One Year Down

Last friday was me and my husbands one year anniversary. We celebrated by going out to dinner at Desert Edge Brewery then came home & enjoyed our cake topper (which wasn't so bad) & some fondue. We also played one of our favorite games. Mad Libs. It was perfect.

I can't believe I've been married for a year! Yet I feel like we've been married for ten. I'm so grateful to be married to such an amazing man!

Between now & Valentines, I'm going to be sharing some of my favorite stories of Drew & I. Starting tomorrow, our wedding story.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

The Elixer

This week has been such a whirlwind with the new job and everything. I've been pounding back the coffee during the day to cope with the stress of learning. Then I kick back at night with my love & a good movie to let my brain completely relax. Last night we went to Sundance Film Festival & got to partake in the goodness that was Red Light. Other than the stress, I'm loving the new job.

I just love these images. First the vintage How To makes me laugh. I'm loving the design on the coffee cups.

I hope you have a great rest of your week!

Image Sources {1, 2}

New Job Essentials

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Today is my big first day at my new job! I am excited and nervous. After being at my old job over 2 years, with no interest in it, I finally decided to move on. This new job will be a lot more work, so I'm hoping it pays off. Here's some new materials that might aid me in easing into my new position.

I'm loving this calendar.

These pens are pretty rad.

I can't get enough of these glasses from JCrew.

This laptop case is the perfect color.

Taking notes will be easier with these.

Do you have any tips on starting a new job? It's been so long since I have done this! I'm a little worried!

A Romantic Fete

I've been feeling overly sentimental lately. It might be that this time of year I celebrate my love for my husband twice, with our anniversary (one year!) & with Valentines Day. Or what I really think it is, is I have been at a loss for a good romantic movie. I haven't enjoyed a chick flick for probably over 2 months. The last one I saw being The Holiday (which is one of my favs!).

It's kind of like when you are dehydrated & can only think about getting water. I'm starved for a good love story to get all my lovey dovey feelings out. My go to's are, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Pride & Prejudice, Away We Go, Moulin Rouge & French Kiss.

Does anyone have any recommendations? What are your favorites?


You can also see this arrangement featured on one of my favorites Plain & Fancy.

Collection Covet

I'm just loving all the fabulous details & colors from No. 21 Pre Fall collection. Aren't you?

Brunch

Have you ever had one of those mornings where your friend calls & says "I'll bring the champagne & you bring the orange juice"?

I'm usually up for some of my local favorites Squatters or Eggs in the City for brunch. (Hey all you Alt Summit goers, I'm a Salt Lake native & these are definitely worth a try while you're here!) But a homemade brunch is so much more intimate & may I just say, the mimosas are a lot cheaper!

So for those fabulous mornings, throw together your favorite mix & match china, a colored table cloth & fancy glasses (I actually call them goblets). Personally, I just love the eclectic way all the patterns & colors look together! For the center piece put feathers in white milk glass. Piece of cake!

Our brunch date included coffee, mimosas, cheese bagels & personal quiches, (that are easy & quick to make). Here is my recipe:


Bacon & Ham Personal Quiche
Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup half & half
- 4 slices bacon
- 4 slices ham
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Fry bacon until cooked. Crumble. Cut up ham into small squares. Whisk eggs and half & half together. Add desired amount of salt & pepper. Divide mixture into two 3.5oz Ramekins. Add even amounts of ham & bacon to each Ramekin. Top with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 - 35 minutes or until cooked through.


I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Lessons Learned: ( & Please Share Yours!)

Blogging has been so amazing lately. I really appreciate all you readers, your comments & seeing all your amazing blogs!! I  also love getting a peek into your lives & seeing what all you creative genius's are up to. It's really pushed me creatively & I love it!

There are so many things I still have to learn and improve on, but that is what makes blogging so much fun! This year I have many goals for myself, including learning how to knit, taking better pictures & painting more.

One thing that I have learned over the past little while & would like to share with you.

Never stop creating & being inspired.

It can be really hard, especially when we get into those creative ruts. (Which I know we all have). I am always looking for a good story or something to photograph. I write all my ideas down, so I have some good back up ideas in case I'm just not feeling it. I'm also always working on some DIY project, trying a new recipe or learning something new. Most don't make it onto the blog, but it gets my creative juices flowing.

What things have you learned over your blogging ventures? I'd love to hear your tips! Please leave a comment & make sure it links back to your blog. (So we can all enjoy your creative goodness!)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

 Image Source {1}

Healthy & Easy Granola

Breakfast. It's my most skipped meal of the day. So in hopes of getting healthy this year, I decided to get a good jump start to my day & eat breakfast. I tried out this "Healthy" granola recipe & might I say, I could get used to this whole breakfast thing!

I made a double batch, so if you think this is too much, cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients:

6 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups sliced almonds with skin
1/2 cups sunflower seeds
3/4 cups of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of mild honey
2 teaspoons cinnamon


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in the middle of the oven. Spray 4-sided pan with cooking spray.

Mix the oats, almonds & sunflower seeds in large bowl. Heat vegetable oil, honey & cinnamon in the microwave for 4 minutes. Stir every 30 seconds. Stir into oat mixture.

