The Black Spot

Miss me?

2011-12-29T22:10:00.002-07:00

Chances are, if you pay attention to my photography blog, the answer is no. Posting every day on that blog leaves little to NOTHING to post on this blog. I put anything and everything on that 365-day photo challenge and I'm very excited to say IT'S ALMOST OVER!! Don't get me wrong, I'm super proud of myself for staying true to my self-imposed challenge and its been fun keeping myself engaged & motivated, but the constant need to find something worth photographing is something I won't miss. The last few days are a prime example of that. I've been sick and all I do is work and rest. My day is work, work, work, then come home, crawl in my pajamas, take meds & become reacquainted with my DVR. So.....what is there to take a picture of? You'd think I'd be smart enough to take my camera to work and capture something exciting there...but I never do. Hair, chemicals and customer service is on my brain while I'm at work, definitely NOT my photo challenge, thus making it hard to find something worth posting about every.single.day! I will miss the excitement of a really cool picture I caught, the action photos I love so much and the attention to detail or focus on others. I'll still post the photos I want to brag about - I'm gonna keep the blog alive, just don't expect a post every day or once a week for that matter. I'm really looking forward to the break. (My husband is almost as excited as I am to be done! I can't tell you how many nights I've kept him awake with the bright glow of my laptop screen and the clickity-click of my fingers on the keys. It was never a priority of mine to do it earlier in the day, right before bed always seemed like the convenient choice, but the hubby really hated that.)

And I'm not gonna lie, I miss the privacy. With an every-so-public view into my life, I feel over exposed. It was a self-imposed challenge and I was the one typing up my life in 2011, so I only have myself to blame, but it will be nice to live in the shadows of cyberspace like everyone else. I will admit, the pictures were always a great conversation starter, like when you needed to break the ice or hadn't seen someone for a long time. My blog was always the go-to conversation piece. What will I talk about now? Or what will people know about my life?

I have had a few followers plead for me to continue this challenge in 2012, but I still decline. My sister Kalie even suggested taking a picture each day and just uploading it to Facebook without blogging and typing up a whole explanation about it. (She was never one to actually read my blogs. Just a stalker that views the pictures. I like to tease her about that. Thanks for the support sister!!) No, I'm just playing Kalie. I know my stories and explanation were long and sometimes not needed, but it felt incomplete to just post the picture. What if it left unanswered questions? Then I'd just have to explain myself once asked about it and chances are that would be multiple times. I'd rather nip that in the bud and spend the 20 minutes blogging about each picture and save all that time explaining in real life. It just seemed necessary to me. But even with your suggestion to just post the pictures, I'm going to have to say no to that as well. My camera and I have a close, intimate relationship now and I'm feel like I need a timeout. We're on a break Rebel, you hear that?

I have seen other bloggers start the photo challenge during a year of great triumph, health conditions or turning a significant age. I turn 30 in April, maybe I'll pick the challenge back up and do 365 days of being 30, who knows? I guess since I've been so obsessed with that blog for an entire year, there is a chance I might go through withdrawals and feel disconnected with everyone. I guess only time will tell. I am, however, excited to get The Black Spot current. I was surprised to see that I actually posted 38 times this year (counting this one). But then I remembered that I did a silly 30 day challenge last January, which counts for about 20 or so of that 38 and then that stopped a third of the way through because it was being outshone by my photo challenge. Man, that photo challenge took over everything in my life!

Well 'cheers' to the new year - Happy 2012 everyone! - and 'cheers' to my resolution to get The Black Spot going again. (I'm hopping on the bandwagon Kalie, Andee & Jessica! I'm not vowing to post weekly like you have all voiced, but I'm hoping bi-monthly can be a goal I can reach!) Sending my love to everyone! Hope the holidays have treated you well!!

Count Your Blessings

2011-11-23T12:00:00.001-07:00

I saw this on my friend Joy's blog and I like the idea of doing it, especially during this month of "Thanks." Plus I haven't blogged in a long time and I thought, whats better than posting about the things I'm grateful for to bring my blog current than this? So here goes...

“Count your blessings” is simple to the point of stupid — and powerful to the point of life-altering. Gratitude, that very specific feeling of thankfulness in your heart, allows you to see and absorb all you have, forgetting for a moment all you may lack. It connects your brain with your heart, and gives you the ground to be a more giving, effective, loving human. Being grateful allows generosity to flow. And many believe it also makes us more receptive—as in, the more you love what you have, the more you get what you want. So herewith, a list to remind you of fundamental things to be grateful for every day—from apples to clouds to ice cream to getting enough nightly Zzz’s.

A - Avie, Andee, Aunts
B - Beauty School, Blogs, Blankie, Brittany
C - Camera, Companionship, Communication
D - Dad, Date nights, Dee
E - Ella, Elizabeth, Elevators, Enterprise
F - Friendships, Freedom, FAMILY, Football
G - Girls night out, Grandparents, Goals
H - HAIR, Health, Home, Homeopathic medicine
I - Internet, Imagination, Ideas
J - My favorite JB's. Joe Black, Judy Brady & Joy Bailey!
K - Kalie, Karma, Kindess
L - Love, Laughter, the Lopez's
M - Marriage, Mom, Movie nights, Music
N - Nancy, Nieces & Nephews, Naps
O - Optimism, Online banking, Old friends
P - Penny, Patience, Principles
Q - Quiet time, Questions, Quicken software
R - REFERRALS, Robyn, Random acts of kindness
S - Sisters, Security, Singing
T - Taco soup, Teachers, Technology
U - Understanding, Uniqueness, Uncles
V - Validation, Values
W - 'Word of Mouth,' Work, Wiener dogs!
X - eXcitement, X-rays, eXercise
Y - Youngest sister Jessica, Yards
Z - Zzz's, Ziploc bags

Alright, who's gonna take this challenge next?

Final look!

2011-09-15T21:26:00.000-06:00

Today was opening day and it was AWESOME! Of course I forgot to take pictures at the beginning of the day because I was so nervous about getting started. But after I was done for the day, I cleaned up everything and took a bunch of pictures of the overall space. I'm so happy with the way it turned out and I have many people to thank for all their time, effort & hard work. It looks incredible! (Now to just finish decorating!!)

And yes, the pictures were taken with my cell phone. Sorry the quality is so bad. If its hard to picture, maybe you should come schedule an appointment with me and see it in person. Huh? Just an idea!! ;)

With my door closed - Studio 121 "My Hair Lady" (The above orange sign will eventually have a drop down sign with my name & business name on it. For some reason it hasn't come in yet.

These shots are as you just walk in

Don't make fun on my plain walls! I haven't committed to a theme yet or decorations.. I don't want to clutter it up, so I'm going to keep it soft and simple for now.

Picture a tall cabinet here. (Up against the purple wall) I'm being very picky about the functionality of a cabinet, so I can't find my 'dream' one anywhere. Joe has decided to build me one this weekend, just the way I want it!

This mirror is GORGEOUS and I don't want to put anything else on the wall to take attention away from it. I just love it!

Again here is where the cabinet will be and this is my station!

The hardware before was just silver bars, nothing fancy, so I bought these new handles to class it up a bit!

These are my expensive chairs I got for a real steal! (See my photo blog) And my sister Kalie made the pillows for me. Thanks Kalie, and thanks for working so hard on my aprons! Can't wait to see them!!!

And here is my awesome chandelier I mentioned in yesterdays post. Its fabulous and now that I spray painted it gold it fits in the room better. My stepmom found me this awesome piece at Swiss Days. Thank you Nancy, it rocks!

My light switch covers. Silly and not necessary, but I loved them as soon as I saw them! I also spray painted them to match the room.

And here are my kick-butt floors. My husband did an great job installing them. (With the help of my amazing brother-in-law Jesse.) Those guys do flawless work! I LOVE MY FLOORS!!!!!!

Alright, there you have it! I'm excited to find new trinkets along the way. Someone told me my tissue box didn't match (??) so now I have a complex to find a box cover that suits the room. Suggestions??

A few more pictures of the salon

2011-09-14T23:46:00.000-06:00

I was so bad at capturing the progression of my studio makeover! I've been on a tight schedule to get it done, so I started forgetting little things, like taking pictures of each stage. The pictures from my last post were mainly the before pictures and the painting stage. Well here is the flooring stage. And of course I don't have a final flooring stage picture, but I open the salon tomorrow and will be taking plenty of pictures now that its mostly completed. My mom & stepdad did crown molding, baseboards & a nice corner wood pieces that separates the colored walls. My stepdad also re-did the frame around my station mirror and we gave the station drawers new hardware. Not to mention the fact that I've slowly started decorating. The big mirror is hung, my clock spray-painted and installed, curtain rod is up and I'm just about to iron my curtain for tomorrow. My stepmom gave me this beautiful chandelier for my ceiling. (Not of functioning light, but great decoration!!) I fashioned it a bit; the chain & skeleton of the chandelier were silver and I wanted it to be gold. I took off all the crystals and gave it a good cover with some brass spray paint and put it back together! It fits in the room so nicely. Plus I got a great deal on some 'waiting' chairs, Joe refinished a table to put in between them and my sister Kalie made me 2 pillows to put on the chairs.

I still would like to get a cabinet to hold my color needs & back stock items and possibly a fridge for convenience. I have NO decorations on the walls as of yet and I'm really on the fence about what to do. I don't want to clutter the space...so I'll have to see as the weeks go by.

I'll post more pictures tomorrow night after opening day. Again sorry I've slacked on updating pictures as the salon developed. But here are the floor pictures...

You can tell we weren't very 'careful' when painting.

Oh well, I knew I wanted to rip it up anyway.

This is what was underneath. It was a peachy, industrial tile.

It had MANY hair dye spills!! Someone before wasn't very careful!

Unfortunately we uncovered some mold. (If you hadn't seen my photo-blog post)

We had to call in a plumber and the landlord had to deal with it.

Luckily it only set us back 2 days.

Okay this is the only picture I have so far of the new floor.

I went cheap and bought vinyl/laminate flooring and Joe laid a few squares

down to see how it would look. I honestly think its my favorite part of the salon.

I can't wait to show you a picture of the finished look.

I'm a Business Owner!

2011-09-04T22:06:00.002-06:00

That's right everyone, I now officially own my own business! The last few months have been quite the struggle with my current salon and the upper management systems. My 'inner' salon, meaning me and my stylists, all work very well together. Excellent team work, great customers service, an amazing reputation...I could go on and on.... I've been VERY proud of my salon and all the success we've had together as a team, however, if there wasn't a 'management' pyramid or someone to answer too, I'd probably never leave. But unfortunately everyone answers to someone and I've just been real unhappy lately. I've been working for Smart Style for 5 & 1/2 years and I've been managing for just under 3 years. I can't find the words to describe what a huge impact this company has had on my life. This was the first hair stylist job I had RIGHT out of beauty school. I've met and worked with some incredible people and in the last 3 years I've grown, not only in my success as a hair dresser, but in my management skills as well. (And not to mention the character & personal growth I've experienced as well.) My life has been "Smart Style-focused" for so long, I'm a little sad to say that my Smart Style career is coming to an end.

A new opportunity has come my way and I'm excited to say that I'm jumping at the chance and taking a HUGE risk! I've found a studio that suits me, just the way I am and will give me a more personal environment for my clients. There is a Studio just down the street from my current salon that has an opening. (Not only for me to rent a booth in, but to actually lease my own studio!) I have my own room, station, sink, mirror and chair. And I can decorate, paint or remodel anything I want, within my 4 walls. IT'S SO EXCITED!

This past week I gave my notice to my supervisory, got myself a business license, signed my contract with the studio, started 'project make-over' on my studio, painted all 4 walls and tomorrow I'm going to rip up the flooring!! (Oh and go shopping for some decorations & waiting chairs...I'm hoping I can find some good Labor Day steals!) Basically...its been a crazy recently and there is no end in sight! I still have to work a week & 1/2 at my current salon, all while getting my new salon ready for business to start the day after I leave Smart Style. Luckily I got a lot accomplished over this holiday weekend, plus on my days off this week I have already created my 'TO-DO lists.' Its all coming together quickly and nicely...one little stress at a time!! LOL!! I'm going to try and open 'officially' for business on September 15th or 16th...wish me luck!

Here are a few 'process' photos of the studio. Thanks to my mom, Kalie & little Jesse, we were able to paint all 4 walls today. I'm excited to go back tomorrow and see what the 'dried' paint color looks like. And thank you Joe for bring lunch & my Dad & Nancy for stopping by with treats and staying to visit!!

I have a door with a window!!

These are the things that are supplied to me already.

(And my sister Andee got my those beautiful flowers!!)

The mirror on the floor isn't technically part of the supplied items, but they said I could use - who wouldn't? Its GORGESOUS!

And here is the last of my 4 corners!!

My mom & Kalie as we prepped for painting!

My nephew Jesse came to help...for about 10 minutes...then he was bored!

Here is my 34-week pregnant sister doing some hardcore painting!! Thanks Kalie!!!

Jesse sat at the 'No receptionist' reception desk and watched movies

The lighting is bad in these photos, go figure. But my colors are called Applesauce, Applecrumb Cake and Delicious Berry. Mmm...makes me hungry!

The 'Delicious Berry' color FREAKED me out at first. It went on like a Fuschia/Hot pink kind of purple...I was NERVOUS!

Okay you can tell it is getting darker as it dries!! PHEW!

In this photo we had just put on the 3rd coat of purple. We didn't stick around to see it dry, so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it looks great tomorrow!!

Here's a good shot of the lighter walls.

And again, the last of my 4 walls.

Tomorrow Joe and I are spending Labor Day evening, ripping up floors and prepping them to lay the new flooring probably Thursday or Friday this week. Plus my mom & step dad Kelly are getting me baseboards, crown molding and a little wooden piece to go down the center of the wall corners (hence the reason why the paint colors don't meet at the center.) We're going to paint ALL the trim black so the walls will have a 'framed' looked. Plus Kelly is also making me a chunkier black frame to go around my mirror.

What a difference a few days make! I registered my business name, processed my business license AND 'broke ground' on my space. Stay tuned for more 'process' photos!! (I swear my life is one room project after another. After my kitchen it was supposed to be my bathroom...guess that'll have to wait until the salon is up and running!!) Projects, projects, projects!!!!

365-day photo challenge

2011-06-18T23:42:00.000-06:00

ebphotos.blogspot.com

Alright people - just in case you have forgotten about my extreme hobby, I thought I'd send a little reminder out. Tonight I posted my #169th photo. That's right #169. Are you as shocked as I am? I'm 30 days away from the big 200 and I want to plan something exciting for that day. (Any ideas, I'd appreciate it. I thought I, along with many helpers, would get 200 balloons and let them go in a park somewhere. That would be so cool! However day 200 falls on the 3rd day of my trip to St. George and it might be difficult to plan a big activity like that while on vacation. I'll keep thinking...)

I'm super proud I've made it this far. It almost like a habit now. I plan to take a picture with hardly any thought or preparation. I'm excited to continue on...I'm almost half way done! I hope you are also enjoying my journey through 2011. Keep watching!!

Kitchen remodel (update.4) **new photo of sink

2011-05-16T20:53:00.003-06:00

Wow, so much has happened since my last post. All our cabinets are in, all appliances are in and running (sans the disposal), contertops are on and SINK is in! See, I told you!

We've been kinda lazy getting it 100% functional. Now that we can use the dishwasher, we've got more motivated. Today I finished my 2 crafty projects - now Joe just needs to make them permanent. You'll see in the photos, but as I mentioned before, we had 1 cabinet that didn't fit. (The one above the microwave) After Joe cut it down and shortened the doors, we noticed the 'finish' work on the doors was completely ruined. We talked about sanding down the door and repainting, but it would always look different from the others. So we discussed covering it with something different. My 1st suggestion was the red paint from the brick wall, but then we tossed around an idea of fabric, then I came across some awesome black, white & red fabric at JoAnn's and I was in love!! I'm not sure how the longevity will be...I'm nervous about splashing something on it and not being able to get it out. Or steam from the stovetop ruining the adhesive...I guess only time will tell. Joe still needs to hang them and put the handles on. And also my second project was the "splash guard." Our countertops didn't come with one and I didn't want to put the common grid tiles up and at JoAnn's (while searching for fabric) I came across 6 stencils that seemed to go with the fabric pattern as well. Then I found paint to match our color scheme: black, red, grey and now PURPLE believe it or not! :) At home depot, I purchased just plain white 4X4 tiles and went crazy!! In the pictures I have a few of them displayed - I can't wait for Joe to mortar and grout them on!!!

