More than Life

Colors of the Season

2011-10-25T21:56:00.001-06:00

I find that I wear mostly grey, brown, white, blue and green. Not too adventurous. I wear a lot of colors that reflect my surroundings, I guess, and Utah isn't really THAT colorful of a place. Until now. Autumn in Utah is beautiful. The scrub oak and Aspens on the mountain sides are full of color. It really makes me want to look more like them:

Climbing Indian Creek

2011-10-24T07:04:00.000-06:00

Landon had his fall break after Woody's wedding. So I took a few days off of work and we headed into the desert.

Indian Creek is just outside of Moab, UT, and is a world-class climbing destination. We are fortunate to have the Creek just a few hours from Salt Lake City. The thought of spending 4 days in the desert was never very appealing to me. Landon went climbing at the Creek during his fall break last year and his stories and pictures convinced me that I would probably survive.

The thing that is so amazing about climbing Indian Creek is that the park is miles and miles of sandstone cliffs with huge cracks reaching up into the sky. "Crack Climbing" is a specialized type of climbing that I am very NOT accustomed to. It involves "jamming", which pretty much just means cramming your hands into the cracks until they get jammed and pulling yourself up on that jam while you cram your next hand into a jam. Because of his, every morning we taped the backs of our hands so that we wouldn't rip our skin off. Watch a bit of the video below to get an idea of what I mean.

Here's a video of Alex Honnold climbing in Indian Creek

We both left with rock-burns on our fingers and landon's entire fore-arm was raw and is still healing (although he's climbing the Wasatch as we speak). It is a more painful kind of climbing but also very fun and challenging. 4 days of climbing was too much for me - i couldn't even do easier climbs come Sunday morning - my body was absolutely fried. A lot of people spend several weeks at a time climbing at the Creek. There are hundreds and hundreds of cracks. It never ends.

We camped next to a wonderful Swiss-German man that was traveling around the U.S. for 4 weeks looking to go climbing. So we climbed with him for a few days. Here's a glimpse of some more crack.

We tried to keep Duvick in the shade as much as possible. Even though it was Autumn, it was still in the 80's during the days, which was only magnified as the heat was radiated off of the rocks. Hot.

Dooney sorting our the gear. Notice the dirt - we were in the desert after all.

Sunset from our camp site.

Dooney and Adrian. There is a river that runs through the middle of the park that is a wellspring for Cottonwoods. Kind of beautiful.

Sorry no pics of Doons climbing - he is the real rock star. But when he climbs, he is not hooked into the anchors as I am, so I don't take a chance to take a shot of him. He took one whipper on his very first climb which made both of us a little more careful for the rest of the trip.

Thumbs up on my way down. Had just sent my first 5.11, which in climbing world, is nothing. But in Hannah world, it's epic.

We found a crack in a cave. It was awesome.

Eating lunch beside the stream.

We arrived home Sunday with our beautiful car, all of our possessions, and our own bodies covered in a crust of red desert dust. Dirty and exhausted, we were happy to be home. Although, Landon was itchin to get back out there. We both a a great time and Duvick slept for 2 days straight.

Ushering in Autumn

2011-10-22T16:17:00.001-06:00

I'm REALLY enjoying a relaxing Saturday.

I'm getting our Autumn up in here: Pumpkins, Halloween decor, McBrayer Caramels, and rotating my closet from summer clothes to winter clothes.

Two weekends ago we had a wonderful opportunity to watch Landon's childhood friend marry his beautiful bride. It was a wonderful occasion. Landon was honored and grateful to stand beside Woody as he married Caitlin. We both really were blessed to be surrounded by a group of loving Christians - I was overwhelmed with that feeling of spiritual unity - it has been awhile since we have been in a community like that.

We also got to see some of our long-lost friends that are very close to our heart despite our distance. They are our only friends that are really in our same season of life. We have a lot in common and we have a lot of history together. We were so blessed to spend a morning with them in Dallas. We love the Franzens!

Things I'm Loving Lately

2011-10-03T22:10:00.000-06:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows or for those of you less familiar - the final book in the 7 book series. I've loved reading Harry Potter.

And, I think that Emma Watson is so freakin adorable:

Fall is here.

Running. I'm still running about 3 miles at a time. But I've also been incorporating some extra leg-strengthening exercises to prepare myself for ski season.

Anticipating ski season. We just traded in our first-never-born child for ski passes. I've been literally dreaming about the taste of snow. I know it sounds ridiculous, but i just love love love the snow and the fun it brings.

Pinterest. All of my brilliant friends have the greatest taste and best ideas. I'm loving receiving your DIY crafts, recipes, and fashion tips through an online pin-board of beautiful pictures. If you want an invitation, let me know. It's really fun to glean ideas from friends.

Eating tomatoes from my own "garden".We planted toms and herbs on the fence this year. I think the greatest harvest was probably the wealth of knowledge of how not to plant a garden, but we got some yummies out of it too.

Trying new hair styles. It really is fun to try new things - I don't get creative enough with my hair. My friends have posted a lot of neat style ideas on Pinterest, which had me wearing my hair in a different way each day last week (usually just do a french braid or pony tail). Even check out how I wore my hair climbing this weekend in the pic of me above.

2011-09-29T18:30:00.001-06:00

Notch Lake

2011-09-26T07:04:00.002-06:00

Another beautiful weekend was spent in the Unitas. Truthfully, we were skiing in the Uintas all the way into June (they didn't even get to plowing the road until June), so we couldn't do any over-nighters in the local mountains until late summer because everything was still covered in snow up there until mid-July.

The mountains here are extremely accessible. We can drive for 45 minutes and be at a trail head off the Mirror Lake Highway that runs from Salt Lake to Wyoming right through the heart of the Uinta Mountains.

We have climbed/backpacked to Ruth Lake in the past and we love it - very beautiful area. So we decided to hike to one of the other many lakes that are in that similar area. Notch Lake was a very easy 1.5 mile hike slightly downhill (not kidding - more difficult to hike out than in!).

