!

I'm sure many, many people out there still have fond memories of my dad's class, whether it be weed field trips, +10, word root quizes, , T time, putting your chair up like a Navy SEAL, charitable service, the plant room...the list goes on!

For those of you who had my dad, what is one of your best memories from his class?

yummy

2009-09-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love best about fall is all the yummy comfort foods. There is just something about making a pumpkin cake, batch of cinnamon rolls, or loaf of bread when the weather is starting to cool that makes me happy. I love the homey and rich aromas that tell me fall is here and the holidays are just around the corner. Mmmmm!

One of my absolute favorite comfort foods is bread. I have enjoyed bread/grain products since I was little and am notorious for eating way too much. Whether it is Grandma's biscuits at Sunday dinner or the amazing rolls at Texhas Rhodehouse I just can't get enough! I have been trying some new bread recipes lately and was so excited to make the Apple-Honey Challah pictured above. It takes quite a bit of time when you factor in all the rising, but the taste of its delicious sweetness fresh out of the oven made it well worth it.

What are your favorite comfort foods?

good bye, summer

2009-09-26T21:30:00.001-07:00

Summer is fun, but I find myself craving autumn before it arrives. One thing I will miss about summer is all the pretty flowers.

What will you miss about summer?

softie fun

2009-09-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Although softies can be a challenge to make, I was really excited to make this little guy for Angela and her soon to come baby. This picture doesn't do it justice, but this orange fabric is fab. I've been hoarding it for years (literally), which I have a habit of doing when I find fabric or paper that I like. It's nice to finally put it to good use so it isn't sitting on a shelf somewhere unappreciated. And don't you worry - I still have some left for another project!

What are your favorite baby shower gifts to give and/or get?

back in action

2009-09-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Here I am - back in blogging action! It's been a busy month - lots of driving, baking, creating, etc. I'm ready to get back to posting, so I'm committing to 7 blog posts in 7 days . Keep checking back because not only am I going to be sharing some fun stuff, but I'll also be doing a little giveaway at the end - oh yeah! Still not sure what it will be, but I'll come up with something.

As for the picture above, this is what the sky looked like as I pulled into Shelley over Labor Day weekend. I see an alligator in the clouds - what do you see?

amber waves

2009-09-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

happy 5 years

2009-08-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

to Jeffrey and me!

daisies

2009-08-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I will ever tire of taking pictures of flowers.

cookies 'n' cream fudge

2009-07-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

Seriously, one of the best recipes ever. If you love Hershey's Cookies and Cream bars, you are going to la la la love this. Not only is the end product delicious, but it it practically* fool proof.

Enjoy!

Cookies 'n' Cream Fudge

INGREDIENTS
3 (6 ounce) packages white chocolate baking squares (I use white chocolate chips instead)
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups coarsely chopped chocolate creme-filled sandwich cookies (use fingers or knife to chop and throw away fine crumbs)

DIRECTIONS
In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt white chocolate squares, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat; stir in crushed cookies.
Spread evenly into wax-paper-lined 8-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm.
Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

For more tips/suggestions, read reviews at the following link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cookies-n-Creme-Fudge/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

*Please note that despite the simplicity of this recipe, it will not prevent you from forgetting to add 6 ounces of white chocolate chips and/or dropping the whole batch on the floor while pouring it into the pan. Don't worry - I did both of these things on the first batch I made yesterday. Apologies to those who won't get any fudge as a result. :)

monochrome

2009-07-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

girls' camp beads

2009-07-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

Per Angela's request, here is a picture of the different beads I made for Girls' Camp last month. Each girl has a necklace and they get beads for passing off certification requirements.

Each necklace also has a pendant. Here's the one I made for my necklace.

pssst...jeff...

2009-07-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

Our anniversary is coming up, and I think you want to get me this GORGEOUS letterpress calendar.

lunch break

2009-07-13T12:53:00.001-07:00

mmm...juicy grapefruit + Martha Stewart Living

jewels

2009-07-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

Accessories are so fun, but I can rarely bring myself to spend much money on them because I know I can make them for so much cheaper. So that's what I do! Here are some of my latest.

Not pictured are the approximately 100 beads I made for Girls' Camp. I am our ward's Camp Director, so I got to spend most of last week in the great outdoors with some amazing ladies. I don't know the last time I was away from cell phones and e-mail for 3 straight days, but was a nice break. :)

ostentatious orange

2009-06-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

I love orange! It brings such a happy, bright pop of color. Here are some of my favoite orange items in my craft room.

A little orange wallet - I absoluetly adore this print!

Gorgeous letterpress flats from Angela with coordinating envelopes. Love!