We're slowing starting to 'move' back into our kitchen. The fridge has been stocked with food again - yay! - and we had a home cooked breakfast Saturday morning! (Nothing like the smell of bacon!) We still need to bring in ALL the pots & pans, the rest of the dishes AND cups. **OH! I also bought a few new dishes!!! I added pictures of them too. I was shopping at Kohl's for purple rugs and I stumbled across red and purple dishes as well as some matching colored bowls. I don't know why I decided to add some accents of purple, since the red was such an 'accent' color already...but with a white, black and grey kitchen - it just needed some extra color!!

Plus I love our sink!! Its a corner sink, but in an 'L' shape. Its very different and unique, so that makes it fun! I'll continue to post more pictures once its complete...if that will ever happen. It looks SO GREAT!!!

My new dishes!!

Base cabinets went in - along with our range

The picture of course doesn't to it justice - lighting is so bad in there for my camera, but this was the purple rug that started it all! Our rugs!!

A full look of the room.

I'm still so in love with my red wall!! We repainted the column that separates the kitchen from entryway. It was light grey, but I thought it would look better white. Plus we added base boards! (I got crap from many people about the base boards. They thought along the brick wall there shouldn't be any...but I vetoed. It NEEDED base boards.)

See? They just look so good. My mom caulked them with clear caulk at first, but we have since gone back and caulked with white. Looks much better.

Big change! We've got counter tops, a sink and a dishwasher now!

My 'splash guard' - I think it will look great when finished.

MY SINK!!!
(the seam where the counters meet still needs to be caulked)

Here's a closer look at the patterns.

And my fabric doors - LOVE them!

This picture is out of focus, but notice the under-the-cabinet lights. Way to go Joe!!

There will be a fold down table attached to this wall. I'm hoping it will go up tomorrow or Wednesday.

Kitchen remodel (update.3)

2011-04-26T18:19:00.000-06:00

Holy crap-ola I almost have a kitchen!!! :) My mom was awesome enough to stay almost 10 hours at my house last Thursday and got the entire kitchen painted. (I only had to touch up a few spots...I guess I'm better at painting a straight line.) Once the paint was all done, Joe did his final touches on the electrical and then we started putting cabinets together!! Joe and I (yes, I participated) put together the tall cabinet next to the fridge on Friday night. It took us ALL night!! I guess this cabinet is "supposed" to be a swinging door cabinet, but Joe wanted it to pull out like 1 big drawer. So since it isn't manufactured that way, we had to create it. We had all the parts..just needed the engineering. We finally got it put together and the rest has been easy, just time consuming. Here are a few pictures I took this evening. All the wall cabinets are up and Joe is currently working on the base cabinets. **We had a slight snag in the cabinet above the microwave...something about Joe's measurements or IKEA's website, but the cabinet came an inch too long. (According to my mom, the wall shrunk...haha...inside joke.) Anyway, Joe said he could 'fabricate' it and make it work. Its actually in place now, but he's still working on the doors. Have any of you been to IKEA and seen the "soft" close doors & drawers? If you haven't, you NEED too. I should take a video of it, but all our cabinet doors & drawers have this soft close feature. Basically, you CANNOT slam anything shut. It stops itself and the shuts softly. Its pretty cool!! YAY! My kitchen it almost complete - check it out!!!

MY RED WALL!!!

There is the tall cabinet that took forever! It'll be nice when we have the hardware on it, so I can pull it out!

Joe did all that hard work by himself!

Here's the cabinet above the microwave in progress. Should have doors soon.

I'm excited for this wall because I think we're going to put up a 2-top breakfast nook table!

Here are the different wall colors. The light grey is on the 2 walls with cabinets. I wish there was more of a contrast, but we can always paint the dark wall darker. It'll be a quick fix. We're going to wait until all the cabinets are in to take a look.

DOESN'T IT LOOK GREAT?????

Kitchen remodel (update.2)

2011-04-20T00:04:00.000-06:00

Alright I apologize for some repeats (all are on facebook) but its has come to my attention there are few not on facebook that would like to see the kitchen progress. I will try and get those up to speed.

The last I posted was of the framing. Here are the pictures of before & during sheet rock.

INSULATION!!

And the beginning of sheet rock. (This was the LONGEST process of the all)

Now the mudding & sanding...ugh left the rest of my house SO DUSTY!!

Above is us ripping up the existing linoleum

Below is the cool texture on the ceiling

Sheet rock is done, paint in the laundry room finished.

Now here are doors, shelves, base and FLOORS!

My -almost- finished laundry room!

New linen closet! YAY!

Here is the recessed/open closet behind the door

And the vinyl/tile we got for free!

Our kitchen as of 4/18/11

Flooring done and primed

Closet under the stairs

Joe did ALL the tiling. Now my mom is painting the kitchen this week and we pick up cabinets, counter-tops and appliances TOMORROW!!

Kitchen remodel (update.1)

2011-03-20T00:14:00.000-06:00

Here are some current photos of our kitchen remodel. I thought the process would go much slower, but we've accomplished so much in just a week. You can see "before" photos here.

Our Kitchen as of 3/12/11

Sheet rock removed off all walls except one. We found a hidden window...weird.

Took a wall out for the new kitchen entrance under the stairs. Now it opens up in to our family room.

The air ducting will need to be replaced.

This picture is taken from the family room into the kitchen. I'm so excited! We're going to keep it as a walk way & use the space under the stairs as a pantry!

We found that all of the walls have this 'brick' texture. We plan to sheet rock all the wall again after framing...except this wall. (the wall that is still papered & this space in the new walkway.) The texture is very decorative!!

NOW

Here is our kitchen as of today, 3/19/11

Sheet rock is now off ALL walls and the ceiling was ripped out.

We had the air ducting fixed yesterday 3/18/11. Its hard to tell, but its now closer to the wall & ceiling. It was just pushed up and over. Now we'll have higher ceilings and the dropped part of the ceiling won't got out into the room as far as before.

This is my new laundry room!!!! The framing is up all throughout the space now. So you can definitely see the 2 rooms and how big they'll be. We're still going to knock a little bit of the "stair wall" down to make the opening to the laundry room more wide. Then plumbing is on Tuesday and wiring next weekend I believe.

This is me standing in the kitchen. The big fridge is still in there and was in my way to get a good picture.

See! So much progress!! Its exciting! However, it is still hard eating out of my 2nd bedroom...and now my washer & dryer are sitting in the middle of my family room. Oh well, its just temporary. I have to keep telling myself that. Stay tuned for more updates!!

Furniture upgrade

2011-03-16T22:41:00.002-06:00

With our kitchen "under construction," we're starting to realize each part of our home that also needs work. Joe upgraded his TV in late January and we 'manipulated' our current entertainment center to accommodate the bigger TV. However, I noticed how much larger everything looked once we brought in the larger TV. It was just so overwhelming. The room looked smaller, we had less a room in the sitting area. Joe said it had a "Gong" factor every time you sat down to watch TV. Well, "gong" factor or no, I hated it. Here is a picture of what the larger TV looked like with our manipulated entertainment center:

This entertainment center is actually part of a "corner" set. Meaning, its actually supposed to bend and meet in the middle. There was a bridge piece that went over the center section and connected both bookcases. Obviously we had to lay the sectional flat against the wall to accommodate the TV. Its just BULKY, CLUNKY and DISORGANIZED!!

We spent tonight finally switching everything over. Here is a picture of what the wall looked like after removing the LARGE entertainment center and everything else:

This is an excellent picture of the room layout. Look the left of the wall; thats where the stairs enter the downstairs to the hallway that leads to either the "kitchen/laundry" or this family room. NOW on the right of the wall, this shows our new entrance to the kitchen going under the stairs. That used to be just a storage closet. This wall is the main center of our family room - not my favorite wall, especially with the ducting pop-outs that are uneven & not centered with the wall. (But that's my OCD talking and it IS something that we can fix when we decide to remodel this room.)

After briefly looking online for a more organized unit, I went to IKEA, not only to find just a TV stand/unit, but to find DVD shelving. The one GOOD thing about the above entertainment center, is the storage space!! Storage underneath all 3 major pieces, plus ample DVD stacking in the glass area of both bookcases. I was definitely in need of a 'less intimidating' DVD rack. (I was extremely picky in this area.) IKEA has great, cheap & organized ideas - we all know that, right? The shelves we picked out weren't 100% like the picture I had in my head, but they were the closest. Here is a picture of our new unit put together:

Much better, right? Plus it doesn't come off the wall very far, so it makes our room seem SO MUCH BIGGER! Plus, its all organized, same color of wood on each piece and [I think] more sleek looking. I know it isn't centered with the wall or the ducting units, but where our couches sit, its centered. We're going to play around with it more, once the house isn't so chaotic. Now that I've lost a lot of storage space with the smaller unit, I have to find a place for all the crap I had hidden away in there. Plus my house is still cluttered from the kitchen project... Still so much to organize...

What do you think?

Kitchen remodel

2011-03-05T23:48:00.001-07:00

Joe and I have FINALLY decided to remodel our kitchen. We've lived in this house for almost 2 1/2 years and we've had to deal with many challenges. The kitchen has met our needs, don't get me wrong. It is just extremely small and crowded, plus all the appliances are out-of-date and I hate that it shares room with the laundry. The wallpaper is completely ridiculous to the times and our orange counter top (and lack thereof) gives me a headache.

We've added a few appliances along the way. Our small fridge & stove that came with the house are still here. The fridge is used for over-flow and our stove/oven (3 burner stove!!) doesn't fit our cooking needs very well. We we're lucky enough to get a [new to us] fridge and dishwasher from my parents when they upgraded. See blog here. But we were still left without counter space above the dishwasher and the fridge is monstrous with no real room.

Anyway, the only real plans we have set already, is to put up a wall to separate laundry area from kitchen and we'll knock out a wall to create an opening to the kitchen from the living room. (We have a closet under the stairs that we are going to cut into and make it a walkway instead.)

My mom & stepdad Kelly are helping us with the major projects. Kelly is going to be helping us in his spare time from work, so it will take a little longer than usual. I'm okay with that because I know it will be done right and he has a few 'connections' that will help us with some obstacles; like drywall, ducting and possible wiring.

Its going to be A LOT of hard work and inconvenience for both us and our room-mates, but I'm hoping it will be worth it. Not only to be better for us, but to help increase the value of our home for when we decide to sell. And since we are still NOT pregnant, I need something else to focus on. I'll be posting updates (pictures) as the time goes on. I'm posting pictures on facebook as well, so please excuse the repeats.

Here are a few pictures of the progress. Sorry the pictures show my messy kitchen.

Our kitchen as of Friday 3/4/11

Our 'smaller' fridge is in the corner - that's where the new kitchen entrance will be

This is the view from standing in between both fridges

And the view from in front of the dishwasher.

And this is our kitchen as of Saturday 3/5/11 - All Joe's hard work!

The new "wall" separating the 2 rooms, will be where the stove is now.

It will shorten the kitchen, but I think it will be worth it.

And this is my temporary kitchen. Got my fridge, microwave & toaster all hooked up and the fridge is stocked. All the bins are holding pots, pans, food storage...anything that was inside the kitchen cabinets.

We're trying!!

2011-02-03T23:33:00.001-07:00

Yes, we're trying to get pregnant. Most people are in the loop, but I know a few aren't, so I thought I'd get everyone up to speed and put an end to any rumors.

Joe and I have actually been trying to get pregnant since January 2010. Once we found out my younger sister/room mate, Andee, was pregnant with twins...our minds just got to thinking about it. We have been so "anti-kids" for so long, I think there a quite a few people who NEVER thought we'd have kids. (Me included.) But once we thought about it and tossed around thoughts & plans, we really felt like it was the right choice. It was very strange; almost like we accepted it the moment we thought it could be a possibility! We knew it was finally our time.

Once the thought & want were there, we jumped to it....literally! Haha!! I bought a few books and confided in my good friend Ciara, who was also trying for her #2. (I had so many questions!) Joe and I decided to keep it a secret mainly because everyone would be so SHOCKED we were trying...plus I didn't want people assuming we were only trying because Andee & Kelly were pregnant. (Which was a reason, but not the ONLY reason. Plus I just didn't want to be compared to her...especially because they were having twins.) We kept it a secret from pretty much everyone, minus my friends Ciara & Elizabeth. But then once the twins were here, it was harder to keep quiet.

Clearly since we aren't pregnant, you'll understand we've had problems. Last year was probably one of the worst of my life. It was so hard to constantly be disappointed month after month. (I know there are a few who completely understand.) Everyone I talked to about it, told me "not to stress or worry" because it effects the trying. Okay, well TRY IT! Its hard NOT to think about it. How could I not??? When you want something so badly, its always #1 on your mind. Plus EVERYONE around me was getting pregnant. My friend Ciara was able to conceive her #2, Elizabeth, who wasn't even thinking of trying when I first confided in her back in April, she got pregnant over the summer. My sister, friends, cousins, clients...EVERYONE! How could I not get discouraged when people around me tried once and succeeded? Ugh, it was tough. Of course with the my wonderfully supportive husband and my trusted therapist, I eventually got over my depression. Now the whole world could get pregnant and it wouldn't bother me. ;)

I sought after a new OB/GYN back in August to talk about what was going on and unfortunately that doctor made it worse. I was hoping for support, empathy, answers, guidances, ideas..ANYTHING! All I got was, "You're over-weight and thats affecting your ovulation which is causing you to not get pregnant." The whole time I was in her office it was, "you're over-weight," "its the weight," "you need to lose at least 40lbs," "your weight is your biggest issue." Blah, blah, blah. If anything, that appointment only discouraged me more. I knew my weight was a possible factor. But the ONLY factor? I was devastated. I've been over-weight my WHOLE life and it never bothered me or depressed me. Now I was depressed about it.

I was so upset I stopped trying...well not the actual "trying," but I stopped caring. I didn't track my cycles, my temperatures, didn't take Ovulation Predictive Kits. I stopped caring about it all together. I decided to have the attitude that everyone told me I HAD to have = "It'll happen when its supposed to happen." BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!

Once the holidays came and my sister went through the horrible tragedy of losing a baby, I realized I needed to get back on board and figure out what was wrong. I couldn't accept that my weight was THE factor. There had to be something else - what if it was serious? I talked to Andee about her OB/GYN and she highly recommended him and I knew I needed a second opinion. Of course he was booked 6 weeks out, so I couldn't get an appointment until January 21st. Ugh. It was hard to get through the holidays. Not only because of what my sister went through, but because of all the other healthy babies & pregnancies out there. Plus the "normal" holiday depression kicked in at some point. But once the new year started, Joe and I turned our frowns up side down and were determined to figure out what the problem was - at no cost.

My appointment on the 21st went amazingly well! My doctor told me exactly what I needed to hear, gave me examples, told me his thoughts and his plan of action. He wrote it all out for me on a calendar I carry with me everyday. He doesn't agree that my weight is the ONLY factor. He told me either, I'm not ovulating, my tubes are blocked, its a problem with Joe OR its something more serious that would require aggressive measures. Just the fact that he had a plan was enough for me to hear.