Notch Lake itself was beautiful and less crowded than Ruth Lake. And the rocks there actually are in the sun for a good amount of the day, so it's a much warmer climbing destination than Ruth Lake, which is in the shade year-around.

I took this picture immediately upon waking. I just can't believe that we have beautiful experiences like this all of the time right here near our home. I had someone message me this summer and ask about all of the "exotic" places that we are always visiting. She thought I had a gazillion vacation days (or was unemployed). I explained to her that all of these places are just weekend destinations within an hour or so from our house. She couldn't believe it.

It never rained on us

They love each other

Duvick didn't sleep a wink the entire time.

We put our tent right on the edge of the lake.

I even went for a quick (and extremely cold) swim after an afternoon of rock climbing.

The tent was also right on the edge of the climbing cliffs. We could walk up and do a few climbs, swim in the lake, climb some more, eat lunch, climb, etc.... Can you imagine anything better? (besides, maybe, skiing?)

A lot of the climbing was steep and juggy so I had a more difficult time with it since i am a weakling, but i just love to watch dooney send these climbs - he's a really incredible climber.

He thinks he's a mountain goat.

Duves slept for 2 days straight once we got home.

City of Rocks State Park

2011-09-23T19:01:00.004-06:00

This summer was different than any others.

#1: we didn't move. This freed up a lot of time.

#2 Husband taught a summer class

#3 I continue to work 40 hours a week

With this being the first time (ever - not kidding - EVER) that either of us have had a 40/week 9-5 job during the summer, we didn't make it to Georgia or Colorado for weeks like we usually hope to. Instead, we made some weekend escapes to some fun places nearer Salt Lake City.

We took a 3 day weekend to City of Rocks State Park, Idaho (3hr drive) for some amazing rock climbing. The rock there was beautiful. It was nice and cool. The climbing was extremely accessible (read - not much hiking) and the camping was spread out and secluded but in designated spots (read - not much hiking). Which made for a fun trip full of relaxation and enjoying being together.

Looks like a climbers paradise, eh? it was!

Seeing the snow up there made me wonder if we could bring our skis next time. Probably not. Very pretty though, huh?

As a novice birder, I do get excited to see birds that I am familiar with in the wild. We saw plenty of Turkey Vultures. They were lovely.

Doons setting up a rappel. Isn't the rock beautiful?

Of course, I had to get one of my boys being "loving", as we call it. Duvick LOOOOOVES being outside: camping, hiking, skiing, and rock climbing are his favorites. He's in the right family.

2011-09-10T16:57:00.000-06:00

and because i don't really like to leave the blog with 666 posts, here is 667 just to make me feel better. i'm not weird.

Just a teaser for a post coming soon:

Putting food on the table

2011-09-10T16:48:00.000-06:00

The husband is now back in the full swing of classes and homework and reading and paper writing and homework, and more, etc.... So his wife is back in the kitchen.

This means that I need your recipes. PLEASE. Dooney is amazing at choosing recipes and going to the grocery store - it'll take an entire hour out of his day. Just now I realized that I've been looking through recipes for 30 minutes and I only have a chicken salad picked out - gimme a break. I truly suck at this. So, I was thinking that if you could just leave a link to an online recipe that you enjoy, it would really help me out. Because I know I can count on you.

And to make this a fair trade, I am sharing our favorite recipe with you. This is our go-to meal. We started eating it every Sunday during ski season because it's quick and easy and we always have the ingredients in the kitchen. and after a weekend on the slopes, the last thing you want to do is pick your brain for tonight's menu, grocery shopping, and preparing a meal. So this is what we have. It's delicious, cheap, vegetarian, and easy and most of the ingredients come from your cabinet (not your refrigerator) so I always keep my pantry stocked with these things.

It comes from a childhood friend of mine's sister's blog. Ha! Who is an amazing homemaker with a large family. So this recipe makes enough for 3 meals for us and it's just as yummy as leftovers. (thanks, Kristen, you are a life saver!)

Here it is:

Rice and Bean Wrap by the Hopeful Homemaker

You should just click on the name of this recipe to go to her website. She does such a good job with her instructions. You know, Pioneer Woman style. Just trust me.

(her picture)

2011-08-29T22:07:00.004-06:00

Well, we are still in the dog days of summer - with record breaking temps last week up to 98 and 99 degrees a few days. Just nuts. With these temps and school finally in session, my evenings have been less busy (read: we're not out every night playing in the mountains).

Doons is back at school and is completely submerged already. He is delivering a paper in London in two weeks, has constructed his comp. committee and is hard at work perfecting that paper, taking classes and is teaching "God Faith and Reason" again this semester. I think he is finding it more and more rewarding (my take, not his). He even ran into an old student of his in his department and asked her how her summer was and what she was doing there. She told him that she loved his class so much that she was officially changing her major to philosophy. Wow! The hubs is truly making an impact in the lives of his students - it's awesome. Now that the U is part of the PAC-12 i'm hoping he can hooks us with some football tickets this season.

Every year around this time i get antsy for Autumn. "Why can't you just appreciate things the way that they are instead of wishing they were different", the hubs asked me last week (or he said something very very close to that). I don't always wish for things to change, I really am content here. The only thing that kills me every year is August and September. With school starting it feels like it should be fall but in reality we are far from cooler weather. Last year we didn't get much of a fall at all, with the massive snow we had in October and the high temps in September. It was nuts. I'm hoping for some beautiful Autumn this year, but I certainly will not complain if snow comes instead.

I've been running a lot. Which I am loving. Really loving. And i'm trying to throw in quirky leg strength exercises so that my body can transition to the slopes a little easier and more quickly this ski season.

I was browsing my blog in the crafty section last week while I was looking for a pattern for something...and i missed the crafty part of my life. Once the evenings get dark, I will be inside and putting together some fun stuff, I'm hoping. But as long as the sun is shining, I find it difficult to abandon the day to the inside world. And, as you know, I love to share my crafts with you, so you should see some more blogging as the summer wanes. I know, I know, I keep telling you that I will have a presence once again in this good 'ol blog. And truthfully, the only reason I am writing this right now is because the husband practically made me. But he knows what is good for me. And he knows that I love it (and love you).

