Easter Egg Extravaganza

So, I have been crafting again in my NEW craft room! I have wanted to make these VERY vintage inspired Easter egg centerpiece decorations for over a year and I finally decided to start them.

SO cute! I got the idea from another crafter/blogger (although I don't remember which one at the moment... I will get back to you with the link to her site). She had step by step instructions for these very dainty and beautiful eggs. They were a blast to make.

I am only half way done with the project. I have another bag of eggs to craft, but it is quite messy and time consuming, so I don't think I will get to the other half until next weekend or so.





Let me know what you think about the little beauties!

Our Deer Friends

We are excited (for now... until our flower/veggie gardens are planted) for the little family of deer that call our yard their second home. It looks like a Mamma deer and her 3 babies for now. Harrison has seen a young buck as well, but I think only once

Here are some photos Harrison snapped of the cute little things.

This is me looking at the deer through our front room window.

The New House

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure of our new abode. We are enjoying our spacious and QUIET hill very much!

This is the side of the house (South facing). The covered porch faces the BYU football staduim and we will have a perfect view of the 4th of July fireworks from here. I am planning on planting quite a few flowers on this side of the house as well.

This is the front of the house (West facing). There is a second little apartment that is on the right side of the house (over the garage and just to the left of the garage). That little space will stay empty while we live here. I have started seedlings inside and they will be ready to plant in the many flower beds around the house in a couple of weeks. I am super excited!

This is the back of the house (East facing). We would like to plant a vegetable garden on this side of the house... we will see if we get that far this spring/summer.

Thankful Thursday

Another week has come and gone... Here are the things I am thankful for:

Good News
I went to an appointment for my braces and they gave me a finish time.... 4-6 months. I am pretty happy. So, I should have these bad boys off by the end of the summer! YIPPEE.

Instant Messaging
I love instant messaging programs. I am able to stay connected with friends, family, and co workers. I don't know what I would do without it. Harrison and I talk everyday through the I.M. while he is at school and I am at work. I talk to my Mom at least once a week over the computer and I talk to some of my friends almost everyday! I love it. I take it for granted for sure.

Our Quiet Hill
So our new house is on top of a hill and there is nobody else on that hill. It is so nice to come home and not have to worry about neighbors above us, below us, or around us. It is wonderful. I am really thankful for our new place. We even started planting things in the flower beds. YAY.

Warm Weather
There were a couple of days this week with high temps in the 60's. What a wonderful treat for me. Last night it dropped back into the 30's and dumped a bit of snow on us, but I would have to say that I was so happy to wear sandals twice this last week. I can feel Spring getting closer and closer! My co-workers and I have been wearing Springtime apparel because we believe "If you wear it, it will come".

Confessions of a film critic... hardly!

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life.
Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list.Copy this list, then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, and click post at the bottom.

( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(X) Fight Club
(X) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
(X) Airplane
Total: 7

(X) The Princess Bride
(X) Anchorman
(X) Napoleon Dynamite
(X) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(X) Anger Management
(X) 50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
(X) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total: 8

(X) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(X) Scary Movie
(X) Scary Movie 2
(X) Scary Movie 3
(X) Scary Movie 4
(X) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total: 6

(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
(X) Lilo & Stitch
Total: 6

(X) Finding Nemo
(X) Finding Neverland
(X) Signs
(X) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
(X) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(X) 13 Going on 30
(X) I, Robot
(X) Robots
Total: 8

(X) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
(X) King Pin
(X) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
(X) Meet the Fockers
(X) Eight Crazy Nights
(X) Joe Dirt
(X) KING KONG
Total: 8

(X) A Cinderella Story
(X) The Terminal
(X) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
(X) Passport to Paris
(X) Dumb & Dumber
(X) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
(X) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(X) Flubber
Total: 8

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(X) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
(X) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total: 3

(X) The Day After Tomorrow
(X) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(X) Ten Things I Hate About You
(X) Just Married
(X) Gothika
(X) Nightmare on Elm Street
( ) Sixteen Candles
(X) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total: 8

(X) Bad Boys
(X) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Slevin
(X) Ocean's Eleven
(X) Ocean's Twelve
(X) Bourne Identity
(X) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(X) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total: 7

(X) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(X) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
(X) My Bosses Daughter
( ) Maid in Manhattan
(X) War of the Worlds
(X) Rush Hour
(X) Rush Hour 2
Total: 6

( ) Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(X) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(X) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
( ) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
Total: 6

(X) X-Men
(X) X-2
(X) X-3
(X) Spider-Man
( ) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
(X) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
(X) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
( ) Shrek 2
Total: 10

( ) Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
(X) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
(X) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total: 3

(X) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(X) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total: 6

( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(X) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
(X) American History X
( ) Three
Total: 1

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total: 3

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(X) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
( ) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(X) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(X) Waterworld
Total: 4

( ) Kill Bill vol 1
( ) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total: 0

(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
( )Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For EndorTotal so far: 96
( ) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix Reloaded
( ) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
( ) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal
Total: 4

( ) Dirty Harry
( ) Magnum Force
( ) The Enforcer
( ) Sudden Impact
( ) The Dead Pool
( ) Every Which Way But Loose
Total: 0

(X) The Blues Brothers
(X) Ferris Bueller's Day Off
( ) Rent
(X) Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
(X) The Untouchables
Total: 4

Now Add them up and...TOTAL- 116

Who says I don't have a life? I am just cultrally enriched.

Oscar Fashion Yay and Nay in my book

It was the best of times


Sarah Jessica Parker

Her "nearly mint" gown as she referred to it was AMAZING. So flattering on her. The bodice is so pretty!

Marisa Tomei

Everything is perfect about this! Look at all the HAND PLEATED pleats. So amazing!