Since that appointment, so much has happened! The ball is rolling and I think a pregnancy in 2011 might just happen!!! I've started taking Clomid to help with ovulation. Joe had his "test" done and his swimmers are just fine. I unfortunately had to have an HSG test done last Monday. (A test showing whether or not my tubes are blocked.) It was probably the worst thing I've been through to date. (and I'm sure worse is yet to come.) Found out my tubes are CLEAR! Now I have to have a progesterone blood test next Friday and then the waiting begins. Waiting for ovulation and waiting for a confirmed pregnancy. My doctor wants to me to keep him updated with EVERY little thing, just in case we need tackle it more aggressively or we need to up the dose of Clomid. So we'll see...this is just the first month.

So.....there you have it. ALL the information and you're caught up to speed!! I have told quite a few people and I knew the info was spreading...I just thought I would lay it all out there so no rumors or untrue stories got scattered around. Joe and I ARE trying to start our family...finally. We're taking every measure to get there. No I'm not depressed or over stressed anymore. Please continue to tell me your baby news, I love to hear about it! No I'm not jealous about the twins and they aren't a constant reminder - they are the best thing that has ever happened to this household and I couldn't be happier for Andee & Kelly. And yes, Joe and I are FOR SURE ready for this next step in our marriage. Both mentally & financially.

Hopefully I put all wacky assumptions to rest.

Love to all - and send all your baby dust our direction. Let's have a baby in 2011!!!!

Blog Challenge Over..

2011-01-27T23:05:00.000-07:00

Well I finally tired of keeping up. Blogging every day is exhausting and I enjoy my photography blog so much more, I'd rather be spending my time taking pictures. Plus...the last few challenges were ridiculous and I refuse to waste time with them.

Thank you readers! I appreciate all that followed up with it and continued to read. Sorry to disappoint with giving up! I'll continue to blog every now and then!

Blog Challenge - Day 23

2011-01-26T20:00:00.003-07:00

Your favorite movie

Who can pick just one? There are so many great ones out there...but I do have a few favorites that I can watch over and over and over again without ever getting tired of it. Here are a few MUST HAVES:

My first favorite. I think I was back in middle school when it became a favorite. I own my original VHS, even though I don't have a VCR...I just can't get rid of it. Warms my heart!!!

My favorite love story. Annette Benning is one of my favorites!!

Horribly offensive, but hysterical & SO QUOTABLE! This is an ALL time favorite!

Favorite classic. Who doesn't have a favorite John Hughes movie?

My first favorite obsession! I loved everything about this movie. The story, the characters, the climax, the confusion! I remember watching this daily with my friend Ciara. Good times, C!

Last but not least, my favorite dark comedy. I LOVE dark comedies..I must be twisted. But anything from Office Space, to Burn After Reading, to anything by Wes Anderson (Royal Tenenbaums is the best) Something about dysfunctional families and messed up relationships...LOVE IT!

Blog Challenge - Day 22

2011-01-25T12:06:00.001-07:00

A photo of something that makes me happy

So many things make me happy. I'm pretty easily entertained and amused. Joe of course makes me and happy. My puppies make me happy. My job, a good book, my ipod, Glee, warm bed, early 1900 British drama's...lots of things.

But these 2 girlies put a smile on my face anytime, anywhere. I love my nieces!! I got to babysit them today and its true, I always have my camera handy when I hang out upstairs. I'm happy I get to live with them and see all the fun things they are learning on a daily basis. The dancing, the singing, the grumpy faces, the drool, the cuddling and oh all the bouncing!!!!

Avie (L) and Ella (R) - Love that bottom lip!

Avie

This is Avie "singing" to me

Ella

Ella's turn to sing

LOVE THEM!!!

Blog Challenge - Day 21

2011-01-24T22:54:00.002-07:00

A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.

Dear you,

Next time be a little more understanding. Just saying. I give, so you should give too. Play fair if you expect to live peacefully. Unless..you're looking for a fight. If thats the case, look elsewhere, because I'll back down and won't give you the drama you're wanting. I have no problem swallowing my pride as long as it avoids a fight. 10 years of therapy has taught me something - If it can't be resolved in 5 minutes, its not worth all the emotional effort.

Thanks, Me

p.s. Facebook is NOT a journal - its a social website. Again, its NOT a journal. Keep your private feelings private. Or don't complain when the shared emotions are challenged. Mmmkay?

Blog Challenge - Day 20

2011-01-24T00:08:00.000-07:00

The meaning behind your blog name

Well this one is easy. I chose the web address because it was easy to tell people & for them to remember. I wish sometimes I could change it, only because of privacy issues...but I'd have to move the site completely and I'd lose my archives. Oh well.

As for the actual "title" of my blog, well that goes without saying as well. You'll find The Black's here on this blog, so it IS the Black spot. Plus I like the way it sounds, like a play on words. An actual spot, meaning location and we're the Black's. Also the black spot, meaning a ink blot, spill, stain or an annoyance that is there forever. Haha, it actually reminds me of the Shakespeare play "Macbeth." When Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking and she is trying to get rid of a stain that isn't really there. She exclaims, "Out, damned spot. Out I say." Haha I don't know why, but every time I read the title "The Black Spot" that's what I think of.

If only I had the intelligence to configure the comparative symbolism of both spots.

Blog Challenge - Day 19

2011-01-22T23:21:00.001-07:00

Another picture of yourself

Ugh, I'm not a huge fan of self portraits, but I took this picture and sent it to Joe after I cut my bangs at work the other day. After reflection, this picture inspired me to color my hair. I haven't colored my hair since April 2010!!!! Granted I do love my natural color, but its just so...blah. No shine..is it red? Is it copper? Is it strawberry blonde? Ugh.

I decided to put on a semi-permanent color that is close to my natural, but more red radiance (my phrase). Just something that will fade and rinse out in a month or so and wont damage my hair. Plus, not that many people have noticed. Its a pretty subtle difference, but enough for me to be "okay" with, as I continue to grow my length it out. Here is a picture from today so you can see the color change. I curled it, but you can see how much brighter the color is. (pardon the dark circles under my eyes...its 11:30pm for crying out loud and work was rough today.)

I love being a hairstylist!!

Blog Challenge - Day 18

2011-01-21T22:08:00.001-07:00

A picture of your favorite place to eat

Well, being a "heavier" girl, trust me, there is more than one place I like to eat! Food is sooo yummy!

Joe and I do have a favorite local restaurant that we've enjoyed many times. Its called Moki's. A Hawaiian grill, that also caters parties! (Which is how we found out about it in the first place) Luckily, its just down the street, so easy for take out or pick up on the way home from work. We dine in occasionally; the atmosphere is all Hawaiian obviously. Hibiscus flowers, pineapples, surf boards hanging, beaded necklaces and wall decor every where! They play really nice music to suite the theme over the speakers and on Friday nights, they actually have LIVE music!! 2 gentlemen and a woman - all over the age 65 - sing songs that fit the mood. Its really nice, entertaining and very authentic!

Having never been to Hawaii, its my close second! Plus we're "regulars" now and we're on a first name basis with the owner and a few of the wait staff. They treat us so good every time we go in. Thanks Moki's!! We sure love you!!!

Some of their yummy food! This is teriyaki beef & katsu chicken with the Hawaiian salad.

Joe's a big fan of their kalua pork & of course the MACARONI SALAD! Its probably the best you'll ever eat. We have bought trays of just macaroni salad for family BBQ's before and everyone loves it!! (And coming from someone who doesn't like macaroni salad much, its delicious!) Unfortunately we go there so much, we're kind of tired of the salad, but there are far more to chose from!

Sooooo yummy - it actually sounds good right now!!! To bad its 11pm! Maybe tomorrow? Lunch?

Blog Challenge - Day 17

2011-01-20T21:55:00.001-07:00

A photo of you and your family

I'm actually going to steal the copies for my sisters blog (Thanks Andee!)

This is my Dad, Nancy and family (picture from Summer 2009)

And my Mom, Kelly & family (picture from Fall 2009)

We're a crazy, fun, dramatic, sarcastic, good-time bunch of people. Aren't I lucky??

Blog Challenge - Day 16

2011-01-19T23:13:00.002-07:00

Is anyone getting tired of these besides me? With this blog challenge AND my photo challenge I feel like I'm ALWAYS online. What was I thinking... ugh.

Your celebrity crush

Oh I have a few...so why don't I just post pictures instead of a long, drawn out explanation?

James Marsden

Matt Damon

Jonathan Jackson

Hugh Jackman

Charlie Cox

And last but certainly not least...

Milo Ventimiglia

Awe...so many dreamy men. Whatever TV show or movie they are in, I'm probably watching it or seen it. Nothing better than some good ol' eye candy!!

Blog Challenge - Day 15

2011-01-18T23:33:00.001-07:00

Something you don't leave your house without

There are a few things. My wallet & cell phone. You just never know when you need your ID, money or insurance information. And its sad, but I have to have my phone. Access to the internet, contacts & addresses or any other information I might need. Smart phones are just brilliant!! I do use my day planner a lot, thank you 1995! Full blown day planner, calendars...organization to the max! Of course there are times I leave the house without it and wish I had it...but its to bulky and not practical for quick errands or an occasion where a purse isn't needed.

I wish I could just leave real fast and not have to worry about anything..but I don't have the convenience of a pocket wallet like most men and I just CAN'T live without my cell phone!!!!!!!

Blog Challenge - Day 13 & 14

2011-01-17T14:09:00.003-07:00

I skipped a day! AH!! I was having so much fun yesterday I didn't think much about it. So, I'll combine yesterday & todays in one post.

A photograph of the town you live in (yesterdays challenge)

I'm not happy about this one, especially because my blog isn't private. I'm not just going to post my city, house or address or anything...so I'll be generic mmmkay. I've already posted before that I live in Utah. My "About Me" section says I work in Riverton...so I'll say I live in Salt Lake City. Pretty general. I think most people who live in Salt Lake County have said that on more than one occasion.

So here is Salt Lake City:

Your favorite musician and why?

Ugh I don't like this one either. How can I chose just one? There are so many 'original' musicians & songwriters that I love and then there are the singers & bands that I enjoy as well. I am a big fan of the artists that write their own music, perform WITHOUT lip-syncing and staying true to who they are without being affected by the mainstream. I also like the artists that have such a unique sound, whether its music or their voice, but I love hearing a song and immediately knowing who it is. So many artists and songs sound the same - the originality or uniqueness is my favorite. I guess that explains WHY they are my favorite musicians. Now for the WHO. Well, I'll just list a few musicians that are my faves!

Muse - Are you kidding? No explanation needed
Gavin DeGraw - Raw sound and amazing stories in his music
John Allred - Independent/Local. His voice is amazing & his 'looping' skill are freaking cool
Taylor Swift - music not so much, but her lyrics are impressive
Madonna - One of the best originals
She & Him - Great sounds and excellent tunes - I love Zooey more as a singer than an actress
A Fine Frenzy - Love, love, love her voice!!
Phil Collins - A classic! He looks like an accountant but sings like a rock star
Michael Buble - Clearly fantastic. Not original, but original for the current era
Janelle Monae - Very unique sound
Florence and the Machine - She is a master collaborator!
Katy Perry - Her, Ke$ha & Rihanna are clearly not original, but songs are very catchy & easy to sing along with
Ke$ha - see above
Rihanna - see above
Weezer - Another all time favorite band - a little predictable, but every song is catchy
Queen - Classic, Classic, Classic

I seriously could go on forever. But when it comes down to it, as long as the songs are good and sound amazing thats really all that matters. Originality can be a great quality, but not all originals can make $...they can bite the dust too.

Blog Challenge - Day 12

2011-01-15T22:33:00.002-07:00

A TV show you are currently addicted to.

If DVR's didn't exist I would probably never watch TV. I'm never home when my favorite shows are on, but luckily I can watch them days later when I'm doing laundry, cleaning, relaxing...etc. Plus Joe and I like to catch up right before bed each night.

We have a few favorite shows. I can't pick just one, but all are comedies. I LOVE laughing and there are some brilliant writers & actors out there. Here are the ones I MUST DVR each week!

Of course Glee!! Who isn't into Glee these days? It makes me laugh, cry, feel...just awesome. Plus I love downloading all their cover songs and jam out in my car!! I have some favorite episodes I save on my DVR just to watch over and over again. My favorite is the Madonna episode from Season 1...LOVE IT!

MODERN FAMILY!!! This show cracks me up each week. Phil, Luke & Manny are my favorite characters. The way Phil 'parents' is the exact way I picture Joe parenting. Just fabulous!!!

Raising Hope is great! Its about a completely dysfunctional/trashy family that has very interesting ways of raising children. Plus Cloris Leachman plays "Maw-Maw" the delusional grandmother. Its just so ridiculously out of control, its just funny! Plus you can tell its a small budget show and that makes it better!

And finally 'Rules of Engagement' is another fave. Most people don't watch this one or get it confused with 'How I Met Your Mother.' But Joe is a big Patrick Warburton fan and this show is a great one. Very quotable and worth watching re-runs. Jeff from the "engaged" couple is the best and makes each episode hilarious!

We have a few show we record on a more serious note. We like FRINGE and Lie to Me as well. I'm a fan of Big Love as well but don't get to watch that much...and this season is its last!! I might have to watch them online to catch up.

So many great shows out there, but the ones that make me laugh are the best ones!

Blog Challenge - Day 11

2011-01-14T23:07:00.001-07:00

What's in your make-up bag?

Excellent question. Um maybe make-up? LOL!

Well I use the basics: pressed powder, blush, eye shadow, liners mascara & lipstick. I'm pretty plain with my colors, nothing bright or fancy...just browns. I change up my eye-liner quiet a bit. Sometimes lots of liner w/ liquid for definition, then sometimes soft pencil only or on days off work no eye liner at all! I do have a few MUST HAVES. I have to have a powder/base because I have uneven skin tones and then I need blush because I'm really fair skin and once I have all the skin even toned, I look like a ghost. No bronzer for me because again, I'm fair/peach skin toned and a tan would just look ridiculous on me. Mascara is the other must have because I have very blonde eyelashes. With out mascara I look a little frightening. But after that, base-blush-mascara the rest is all relative.

Some days I wish I didn't wear so much. I wish I could just put mascara on and call it good...but with my blotchy colored skin, I'd look a lot older and unkempt. Can't have that in the beauty industry!!! Luckily I do dye my eyebrows, so I don't have to pencil those blonde hairs. That's tedious for sure.

There you have it. I don't keep anything else, other than make-up (oh and tweezers) in my bag. Unless I travel, I put all my other toiletries in there.

I do however, have one vice that I'm going to admit on the world wide web. I do my make-up in the car...while driving. I know, so dangerous and ILLEGAL! But I must say I'm pro-status here. I actually keep my make-up bag in the car because I don't do it anywhere else. Its nice to have when I'm out and about and need a touch up. Plus wherever I go I always look fresh! It is quite the skill to do while driving - most of the time I'm not even looking in the mirror. Stopping at red lights help and knowing the road by heart/feel also helps!! I know, I know, so bad....yell at me later!!

Blog Challenge - Day 10

2011-01-13T23:14:00.001-07:00

Something you crave a lot

I crave a lot of things. Food, attention, relaxation, shopping, gratitude, time with Joe. Its hard to pick just one. I guess the one thing I crave the most is recognition. I don't know if any of you have ever read the book "The Five Love Languages," but I firmly believe it to be true. It talks about how there are 5 different ways to express love, appreciation and support. They are 1) Words of Affirmation, 2) Quality Time, 3) Receiving Gifts, 4) Acts of Service and 5) Physical Touch. Its an interesting discovery because each of us like to RECEIVE and GIVE differently. Plus you give/receive love differently to all different types of people in your life; spouses, family, friends, clients. I'm definitely the type that gives gifts and the acts of service to show love and support. Its my thing! That's how I show love and give love. But its different when I want to receive it. I want the words!!! I crave the remarks recognition, support, gratitude and appreciation.

Like I said, everyone is different, but I think the 'thank-you' cards, the appreciative remarks or compliments are the best for me. I love being flattered and talked about. (Not trying to sound conceded here, just being honest.) People can give me gifts, take time out just for me or give me a hug...but its really the kind words that really make me feel special.