There are two things I will blog about in the next few weeks (see, i'm being realistic): My 10 year reunion - i know you want to hear about it! And some of our summer adventures. So that will happen. And I won't forget.

I had a talk with a friend at work last week about grace. "I've never thought to ask a religious person this question," she said, "what is your definition of grace?" This moved us into a discussion that was interesting for the both of us. My version of grace (undeserved favor) was pretty different from hers (an elaborate gift) but both compliment the other, especially in regarding the grace that we have received from God through Jesus Christ. It's amazing, that in my work culture (agnostic/atheist, mostly), when I speak about my faith and my beliefs, I for the first time hear my own words unfiltered by the religions culture that I always took for granted. Faith means something completely different here than anywhere else I have lived. And every time I speak of it, I must start with very raw definitions - never taking for granted that anyone knows what I mean when I use religious language. Everything needs to be deconstructed first or else I am completely misunderstood. It's a challenge. But it makes me unpack my religion into it's segmented parts and survey and scrutinize everything at a very basic and raw level. I am grateful that I follow a God that is not packaged into religious terminology and heightened emotions of his followers. God remains completely God without me, without you, without music or tithing or philosophy or church or science or mountains or religious ceremony and experience. and I am nothing without Him.

recap:

2011-08-16T18:02:00.000-06:00

Colorado. Backpacking. Dad. Fun. Turkey Vultures. Rock Climbing. DelGrossos. Babies. Beer. Fondue. Putt putt. Elk. Littleton. Hair Cut. TEN YEAR REUNION. Roxborough State Park. Mom. Fishing. Landon rescued a Horse. Columbine. Dogs. Janelle. Shopping. Running. Platte River. Road Trip. Landon. Relient K. Farmers Market. Memories. Coffee. Mosquitoes. Grandma. Clear Creek. I70. Buffalo. Picnic. Black Dress. Frozen Yogurt. Family Pictures. Buddies with Babies. Love.

2011-07-28T19:05:00.003-06:00

I'm sure you've seen this. I saw it recently via the blog world and I thought it was awesome. It made me feel good about taking the little blogging break that I did. I love to blog. Simply because I love you and I want you to KNOW and feel that although we left you so very long ago, we still want you to be in our lives. Or, I guess, we still want to be in yours.

That's why i blog. My first blog, i began when I left CO 10 years ago for college in California. Then, for my friends in CA that I left behind, I blogged when I returned to CO. Then... well, you've maybe been following since we lived in Kenya, then CO, then Illinois, and now we are beginning our 3rd year in Utah. So, you see, we do a lot of leaving which translates to the never-ending blog. Neither of us have lived in our home towns since we graduated high school and Landon has been especially far away from GA loved ones (which are now my loved ones just as much!).

So I do feel obligated to blog. But I also LOVE it because I so dearly love you and feel like this ties us somehow...

But sometimes.... I find myself enjoying something and needing to document it with detailed step-by-step pictures for the blog. Or, I am in an amazing moment and without noticing, I realize I am drafting a post here on the blogosphere. How dumb. Life is not for sharing online to those you love and miss. Life is to live and love and enjoy and learn. And i honestly sort of lneeded a few months of keeping every little thing to myself - everything non-consequential and everything brilliant. My thoughts were only for me and my life was something that I reserved for my husband and I.

And I missed you. Honestly, I did. But it was also good for me to just go out and live a bit (or a lot - we've been having a heck of a good time!) without writing it down.

I love you though (have I made that clear?), dear family and friends that we never see... We both love you.

New Dress a Day

2011-07-26T18:52:00.000-06:00

So this woman is brilliant.

Crafty, on a budget, and with a thirst for style, this chica buys a dress from the thrift store for each day and makes it into something fashionable and wearable. And she shares it on her fantastic blog: new dress a day.

Here's just a taste:

before

after

Pretty inspiring. Don't know how she does it again and again.

Harry Potter is kind of a big deal around here

2011-07-24T18:40:00.000-06:00

Doons and I were not two of the bazillion people to see the midnight showing of the final "Harry Potter" movie (we're way too old for that kind of thing these days!). But we do love the movies, and we saw it opening week. And in order to get us ready, I made us t-shirts of the Deathly Hallows.

(oopsie, dooney's is a little crooked)

It was easy. I just printed out a Deathly Hallows symbol that I found on the internet.

Then I took FREEZER PAPER and traced the symbol onto it and cut it out exactly.

Did you know that freezer paper can be ironed on to fabric easily? It can. It was my stencil.

I painted a couple layers of white fabric paint within my stencil and the next day I just peeled the freezer paper off of the tshirt. Very easy.

Wait.

Before you think I'm too awesome, you must know that I simply followed Dana's instructions. Her tutorials rock.

And that's pretty much the only craft I've done in the past two months.

2011-07-19T08:35:00.000-06:00

It's been a long while since I've been blogging. I've been busy working and having fun, honestly. And just feeling unmotivated because of my lack of blogging ideas and I haven't been taking pictures much this year.

so.... I'm going to try to do this again. No, no, no - i'm going to DO this again. But maybe just a few days a week instead of every day. And to start things off easy, I'm going to share some things that I found online that matter to me. That way I don't have to be too original just yet ;). But we'll get personal soon.

If you actually are reading this - YOU ARE AMAZING - for sticking with me. You truly are. THANK YOU!

2011-07-18T16:56:00.000-06:00

Things I'm Loving Lately

2011-05-14T20:44:00.002-06:00

Well, spring brings a whole new assortment of things to love. Here's just a few of what i'm loving lately:

Wearing White Eyelet

"Friday Night Lights"

I just started watching this show in instant Netflix. It's awesome.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

This has been one of my top five favorite books for the last five years and I thought it was about time to pick it up again. And I'm loving it even more upon the second reading.