My little journal, which keeps track of the dimensions/measurements of my self-made patterns.

One of my handmade bags in a pretty print I call "Orange Blossom."

pretty pink

2009-05-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

mmm...

2009-05-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

In the past week I have made or helped make the following:

1. Buckeyes. I randomly found this recipe online a few years ago and LOVE it! If you are a fan of chocolate and peanut butter, this is a MUST try!

2. Dutch Oven Cobbler - we tried both Cherry Chocolate and Raspberry Chocolate. Sorry, no picture, but it was dee-licious!

3. Strawberry Turnovers. They turned out to be pretty good, but I'm not sure they were worth all the effort.

What are your favorite summer treats?

girls only like guys with great skills

2009-05-17T21:38:00.001-07:00

As you may or may not know, Jeff has been working on getting his CPA for the past year. We found out last fall that he passed all the tests (woot! woot!), but still had to wait for him to acquire the required hours to claim the prestigous initials. Jeff got the *official* letter back in March that he was finally a CPA. Very impressive, considering that many people don't pass the tests on their first try, let alone meeting the requirements within a year of graduation. :)

Then, to make me even more proud, Jeff noticed this little gem in the Idaho State Board of Accountancy Newletter last week:

That's right folks - Jeff scored 4th highest on the CPA exam in all the state of Idaho for 2008! What a genius - what a man! He's definitely got skills!

a year later...

2009-04-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

Way back when I mentioned some Scrabble tiles I had acquired for projects. This is the long awaited result - a beautiful little necklace charm. I was so happy with the finished product!

i heart the kitchen

2009-04-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, I have been back from DC for almost a month now. Thanks for bearing with me through all the photo posts! I have a ton more pictures that I didn't put up, but it's time to update you on my post-DC life. :)

One of the best parts about coming home was cooking/baking again. I don't consider myself to be a gourmet chef, but there was something so wonderful about getting back into the kitchen, putting on my apron and cooking a tasty dinner for Jeff - I loved it! Since then, I have also tried out some DELICIOUS recipes, including Chris Bianco's Pizza Dough from Martha. It is truly amazing! I am in love with thin crust vegetarian pizza, so I spread the dough thinner on mine. Jeff likes fluffy crust, so I kept his crust thicker for his BBQ chicken, bacon, and pineapple pizza. It turned out yummy both ways!

georgetown

2009-04-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

3 things I love about Georgetown:

1. Iceberry Frozen Yogurt. I had the honeydew melon with strawberries - so amazing! Considering that the closest one is in LA, I'm going to have to try some of the local fro yo joints to see if anything compares.

2. Georgetown Cupcake. Words cannot even describe - you have to check out their website. I tried taking a pictures of my cupcakes, but transporting them in a box on the Metro made them not so photogenic. :) The Peanut Butter Fudge and Lemon Berry cupcakes I had were totally worth the $2.75 each and all the ensuing calories. Amazing!

3. Paper Source. I do love me some pretty paper, and Paper Source had a lot of it. With cute rubber stamps and sets of lovely letterpress flats for a mere $3.50 what's not to love?

cherry blossoms

2009-04-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

In every shade, from white to pinkest pink, the cherry blossoms in DC are beautiful!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

pictures of the National Botanical Gardens in DC

Library of Congress

2009-04-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

WWI Memorial

2009-03-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

I love Monday

2009-03-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Well, at least this past Monday in DC. What am I doing here, you ask? For those of you who don't know, I am currently working for the U.S. Senate office doing constituent services, meaning I help citizens who are having problems with federal agencies. It's a fun job, and I LOVE being so closely involved in politics. I got to come out to DC for some training on how to do my job better, as well as to get acquainted with DC's political and tourist workings so I can explain it to constituents back home.

Staring out the work week was Monday, which was AMAZING! Since the actual training didn't start until Tuesday, I had the day to meet my DC coworkers, get my Senate ID (which, PS, gives me access to some pretty cool places!), and get a taste of how the whole DC scene works. We had a little time in the morning, so we got to go to the Library of Congress and see some really neat things, there, including an original copy of the Book of Mormon!

Later in the afternoon, I was lucky enough to go to a hearing that my boss was participating in about some current controversial legislation. Not only was it fun to see how the hearing process works and see a number of prominent Senators speaking, but...wait for it...I was on C-SPAN! *See the arrow in the picture below, pointing to me sitting down.* Now to the average everyday person that may not mean much, but for a political nerd like me it's pretty darn cool! Click here if you want to see the whole video - I can be seen at 27:27, 37:33, and 1:10:28. :)

After that we came back to the office, and not to much later we rushed with my boss over to the Senate floor in the Capitol for a role call vote - again, very cool! We got to see even more Senators there, including leadership from both parties (Senators Reid, Kennedy, and McConnell to name a few). It was so interesting to see how they actually vote and observe the comradery between the Members, even those of different parties.