There are many people around me, in my personal life and in my business, that don't understand the differences or the fact that I have a special preference. But I do. That is the one thing I crave the most. Recognition. Of course its understandable that people don't know each other preferences, because its not like we go around talking about it or asking for it. But one of the things I do notice in friends of mine or family members, is you can tell when they "really" appreciate something. When I do something, whether its words, a card, a gift, a hug or a phone call, you know when you've touched their heart.

Its very interesting to see different things in everyone and how special each of our needs are. But I can say with almost certainty (most aren't surprised, I'm sure) but I crave the WORDS of love. There you have it!

What's your language of love?

Blog Challenge - Day 9

2011-01-12T19:27:00.001-07:00

A photo of the last item you purchased

On my shopping adventure with Elizabeth on Monday, she found this beauty for me! Love it!!

Its the perfect color to blend in my hair, for a subtle accessory! Thanks Lizbit!!!

Blog Challenge - Day 8

2011-01-11T20:54:00.003-07:00

A song to match your mood.

Butterflies and Hurricanes by Muse (I love Muse!!)

Change everything you are
And everything you were
Your number has been called

Fights and battles have begun
Revenge will surely come
Your hard times are ahead

Best, you've got to be the best
You've got to change the world
And use this chance to be heard
Your time is now

Change everything you are
And everything you were
Your number has been called

Fights and battles have begun
Revenge will surely come
Your hard times are ahead

Best, you've got to be the best
You've got to change the world
And use this chance to be heard
Your time is now

Don't let yourself down
Don't let yourself go
Your last chance has arrived

Best, you've got to be the best
You've got to change the world
And use this chance to be heard
Your time is now

Blog Challenge - Day 7

2011-01-10T11:22:00.001-07:00

I've made it a week already! Nice!!

Your dream wedding.

I was lucky enough to actually have my dream wedding. It was a beautiful day and I know I would do it the same all over again. However, there were a few things - that might not have been helped - but a few things I wish would have been different.

First off, I cried through the whole ceremony!!! I don't have one single picture of me walking down the aisle that's good. Or up at the front looking at Joe. I'm just bawling in every picture...or mascara was running. Why didn't I wear waterproof?!?!?!

Plus I wasn't given the chance to reapply make-up before pictures started. All the photos of Joe and I after the ceremony, I have NO make-up on!! Hello? How did I let that happen? Good thing Joe was at my bridals, because if not, I wouldn't have a single picture of Joe and I all dressed up that actually looks good!! The time from after the ceremony, to pictures, to the reception all happened so fast. We really didn't get the chance to enjoy it all. Which like I said, I don't think it could have been helped, but I would have changed it so we had more time to just...enjoy our wedding day.

But the place was gorgeous, the food was good, weather was perfect and so many came out to see us. It was a great day! Plus we got married and started our life together. It really didn't matter what went wrong or what didn't...it was the best day of my life!

Photography Blog: #9

2011-01-10T07:50:00.002-07:00

Check out my other blog and keep updated on my photo challenge!

Photography Blog: #9: "Its been a chaotic weekend. I hate the weekends I work Sundays. Only 1 a month, but I swear we end up booked every single night of the..."

Blog Challenge - Day 6

2011-01-09T21:03:00.001-07:00

A photo of an animal you'd love to keep as a pet.

I find this one a little silly. I mean, what other animal would I like as a pet...other than my current pets? Joe read this challenge and told me to find a picture of a bobcat. Says he's always wanted one for a pet. WHAT?!? Um...okaaaaaay....

I do love my mini dachshunds...if I could keep one of them as a puppy forever, I sure would! Look how cute they were as puppies...

Blog Challenge - Day 5

2011-01-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

A photo of yourself 2 years ago.

This one was hard. I'm usually behind the camera, so all the photos I have of me two years ago are self portraits. Go figure. Anyway I'm tired of searching, so here you go.

This makes me miss my short, fun hair!!

Blog Challenge - Day 4

2011-01-07T09:22:00.003-07:00

Your favorite photograph of your best friend

Well Joe is my best friend and I have many favorite photos of us. But I also have some really great friends around me, so I'm just going to post a bunch of pictures of people I can't go without.

(Sorry Elizabeth, I totally stole that picture from your Facebook! Haha)

Blog Challenge - Day 3

2011-01-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

Your idea of the perfect first date.

Good question. I went out on only a few first dates. Ranging from Laser Tag to the Drive Inn movie. My first day with Joe was a little overwhelming. He took me to dinner at a yuppie Italian restaurant downtown. They serve expensive pizza, wine, fancy appetizers...and oh wait there were pool tables! :) Its such a strange place. You go in feeling like you're in a really exclusive 5 start restaurant, people dressed to the 9's with their noses in the air, sipping their drinks in a dimly lit place. Then on the other end is a bar type area, well lit, with pool tables and TV's playing sporting events. ??? Weird? Anyway, he took me there specifically for pizza and pool. We show up and there are at least 5 other people sitting with us - all guys. Turns out they are all members of his "crew" of friends. No other girls and an uncomfortable environment for me to make conversation. Its was funny; all the guys talked and talked and talked, laughed, shared stories, beat each up about their "pool" playing skills. I didn't know what to do, so I just decided to make it as comfortable as possible and pretend I was part of this "gang." I fit right in! Making jokes, teasing them, adding my 2 cents. Even beating a few of the guys at pool!!! After dinner and games we headed back to one of their houses to watch Office Space. Joe held my hand through the entire movie, then he took me to my car (we worked at the same place & left for the date right after work) and the rest was history. Come to find out months later, the first date was a "test" of sorts. This crew of guys were iron-clad tight, like family. Joe knew if I didn't get along with the guys or they didn't like me, a relationship wouldn't work out. Guess he needed to know RIGHT OFF THE BAT! Oh well, I passed so its ancient history.

I guess MY idea of the perfect date would be similar. Going to a place full of people, but not overly crowded so its hard to talk to each other. But a casual place where there isn't too much expectation or awkwardness. Even though my first date was awkward at first, I relaxed and acted like myself. I hate first impressions when you're trying to be "polite & proper" and where you would order a salad instead of messy ribs or pizza.

I don't think a movie is a good idea either, just because everyone has different tastes in movie and, you don't get to talk or socialize. How are you supposed to know if there will be a second date if you didn't really get to talk to the person? I would just say dinner or drinks is a great first date. Opens conversation, less intimidating and can be inviting enough that you see the other persons true self. Then call it a night early so the girl can head home and day dream of all the future dates with that person.

Aw! The joys and anxiety of dating. It was always so thrilling and fun, but I'm so glad I'm not there anymore.

Blog Challenge - Day 2

2011-01-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

I was told by Andee that I should do a different blog challenge than the one she did, because her challenge consisted of mostly pictures and I'm already doing a picture challenge on my other blog. So I found another 30-day challenge that I'll do instead.

So here is day 2...weird its a PHOTO!

A photo of something you ate today.

I was crazy busy at work today and had to work almost 2 hours longer than I was scheduled. Needless to say, I didn't have time for a break and a quick dinner sounded like perfection. Only after I purchased it, I ate maybe 1/2 of dinner and got full. Oh well.

A quick run to grab a corn dog at Arctic Circle. Not the best idea...but the easiest.

Blog Challenge

2011-01-04T22:36:00.004-07:00

My sister Andee just finished a 30-day blog challenge. I'm doing a 365-day photo challenge on my photography blog and I'm just antsy for each day to get here so I can take a picture and blog about it. So, I've decided to take the same 30-day blog challenge for my personal blog. I'm just in the blogging mood, I guess! So humor me, huh?

Okay, so ...

Day 1 - A recent picture and 15 facts about yourself.

Here are my 15 facts:

1. I'm 28 years old

2. Cheese grosses me out
3. I love sleeping in

4. My left wrist hurts all the time

5. I'm obsessed with jewelry and have an avid collection

6. People magazine & US weekly are must buy every Thursday

7. Joe and I have struggled getting pregnant for 11 1/2 months

8. I listen to Ke$ha when I'm hyping myself up

9. I have 9 tattoos

10. Fall asleep to a white noise/rain CD every night

11. I don't cook

12. FRIENDS is my all time favorite TV show

13. I love crisp lettuce

14. My closet has reach maximum capacity, yet I still shop

15. I picked the best guy in the world to share my life with

Alright ya'll, look forward to blog every day from here AND my photography blog. Wow, do I not have anything better to do with my time? Haha

Who else is up to the challenge?

New Years!

2011-01-02T17:21:00.006-07:00

We had a low-key evening. No big party or crowds, just a quite evening at my moms. Even my parents weren't a big part in the party. Kel watched football and my mom couldn't put the twins down. Oh well, that just means us girls and the husbands could visit, eat LOTS of finger foods, play ping-pong, darts, Apples to Apples, SkipBo and some silly yes or no game.

In fact it was so low key, we didn't really even celebrate midnight. I didn't even kiss Joe until we got home around 12:45 and got in bed! It was just a nice evening, just like any others.

Thanks for staying Kalie & Jesse. (I'm not bummed you bailed on your friends.) And thanks Andee & KJ for deciding to keep it low-key as well.

Here's a few pics

The girls got a bath before bedtime

The little guy

This is the gang, Andee - KJ - Joe - Jesse & Kalie

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!

Photography Blog

2010-12-27T16:39:00.004-07:00

Well I've decided to create another blog, strictly for pictures. I was lucky enough to get a Canon Rebel camera for Christmas, which means I'll be taking pictures MORE frequently, since I don't have to borrow my dads.

I'm excited to start playing around with the camera and learn everything about lighting, posing, focusing...etc.

So if you'd like to follow up on that blog as well as The Black Spot, please add:

ebphotos.blogspot.com

to your blog reels.

Much love!

ERICA

Blog much?

2010-12-15T22:41:00.004-07:00

Looking at my Blog Archives, I'm noticing that this post marks my 23rd pots in 2010.

What's weird, is that in 2009, I wrote 45 posts and in 2008, 40 posts.

WHAT HAPPENED?!?!

2010, by far has been more exciting than '09 or '08, but for some reason I hadn't felt the need to blog about it.

This year is drawing to a close and I'm finding myself reflecting over everything I chose not to mention. I did decide to send out Christmas cards this year, nixing the year synopsis. Its just photos - simple, ya know. But looking over the last year and all the things we've done, I really didn't take time to document everything. I did recollect each vacation/trip we went on, photography has become a big hobby this year and I did post about holidays.... but what else?

Joe's still with Carson Elevator; hit his 5 year mark at the first of December. We celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary in October - hence the California trip. I'm going to mark 2 years of management January 2nd, 2011 and 5 years with Smart Style this March. We still live in "Villa de Nelda" or "The Blackstroms." We've been here 2 years and love it - we're looking forward to many 'upgrade' projects next year. This house needs some fixing up! Andee & Kelly had their twins and I can't get enough of them. Shopping for them, playing, helping change diapers, feeding or getting them ready for bed. I just love having them right upstairs. Lets see, Joe bought his '87 Chevy truck earlier this year...and that's been fun. Spent more money fixing it up than we originally paid for it. Yay...not! I didn't keep up with my New Year's resolution to read more. I made it to April and gave up on the extra free time. I just don't have it anymore - Sorry C! I'm still watching my nephew Jesse on Mondays (Most months, just one Monday a month) but we have fun. Endless cartoons, transformer toys, lunch with "Eliz-bit" and shopping at the blue store. He cracks me up and I enjoy my one-on-one time with him.

Okay, well that sums up all the things I didn't post about.

I can't believe what a disappointing "blog" year it has been. Oh well, I guess thats why my obsession with Facebook has increased. The instant connection, conversations and jokes are far more entertaining I guess.

I have a resolution for 2011 already - BLOG MORE!

Happy Holidays everyone - and thank you for continuing to blog...even though I've been lacking..I do love reading though!!!

Much love.

Xmas photo shoot (edited)

2010-12-07T18:11:00.008-07:00

Again I played with my dad's camera and pretended to be a professional! I wanted to take some silly photos of the girls for Andee's Christmas card. (We're going to be taking some others later this weekend with all the Snow grandkids in their Sunday best. That should be fun as well)

But anyway, here's a look see...in case you haven't seen them on Andee's blog or on Facebook already. Much love!!

Avie

Ella

Avie

Ella

Avie

Ella

Avie

Ella

Merry Christmas from Avie & Ella

***Okay, I played around in photoshop & picnik.com to make the photos more vintage looking. Too much fun.

Cookie party!

2010-12-06T09:53:00.003-07:00

Joe and I were invited to a "couples" dinner party this past Saturday. Unfortunately it was the same night as Joe's work Christmas party...ugh! I was so torn! Luckily Joe's party started at 5 and ended at 7, and the dinner party started until 6. So we only missed the "dinner" part of the party, and made it in time for the activity.

It turned out to be a great night, even though we missed the important part. My friend Lynda, the host, bought a few dozen sugar cookies from a local bakery and we all brought toppings to decorate them with. Sounds a little silly with a bunch of adults...Joe and I were the youngest couple, by almost 12 years...but it really was fun! Lynda purchased all "Christmas" shapes and colored frostings. We all brought candies, sprinkles and sparkles to add to them. We all sat at a round table, brainstormed decorating ideas, talked, talked and talked!!!

Here are a few pictures:

The top 2 are Joe's. He was more in to visiting, than decorating.

MY BUNCH!!

My OCD kicked in big time. I spent about 10 minutes on each cookie...I think I decorated the most too. Everyone had had enough after about 3 or 4 cookies, but I just kept going! And of course we were all in a sugar coma. Working with sweets, you just HAVE to dabble and taste everything!!!

We ended up visiting until almost midnight. Lynda & Paul are such great friends and getting to know their other friends, was a lot of fun. There were stories, jokes and so much laughter!! Great way to kick off the Christmas party season!

I can't wait for more holiday get-togethers!! I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!

SNOW!

2010-11-21T10:52:00.004-07:00

Alright, well we woke up to almost a foot of snow this morning!!! (And according to the weather, more is on the way!) I decided to take advantage of my cozy state and get pumped up for all the excitement to come!

Our backyard

First, there are few things I hate about snow.

-The cold, obviously. Always having to wear a jacket, scarves or gloves.

-The constant wet pants. I've got short legs and all my long pants get soaked at the bottoms!! I have to roll them up once I get inside so my socks don't get wet. There is just no way to avoid wet ankles!

-Plus having to scrape & defrost my car EVERY morning...that's a bummer. You have to wake up 15 minutes earlier! :(

However, there are MANY things I LOVE about the snow.

-Something about it, is so peaceful. After a snow storm, everything is so quiet. It masks every sound. Sitting out on my covered porch and listening....to silence!

-I also love how beautiful it is. Especially "untouched" snow. No footprints, slush from the roads, dog pee or mud & leaves. I love looking at freshly fallen snow. Perfect and picturesque.

-And how cozy it makes me feel. Watching it fall while sitting next to a foggy window. You can just feel the chill coming from the glass. Grabbing a cup of hot-chocolate or sipping extremely warm soup while you snuggle up in blanket or next to a loved one.

-Which brings me to fires!! Nothing better the smell of logs cooking & listening to them crackle! We have a cast-iron, free standing fire place and it literally heats up our whole basement. Again - so cozy!!!

-I love all the rosy cheeks. Going downtown to see the lights, or taking a late night stroll - everyone always has the burning, stinging, bright red cheeks! Not only is it beautiful to see on the adorable chubby cheeks of little kids, but its also complimentary on many gorgeous faces!

-and last but not least, THE HOLIDAYS! This time of year is always incredible. Many get-togethers & parties. Family time, giving, surprising, sharing, loving...its wonderful. People say this is the most depressing time of year and I really just don't understand that. Whether I'm spending time with family or giving to those in need or just spreading holiday cheer wherever you go, it couldn't be more wonderful.

As you can tell, I'm really looking forward to this time of year. I was sad when summer was drawing to a close, but to now actually have snow that won't be melting by the end of the day, I'm getting pumped for the days/holidays to come!!!

Happy Snow Day to all the Utahns!!!