Sleeping with the Windows open

Having home-grown (and birthday) flowers in the house

Seeing the birds come to life at the Aviary - chicks all over the place and beautiful mating displays. It's awesome. (photo by Anna McBrayer)

Riding my bike to work

Spring Skiing

For those who grieve...

2011-04-20T06:25:00.001-06:00

I wanted to share this song with you today. I was in a band in high school that was formed right after the shooting at Columbine and God really used singing, the fellowship and the amazing fun with those guys as a huge agent of healing in my life. This song is a song we would do at our gigs. One reason I like it so much is that although it was written about and for students at Columbine, it is not written about the shooting itself, but about the process of healing and grief. After moving away, now several years later, this is the only song from that year in the band that I can remember enough to play.

Brick by Brick (written by Blair Thompson)

Brick by brick, tearing down the wall
Stone by stone, rebuilding it in its place.
Mile by mile, down a dark and drifting hall
Step by step, backwards into space.

It's like pouring salt on already aching wounds
Cutting back a flower that was just starting to bloom

And Oh Lord, is this the peace that I've been seeking
Just to know that I'm falling once again?
Is this the moment that I'm reaching
Just to know that I'm screaming at the wind?

Word by word, destroying the broken
Tear by tear, stripping them dry.
More and more, finding nothing can by spoken
Tear by tear, watching them cry.

It's returning to darkness when the light was just getting bright
Already losing without putting up a fight

And Oh Lord, is this the peace that I've been seeking

Just to know that I'm falling once again?

Is this the moment that I'm reaching

Just to know that I'm screaming at the wind?

The Faithful vs. the Reasonable

2011-04-18T10:50:00.004-06:00

I've been wanting to blog on this for months now. And this will NOT even graze the issue, but I want to address it anyway.

Here in Salt Lake City, the religious vs. non-religious dichotomy is numbing. The religious culture and the anti/non religious cultures are the two predominant cultures here in the city. One is a backlash from the other. In Kaysville (where we lived our first year here), we lived in a town that was highly Mormon. I never even saw a different culture besides the religious, except that I felt that I didn't belong.

Here is how the two predominant cultures seem to view each other:
There are "religious" people (Mormons) who are seen by most as boring and judgmental and only care about money, trends, procreation, and each other. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the environmentalists - those who perceived as staunch atheists, a backlash from the Mormon culture who care only for parties, green living, and social reform. One group is "Faith" the other, "Reason", and there is no overlap without compromise and lack of devotion.

I am personally very committed to both faith and to reason and can not understand or achieve one without the other (not the "Faith" and "Reason" categories mentioned above, but actual faith and reason). I don't understand how the majority of the people here will pursue faith and reject reason or pursue reason without any compulsion to believe.

At work, a coworker and I were talking. She asked me about my cross-cultural experience. I told her I was a missionary. "But you have a nose ring," she said. "Are you still religious?" I explained to her that I was not on a Mormon mission. I told her that I believe in evolution, environmental stewardship, and a loving Christian God. "So in other words," she said, "you believe in a God with intelligence?" I was so surprised that my version of belief was so far-fetched to her.

Is it really impossible for people to see that there is the possibility of a Creator who loves us and whose glory is revealed in his unique and diverse creation of which we are made stewards? That he is the same in his love and forgiveness as he is in his power and justice? Is it too impossible to believe in a supreme deity that wants us to ask questions always, arriving at a true belief - one that is not blind or coerced? I do not believe in "blind faith". Our God is so real, that knowledge of him can be achieved with eyes wide open, with deep prodding questions.

Neither "Faith" nor "Reason" should be clung to blindly in retaliation of the other.

funny face shots

2011-04-15T08:08:00.000-06:00

dooney's new facial 'do.

i have a hard time taking him seriously.

Although he looks like a Civil War Soldier and a Ski Bum, he's actually working really hard and accomplishing his dreams.

I dressed up to go to a nice Gala last night.

and sported a goggle tan the whole time.

Amazing.

2011-04-13T18:34:00.002-06:00

Free live streaming by Ustream

Aging.

2011-04-11T21:35:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I found a gray hair.

Both Duvick and Dooney have gray hairs - maybe it's contagious?

Probably not.

The wrinkles that develop on my face while I'm skiing - a product of smooshy goggles and smiling cheeks - stay for the rest of the day. Where has my skin's elasticity run off to? I think it jumped ship in my mid 20's

I fear aging. And I'm not sure why; the women that I know that are older than me are amazing and beautiful and wonderful - and that might be part of the reason why.... I'm afraid that I'm not who I should be by now. Heck, I am right where I was when I was 20, except a little more in debt, a little wrinklier, less introspective, more cynical and a no clue about where my life is headed. Not sure why 8 more years doesn't bring me more wisdom, more direction, more certainty, but it hasn't. I think that's why getting older is scary for me.

And time passes quickly. Very quickly. The deeper I drift into life, the faster the pace picks up and I'm just spinning through the days one right after the other...

Yeah, I don't really feel like swirling through time. This day is just fine. If I could just stay in this day for a few days - figure some things out before time is wasted on things that don't matter. Hm.. Seems like I have quite a task ahead of me if I want to be a better self before I'm 30...

Feather extensions

2011-04-04T06:38:00.000-06:00

When my girl, Lindsey was visiting she told me about feather hair extensions. Apparently they are the rage in Colorado - I had no idea.

I've been doing some googling and looking on etsy too, and I loooove this idea!! Just love it.

Maybe some day I will have the guts/vanity to put these in my own hair.

Spring in Sugarhouse

2011-04-02T15:54:00.000-06:00

In the last 3 days, Spring has announced its arrival here in Sugarhouse.

Three days with temps between 55-70 makes it hard to deny (and loathe) the coming of spring. I have been dreading spring. I am a cold weather person in general (i MELT in the summer) and I especially love fleece socks, mittens and sweaters - my most favorite things in my wardrobe besides Chacos. And need I even mention....skiing? Yeah, I've been dreading the end of ski season, seriously sad to even think of it.