Now it may not seem like much, but Monday really was one of, if not the the best work day of my life (this was another cool day)! Since that time, I have done other fun things, like eat in the Senator's Dining Room and say hello to Senator McCain, but Monday has been the most fulfilling and exciting day by far. It's fun to ride the Metro into work, all dressed up in my business clothes. And I love walking around the Capitol amongst the folks who make such big, far reaching decisions that affect our country. I really love being a part of the process and seeing up close, firsthand how it all works!

the view

2009-03-23T21:41:00.001-07:00

from the balcony of my hotel room in Rosslyn.

More happy details on my AWEOME, AWEOME Monday to come!

greetings from dc!

2009-03-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Greetings from our nation's capital! I am here all this week for training - yipee! I am excited to do not only touristy things, but fun Senate things, too - like attending a committee hearing (yes, I am a political nerd). Hopefully I'll have have more pictures up this week to share...

a little late...

2009-03-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

but I just wanted to mention Pi Day, one of my favorite days of the year (I posted about it here last year). As always, we celebrated with yummy pies, although a Saturday evening activity prompted us to move the festivities to Pi Day Eve (aka March 13). The classics returned (key lime, chocolate, and asphalt [aka mint chip ice cream and oreo]), and a delicious Raspberry Custard Pie, like the one pictured above, made its Pi Day debut. The one I made was definitely not as pretty, but tasty none the less. You can get the recipe here (note: I used a Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust instead of the Pate Brisee).

Do you celebrate Pi Day?

Picture from Martha

little birdies told him

2009-03-07T18:46:00.001-08:00

A little late, but here is a picture of the card I made Jeff for Valentine's day. How can you not love cute, little, blue birdies?

practice makes perfect

2009-03-07T18:20:00.001-08:00

Speaking of my new camera, one of the fun new things I've been experimenting with is portrait photography. Last weekend I took this picture (and about 10 million more) of my sister in-law for her sister who is building her cosmetology portfolio. It was fun to pose creative shots and try to get an idea across in a single picture. I still have a lot to learn - and a lot of practice to go!

So...if you're in the Boise area, please let me know if you, your children, family, etc. are interested in having some portraits done by yours truly. I have been considering offering my photography services at no cost except the time to take the pictures to enable me to get some experience with portraits. You get a CD with the pictures - I get the practice. Let me know if you're interested...

my camera

2009-03-03T18:16:00.000-08:00

Finally - an update on my new camera! After saving up for months, I finally got my birthday, anniversary, and Christmas gift in November (I needed it in time for our trip back east) - my Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi. Despite my impatience and occasional whining to Jeff about having to save up for it, I'm so glad I did - hard work does pay off! The camera is amazing and I would definitely recommend it as a great starter DSLR. I also highly recommend B&H Photo - they are AWESOME to work with!

So, now that I had a new camera, I needed something to carry it in (besides the bag that came with it that just screams, "There is an expensive camera in here - steal me!"). This is the messenger bag I made so that I had something to tote both of my cameras in around Philly and DC. What do you think?

as promised

2009-02-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

Okay - projects as promised!

First up is the bag I made for my mom for Christmas. Isn't this cordouroy print fabulous?

And here's the apron I made for Jeff's mom for Chritmas - inspired by one Megan made a while ago.

Washington's Birthday

2009-02-16T21:06:00.001-08:00

Do you do anything to celebrate President's Day (which in fact is technically titled "Washington's Birthday")? Neither did I until this year. First, I studied the Constitution (and PS - Wikipedia is an AWESOME resource - great explanations for those tricky to understand articles and clauses). I still have a few Amendments to go through, but I'm glad I took the opportunity to read up.

Also, I decided to follow Martha's idea and make one of Washington's and Lincoln's favorites - hoecakes (farmers used to actually make them on their hoes!). Let me tell you - DELISH! Highly recommended with butter and honey. Next year I think I'll incorporate a cherry dessert...

And check out this other cute idea from that clever Martha.

i have projects...

2009-02-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

I have projects

Yes I do.

I have projects

that I want to share with you!

to be continued...

addendum - philly

2009-02-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

At Jeff's request, I am adding this photo of the future location of the Philadelphia Temple towards North Philly. The picture isn't that great (a nice camera can only do so much with a moving night shot), but you get the idea. It will be built in place of this parking lot in the city, much like the Manhattan Temple is in the middle of the city. Pretty neat, eh? Jeff is very excited!