Our MASSIVE tree in the front yard. Once the snow stopped coming down, it was interesting to see the weight on the branches give way. Some branches broke, while other just "shook" off the powder. Note to self: Don't stand under this tree for very long, because it will "snow" all over you!!!

New phone!! Finally!!

2010-10-29T16:47:00.002-06:00

Okay everyone, after a whole week without my Blackberry, I finally received my replacement in the mail. Its the new Samsung Epic which is a 4G smartphone. I'm pretty excited about it - and its SO MUCH smarter than I am...lots of learning to do!!

Anyway, I'm back to my old number (The 712 one) so for those who need me, you now know where to find me.

Thanks!

**Side note: I've been absolutely pathetic. No internet access outside of my home, no texting, no contact list, no games...NOTHING! It's really sad that my smartphone plays such a big part in my life. Technology is as comforting as a sweatshirt on a cold day, or a nice warm bed ready for you to crawl into. I feel complete.

Like I said...SO PATHETIC!

Phone number

2010-10-20T20:57:00.004-06:00

I dropped my phone into a gigantic water puddle, on our last day in Disneyland, yesterday. Its destroyed!! I tried to rice trick, but unfortunately I didn't have rice available until many hours later....so it was too late.

Of course I don't have insurance - duh me! - but lucky enough for me, my plan expires next Thursday, so I can get a new phone in a week!!! And for the time being, I just have a silly "pay as you go" phone, so I can keep in contact with the world.

My blackberry turns on every now and then, so I'm hoping to get some of my old information off of it, but it never stays on long enough to make a call or send a message. Bummer. It can still receive calls and I'll be checking my voicemail periodically, but here is my temporary number in case you need to get a hold of me over the next week.

801-673-5304

**edited - I originally put a "9" but found out its a "4" Sorry for the confusion

I know I'm putting this out there for all to see, but its only a temporary phone number. (my new phone will keep my other number active) But I know some clients of mine and friends read this blog and I wanted to make sure you knew where to find me.

Thanks all!

Junkyard Treasures

2010-10-17T23:44:00.008-06:00

More amateur photos!!! We're still on vacation, but yesterday was a day spent with Joe's parents outside Rosamond, CA. Which...is the middle of nowhere. About 15 outside of Lancaster/Palmdale...which is 55 minutes North of Burbank....which is 35 miles North of Long Beach. Basically, we flew into the wrong airport. We should have flown into Burbank - would've saved us 30+ mins of driving. Ugh - it was awful.

Anyway, Joe's dad is living on a 5 acre lot that used to be COVERED in junk. Okay, well it still is, but they are in the process of cleaning everything & clearing it all out. They are making great head-way because you can actually walk around the yard without tripping or having to climb up something.

It was hot, Joe was forced to lay sod with his dad - on HIS vacation - and I tried my hardest to entertain myself. So, I grabbed my little "point & shoot" Nikon Coolpix camera and went on a treasure hunt. It was amazing to stumble across so many random things. Here are some photos of my "treasures." Some editing has been done, but I'm still on vacation and without "serious" editing time, so they'll do for now. But enjoy - I sure had a good time.

**side note: These items were not "posed." They were photographed exactly how they were found.

We're going to.....

2010-10-10T12:19:00.003-06:00

D I S N E Y L A N D ! !

We were finally able to plan a "getaway weekend" for our anniversary. Its going to be a short trip, only 4 days, but we're excited!! We fly into Long Beach late Friday night, then we'll drive to Rosamond, CA for the night & spend Saturday with Joe's dad & step mom. Then Saturday night we'll drive to Anaheim and spend Sunday, Monday & Tuesday in Disneyland!!! We we'll be flying back to SLC late Tuesday night. So like I said, a short trip, but it will be well worth it. (This will be our first time, in 9 years together, where we'll be outside of Utah BY OURSELVES!! What a great/romantic trip this should be.)

Just a few more days to get through until the vacation starts. Oh the joys of working before time off....it always drags. I can't wait to post pictures and tell ya'll how much fun we had.

Yay for quick getaways! Perfect way to spend 5 years of marriage!!

He makes my heart SUPER happy!

2010-10-02T21:36:00.004-06:00

I had a wonderful evening with my little nephew Jesse.

Joe and my bro-in-law Jesse having been watching every movie Clint Eastwood has EVER made, in chronological order...that's a whole other blog, let me tell you! Haha. Anyway, tonight they set up to watch "Escape from Alcatraz" so Kalie & little Jesse came over as well.

Unfortunately its hard for the guys to really enjoy the movie with us girls are chatting and a 4 1/2 year old is running & yelling about, so I made plans for some hardcore entertainment for this kid.

First, aprons on! We made brownies!! I now know what its like baking with a little kid. Mix powder went everywhere, licking the spoon is a necessity and he has to do everything himself! He did great. Even cracked the egg with NO shells in the batter!

While the brownies were cookin' I had him make a "Halloween" gingerbread house. I bought these kits from Wal-Mart, houses already made, they're just for decorating (which is the best part anyway!)

We had a little too much fun being creative and messy. I think Jesse ate more frosting and sugary treats than he actually put on the house. Oh well, we had a good time. His mom, Kalie was there to help him too.

Then it was brownie time!!! He wanted to make them "Halloween" as well, so with a thin layer of chocolate syrup, we sprinkled Halloween on top! Yes, these brownies were 100% sugar!!! Actually eating the brownies was a whole other story...he didn't eat any of it! It was the process that made it fun.

Here are a few pictures from tonight. I kept him entertained as long as I could. He was about to pop in a "Halloween" movie, The Night Before Christmas, but it was getting late and his parents wanted to head home. But I did let him borrow the movie, so he can continue the "Halloween" night when he gets home.

What a great night. All "Halloween" themed and the holiday is still 28 days away. We're getting excited though!!!

Thanks Kalie & Jesse for coming over and letting me hang with the little man. He's great fun and he really does make my heart SUPER happy!! xoxox

He was concentrating pretty hard!

He is showing me is "Attoo" he got earlier in the day

I got the broken house. I tried to repair it with icing. Couldn't fix the whole roof though...

This is the front "good" side

Our back "messy" side!

Our SUGAR brownies

What a wonderful evening!!!

Its here!

2010-09-12T17:36:00.004-06:00

Its that time again - Football is finally here!!!

I'm so excited for all the lazy Sundays, snack foods and time with Joe. Something about not having anywhere to be, staying in comfy clothes all day and crisp weather outside!! This is my favorite time of year. (And falling asleep to the sound of commentators, spectators cheering and whistles! It can put me into the best nap ever!)

I dabbled in Fantasy Football last year. Mainly because my friend Brandon's league needed 1 more person and my sister Kalie also got suckered into it. Unfortunately the day they had the draft, I had to work, so I sent Joe to start picking for me until I could get there. Well luckily for me Joe did his homework and new the right players and all the dark horses. Even after I showed up, he continued to pick my entire team!! (Joe was in another FF league with his friends) The season was good for me, but I left the playoffs after only the first round. :( I had all the right players, but unfortunately luck was never on my side. It gave me a good perspective though. Learning about each player, their stats & history. Plus I came to the realization that "projected" points mean absolutely NOTHING! But all and all, I got my feet wet and couldn't wait to start playing again this year!

Joe decided to start his own league this year. (He didn't see eye to eye with a few people on his league last year and one of the weeks I smashed my opponent, only to find out he was in jail and was therefore unable to change around his players to actually compete with me. In jail?!?!? Who was I on a league with!?!?) This year our league includes many friends and family members. Thankfully the possibility of one of them heading to jail is a lot more unlikely!! Each week will be a good match up! Plus we decided to put in a little pot of money - to make things more interesting!!

**However, I should mention that as I type this, my team is getting hammered by my dad's "Really Buff Dudes." Of course with "projected" points, I was already planning on losing, but man did he kill me. And the games aren't even over yet! :(

Oh well, I still have 16 more weeks to go!

Happy Football Season to you all! Sorry to all the Football widows that lose their husbands every Sunday & Monday night. Luckily I love watching and listening to the games, so I can join in on all the fun too!

Go Shear Crazies! (my team name - Shears, hence my profession and Crazies because you know "we may not have it all together, but together we have it all!" *Such team spirit!) I'm hoping my team makes it to the final round of the playoffs this year - wish me luck!

Happy Touchdowns, Field Goals, Fumbles, Sacks and Hail Mary's to you all!!!

Practicing...

2010-07-26T21:01:00.004-06:00

I borrowed my dad's camera a few times this weekend to "practice" shooting. I learned some great tips about "depth of field" from my cousins and I couldn't wait to try it out.

Here are a few of the shots. As you can tell, I had a little too much fun playing around and practicing my "focusing." Thank you to Rochelle and Camille for the great tutorials, feedback and suggestions on my first big camera purchase.

Of course, my nephew and twin neices are my favorite subjects!!

(Ella in pink / Avie in green)

Of course I took a BUNCH more; this is just a taste. I didn't take time to edit or anything, so I still have work to do. Again thank you Rochelle & Camille. I can't wait to look for my new camera! You guys were awesome - and watch out, I'll be emailing BOTH of you anytime I have questions!

Much love to all!!

My soul regenerates here.

2010-07-18T12:48:00.008-06:00

Joe and I are headed to Pine Valley, yet again. There is something wonderful about this place. I have 20+ years of memories in this amazing valley and all the people I get to share it with.

Its an annual tradition with my dad's family to go down the weekend celebrating the 24th of July. Some years I haven't been able to go, sometimes there is a large portion of the Snow family, some years its pretty quiet. But each time I think of Pine Valley, my heart warms.

We had quite a few arguments in trying to decided what we wanted to do with our vacation time. Both of us have July 18-July 25th off and we knew we wanted to end up in Pine Valley by, at the latest, July 23rd. Well after much deliberation about what we were going to do July 18th-July 22nd, we decided to just head down to PV early. There is much to see, people to visit with and hours and hours of rest and relaxation waiting for us.

We are leaving tomorrow and have a few things planned, but basically we're going to soak up that yummy pine air, read, fish, hike and do PLENTY of visiting as family arrives throughout the week.

I found these pictures online...who wouldn't want to go there? Aw, I'm excited. Plus we'll have NO cell or internet service. Its going to be peaceful and utter bliss. Goodbye all - see you in a week!! ***And to ALL in the SNOW family that plan on attending - I can't wait to see you!! I hear ALL the Dalley's will be there, Scott & Amie's Family, Lori, Brett & Lori Michelle and Holland Olsen are coming, of course G&G Snow are down there and ALL of Allen Snow's will be there. Including Brittany! Oh I'm pumped!! SEE YOU SOON!

LOVES

Projects!!

2010-06-21T22:20:00.007-06:00

Crafty, crafty, crafty!!

Having nieces living right above me has brought out my inner artist. I can't stop creating!!! Whether its bows, headbands, pictures, frames or wall-hangings, ideas are just bursting out of me! I even bought a canvas to paint.... I haven't bought a canvas in over 12 years.

Its so weird.

I posted a picture, of some of the bows my sister Kalie and I made, on facebook but I'll post them here as well. I just got done making the "Bow" wall-hanging. I got the idea from my friend Becca, who recently had a baby girl. I saw hers and decided it could be easy enough for me to make - and viola! I created one for my adorable new nieces.

My inner artist is making a come back....did hell freeze over? I can't wait for my next project!!!

These are small photos - sorry they were taken with my cell phone. I'll try to post more later.

Here is the newest craft. It doesn't show the hanging ribbons, but its to hang all the headbands and bows/clips on. I'll post a pic onces its on the wall and in use.

(Oh and we added their "first" bows to the bottom left of the board. These were given to them in the hospital.)

Amatuer photo shoot - take 2

2010-06-07T22:50:00.007-06:00

I guess photography might become a hobby of mine. If that's the case - I'm pretty sure I need to invest in my own camera. Borrowing my dads is becoming an issue.

I did a photo shoot with my sister Andee, when she was 35 weeks pregnant with my twin nieces. She looked incredible for having 2 babies in there - only gaining about 30lbs. I dolled her up with makeup and a cute hair style and off to Murray Park we went. The pictures turned out awesome and I hope Andee was pleased.

Now that my nieces are here - and uber small, I thought I'd bring out my inner photographer once more and capture their "cuteness." After my reluctant father gave me permission, I borrowed his camera for the shoot. Man, I have a lot to learn - little babies are SO HARD to capture! Wiggling, crying AND peeing all over the place!!

However, lessons learned and hopefully my nieces won't grow up with a grudge...I tortured them...just a little.

**Oh and a little shout out to my dear friend Elizabeth for being my assistant. She is the one to credit for the tutu pictures. (She was the best at "posing/positioning!!") Elizabeth - you're amazing!!

I know Andee is going to post them as well, so sorry for repeats, but here is a taste. Enjoy.

Avie Joy Hellstrom

Ella Rae Hellstrom

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T13:10:00.006-06:00

What a wonderful Mother's Day it turned out to be!! It was a little quiet in the morning, but I think both of my mom's enjoyed their day. My Dad & Nancy are off on a Caribbean Cruise, so we celebrated with her a week earlier. We had a picnic lunch/dinner with my mom & family at Murray Park. It was a beautiful day, but unfortunately the dark clouds and heavy winds came in during our festivities. (And of course the sun came out right after we left!!) But we withstood the cold air and still enjoyed ourselves.

Here's our set up. Chairs, blankets, table with table cloth and matching bowls and of course FOOD!

Here are more pictures from throughout the day. The kiddos found a big hill next to our picnic spot. They enjoyed running up and down - and of course rolling down!! They looked like they were having so much fun - I almost wanted to join in. Plus there was a play ground, Kelly's awesome kite flying skills and some Frisbee!

Jesse being silly!

Beautiful Lauren

Gorgeous Kelsey got her braces off!!

Garrett played Frisbee with Carl for a little bit

Caleb had fun playing on the playground

I have so many childhood memories of rolling down big hills! Somehow they always seemed steeper than they actually were!

Kalie & I - we make those sunglasses look good!!

My beautiful mom, Karla. I really hope she had a good day. She was showered with gifts and attention. What more could a woman want! Love you mom!!

And this was the highlight of the afternoon. Thanks to strong winds, a REALLY long spool of string and Kelly's patience, his kite got up about 300ft in the air!! (I don't really know, but it was high!) I circled it in red because the black speck was a little hard to see. It was awesome!! WAY TO GO KJ!

Hope all the mom's out there had a wonderful Mother's Day! You do so much and give up so much. You really need more than one day to celebrate all you do.

LOVE TO ALL!!

Birthday!

2010-04-24T00:03:00.003-06:00

Tuesday, April 20th was my 28th birthday.

I knew I was an adult when I almost forgot about it.

It turned out to be a beautiful day (high 70's) and the day before the rainstorms!!

Oddly enough, Joe made me a dentist appointment for that morning - eek - I hadn't been to the dentist since before we were married!! Almost 5 years!!

However - ONLY 1 CAVITY! It hasn't even been causing me pain, but never the less, I scheduled a filling appointment in 2 weeks.

After my cleaning visit, I got to participate in a contest at my old beauty school!! I was asked to judge a color/cut contest among the students. It was so fun being back in the school environment - this time on the "professional" side. Plus I got to see my 2 favorite instructors AND they took me out to lunch right after!

Then I came home to a couple of mean hours of Batman Lego playing with my "semi bed-rest" preggo sister. We are a little obsessed with that game lately!!

I got a surprise visit from my mom & nephew. They brought me balloons and cake...my nephew was asleep, but woke up for a short time, just to sing me Happy Birthday. :) I'm so lucky!

The evening came by with dinner with my sisters and fantastic Kohl's shopping! Turned out that turning 28 wasn't so bad!!

Joe unfortunately had work, then school, then the first spring softball game that day, so I didn't get to see him until 10:30 that night! However I did get plenty of phone calls and texts from him and we get to celebrate on Sunday together.

I received so many texts and an overwhelming amount of love on Facebook this year. Its humbling to know how many people out there care. I'm so lucky to have been touched by so many friends and family members. Its makes all the efforts worth it.