Queen Latifa

It seems like she always gets it right. This gown is so pretty and the color is such eye candy!

Kate Winslet

I don't even know what to call the color on her dress. So beautiful. I love how there is minimal accessories so all you see is her amazing dress.

Penelope Cruz

OK, this is my FAVORITE!!!!!! So amazing! She looks like a princess for real! I love everything about this dress and about her jewelry! MAMA LIKE!

It was the worst of times!

Miley Cyrus

What the crap? It looks like something from under the DEEP sea!

Tilda Swinton

Its a shame that she is such an amazing actress yet her fashion is always awful!

Heidi Klum

What the crap was she thinking? Her fake bake is awful and her hair looks like she just got out of the shower. The cut and color of the dress is not for her!

Jessica Biel

It seriously looks like she took the sheet off of her bed and tied a few knots in it. So sad.

Allen, Shupe, Owens, Bivens, McDonald-Davis Family Fun Night!

Well this last Sunday we had Harrison's side of the family over... sort of. Well, Harrison's brother, Nick, is married to Joy. Joy has a lot of sisters. Most of her sisters live here in Utah. Those sisters have become pretty much our family too even though we are not blood relation! We enjoy them all! So, we had them all over for the monthly family dinner. Well, of course we had to set up the camera and lighting and snap some photos of our kin.

Here are some test photos we took and the only guinea pig was.... me.... so here is ME....






I just can't get over how freaking cute my niece is! I pretty much want to eat her up! In an Obama supporting baby-eating sort of way (sorry to all of you who do not understand this very innocent and very inside joke)

Emily and Geoff

Melanie and Taylor

Shawn, April, Hailey, and baby on the way

Nick, Joy, Eli, Gabbs, and baby on the way

Harrison and Jaala

We had lots of fun. If I had planned a little better, I would have totally had an Oscar themed party since the Academy Awards were on that night! Way to drop the ball, I know!

We love our families, no matter how non-blood related they are! YAY!

Gladden Family Fun Night!

Well, this last Sunday I had the "Utah" family over. We had so much fun. Harrison and I broke out the studio lighting and took some photos of all of us (minus Harrison since he was the photographer). There were tons of candid shots. I don't really need to explain a lot of them. They are what they are... funny!

Bryce being a gangsta like his older cousins

This was supposed to be our Abercrombie and Fitch shot.... oh well

I think Lisa stinks!

Love means many things

OK, this one I have to explain. Lisa, Vermil, and I put on really red lipstick for some of our pictures. Well we were dorking around and all of the sudden Uncle Bryant comes from around the corner with lipstick on too! We all about died! This shot is priceless. You couldn't recreate this shot if you wanted. It was so funny!

We told Bryce to kiss his daddy but it looks like he is telling his daddy secrets.

Needless to say, it was a good time. It was fun to try out the lights and figure things out. Most of all, it was fun spending time with family! Family is so important to me. The bonds we share as family should always stay strong... through good times and bad times. Life is too short to be mad at each other. There is only time for love.... and red lipstick!

I love you family! I really do!

What the shiz?

Well, some very interesting things have happened in my world of eclectic, cozy, and shabby world of decore and lifestyle. At the end of last year (2008) I found out that a couple of awesome mag's were not going to be printed anymore (Mary Englebreit's line of fab. reading to name some). I currently have a subscription to Country Living (thanks Jane for the awesome Christmas gift of that) and I haven't seen my February issue.... I didn't get ANY cute and amazing ideas for Valentines Day.... is this magazine gone with the wind as well?

The worst part of this spiral down is that Shabby Chic filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy a few weeks ago. Poor Rachel Ashwell. She is such an inspiration to me. Everything about her and her style of living intrigues me. I also order from a cute little online store called One Hundred Wishes who is also scaling down quite a bit as of late. I can't find or order all of the amazing little notions that I have in the past. I just hope I can still find places and things to read that still inspire me!

Shabby Chic.... May you rest in peace.

OK, I think I am done sulking.

Thankful Thursday even though it is Wednesday

I need a pick me up today.... it's a downer of a day. So, Thankful Thursday... since it will be Thursday in like 4 hours anyway!

Good News
Who doesn't like it? I had some good news today... I calculated my raise for the year! A whole 18 cents. HA! The company is focusing on big bonuses and not big raises. But as a co-worker of mine says "It is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!" Aint that the truth?

Sleeping
I have finally been sleeping through the night thanks to White Noise (click here for link) and some amazing anxiety meds that I have been prescribed. An entire week with at least 6 hours. It's a Christmas miracle.

Post Its
They are the handiest things EVER! I seriously use like 40 a day. That is NO exaggeration what so ever! Have you seen the SUPER STICKY ones? They stick to just about everything... including the back of someones shirt with an obscene word on it!

Belly Laughs
I need one everyday! I need somebody to make me laugh so hard that a tear may fall. I love a good belly laugh and I have had quite a few lately.

Boylan Soda
Harrison and I discovered this gourmet soda at the grocery store the other day! It is delicious to the taste and very desirable by those who partake of such a wonderful creation of man. And the best part is... the glass bottles it comes in are so cute and I am keeping them to put some spring and summer blossoms in and keep them as vases! So cute.... and how environmentally friendly I am being.

Well to end this blog post... I need to apologize to my sister in law Robyn. I have copied her blog look. But I SWEAR I did it before I knew she did! The background is so freaking cute... I had to pick it... and then I read her blog and realized she had the same. Maybe it is true that great minds think alike!

YAY.... another addition of Thankful Thursday. Hey... comment on some of these posts. I would love to know if anybody reads this totally random crap that we post on the "Inter-web".

Peace out!