[the dotted border]

remember these guys?  thankfully it didn't rain on us again and we were able to get some good pics this time!  

i made up this mock holiday card for kicks- i'm so excited because i finally took the time to make this dotted border that i've been wanting to try and create.  yay!  wow, i laugh at what excites me.

more of this shoot here

holy toledo!  i can't keep up on everything!  as such, i decided to chop my hair off.  yep!  my dream of having zoe deshanel's hair has come to a screeching hault.  it just takes too much time.  i'm in low-maintenace mode these days.  it's kind of sad, but i'm a busy mommy and my reality is jammies 'till noon most days and a simple pair of flats.  no shame!

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[october sky]

this afternoon the girls were all about airplane rides.  you know, the ones where your tummy lies on toes and you're lifted high in the sky?  i used to love flying on my mom's feet!  

while annie and i were waiting for the big girls to come home from school, we played on the chilly grass under the warm sun.  up, up and away she went.  soaring buoyantly in the big blue sky.

alas, they're home.  sabrina's turn!  they were so cute- i had to grab the cam!

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[birth photography]

from big contractions to baby's first bath, i was able to capture it all.  oh my gosh- it was the coolest thing ever!  i'm so obsessed with birth photography.  what a rush!  
i can't wait to post more pictures here!

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[morton salt ad]

every time she wears this dress, i'm reminded of the little morton salt girl.  i just had to try & recreate this!  she thought it was pretty cool that i actually let her pour out the salt :)  

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[fall flair]: Salt Lake City Interior Design

fall is in full swing this week!  you can just taste it stepping outside.  pumpkin patches, cool crisp breezes, halloween decorations... it's all so fun and festive!  

here are a few of my favorite finds i'd like to share with you today.

this first look is from my ever so talented aunt jennifer at the quaint home!  jenn has always had impeccable taste!  every thing she touches turns to gold i swear!  these are a few pictures from her home, which btw is rockin' and will blow all the leaves off you and your neighbor's yards amazing!  yes!  she's that good!  jenn owns color, detail and design!  everything she picks out and arranges is flawless.  she just has that eye!  what i love about jenn is that she works with every style.  she doesn't just have one particular look- she has expertise in all types of decor!  

like the quaint home interior design on facebook and check out her two fall design promotions she's offering!  they're fabulous!  

image on the left via good housekeeping and right via the butlers

isn't this the most gorgeous fall dessert?  images and recipe via the sprouted kitchen

don't these two images make you want to live in the country?  left via under the sycamore and the image on the right i found on pinterest.

ahh, today is so much better than yesterday!  it's amazing what a new day can bring!

happy tuesday friends!

[ehhh]

you know when you want to smile and it's just not there?  when you're trying to be happy about doing something and it's just not happening?  that's me today.  i don't want to do anything.  i woke up feeling alright, but my three year old sure wasn't happy;  i think that's what brought on my sour mood.  she's all smiles and giggles now, why can't i be?  this could possibly be a monday issue.  usually mondays can either be awesome or not awesome.  today must be a not awesome one.  i just feel blah, & have zero motivation.  it's so annoying!  

i want to snap out of this funk!  thankfully i don't have this too often...

.

this here is my darling little nephew brett.  unlike me, he was full of energy and spontaneity when i took his picture yesterday :)

that incredibly rockin' little face of his is cheering me up as i type.  his cuteness is so contagious!  thanks little man!

what do you do to abandon the gloom? 

maybe apples & doughnuts? 

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[old schoolin' it]

so i'm kinda really diggin' this old-school/vintage style.  what do ya think?

i had to up my iso & brighten them considerably in lightroom due to mean old dark storm clouds (hence the graininess) but i like 'em.  they're kinda cool.

we were rained out gosh dang it.  it got dark and stormy fast.  here are a few of my faves i snagged before we got soaked.

are these little gents adorable or what?  they're so awesome!

these are some of my favorite people!  i grew up with henry & nelson's gorgeous mother.  we liked to watch grease and don't tell mom the babysitter's dead together :)  we call each other's dads gary. 

i remember cortney's love for michael jackson.  she taught me how to finger knit.  i'm sure she remembers a few stories about me too lol.

ah the good old days.

it was so fun to capture their darling family & catch up a bit!  thanks guys for being such great sports and your willingness to try again!  
i hope your chair isn't spotted!

p.s. love chris' rad bronco!  how much is he asking?

more pics to soon to come here 

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[save your razors]

do you go through razors like toilet paper?  we do.

yesterday on t.v. (the dr. oz show to be exact) i saw this tip.

supposedly blades dull with moisture.  most people shave and go, not drying their blades.  i leave mine in the shower.  

they claim that if you dry your blade right after use and regularly disinfect them, they can last for months!

did anyone else see this?  or have you known about this trick and haven't told me?

i am going to put it to the test.

way cool if it works!

i'll keep ya posted.

happy friday everyone!

here are a few more cool tips & tricks on oz

[don't blink]

last week i packed up the little things.  the tiny boy clothes he once wore.

back to the basement in bins they travel.  and unless i can convince sam for a fifth, they won't be used here again.  sniff sniff

  no, i think four is all we can manage!

pack up the old, pull out the new.

 where did september, august, july, june, may, april, march & february go?  don't blink!

and yes, this super tall dresser and bookshelf are both anchored securely to the wall :)  sammy style.  they aren't going anywhere!

we're loving all the little boy toys.  the girls think they're the greatest ever!

jack did not jump over the candlestick... rather, the crib rail.  yes.  shortly after i laid him down for his nap, i suddenly heard a giant THUD coming from the nursery.  

it took me about a half a second to realize what may have happened.  my heart sunk and i frantically dashed into his room.  thankfully he was crying and conscious.  i scooped up his chubby little body in my arms and quickly checked him out.  he looked good.  i gave him kisses and held him tight until he finally settled down.

he's completely fine. 

i really felt horrible... but i couldn't help myself from laughing!  did he really just do that?  did he really climb up and over?

so crazy!  we've never had an escapee this young before.  usually they're approaching 18 months before pulling such a prank.  little stinker!

we made sure to lower his mattress completely before laying him back down.

is this a boy thing or is he part primate?

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[it's kind of a funny story]

i don't even know where to begin.  it's kind of a funny story; but to be honest, i don't have the energy to write all the details. 

 it went pretty much like this:

this weekend was our 13th wedding anniversary.  it didn't go so great.  sam was late.  i was mad.

i felt like he didn't give a crap about me.  i cried.  he back peddled a bit, i still cried.  he was trying.  i was exhausted, hungry and just ticked off that he had been out waterskiing all afternoon.   yes, waterskiing with friends, or should i say "his precious work team" while i was home being a mom. 

he felt bad.  he should.  

i was confused at why i was so upset.  it wasn't even that time of the month.

i didn't ask for much, just a quiet night alone together at a restaurant.  

on his way home, he knew he was in big trouble.   he set up reservations at a really nice restaurant and tried to take me to the mall to pick out something nice for myself.

i appreciated the gesture, but i looked like a puffy-eyed scary hag.  i didn't feel like going someplace nice at all.  i barely agreed to leave the house.

we ended up at friday's and then saw a movie.

i wonder if our babysitter sensed the tension, lol.

i laugh i'm still trying to laugh about it now... after thirteen years of marriage and four kids later, i realize big fancy gifts or trips are not happening, but he was late.  

it happens to the best of us right?

this is real life people.

it's okay.  i still love him.  we'll be fine.

picture taken at strawberry reservoir while on our general conference field trip by my dad.