Love to all - I'm a happy 28 year old! (If my birthday is like this every year - bring on 30!!....well maybe.)

FINALLY pics from NY

2010-04-12T09:31:00.002-06:00

New York!

2010-03-28T21:54:00.003-06:00

I can't believe I've been home for a week and I haven't gotten around to posting until now. Taking off 5 days of work has come back to bite me. Lots of customers needed their hair done ~ and now that I'm back ~ I was booked!!!

Well it was a fantastic trip and one I will always remember. The city was nothing like I had imagined and that city truly "never sleeps."

The "red-eye" was a real killer. Sleeping on a plane is almost impossible!! Thanks to Nancy though, I had a neck pillow that eased some of the discomfort. I was only able to sleep for about 2 of the 4 1/2 hours we were up in the air, but some was better than none!! Once we landed (6am ET) we boarded our tour bus and drove into Manhattan. (We flew into JFK, which is in Queens and with awesome rush hour traffic we got an unplanned tour of Queens as well.)

Day 1 - Walking tour. Our first spot was Battery Park where we got pictures of the Statue of Liberty. We opted not to take the 4 hour tour out to Ellis Island and the statue, so we appreciated that marvel from afar. Then we walked over to Wall Street and the Financial District. We joined MANY tourists who were also visiting that area. There were hundreds of people walking around the Stock Exchange courtyard! We also saw the St Paul Cathedral where the 9/11 rescuers and crew members would come and sleep. Nancy said that 2 years ago there were still cots laid out everywhere. It was clear of those this time around, but there were many memorials and wall hangings dedicated to the lives lost and all the rescuers. We didn't go to actual "Ground Zero" because they are currently building the replacement tower, but we did go to the 9/11 Memorial which had a great display of what they are currently building and pictures/movies of the actual incident.

We then headed off to Canal Street/Chinatown where we were allowed about an hour to shop. Not much time AT ALL!!! But after bartering and bickering I was able to pick up a few souvenirs. After that we were finally able to head to our hotel for check-in. Of course out of the 20-something rooms our group had, 4 weren't cleaned yet....ours was 1 of the 4. So we hung out in the lobby for a 30 minutes before we headed up to our room. We were all so tired by this point, we couldn't wait to get in a shower or a quick nap before we headed to Wicked.

Of course after we were all cleaned up we headed to Wicked on Broadway. Everything was in walking distance to our hotel, so we got lots of exercise!!! The play was amazing; I enjoyed to music more than the storyline. Then we were finally able to head back and SLEEP!!!!!!!!! It was the best night of my life!

Day 2 - We got up early and headed to Rockefeller Center for "On Top of the Rock." I got many photos from the 2nd of 3 scenic levels. I'm deathly afraid of heights, so I was very comforted to have 7 foot glass windows surrounding the edges of the building!! Then we headed to Radio City Music Hall for a tour and a "Meet & Greet" with a Rockette. The theater was amazing and the extensive tour was well worth it. We got to go under the stage and see some of the original furniture and bathrooms. It was an all access backstage tour and it truly was amazing!

We stopped for lunch then headed to Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Definitely interesting!!! Modern art is a favorite of mine, but there were some pieces and "exhibitions" that I could have done without seeing. It was called "Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present" -(look it up if your curious!) The entire top floor was an exhibition of naked people (REAL naked people) standing around and posing. Plus there were several videos playing in each room...all x-rated, almost pornographic. The "artist" was quite interesting to learn about, but I would have rather read a book about the "art pieces" than experience it with my own eyes. However, I did get to see "A Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh - the actual painting!!! HIGHLIGHT!!!!!

Then it was off to dinner at the Ellen Stardust Diner where the food was lousy but the waiters/entertainers were awesome! All the servers are broadway-actor-wannabe's. Their trying to get "discovered" so the entire staff sings while serving. They had a jukebox and sang some popular songs that got the crowd on their feet. Too bad the food sucked. But then it was off to MOMMA MIA!!!! My favorite of the 2 we saw. I love all the songs and the story. The woman who played Donna Sheridan wasn't the best singer, but as long as they sang the songs correctly, I didn't care! I love the music!!!!

Day 3 - Competition ALL DAY! The Charlonians did amazing and walked away "National Grand Champions." Taking home 24 trophies in all (including the "high-point" trophy, Jessica's 5th place Senior solo trophy, the Officer Line Grand Champ AND National Grand Champs - the last 2 trophies were almost 6 feet tall!!!)

After competition, all the girls were wired with adrenaline, having swept the competition, so we played in Time Square until wee hours of the morning! There is a lot of "free" entertainment on Time Square. People watching HAS to be the greatest!

Day 4 - Our last day. We walked over to Central Park and Nancy paid for a "Pedi-cab" tour of CP. Expensive, but WELL worth it. CP is HUGE!!!! It would have taken us all day to walk around, but we got to see all the hot spots in 45 minutes! Plus the main pedi-cab rider was an excellent tour guide!!! After that we took a taxi back to Canal Street to do last minute shopping - we got to take the subway back!! (my first subway experience!!!)

Once we got our luggage together, we headed down to load the bus and head to the airport. Slight delay...we got stuck in the elevator!!!! How ironic for me to get stuck...when my husband is an elevator technician! Luckily no one was in a panic - we propped open the doors for fresh air and air conditioning! After 45 minutes of being stuck we were released!!! We all had cell phone service, so we all Facebooked and called family members and took pictures. It was interesting.

Of course it made us late to the airport and we almost missed our flight - eek! But thankfully our plane was delayed anyway, so we were all able to hop on and head home. We got back to SLC around 12am Sunday night/Monday morning. I had Joe pick me up at the airport. Its real close to our house and I was very anxious to sleep in my own bed. I, unfortunately, caught a cold while we were there. It didn't effect me too much until the flight home. Nothing like sinus pressure + cabin pressure. My ears never popped and I thought my head was going to explode. No sleeping for me and I was miserable the whole 4 1/2 hours...I couldn't wait to take some NyQuil and actually SLEEP!!

It was an exhausting weekend, but so worth it!! Definitely a once in a lifetime experience for me and I enjoyed EVERY minute!! I know this blog is long - but I completely summarized!!! So many experiences to blog about, but I just wanted to get our day-to-day activities out there. Pictures/Slideshow to come.

New York was incredible - I still can't believe I GOT TO SEE IT!

NYC

2010-03-14T20:44:00.005-06:00

I'm freaking out man - I leave for New York in 72 hours!!

This will be my first visit to the infamous city and I couldn't be more excited! I'm tagging along with my parents; we're going for my sister Jessica's Drill National competition. The dance competition is all day on Saturday the 20th. But we are surrounding ourselves with absolute chaos on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

First off, we leave Wednesday night - on the red eye! We arrive in NYC at 6am with a tour bus waiting for us!!! We won't be able to check into our hotel until late Thursday afternoon, so basically I will either need to sleep before the flight or during, because if not, we'll all be pulling a 24+ hour day!!

We are signed up for 2 broadway plays - Momma Mia AND Wicked - for real? How lucky am I? Then we have a "meet and greet" with the Radio City Rockettes and get a tour of Radio City Music Hall. We're going to the top of Rockefeller Center and then a trip to the Museum of Modern Art. PLUS we are staying in a hotel right in TIME SQUARE!!!

Oh my gosh I'm a complete spaz. I'm in complete denial that it is actually happening this week. Its going to be a rough first day, but considering this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I'll keep the whining to myself. ;)

I can't wait to post pictures and document the trip. I hope it will be amazing!!

Only 3 more days!!! ......... I feel like singing the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys song, "Empire State of Mind"

"New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of

There's nothin' you can't do

Now you're in New York

These streets will make you feel brand new

Big lights will inspire you

Let's hear it for New York, New York,

New York"

My very own Eee!

2010-02-25T22:51:00.005-07:00

I got my very own netbook!! Joe and I bought a netbook just over a year ago (an Asus Eee Pc) and we fight over it constantly. I felt like a teenager who has to "share" computer time with siblings. We've almost come to a "time limit" policy. How sad is that?

After talking much about getting an actual laptop or upgrading our desktop computer, we decided another netbook was all we needed. After only 1 day of shopping around, Joe went out and bought a netbook tonight....and its PINK!!!! He bought it just for me! Now we each have our own and we don't have to fight over usage time!

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the netbooks. They are smaller versions of laptops - folded up they are about the size 8"x11" piece of paper. Its portable just like a laptop, not as fast as one, but has all the same features and perks. The one Joe bought for me is actually 2 upgrades from our older netbook and comes with Windows 7!!! How lucky am I??

Blogging, facebooking and photoshop is all I mainly do and now I don't have to share!

Thank you to Joe for giving me my own personal computer. I appreciate the fact that the "new" one is especially for me [hence the pink color]. Instead of keeping it for yourself, you gave up the upgraded version and Windows 7 all for me... it must be love!!

Happy Thrusday!!

Disco Fever!!

2010-02-13T23:14:00.010-07:00

We were invited to celebrate a friends 40th Birthday - Disco style!!!

Unfortunately 90% of the pictures from the party didn't turn out, so I only have a few. But we definitely got into character and had a great time. Joe is the best when it comes to costume parties. He goes all out and always seems to take home the "best costume" prize. Tonight it was a big solid chocolate pair of lips! Haha, just what we need!!

Here are a few pictures. What a great pair we make! It was a great party.

Happy Birthday Paul! Thank you for including us in your celebration.

We love you Paul & Lynda!!

He looks so good!!

-Disco Paul & Disco Lynda-

Singing "Happy Birthday"

What a great night!!

And don't forget the cake!!

Escape by Carolyn Jessop

2010-01-28T10:56:00.005-07:00

I just finished "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop. It was the first choice in my newly gathered book club. (okay its a book duo...thank you Ciara!!) We finished last week and had breakfast to talk about it on Tuesday. It really was a good book; definitely an eye opener. To read first hand about the FLDS culture and the harsh ways of their religion was jaw dropping.

The book is based on the life of Carolyn and her escape from the FLDS. She married a powerful man in the community and had 8 children. She tells stories of brutality and unfair treatment from her sister wives. Plus she recounts the moments of absolute power of the infamous Warren Jeffs. His control over the community was completely irrational and heartbreaking. Reading the book from a faithful FLDS woman was amazing. (Her devotion to her faith was altered the day she married.) Finding out truths and trying to understand the ways of her "priesthood head" were incredible to read. Carolyn showed extreme amounts of courage and patience throughout her 13+ years of marriage. When she finally fled, she was able to start fresh and raise her 8 children in a more normal environment.

It was definitely an interesting read. I knew about the FLDS religion and culture, but she describes so many experiences that were mind blowing.

The book was completely out of our comforts zones, but it was inspiring to read. And very informative. Its isn't written well, jumps around a lot and she repeats her self many times. (With good intentions. There are so many occurrences to remember.) Plus you can tell she hasn't written before and the rawness and inexperience really showcases her true persona.
I would recommend the book to anyone curious about a lifestyle different from their own. It definitely made me more aware of all the precious things around me that I usually take for granted. ***There is a movie in progress, based on this book. Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses and Grey's Anatomy) will be playing Carolyn. I anxiously await!

I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Pick it up and jump out of your comfort zone like we did. Discover something new.

2010-01-17T20:05:00.003-07:00

Well I haven't blogged in awhile. Guess that means nothing in my life has been blog-worthy. Oh well. I may not have any blog-worthy events happening, but 2010 is starting off a lot better than 2009.

I hit my 1 year anniversary for managing my salon - woot woot! Its been a trying year but very rewarding. Its has been a great experience and I've truly learned a lot about myself. As of this month, I'm now competing with my payroll numbers from last year. Which is more challenging - I have incredible motivation in trying to beat my own numbers. So far, so good. I've increased over 30% in the first 2 weeks...we'll see what the rest of the month holds.

Plus I did make some resolutions this year...keeping them to myself though, but I am going strong!! Lots of emotional work and I've been keeping a journal that is helping as well.

Andee's having 2 girls, which is going to be a strain on my wallet. There are just too many cute girl clothes!!! I'm going to add this to my monthly budget! We're excited for the twin girls and helping with name ideas and decorating plans. Its going to be a fun 5 months.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a terrific new year! I'm hoping something blog-worthy happens TO ME sometime soon.

Merry Christmas EVE!

2009-12-24T23:26:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas all! It has been such a wonderful Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, like most, I had to work this morning. But the salon was busy, so the work day came and went. We are spending the night over at my dad's house. My whole family was here tonight. Brittany and her friend Tiffany, drove up from Vegas this morning. Kalie & Jesse came over and Robyn & Jarron stopped by for a bit as well. When we're together, there is A LOT of noise and some yelling. All good of course!!! We always have such a good time. Getting the family together is one of my favorite memories and past times. We had a wonderful dinner, thank you dad. APRICOT CHICKEN!! Yummy! There was a good game of Apples to Apples as well - can't wait for the rematch tomorrow! We've had a few Christmas movies on in the background. Home Alone 1 & 2, Mickey's Christmas Carol and believe it or not Havana Nights. (Don't know where that one came from...but hey, its 11:30pm...)

But now we are up wrapping presents and sharing some good times. Kalie & Jesse and Robyn & Jarron have headed home, to get their kids in bed. Santa's coming!!! And the rest of us are listening to Havana Nights, wrapping gifts or jamming to Rock Band downstairs. The rest of us are having 1 big sleep over. Joe & I, Andee & KJ, plus Brittany & Tiffany, and Jessica, Dad & Nancy!!!! I love this time of year! I love my family and all the good times we've had! Joe and I are so lucky...we both have such loving families. Plus, we get Grandma's quiche in the morning - HECK YES!!!!

Happy Holidays to everyone! I'm just psyched for tomorrow and I hope you all are as well. I wish you all a VERY MERRY Christmas!

I must go...we're now putting in The Hangover....where did the Christmas movies go? Oh well, I'm up for some more laughter!! Good night - and hope you've been good....Santa knows it!

Love to all!!!

2009-12-18T22:23:00.003-07:00

I made gingerbread people!!! That was my one and only holiday indulgence. Its tradition in my family to make toffee or sugar cookies...well I started my own tradition! A ginger kid making more GINGERS!!! Not homemade unfortunately, I used a mix, but I decorated each and every one all by myself!

I made about 3 dozen, so I don't have lots to pass out - but you just might get one!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Got blogs?

2009-11-29T18:44:00.005-07:00

Come on people! There are so many of you who aren't updating regularly..... I want something to read. Get blogging!!

My Thanksgiving...

2009-11-26T22:33:00.003-07:00

Turkey day has come and gone. Oh my heck did we have some good food! It was a wonderful day, spent with wonderful people.

As I posted before, I'm grateful for many things in this life. I'm blessed every single day. I was able to spend today with my family and I know there are some who weren't as lucky. I feel so bad for anyone working retail today. Or any "emergency" type positions as well. Our neighbors had a visit from Roter Rooter plumbing....bummer. There really are so many people who were unable to be with their families today and I feel for them. How hard must it be to work on a holiday that should be filled with visiting and eating with family? I honestly try to NOT make them work; by getting all my grocery shopping done the day before. Getting last minute odds and ends at Wal-Mart at 11pm last night. However, I had to make a run to the gas station for ice today. Thank you Holiday Oil for being open!! And we all ended up seeing a movie today - bless all the employees at The District - it was PACKED and I'm sure it had been all day long! I tried to avoid it, but something always comes up. Thank you to anyone and everyone that had to work today and sacrifice their time with family and loved ones. I was thinking of you today.

I hope everyone was able to take a moment and reflect on what's most important today - and to realize just how much we should all be thankful for.

I know I am blessed. I never take any of this for granted. Thank you to all - I love you!!!

It finally arrived!!!

2009-11-17T22:19:00.004-07:00

I ordered this kick-butt cake pan well over a month ago. We held a party for Kalie's 30th birthday and I wanted to make a cake, just for her - from scratch!! But I wanted to find a really different pan to bake it in and make it just that much more unique. Enter www.bigtopcupcake.com! I saw this on The View and I knew in a second it would be a great idea!