Yesterday I went running at the park in SHORTS - the first time my legs have seen the sun in at least 6 months. But we all are pasty-white out here, no shame in that! These beautiful days have me kind of loving spring, though. How can a person loathe sunshine and flowers? Even though I know that the snow is getting slushy and slippery and ski days are numbered, I have really been loving these last few days. I am amazed at the resiliency of nature - each spring I am just reminded so much of God's power, creativity and faithfulness. We are new in Him, a new creation! I am so grateful.

Here are some signs of spring around here:

these are my 2011 Chaco's that I got from the husband for Christmas this year. By the way, can you please pretend that I got this pic off the internet and that is not actually my foot? K? Thanks.

My flowers are blooming! Every house we've lived in these last 4 years, I have planted perennials in the fall and anticipate them all winter long. I love that Dooney and I leave a tiny beautiful legacy of flowers in each place that we live - I hope that we live our lives that way too. Well, here they are this year and I LOVE THEM!! They make me so very happy.

Yesterday I busted out the tank-top. Isn't that crazy!? And all of my other warm-weather clothes are stowed away in a box in the basement (we only have one itty bitty closet in the house so it must contain seasonally appropriate clothes only). So..... I put together this 20-minute skirt this morning (tutorial from Ruffles And Stuff). Not sure what I think of it yet, but I love the large print and the gray and yellow. Loving gray lately, actually, which seriously surprises me.

Speaking of which:

I'm trying out this fingernail polish color and I THINK IT"S AWESOME!!!!

Bed Head

2011-03-28T21:29:00.001-06:00

Lately, as I have been getting to work at 7am, I have been taking showers at night instead of in the morning. Instead of styling my hair after my evening shower and hoping it still looks good the next day, I've been doing something else much easier.

After my hair air-dries for about 30 minutes, I stick it up. I usually do a couple of french braids. Although the last few nights I have used the bobby-pins to stick strands of hair into little curls - it only takes a few minutes. It doesn't bother me to sleep in wet or pined/braided hair and it's awesome to wake up in the morning and just unbraid/unpin my hair while i'm eating breakfast. Easiest morning routine ever! And I actually like the way my hair usually looks, too.

If you look at yesterday's picture, you will see what the pinning looked like from the front. Here is the back:

Don't worry, i don't wear my hair like this to work. When I wake up, my hair is all over the place anyway, so I always take it down.

Goggle goons

2011-03-27T21:46:00.000-06:00

Dooney and I intercepted a little bit of sun today on the slopes.

He insists that my burn is worse than his and wanted me to post it on the good 'ol blog for votes. After he, himself, saw these two pictures together he surrendered to admit that his, in fact, is much worse than mine. Blue bird powder days are the best days - so grateful for such a beautiful day! Usually we put on sunscreen when we are expecting sun, but today it surprised us.

Nothing New

2011-03-27T18:36:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posting and THANK YOU for the sweet comments on my blog post last week.

Nothing much new is going on here. Work and skiing dominate our lives for the most part, which is a nice balance to attempt to maintain.

We had a wonderful friend come and visit for a few days last week, which was great.

Landon's been on Spring break and the mountain received FOUR FEET of snow in the last week, so we have been loving that. Today was one of the first days that I feel like I have been able to ski powder well. I had about 5 major spills and was extremely exhausted by 2pm, but besides that, i felt like i was floating on a cloud most of the day. It was amazing!

I went to a baby shower of a girlfriend yesterday. It was nice to spend time with women and celebrate her and her coming-soon baby girl! I've spent several hours during my evenings these last couple of weeks sewing for her shower. I was very happy with the way that things turned out. And wow, baby onesies are not easy to work with - so very tiny!

Here are a few tutorials for some of the baby things that I made:

Boppy Cover from Vanilla Joy

Burp Cloths from diapers from Sew She Sews

Pacifier Clips from Dana @ MADE

Finding the Sweet Life

2011-03-19T13:56:00.003-06:00

I've touched a bit on my thoughts about being back to working at a "normal" job. I LOVE working at Tracy Aviary, I think that's pretty apparent. I love my job there and I am very grateful for it.

McBrayer powder boards

Although, working 8 hours 5 days a week during all the daylight the day has to offer is conflicting in me. Whenever I mention this to family members they say something like, "welcome to the real world", or something along those lines. And I just pity them all in thinking that every life is lived a certain way when it is lived in a "responsible" "adult" fashion. Working a job that sucks the daylight out of 5 of 7 days is my choice - and it is also theirs.

So I don't complain about having to work 5 days of the week, I'm just evaluating this lifestyle and deciding if it is for me. Although my work, I believe, is valuable to society and is valuable to me, it is not as valuable to me as other things in my life. And so I have a difficult time justifying sacrificing time with the things that are of the highest priority for that which is also valuable, but lesser so. But the irony is that those things might be difficult to maintain without the support of a "regular" job. Like, I would love to ski every day, but I can't support a ski habit without an income (and some health insurance just to be safe!). I'm not considering leaving my job (does it sound that way?) because I LOVE it and I NEED it. I'm just trying to figure out how to make it work...

This week, I put in 40 hours in only 4 days instead of 5. It wasn't the best week to start because of day-light-savings and some evening work-related activities. Just as it took my body a little bit of time to get used to working 5 days 9-5, it will take a little bit of time to adjust to this schedule. I am just SO GRATEFUL that I have the opportunity to choose this kind of schedule. My boss and my employer are wonderful.

So one extra ENTIRE day to spend with my student-husband, puppy dog, and Rocky Mountains. Mmmm, the sweet things in life...

2011-03-13T17:24:00.002-06:00

Tuesday morning we woke to this luxury of white.

Today it's in the 50's and gloriously hinting at spring. Yet, Doons and I are hoping for some more snow around here. We still have two months of skiing (we're hoping!)

And on that morning, I discovered these:

The dirt is frozen solid and rock hard.

I am amazed at the grace and resilience

that God gives living things.

I am grateful that I am among them.