Rob and Jolie's Wedding Festivities

2009-01-26T11:27:00.000-08:00

The groom and his blushing bride

The Best Man and his girl

The wedding party, livin' it up at the reception in PA

"Winding down" at the end of the night

And some of the delicious cookies from the Open House in Idaho
(idea from here)

washington dc

2009-01-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

Washington DC - our nation's capital! Although we only had a few short hours to tour the city (which seems to be a trend for Jeff and I with DC), we were able to squeeze in a few of the sights.

The White House

The National Christmas Tree

The World War II Memorial, one of my favorites

The Washington Memorial and the Reflecting Pool, with the Capitol in the backround

The Lincoln Memorial

The Korean War Memorial

Although we had hoped to get into the city earlier, the memorials looked absolutely stunning at night (particularly the Korean War Memorial)! I highly recommend a nightime visit to DC.

Next up, the wedding!

philly

2008-12-31T10:56:00.000-08:00

And we're back! I have decided to divide our trip into 3 separate posts, so here is the Philly bit.

The first place we visted was Old City. The houses were absolutely beautiful and I simply couldn't get enough of the cobblestone streets.

This is Elfreth's Alley, the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in the U.S.

Independence Hall

Love Park

skyscrapers in downtown Philly

the giant clothspin

getting our cheesesteaks

the city skyline

Boathouse Row behind the Art Museum

And last, but certainly not least, is a night shot from the Rocky Steps (aka Philadephia Art Museum)

Next up, DC!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T15:31:00.001-08:00

and we're off!

2008-12-15T21:52:00.000-08:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the nice comments on my last post! It was great to hear from you all!

One of the big, fun, exciting things we have been getting ready for the past little while is our annual vacation. This year the destination is Philadephia and DC. Jeff's brother is getting married in the Washington DC temple on Friday, so we decided to make a vacation out of it (especially because we were too busy to take a vacation this summer). We leave tomorrow morning - yippee!

As for the random picture, it's one I took in Shelley over Thanksgiving weekend with my new camera. More details to come...

Have a great week!

not forgotten

2008-12-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, here I am, back to blogging. Life has definitely been hectic in my neck of the woods - getting ready for Christmas, directing our ward choir, helping plan a wedding open house, getting acquainted with my new camera (yipee!), prepping for a trip to Philly and DC (double yipee!), not to mention a few crafting projects. Busy, busy, busy! And too much to write about all in one post. Instead of expounding on my life in it's entirety, I'll share a few of my craft projects from the past few months.

Oh, how I love flowers! Fresh ones, printed ones, and even fabric ones! I've been trying to design a little pattern for these babies, but it still needs some work. I wear the little green one in my hair (attached with a bobby pin) and the bigger one is for a bag I've started making.

One of my new favorites in gift giving - handbound journals. A great place to record random thoughts, spiritual insights, shopping lists, or the cute things your little one does that you don't want to forget. Plus, it's a good excuse to use some of the stacks and stacks of beautiful paper I collect but never seem to get around to using.

And last, but certainly not least, is this darling little elephant! I've unsuccessfully searched for a free elephant pattern on the internet for quite sometime, so I finally broke down and bought this little kit for under $14 on Amazon. I did make some alterations to the original pattern, including the little tuft on the tail in the back, and was quite pleased with the results. What do you think?

graphic goodness

2008-11-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

I just signed up to get this *free* downloadable calendar that can easily be converted to wall art, as deomonstrated here. I can't wait to print it out at home! Get it for yourself here.

Speaking of great design, isn't this print just gorgeous? It's a shower curtain I spotted at Burlington, of all places. I really love the bold black design against the bright white.

happy 11-11!

2008-11-11T10:11:00.001-08:00

a few thoughts

2008-11-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

Wow - what an election! I'm happy to announce that my candidate/boss won his race - woo hoo! Jeff and I enjoyed the local festivites with friends and co-workers, meeting our elected representatives and getting on TV. It was great!

As I walked through downtown Boise and past the Capitol today, I couldn't help but think how lucky I am. It has been my great opportunity to work for our next U.S. Senator these past few months in our wonderful capital city. What a blessing it is to live in this great country where we have the right and responsibility to make our voices heard in electing our leaders.

Although I have enjoyed following the local and federal races, I am definitely excited to get past the campaign mindset and on to actual legislation, policy, and effective government. Here's to our wonderful country and those who have sacrificed to make it what it is today. May we all stand up to preserve the Constitution of the country they founded.