The party was on Oct 23rd, so I ordered it around the 1st, so it would arrive on time........well it didn't. 3 days before the party I checked my bank account and there wasn't even a transaction for it. Of course I assumed the order didn't go through correctly and I was s.o.l. on making something creative. I opted for purchasing a cake instead - red velvet - her favorite. It went over well, but I was still bummed.

Well here is, over a month later. I was looking at my bank account online and on the 12th of November, sure enough, a charge went through from the website. Gee, like its useful now!!!

I received the package today with the intent on just shipping it back and getting a refund. But then I remembered what drew me to the product in the first place. Then I got all excited again and decided tonight was the night to back my Big Top Cupcake. Silly to pick today, of all days. (Joe's grandpa passed away last night, so we're kinda in mourning.) But what better way to cheer us up!

I ran to the store for some eggs and I baked it all by myself - ok, not from scratch. I wasn't feeling as ambitious as I was for Kalie's party. Plus, this cake is just for me and Joe. He doesn't care if it comes from a box!! ;)

Here are a few pictures. The pan comes with an insert, so you can "fill" it with something. I decided to fill it will banana creme pudding. It turned out amazing and I just can't stop smiling!!

Sorry I couldn't make this for you Kalie. I really tried. Maybe I'll surprise you with a random cake day!! But enjoy the pictures and know this creative idea came from the heart. I LOVE YOU!

Don't you just love when something so simple can turn your attitude completely around? This just made the day. YAY!!

November

2009-11-16T10:41:00.008-07:00

I am thankful.

This is a month to reflect all the things

and people in this world that we are

thankful for. There are so

many things going on in my life that I

am truly and completely thankful for.

First and foremost, is my family.

My family is my life.

Not only my wonderful husband

(that I am most thankful for)

but my sisters, my brothers,

my parents and everyone else.

I have such a huge, blended

family and I'm so grateful for

all of them. There are always

there when I need them. They

are there to laugh with, cry with,

tell stories and gossip. Anything

and everything, they are always

there for me.

And of course I am thankful for

my extended family and my

friends. Honestly, you are ALL

family to me. There are so many

of you that I wish I saw more

often or had a closer relationship

with. But the fact that there is still

communication, no matter the

distance or frequency, is awesome!

I'm thankful for my job as well. Some

days being a manager tests every bit

of my being, but I really enjoy what

I do. Making people feel beautiful and

happy with themselves is truly

rewarding. Plus I have some amazing

stylists. Ones that have come and gone

and some that continue to flourish. All

of them have been so supportive and

cooperative; I am lucky to have a job at

all in this day and age. I'm so blessed.

And last, but certainly no least - I am

extremely thankful for this life. Every

day is a new adventure. Sure, some

are a little mundane, but the fact that I'm

able to get up every morning and breathe

that fresh air, is perfection in my mind.

I have a busy schedule, filled with

appointments and gatherings with friends

and family. I get to spend EVERY Monday

with my favorite little nephew. I have weekly

dinner with my dad & Nancy. I have

everything I could ever ask for.

This is such a wonderful month. I am thankful all year, but I'm going to make sure to let everyone know this month. I couldn't be more lucky.

Make sure you take some time this month

and reflect on all the wonderful things in

your life. We are all blessed in one way or

another.

Thank YOU for reading this. Whether

we're close or even if we know each other,

I am thankful for you. I love having this blog

and I wouldn't have it if someone wasn't

reading it. So thank you for taking time out of

your day to read what I am most thankful for.

Love to all - ERICA

Just a lil bit

2009-11-07T18:21:00.003-07:00

This picture just sums up my whole California vacation.

It was an amazing week. So wonderful to get away and relax & enjoy time with my sisters and my nephew. Seriously, Jesse is amazing. I can't express how much I love this little guy. He just gets cuter and cuter. The things he says, the looks he gives me and every time he wants to hold my hand. I'm such a lucky aunt.

I'll post more photos soon. I'll try and figure our some kind of slide show to make it easier to see.

Thank you Kalie & Andee (and the husbands) for such an awesome week. So many laughs and memories. You're the greatest.

Ahh....vacation!!!

2009-11-02T23:03:00.005-07:00

Most people who read this are also reading my facebook...so it may sound repetitive...sorry.

I just have to say how much I love Disneyland and California. I am currently sitting on our Newport Coast resort balcony, surrounded by a cloud of mist thinking about the awesome day I just had in Disneyland.

We arrived in California yesterday morning. I'm traveling with Joe, my 2 sisters, their husbands and 1 little nephew. The trip started out awful and frustrating. We booked our flights back in the wonderful days of summer and apparently the flight departure time had changed and the email alert was over looked. In normal preparation, we arrived at the airport an hour and 10 minutes before what we thought was the correct time. ****Thank you to my Dad & Nancy for taking us all and sparing us the Park-n-Jet fee. They got up before 5:30am!!!**** Once we checked in, we were told that our 8:10 flight had changed to 11:30!! Well since our ride had left and we were already there, we decided to just hang out by our terminal for 4 hours. (Luckily we did score some breakfast vouchers for the inconvenience - gee thanks!)

We finally arrived in California around 12:30 (Pacific Time). And not only did we go back an hour with the time zone, we just HAD to fly out on the day of daylight savings. What frustration! We all thought our cell phones would automatically change - but when a few of ours didn't, we ended up being WAY ahead of schedule. We did some grocery shopping before checking in to the resort and needless to say we realized we were an hour off after the shopping...so we had to sit out in the heat, with groceries melting in the car, while we waiting for our room to get ready. Seriously, the best 1st day ever! ;) All we did was wait - wait for the plane, wait for the rental car, wait for the room....errrr.....

However the day did redeem itself when we opened the door to our 2 bedroom villa. We had an OCEAN VIEW ROOM!!! (pics to come) Oh my gosh this place is beautiful. Andee was in charge of Sunday dinner, so we all ate on the balcony and watched the sun set over the ocean. All our aggravation and stress from the hours earlier, had disappeared.

To top off the "actual" start to our vacation, we got to sleep in this morning and spent the entire day at Disneyland in 85 degree weather. No lines, good attitudes, slight breeze and a happy 3 year old. Disneyland really is the happiest place on earth.

We are here the rest of the week. Flying home late Friday night - our flight for that night also changed, but luckily we got a call yesterday afternoon reminding us. Thank you Jet Blue. We are doing a lounge day tomorrow. Maybe hit the beach, wax museum or just hang out at the resort pool. Then its Disneyland Wed, Thurs & Fri.

So far we're all getting along, even though we're sharing a villa and a van - plus we are all experiencing Disneyland as a group. Andee & I aren't fighting - yay!! (well we still have 4 more days....) But its been exciting and I just love it here. I could never live here, but it makes for a primo vacation spot. (Or I'm sorry Kalie, a PRY-MO vacation spot!)

This blog turned out longer than I expected, but thanks for reading. I've got a new phone right before the trip and I have EASY access to facebook, so I'm sure I'm annoying almost everyone already!!!

I can't wait to add photos. Cheers to 2 wonderful days and 4 unexpected ones to come.

Kalie is 30!!

2009-10-29T11:29:00.006-06:00

Today is Kalie's birthday. My older sister, my friend and my example.

Having an older sister is awesome...now. When we were kids...not so much. I never did anything as good as Kalie did. Kalie could do it, but I couldn't. She always got the bigger room, she had that beautiful, long blonde hair. She was smarter, faster and she always got first pick.

But as time has passed, so have all those petty reasons to despise my older sister. She is now one of my best friends. She is an amazing mother and a great example for me and my future. I feel like Jay Leno when I'm around her. She laughs at everything!!! Plus she comes to ME for fashion advice, party planning ideas, just to talk and get support. We talk, pretty much, everyday. I am so lucky to have my older sister.

She has always been there for me. Sharing in every wonderful experience. I know she's a quick call or text away any time I need to talk. I really couldn't ask for a better sister.

If you were to tell me, like 20 years ago, that we'd be such good friends...I would have laughed and stuck my tongue out at you.

Happy 30th Birthday Kalie. I love you so much and the last 10 years have been amazing. We've grown so close and now that Andee is shaping in to such an amazing adult, I can only look forward to our future together as best friends.

Couldn't be luckier.

October 19th

2009-10-19T09:40:00.010-06:00

Today is our anniversary.

October 19, 2001: Our first date

Joe & I met at work back in Sept '01. I thought he was cute and funny, so I did what every other teenager with a crush would do; I switched my schedule to match his, so we'd have the chance to get to know each other at work AND be able to hang out after work. My family was completely against it because I went from working 9-5 Mon-Fri, to 1-9pm Mon-Fri. They were just bummed because I would be working every night and I would miss out on dinners, parties, get togethers and they'd just never see me. But little did they know, my plan worked and he finally asked me out!

He took me on what he called a "group date." However it wasn't a group date, it was us and all his guy friends. I was the only girl. Kind of awkward. (Finding out years later, it was a test. To see if I got along with the crew and if the crew got along with me. Haha, Joe had a plan of his own!) Well obviously I passed because we started dating casually after that. Joe was also dating another girl at this same time - jerk... - but in December 2001, we made our relationship exclusive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

October 19, 2005: Our wedding

It was probably the best day ever! We waited for so long for that special day. Most of you know Joe and I were engaged briefly in 2003, but called it off because we both felt we were rushing into it. But after 2 years of working hard together and preparing for our future, Joe proposed again on January 1, 2005. And of course January 2nd I was looking at reception centers and dates. We both decided on Oct 19th. We already celebrated that anniversary of our first date, by going back to the same restaurant and reminiscing, why not expand the celebration?

We are lucky enough to share 2 of the most important events on the same day.

Our wedding was beautiful and I remember like it was yesterday. The roses were perfect, my best friends were there and Nancy made sure I was happy and content. I really owe that whole day to Nancy. She put together the wedding of my dreams and I will forever be grateful.

Of course I cried the whole way down the isle. But I was smiling from ear to ear on the way back. We had a small ceremony, only immediate family and close friends. I wish EVERYONE could have been there, but my father-in-law didn't want the guest list above a certain point. But everyone who mattered showed up to our reception and shared in our joy. So many people came from out off town just for us. I will always remember them and the love they showed us.

For those who couldn't make it, we completely understood. It was our fault for planning a wedding on a Wednesday.

But the date was important to us.

I'm going to watch our wedding video today. Unfortunately Joe is working and will have to go to school tonight, but we got to spend the entire day together yesterday. We love our Sundays together.

Happy Anniversary Joe!

Both for our first date and our wedding.

2 events I will never forget.

Thank you to all family and friends that continue to support and love us both. We went through such a rough time when we first started dating. But for those we stuck with us, we continue to appreciate all that support.

Today is the best day.

My 2¢

2009-10-18T14:33:00.004-06:00

I just have to say I hate hunting season. I hate hearing about the "kill" and seeing pictures of their trophies. There isn't anything about hunting that makes sense to me. Its barbaric, cruel and disgusting.

There are other forms of recreation, are there not?

I'm not asking you to agree with me, just sharing my distaste. Eh.

Joe is many things...

2009-10-03T23:39:00.007-06:00

I just HAD to post a few pictures.

He's weird, he's strange, odd, nerdy, crazy, creative, confusing, loving, quirky AND

luckily he's mine.

Oh Joe and the smiles and laughter he creates. So...unique.

God gave me Elizabeth

2009-09-22T18:05:00.003-06:00

I seriously needed a pick me up today and someone was listening, because the heavens opened up at just the right moment. I was in the most unusual spot for a Tuesday afternoon and all of sudden Elizabeth appears out of nowhere. She was driving a completely different route than she normal does and then spotted me.

I desperately needed some girl time and chance put us in the same place at the same time.

Thank you Geoff for having me over this afternoon. Thank you Amy for having Elizabeth pick up Willow at a different location. And thank you Elizabeth for stopping and taking me with you. You were just the person I needed to see today. You brighten my day all the time, but this was an occasion where I was extremely grateful for you...just being there.

Today was rough...and God gave me Elizabeth.

Never too old for school?

2009-09-21T10:40:00.012-06:00

Joe starts school today. Its about a month into the semester already; there was some paper work and tuition adjustments that set us back. But now he is jumping in...and jumping in deep.

He is taking some classes related to his working field. He will be getting quite a few different certifications for electrical work. He's already doing most of what he'll be learning, but to 'actually' get those certificates will help out a lot. Not only with increasing his pay, but also for his future. He'll be able to work in any field involving electrical work, not just with elevators. Which is a huge range and will definitely help us out, if we were to ever relocate.

The class he is taking is self paced, which is nice...sort of. When he signed up, he was going to go Monday & Wednesday from 5:30p-9:30p. But last week, when he got everything sorted out, he's decided to sign up for the class on Mon, Tues, Wed AND Thurs from 5:30p-9:30p!!! HELLO?!?!? That's a lot of school to just jump into! He already works 8-5ish and now will have to go straight to school and won't be home until late. And he'll be doing this 4 nights a week!!!!!!!

Of course I'm excited for him. (He's totally pysched by the way) But I can't help but feel a little bummed. We are both workaholics and don't get to see each other much as it is. Now we'll only have weekends to be together and I WORK WEEKENDS!?!?!?!? How's that going to work??

I guess I figured, since we are both nearing our 30's, we'd never have to worry about anymore schooling. I had so many friends that were crazy busy with work, school, marriage AND kids, but they were in their early 20's. Maybe I just assumed since I have my career and Joe's got his, our lives would start to slow down...and maybe think of starting a family. (HEY! I said "maybe.") But now life isn't slowing down, its only going to get more complicated. Chaotic. Overwhelming. EXHAUSTING!

Maybe I just needed to vent. Joe and I value the time we get to spend together. And most of you know, we don't get much quality time. We always have something. I'm either working late or long hours, Joe's working late or we have something planned with family and friends.

What do I expect? Other than our simple life at home, my life is my work. Managing a salon is hard work and I'm always overwhelming myself. Now Joe will be doing the same. Its only natural to want to succeed in your own line of work and be the best you can be. This is Joe's way. And I know it will REALLY help his career. His boss will appreciate him more and learning more is never a bad thing. I guess I'll just have to cope and support his decision.

There is an advantage to going to school so many hours a week, believe it or not. He'll get done faster. Of course we don't know how much faster. Joe is currently working as an 'electrician', so we're hoping some of his working hours will work as credit towards school. We won't know until he gets to talk with his professor about it. It could be anywhere from 6 months to over a year!!

I'm sure some of you reading this are probably just rolling your eyes. School is a normal part of life. So is work. Most people have experienced 12+ hours a day of work and school. I did it while going to beauty school. I had 65 hour weeks with school & full time work for 2 years. But that feels like ages ago!!

Really why am I complaining? Sure it'll be tough now, but it will be very rewarding in the future....right???

Thanks for reading...and thanks for letting me vent. We'll take it one day at a time. I'll keep a smile on my face and I'll look to Andee, Kalie and my family to keep me entertained.

Drum roll please.

2009-09-05T09:00:00.005-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDEE!!!!!

I told you I would dedicate a post to you, so here you go Smalls.

Andee is 23 today. She is seriously one of my favorite people. Not only because I live with her and I "have" to get along with her, but because I always have such a good time when I'm around her. Anyone who knows us sisters, knows that we cluck like hens whenever we're together. Telling funny stories, gossiping, or just talking about life, its always good time.

And most of you know I make fun of Andee...a lot. I don't know what it is, but she makes it so easy. Whether its her works acronyms for everything, her sleeping schedule, how blond she is or how naive she can be. There is just so much material!! But despite all my jokes, there are some things I just LOVE about her. She adores her family. She would drop everything to hang out with us or go out of her way to make one of us feel special. She's always complimenting people. (Me included) Any new jewelry I get or a new outfit I buy, she's the first to tell me how good I look, even if it looks awful on me. She is a HUGE romantic movie fanatic. Any chick flick, she's seen it or owns it. Definitely a romantic that one and I know she dreams of all those hot guys and unrealistic gentlemen in those movies. Especially the rich ones!! ;)

She can also be very understanding. At times, maybe not, but most of the time she is so accepting and welcoming. Putting up with me and Joe for a whole year is remarkable. And the one thing I love most, is that she's my best friend. Any time I need her, she's there. Any time something exciting or crappy happens in my life, she is the first person I call. We have such a fun time together and I always look forward to hanging out. Especially when we're with Kalie or Jessica. Man we have a great time.