From the archives

2011-03-10T18:56:00.002-07:00

These are pictures that I have saved on my computer. They have all been on here for many many years. Whenever I do a clean of the computer (which isn't too often, but has been done recently), I can never seem to delete these.

Do you ever browse the internet and come a cross and image that moves you in a way that you just have to save it so you can hold on and view it again and again? That's what happened at one time or another with each of these:

Pretty sure this one's from SouleMama

Maasai Shepherd boy

Home

This is a church on the way to Estes Park. Every time I drive by it moves me. So glad to have a picture to enjoy it even though I no longer have the opportunity to make the drive.

Maasai footwear

Wisdom

Joy

Peace

Patience

Love

My new birdy friends

2011-03-09T17:29:00.001-07:00

Tracy Aviary is beautiful in the winter. Without the crowds and the Utah desert heat, the birds spend their entire days exposed outside, instead of hiding or resting in their shaded enclosures. It's a great time to get to see the birds close.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to "shadow" the bird keeper that watches the raptors. They are my favorite, although I'm not sure if it is because I feel like I know them better after the shadow or if I have always liked raptors best. They're such powerful creatures.

This bald eagle used to hiss at me every time I would walk by.

Now I think we're friends.

We have 3 Golden Eagles at the Aviary.

They are so beautiful.

All of the Eagles at Tracy Aviary used to be wild eagles until they were severely injured in the wild and deemed no longer able to survive on their own. So now they live the rest of their lives fat and happy with us. We're pretty lucky to have them!

This big boy is my favorite. Andy is so cute and smart and huge (wingspan of 10 FEET!). We just celebrated his 52nd birthday about a month ago. Andean Condors are not only endangered species, but they are also mountain birds. Just love this guy.

2011-03-07T19:33:00.002-07:00

Skiing with Doons and Dad

We've had a lot of guests at the house lately. I guess that's my excuse for not blogging these days. That, and the fact that I don't take many pictures any more, and my life seems pretty boring and un-blog-worthy.

Last week, I skied 5 days. I guess that's exciting. It was beautiful. Every day the snow was entirely different than the day before, and so was the company. From blue-bird-low-powder days to days of total snow-dumpage-into-deep-powder days, to cruisin-on-the-groomers-though-the-crud afternoons. Wow, we had a little bit of everything. And I loved each day.

Our family motto:
"Any day on the mountain is a good day"

Landon has always said this and I entirely agree. There's not much that we love more than days in the mountains. The mountains always put my life into perspective for me. Every selfish petty issue that may blind me in my daily life completely disappears among the clear mountain air and dense evergreens. I love to be amongst the wild wilderness where there is no layer of religion or materialism or duty - just pure beauty, raw and revealing. mmmm. just love it.

Right now the clouds have enveloped my neighborhood and the snow is being heaved onto my house and front lawn in heaps. I love it.

Working this winter is a huge bummer for me. I wish i could pick and choose the days I want to ski instead of sitting at a computer in our little office trailer all week waiting for the weekend. Oh well... it just makes those days in the snow that much sweeter, i guess!

Beautiful Day

2011-02-26T21:29:00.001-07:00

Even though today ended up being a work day for me, it was such a beautiful day here in Salt Lake City. We've had two weekends in a row of epic snow conditions on the mountain. Although I have not been able to ski at the resort (snif, tear, tear), it's still amazing here in the valley. I woke to 6 inches of snow this morning at our house (not too comparable to the 36" on the mountain, but i seriously won't go there.)

We had an event today at Tracy Aviary. It was fun and successful and really rewarding.
I brought my camera to work because I was planning to take pictures at the event. I stopped on my way to the work to grab a few beautiful pictures of one of my favorite places: Liberty Park, where Tracy Aviary is located. Remember, I've told you about this place before? It's where I like to take my runs. It's incredibly beautiful and holds so much local history. As well as 400 incredibly cute and exciting birds!

Welcome to weekend mornings with Hannah. I should bring you along more often. Hope you enjoy!

Liberty Park

Tracy Aviary

It's hard to see but these 2 Black-neck Swans are nesting. They were super pissed about me walking next to them. The male is going nuts.

The anatomy and physiology of AT

2011-02-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

This month's Ski Magazine had an article entitled, "The AT Boom" by Joe Cutts.

I realized that perhaps many of you have never heard of AT (or Alpine Touring) skiing.

I thought to educate you.

Quickly, hereis the anatomy of an AT setup:

Bindings:

now, AT bindings are different than regular alpine bindings and telemark bindings. The AT bindings are a mixture of the two, actually. Your boot stays clicked in at all times (unlike the Telemark binding, where the heal raises with each step and only the toe is in the binding). It is an awesome way to travel on the mountain because when you want to hike, you just unclick the BINDING from the ski (the boot stays in completely) and you can lift your heel and hike and when you're ready to charge down, you just click the binding back onto the ski and you're stuck in and can charge really hard with great control.

Boots:

There are a few really key features on an AT boot. One, is obviously its compatibility with the AT binding, but it also has the ability to rotate forward in the walking mode. This makes hiking up mountains much easier, when the boot can pivot with you. Then you are able to synch it up nice and tight and stable for your ride down the mountain - nothing flimsy.

Skis:

if you're going to bother hiking in the back country then you might as well have a ski that can ride through powder. Something fat. These would be my personal choice. Keep the skinnies on the resort for cutting in the crud.

Skins:

The yellow piece is called a "skin". Skins secure to the front and back of your skis (you measure them to fit exactly) and they are super duper sticky on the bottom. These enable your skis to move forward but not backward because it has a gazillion tiny little fibers pointing backward. They are amazing. You hike with them on and then take them off on your way down.

Doons and I usually venture into the untouched land once a week. So if I tell you that we had a blast skiing, don't always picture us tearing up the groomers at the resort - we are only there half of the time. AT skiing is SO FUN and is not for the faint of heart. We will hike for hours for one nice long run down the mountain in fresh-untracked snow. I'm still learning to navigate through the trees (and have the bruises to prove it) and unfortunately I'm not much of a powder whore yet. This is the best way to get to parts of the mountain where no one has skied. It's so fun and beautiful to be alone in the wild snow country. Of course, we bring water (eating snow just doesn't do it for me) and you have to be very careful to check avalanche conditions and travel carefully if you're skiing outside of the resorts.