Spread evenly on pan and bake 20 - 25 minutes, stirring every 8 - 10 minutes.

Cool granola completely in pan (I left it covered with a paper towel over night), it crisps as it cools. Stir in any dried fruit if desired.

Keep in airtight container in the fridge.

On Elegance

Do you have words that you just absolutely love? I sure do.

Elegance. Captivate. Nostalgia.

They just have a quaintness to them!

I put this arrangement together last weekend. It reminds me of something in an English Garden or part of the world of The Great Gatsby. It has the Elegance to it. Ah... I love that word!

What are you favorite words?

The Dreaded Interview

Find these items here: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}

For those of you who don't already know, I just got a new job last week! I'm very excited to be moving towards my career! But the interview process was horrible!! I didn't interview with the company just once, nor twice... but three times! It was painful!

So before my first interview I Googled "what to wear to a job interview". Let me just say, it wasn't very helpful. So here are MY tips on dressing for an interview. They worked for me!

1. Look professional.  Whether you are interviewing with a nail salon, a clothing store, a restaurant or a law firm, look sharp. Wear slacks (or dark nice jeans) & a blazer. Then dress it up or down depending on the job you're interviewing for.

2. Wear neutrals & pastels. Most of the websites I read said to wear nothing but neutrals. I have to disagree. Neutrals should make up most of your interview wardrobe, but add bits off color (you don't want to come off as boring)!  Whether it's wearing a light pink shirt or perhaps light yellow flats. Color will add a little interest to your outfit.

3. Dress modestly. This could be the most important one on my list. Don't wear anything too form fitting. Also be careful of the length of your skirt & the neckline of your shirt. They are hiring someone to represent their company & you can't be sure how conservative they are. To be safe go with a nice fitting pair of slacks & a button up.

4. Wear your best lingerie.  This might seem really silly, especially after my last tip. But it is important to feel your 100% absolute best. Undies included. Although they won't be seeing any of your lingerie (lets hope), you'll feel a difference.

5. Make a bold statement, without going too over the top. You want them to remember you, but still want to come off as professional. Wear a statement necklace (not too extreme). Or if you really want to be noticed, a fun pair of shoes. But choose only one or the other & make sure they are still classy.

What have you worn to passed interviews? Did any of these work for you?

If you have plan on getting a new job, I wish you the best of luck!

Style 2 : Day Date with Your Best Friend

 

I was so lucky to be able to spend a lot of time with my bestie Rachel during the holidays. She lives 10 hours away in Pomona, California, so our friendship consists of a lot of phone calls. It stinks! We had a lot of fun while she was in town! I just hope it's not another whole year until I see her again.

We both share a love of coffee, independent films & concerts. We can spend hours talking about life over a glass of Shiraz. We also have a lot of differences. She's the smart one (physics major!). I'm the artsy one. She's the college girl, who dates a lot of boys. I'm married. She grounds me. I help her remember to goof off once and a while. We have a fantastic friendship!

When Rachel was in town I knew I wanted to do a "style post" to show off our different styles. She has a boho style. Oversized shirts & sweaters, paired with an LBD or skinny jeans & some fabulous boots. I would say her wardrobe consists of a lot of black & neutrals. I would say I have a classic style with an eclectic twist. I wear a lot of basics like tees & skinny jeans, paired with a statement necklace, stand out shoes & a bright cardigan. My wardrobe also consists of mostly black & neutrals.

What are you and your best friend like? Do you have different styles? What makes your friendship so special?

Bright Weekend

This past week there was a huge change in my life. I got a new job & quit the job I've been with for over 2 years. When you make such a large change in your life you get a flood of emotions. I have been nervous, completely ecstatic, brave & sad. I'm excited to take my life down a new path. Here we go to! Fresh start!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Here are some links you might enjoy for your weekend web wanders.

Try out this new design tutorial.

Check out these fabulous wine bottles.

If you are up for a good laugh.

Happy birthday anyone!

If you like unique stuff, check out this store.


Image Source {1}

Nother Day, Nother DIY

Let's get our DIY on!

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2011, One Question...

I hope you all had a fabulous New Years. Unfortunately neither Drew or I felt good on New Years (we  ate something bad.) So we slept it off & had our New Years kiss at 9:00 am on New Years day.

I had a pretty great year in 2011, but I too made a few resolutions I want to share with you!

1. Become more well rounded. - I make this resolution every year, and I love to see my progress year to year. This goal means read more, watch more and learn more. I want to be a person who dabbles in a little bit of everything.

2. Keep up the work with Morlee. - The past couple months have been awesome progress and I'm ready to push it even more!

3. Continue growing my relationship with Drew. - This is also one I make every year. And every year our relationship gets a little stronger. This year I want to specifically work on being more patient and sensitive.

4. Spend more time with my siblings. - 2011, I didn't spend a whole lot of time with my siblings. Even though we only live 20 minutes from each other. I want to create a better relationship between us this year.

5. Save money. - 'Nuff said

6. Get dog number two. - I'm ready for another one!!

7. Get back into shape. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all make similar goals. I had a good eating and exercising system for most of 2011, I just need to get back into the routine!

What are your New Years resolutions?

I wish you all a fabulous 2012!!!