I love you Smalls and I really hope you have a terrific birthday. You are an amazing sister and friend! I'm so pumped up for your "Pretty in Pink" birthday dinner tonight. Enjoy your day.

Happy Annivesary roomies!!!

2009-09-01T21:02:00.004-06:00

Villa de Nelda has been occupied by the Blackstroms for a whole year!! Can you believe it? We have been so lucky! Its been a good experience and we've really learned a lot about each other! (Maybe a little too much!)

ROOMIES!!

Wow we've had some good memories this past year. So many parties, get togethers and BBQ's. And quite a few dinners together up in Andee & Kelly's kitchen or on our patio. This house has come a long way in just a short time. The landscaping has probably been the biggest change and we have Kelly to thank for that. The house looks so different. From taking out bushes, cutting down trees, ripping out ivy, to mowing the lawn twice a week!! And even trimming trees a little too much. Our poor Jordan Commons tree hasn't come back...someone got a little carried away! :) (Sorry Kel, we'll never let you live that down!) Our backyard has changed dramatically too. The fire pit and sitting area, party lights and a 90% finished dog run. Things are going so well!! I love showing off our house. Its our home and we are all so proud of it!!

We've shared some good arguments too. I'm sure Andee doesn't want to remember the "pitcher" incident!! The parking controversies, strangers in the kitchen, late nights with surround sound, power bills, dog situations, different schedules. Its hard keeping boundaries and privacy in a communal living arrangement. Walking around naked is just not an option! ;) But overcoming all the "issues" has been so rewarding. The past 6 months have really been the best. We've found our grooves and have really gotten to know each other better. Plus it really is a bonus to have my sister just 10 feet away from me. She's there for long chats, borrowing jewelry, cooking me food. My favorite is when we are IM'ing/texting each other and we're either in the same room or just a few feet away! Plus with Andee [usually] taking Mondays off, we get to spend quality time with each other and our nephew. (Oh and Elizabeth too!!)

It's been a great year. According to our "contract" we only have 1 year left. Well, with the way things are going here and the economy, I'm sure we'll be here much longer than that. We've been so lucky and I can't wait for all the memories yet to come.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY VILLA DE NELDA!!!

Ode to Joy

2009-08-26T20:49:00.003-06:00

I just want to take some time to show my good friend Joy a little appreciation.

Joy, you are amazing!! It takes a special person to go out of their way to help another. I know I expressed it to you earlier, but I really wanted to make sure you understand how much I appreciated your gesture. I've been lucky to have some great clients over the years. Clients that have turned into friends. And I'm so glad I can call you a friend.

I had such a rough day and not only did you bring me dinner, but you listened to my woes. You have been such a loyal customer and friend and I want you to know that I appreciate everything you have done. Tips, food, compliments, your listening ear AND your friendship. I couldn't ever repay you.

I love visiting with you and I look forward to your bi-weekly appointment!

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for thinking of me and going out of you way to show that extra special kindness. I love you Joy!!! And I love the new red color we put in your hair. I hope you like it too!!!

See you in 2 weeks!

Optimistic or bust

2009-08-24T21:18:00.007-06:00

This is an "I'm on my soap box" blog. So if you don't want to read about me whining, then click away now.

I changed the hair - so it looked more like me...don't have the skills to change the outfit...but you get the idea!

I'm breathing today. One breath at a time. Its been an incredibly chaotic 5 days. Luckily the worst is out of the way and I'm forcing myself to stay positive.

As manager of my salon, I have to deal with hiring and firing....yuck. Hiring is a piece of cake. I enjoy that part of it, but having to let someone go, it torture. I'm sure you know where this is going, yes I had to let someone go last week. Well, I didn't personally, but my manager's manager drove in from out of state to deal with the situation in person. I'm grateful for that because I was about to throw up just thinking of what I would have to say.

I can't give many details, especially because I'd get fired. But I can stress my frustration of my staffing problems. For real, what is up? Since I've started there as manager (January 09) 7 people have come and gone!!! 7 people!!! Five of which left voluntarily pursuing other areas of their career, one left due to a mutual agreement and now one was let go! Its so aggravating to lose people and to be considered a salon with high turnover. I hate that phrase "high turnover." I've worked for the company 3+ years!!! Why does no one else have my same work ethic or stability?

Most of my customers are probably wondering what is wrong with me. They don't hear that my stylists left on their own. All they see is me, constantly under staffed and frustrated. Now I'm down to just 1 stylist. Just me and Megan. And since there is only 2 of us, my manager has asked me to cut the salon's hours! Oh my gosh I'm going to die. CUT THE HOURS?!?! I wanna make money, hello?? But I also don't want to work 72+ hours a week. There is nothing I can do at this point. I have hired someone that is starting on the 1st of September and I have one amazing stylist that, so far, is sticking with me through this whole mess.

I just get so frustrated with managing. Its not in me to be a leader. I'm a hardcore follower. Anyone read 'One Minute Manager?' Its brilliant!! Why can't I turn my life around or adapt different skills?

One of these days I'll figure it out. I'll get through this storm. Luckily I have amazing, positive people surrounding me. They pull me back to normal life and bring the cheerful side of me out again. I only have 1 choice in this matter. I'm not willing to give up; I'm not willing to back down; I can't make people stay in my salon. I can only be optimistic about the future. Positive thinking when I hire someone new. This could be another stylist with my same ambition. This could be a candidate to replace me one day.

I love doing hair. I love my salon. I love making clients happy and boosting their self esteem. I know I'm in the right business. So what can I do now to keep my salon successful and STAFFED!?!?! Any advice would be appreciated. I always feel like I go above and beyond for my girls. But I'm sure I need improvement somewhere.

My apology's go out to anyone I'm going to inconvenience over the next few weeks. My hours at the salon will be unpredictable and I'm going to miss out on certain important events. I've had to move around so many plans because my work schedule keeps changing. Your patience and understanding is VERY much appreciated. Handling my salon with just 2 of us there is a lot of work and so stressful/overwhelming. Err...

And to all of you who keep a smile on my face...thank you. A true smile is really a sigh of relief in my book. One breath at a time.

August = birthdays galore!

2009-08-15T23:11:00.009-06:00

I have so many family members with birthdays in August. (And Andee's birthday is in the first week of September.) So basically we have a birthday party almost every weekend until after Labor day. But its all good! I love celebrating the lives of my family. I thought I'd write a little blurb about each of them.

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First, JESSICA!!! Her 18th birthday was August 11th.

I just love the crap out of this girl. I mean really, every time I see her I can't help but smile. She is the epitome of silly, dorky, pretty & fun. She can make me laugh when I'm in a bad mood, cheer me up when I'm sad and comfort me when I'm stressed. Most of you know her and you all know what I'm talking about. I hardly ever see this girl in a bad mood.

She is a dedicated dancer; which makes spending time with her VERY difficult. You almost need to check with her coach before talking to her. But she loves, eats and sleeps Jordan Drill. I have nothing but the utmost respect for her and her dedication. Long practices, competitions, tight outfits, sore muscles and the endless kicking. I get exhausted just thinking about what a drill practice is like. I love watching her doing watch she loves most. Its so inspiring.

Jessica, my sweet, I love you dearly. You are my baby sister and my happiness. Thank you for always being there to put a huge smile on my face. Happy birthday!! I can't believe you're 18!!! Seriously, it makes me feel so old. I hope your day was wonderful and I can't wait to celebrate with you tomorrow. (Thanks for making time to go to breakfast with me on Friday...or should I thank Chandra??) :P

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Second there is KELLY (KJ). My sister Andee's husband. His 30th birthday is on the 25th.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KJ!! You're 30....wow...you're old!! ;)

This guy is another reason I smile all the time. So sarcastic and witty. We've had many good jokes!! He is a very motivated landscaper. Not only does he mow our lawn twice a week, he deals with trimming, cutting, clipping, weeding, poop scooping, decorating and trapping rats!! (Or coaching my Simon on how to catch rats!) I can't thank this guy enough for all he has done for our house. It looks so much better on the outside and really gives this place a "home" feeling. Thank you for keeping this place looking nice. Oh and thank you for dealing with my sister. She's a handful that one!! You're a patient man....(just teasing Andee!!!) Plus you agreed to buy a house with me, Andee's twin. Again, you're a very patient man. And thanks for cleaning up after my dogs - that's the biggest thanks.

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Now there is my Dad and my nephew Dallin. Both born on August 31st...but MANY years apart! ;)

I wish I had more pics of him

DALLIN! He is Joe's Luke Skywalker. His padawan, his pupil, his apprentice. They share some of the same "gamer" passions and dreams. He's a smart kid that will definitely be inspired by technology. He loves playing with other kids and enjoys hanging out with little Jesse. They're always getting into trouble together. Dallin has always been such a sweet boy and he always gives me goodbye hugs.

Happy birthday Dallin...I'm sorry you have to share your day with my Dad. Your birthday will never be as important.

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Which brings me to my Dad. Although his birthday is on the 31st, we start celebrating it after Jessica's and all the way to Andee's. (He truly believes the month of August is all about him.) Ask him where we're going to dinner...its his birthday, he decides. What movie are we going to see? Well whatever he wants...its his birthday! Hee hee.

DAD will be 55 this year. (Sorry for outing your age) I've always been a huge daddy's girl and he really does mean the world to me. Whenever I have a mathematical, geological, technical, or any other type of question, I know he's just a phone call away. I am so lucky to have a dad that can be so understanding and accepting - okay well most of the time! I know he loves me unconditionally, even though sometimes I disappoint. He is proud of my career choice, husband choice and life choice. Whether it was the life he wanted for me or not, I know he's proud nonetheless.

You all know "Uncle Al the Kiddies Pal!" He's always been great with kids. Laughing, spoiling, teaching, frustrating and guiding! My dad has done SO MUCH for me over the years. I'm grateful to have such a supporting figure in my life. Even though he can be extremely ornery sometimes and constantly inquisitive..."What? What's going on?" "What's happening?" He still is a great role model. Luckily I married a man very similar to my dad. Both logical thinkers (lucky me!) Both dorky, nerdy and fascinated by anything sci-fi. They're big Trekkers too. I love it though. I get my time with Nancy and Joe gets his time with my dad. Its a perfect situation!!

Happy birthday Dad. Your month long birthday celebration has officially started. Although I celebrate you every day! NO TIME!!!

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Okay, those are the 4 birthdays in August. (It doesn't seem like a lot, but considering its the only month we celebrate more than 2 people, it gets hectic trying to plan parties) But each of these people mean so much to me, in so many different ways. My sister, brother-in-law, nephew and dad. I appreciate each of you and really want you to know that I am celebrating you. Happy birthday guys!!! **** I also want to give a shout out to everyone else who has a birthday in August. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I have some friends and Joe has a niece who were also born this month - hope your birthdays were and will be great!!! ****

P.S. Sorry Andee, technically you're a September baby and will have to wait for that September post. Even though your birthday is thrown into the "August chaos of celebration," I'll dedicate a post just for you. Love you Smalls!!!

PINE VALLEY!!!

2009-07-21T17:05:00.003-06:00

Oh I'm so excited for this coming weekend. My family is headed down to Pine Valley, Utah. (Kinda in the mountains between Cedar City & St. George) Its just gorgeous down there and I have so many memories from that little place. Its been a annual tradition in my family to go down every 24th of July. Of course as we've all gotten older, its harder to make it down there EVERY year, but we try! My dad's side of the family are part of this tradition and I'm very excited to see family I haven't seen in a long time.

Its going to be beautiful weather, lots of fun & games, plus peaceful time in the breath taking valley. I'm making a stop in Enterprise of course to see my Aunt & Uncle and I'm attending a wedding in St. George for my buddy Travis. Plus we're doing family photos and going to Tuacahn!

What a perfect way to spend my weekend. My ENTIRE family will be going and some of my cousins I can't wait to see. Yay for Pine Valley! We're leaving Thursday night, so I'll post some pics when we return.

Here's the church. Just seeing this photo,

my whole childhood flashes in front of me.

This is the Pine Valley reservoir.

Everyone will be fishin' at some point. Isn't it beautiful??

The Cox kiddos

2009-07-09T22:57:00.010-06:00

Okay this blog is mainly pictures. But they were so fun, I had to share.

We had a "birthday picnic" for my mom's birthday tonight at the West Jordan Veterans park. We all brought our own meals, spread out a blanket & had a good time. My brother Chad wanted to go back to the hospital to see Kelsey and my mom & Kelly went along. After Kalie & her family went home, we stayed and played. KJ and Joe played Frisbee, while Andee & I took Garrett, Lauren and Caleb all throughout the playgrounds. Man we were exhausted. But we had such a good time and got to take some silly photos in the process.

That Lauren is such a ham. Anytime a camera shows up, she either wants to take the picture or decide what faces we get to make.

These kids are just a blast to hang out with. Enjoy our silliness!!! (sorry, there's a bunch of pictures. I hate slide shows...they take too long to download!)

LAUREN!!!

Aww, cute girlies

Silly face!

Lauren wanted us to do "scary" faces....we tried, okay?

With Lauren behind the camera we tried scary faces again. It worked, I'm scared.

Lauren is quite the photographer. We're center & everything.

CALEB!!!

He wouldn't smile.

He made my ride along. Yeah, my legs hurt from trying to keep myself up! Not an adult toy.

Caleb took a turn taking photos. He's still learning!

GARRETT!!!

(he didn't want his picture taken, so this is all we got)

We got Popsicles from the ice cream man.

This is supposed to be Dora?!?!

And Spongebob. Wow, they should really work on those!! hee hee

And of course pictures of me & Andee. Lauren is the best

photographer. She picked the faces!!

What a good night. Thanks Chad & Amanda for letting us be apart of their lives this week. Its been a blessing to get to know them and share in their joys. We're serious about the BIG sleepover. When Kelsey's better its gonna be a part-TAY at the Blackstroms!! We love the Cox Family!!!

Kelsey

2009-07-07T22:15:00.007-06:00

My sweet niece's condition is progressing in the positive. I was delighted when I heard good news today. I was over at my brothers watching their kids today and I was lucky enough to be there when Amanda returned from the hospital.

They have taken Kelsey off her paralysis medication and have taken out the machine that was pumping her blood. She started moving her fingers and toes, even tried opening her eyes!!! Amanda said she was holding her hand and felt a squeeze!!

I know it isn't a full recovery, but its such a relief to hear she's reacting well to her antibiotics and possibly moving her extremities. There is more to come and I'm anxiously waiting. I just can't wait for the day where I can sit and talk to her again. They are going to keep her sedated and on a ventilator (sp?) to help her lungs. So its still a waiting game.

Chad & Amanda have stayed so strong through this ordeal and I admire them so much. It was an honor to help them out today. Their kids are a blast to play with. I had my nephew Jesse as well and him & Caleb were ALL over the place. Lauren stayed close by me and loved hide-n-seek. Garrett is the "man" of them all and enjoyed his senority! We played out in the water and he had the best aim with his water gun...the other kids really enjoyed that!

I love those guys!! Thank you Chad & Amanda for letting me come to your home just to "hang" all day. It was a good day.

Kalie posted about Kelsey today as well and it inspired me to share some cute pics. I have an adorable niece - such a teenager! I'm anxious for the future and only hope it continues to stay positive. Good luck Kelsey, stay strong! LOVE YOU!!!

My mom and Kelsey at "Love Bunco 2005"

This was at Andee's bridal shower. She "stuffed!"

Her "self portrait" face

(Plus her new haircut. That was a fun day!)

She's so stylish, I love it!