As always, we are very careful. But we mostly have a lot of fun. And when we're in the backcountry, Duvick gets to ski with us. He LOVES to ski - he has such long legs and a strong chest, he's the best snow dog ever.

Weekend Crafting

2011-02-06T20:30:00.001-07:00

I'm starting to looooove weekends a little more than all the other days. I can't understand how our society only allows weekends to last for 2 days. Seriously, I'm perplexed by the standard of our work/actual living ratio in our society. I understand that our work is valuable - especially mine - I love my job. I'm just not sure this is how my life should be lived. Especially for the next....40ish years.... but that's another blog for another time...

I wanted to share with you my brilliant spur-of-the-moment sewing project from the weekend. I'm so proud of this thing.

A few years ago, my sweet husband gave me a coffee press for Christmas.

It was an especially sweet gift because Landon knows that I love coffee and he doesn't drink a lick of it. What a thoughtful gift!

It brews two cups (read jumbo-regular-size) of the best coffee ever. Only, by the time I get around to my second cup it's usually cold. See, I only use my french press on weekends, because I have time to enjoy a slow brew. During the week, my machine brews 3 cups in 2 minutes and I pour it all into a thermos and take it to work.

So this weekend I tossed together (literally took me 30 minutes!) a coffee cozy. It was fun and easy to put together the pattern - the thing's a rectangle, after all. (Does this fabric look familiar?) While I was at the fabric store getting some items for my REAL weekend craft (will share that later), I picked up some insul-brite. THIS IS THE KEY INGREDIENT to anything that needs to be insulated.

Quick steps:

1. Measure the width and hight of your press and transfer that to two pieces of fabric that should be rectangles.

2. Sew the fabric with pretty sides together leaving one side open.

3. cut a piece of insul-brite to fit the fabric

4. Turn the fabric right-side out

5. insert insul-brite and finish the opened seam

6. Run a quick seam around the edge of the rectangle to make sure the insul-brite is secure inside of your pretty rectangle. Finished!

Easy, right!?

I just put some rope and buttons on there for an easy closure, but you could use velcro or even sew the two ends together and slip your press inside of it, so there is no opening at all.

I love how it turned out. And even better, my coffe was steaming-hot to the last drop!

Chef boy r D-oons

2011-02-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

Wow. The hubs has been the greatest support to me while I've been breakin' back into the 9-5.

I haven't cooked anything since before Christmas.

It's really an encouragement to me.

He's great.

2011-02-01T22:45:00.000-07:00

This quote was in the sermon at our church a few weeks ago. I can't stop thinking about it.

Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. All this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of all expressions of which we are capable.

-Archbishop William Temple

as quoted by Ravi Zaccharias in his book,

"Can Man Live Without God"

Running

2011-02-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

Throughout my adulthood, I get into a pattern of running regularly for a few months and then i take a break for 6 months and start from square one again. After we moved to Sugar House, I ran semi-regularly. Two miles up the road, we have a park with a tree-bark running path (how awesome is that?) that stretches in a 1.4 mile circle. It's easy on the joints, and completely road-traffic free. Liberty Park is absolutely beautiful with towering cottonwoods that Brigham Young, leader of the original Mormon pioneers, planted himself. I really love running there.

Once the cold weather blew in and I started working at Tracy Aviary, I really wasn't in the mood to spend time at the park running in circles any more. Plus, skiing season had begun.

It just so happens that upon 8 acres of this beautiful park resides Tracy Aviary. It dawned on me last week that if I brought my running apparel and shoes to work, that it would be very difficult to make excuses not to run after my work day, especially now that the sun sets 45 minutes later these days.

So last week I started bringing my running clothes to work. And I LOVE it! I love going for a run at the end of the day. The first few days I could hardly get around the full 1.4 miles, but yesterday I took Duvick to the park and he and I managed to get in a little over 3 miles.

I love the feeling of getting into a long comfortable stride. I love to keep track of my splits and heart rate and push myself to go faster and faster. I think I could really get into running if I could just stick with it for awhile. I hate even writing this - it shows what kind of discipline I lack that I have never been a very competent runner out of high school.

But I used to run far and fast and I used to love it. In high school I used to compete and do pretty well for my high school's cross country and track teams. I loved running so much. I liked the feeling of pushing my body beyond its limits. I loved the stress-release; whenever I'd get in a fight with one of my family members, I would lace up my shoes and leave the house for a hour, returning with an improved state-of-mind. I loved being in the elements, outside. There are several great reasons to love running. Right now, it would seriously help my endurance and strength when it comes to backcountry skiing.

So it's only been a few days and this week, we are expecting an arctic blast to come through town, giving us days between 5-25 degrees F. But I'm going to try to be out there in the frigid cold, pushing myself to go a little farther.

self indulgent shirt

2011-01-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

While I was busy making Christmas crafts for so many months, Landon brought to my attention the fact that I had never made myself anything nice. I've crafted a lot of fun things, but things that were only extremely practical - like panty liners and grocery bags. So I decided to take on his challenge and create something special just for me.

As I have been LOVING the sewing crafts by Meg McElwee in her book Sew Liberated, I thought to renew my library rental and dish out a cutie project for myself. I had already made a beautiful day bag for LeeAnn for Christmas and a flannel Duvet cover from other patterns on her book. To treat myself to something special, i decided to go with the "Blossom Blouse"

This was an easy project and since I am such a novice sewer-person, I learned a lot of new techniques - like sewing with elastic, for one. If you want to enjoy some fun projects, look into Meg's book. It's awesome.

High School Reunion

2011-01-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hm.... Early registration for my 10 year high school reunion expires on Wednesday. I haven't decided what to do yet. I really want to see everyone. But i'm not sure what to expect. I don't want to shell out a lot of money to not only fly to CO, but pay to go to the reunion itself. Now that we have facebook, I actually feel like I am connected to anyone that I would want to see anyway.

So I was wondering what you think.
Did you go to your 10 year reunion?
How was it?

Any former Rebels planning on making it to ours this year?

2011-01-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

Starbucks apron refashion

2011-01-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

It was finally time.

Knowing I was entering 2011 with a full-time job, plan B was finally ready to be removed from the back-burner and tossed into the trash. Returning to Starbucks as a last resort, was no longer a last resort. I had been keeping all of my Starbucks clothes in a bag in my garage knowing that it was a possibility for me to work there again.

Like I said, no longer.

So I emptied the bag and donated the clothes and got a little Christmas-creative with my old aprons!

The apron, worn and weathered, and dearly loved and laundered.

Christmas cooking is much more fun when one is donning a Christmas apron.

Aren't they cute!?

These were sooooo fun to make!

for everything there is a season

2011-01-17T18:41:00.002-07:00

Last weekend I spent several hours assembling boxes filled to the brim of files and envelopes. I've been working with Student Sponsorship for 4 1/2 years now (the last 3 years from my home) and it was time to say goodbye. My desk is clean for the first time in 4 years, my garage is empty, and I have $200 worth of filing cabinets that are barren. I know that every season has its ending, but it is still sad to see it all go.

It was hard to decide what is essential and what is disposable while packaging it into boxes. I know that the program is closing down, so all info on past schools and past sponsors are pretty worthless if we are not still promoting the program. But it was difficult to trash pictures and files and artwork from kids that I have watch grow and have prayed for and loved personally and professionally for the full extent of my post-Africa life.

They meant so much to me, especially because I was able to love a village's orphans for the year prior. When I returned state-side, I felt that all of the details and workings of my life were so vain and meaningless without those children. So it was easy to love these kids. It was easy to dedicate all of my work to their wellbeing. It's been a beautiful and wonderful season of my life. It has been my joy and my job to be an advocate for those kids these several years and it is so sad to watch them fall through my fingers and those that I have been able to hold on to, hand them to someone else who already has her hands full. But that's the breaks.

They are out of my hands now. I mailed 9 boxes to headquarters. And today is my first work holiday where I got to stay home from work and not face work. Sure, I took days off these last few years, of course I did. But it's really amazing to be home from work today and actually be away from work. It's freeing to end a work day and return to a home that is a haven from my work place. Yeah, it's pretty awesome to sit here at this desk right now without a sponsorship "to do:" list beside my computer.

I recognize that although this was a difficult and sad transition for me, it might turn out to be a really great one. On to the next great work at a wonderful non-profit: birds.

Winter Rains

2011-01-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

Winter Rains make for sad days.

photo by andrew.stuart1

What can you do in 35 degrees with pouring rain

besides housework?

Seriously?

Things I'm Loving Lately

2011-01-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

Birdies

photo by Little Miss Sunshine

Utah Snow

photo by Hawkeye Pilot

This Bodum Grinder

it really is incredible

Skiing

The Husband

I've heard people say that married people start to look like each other after awhile.... I have no clue what they are talking about!

Reading beside the Fireplace

photo by TheAnneHour

2011-01-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm sorry.

I will be a crappy blogger for awhile, I have a feeling.

These 8 hour work days at the Aviary have me coming home a little tired. I haven't turned on my sewing machine since before Christmas. Landon's been doing the cooking. I'm only skiing on the weekends, if other things are done. So.... I'm not sure what to blog about. I try to leave for work as early in the morning as I can so that I can leave before it gets dark. So I'll be blogging in the evenings now instead of the mornings.

I will get the hang of this. I'm just trying to figure out what my life is going to be like now that I don't have 5 hour work days at home to spread across an 16 hour period. 8 hour work days at a desk far away to spread out in an 8 hour period makes for a pretty different lifestyle. Which, of course, you all know about. But this is a refresher for me - it's been awhile since I've done the 9-5.

I am SOOOO grateful to be working full time and I really enjoy my job. I'm just not gonna be as good at blogging, I can foresee. I am sorry. I'll figure it out. Just give me a little grace this month while I put it together.

But I promise, my blog won't suck forever.

It'll be great again some day.

Paperless in 2010 Recap

2011-01-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

Well, 2010 was full of so much beauty, and you have been along for the ride the whole time, so no need to recap the year in full.

I have had a few people ask me exactly what I did while we were trying to use less paper and plastic. So I thought that I would do a recap just in case any of you want to add a campaign like this to your new year resolutions.

Here is a list of paper/plastic items and their substitutions:

Paper Towels - Cloth towels/sponges
Napkins - cloth napkins
Tissues - flannel handkerchiefs
Zip Lock Bags - handmade Velcro baggies
Produce bags - tulle reusable bags
Grocery bags - cloth bags
Swiffer Duster - flannel duster refill
Panty Liners/tampons - washable flannel liners
Bottled Water - water filter + water bottles
Coffee Filters - reusable metal filter

I think that might actually be everything. We didn't forgo all paper and plastic at once, I just sort of thought of replacements or was inspired by someone as the year progressed and i had my paperless radar on. These were very easy gradual changes. Not only have we hopefully saved some of our environmental resources and lowered our negative impact through consumption, but also we have saved money! Imagine, all of these products we will no longer need to buy and dispose of ever again. That's awesome.

Of course, there are several other things that we can do for the environment when it comes to our consumption and impact, but this just covers our paperless campaign. The husband has been so very sweet to humor me and follow these guidelines this last year. Some of them he's gung-ho about, and some of them he'd rather abandon. Sometimes it may seem silly to make changes, as with other lifestyle decisions (like what kind of transportation you choose, where you buy your food from, etc...) because the impact we are making is so minuscule as a single family, as simply two people in the world. But if everyone were to make these tiny tiny changes now, imagine the impact that we could all make with all of the years of our lives together living with an awareness of our stewardship. Especially if our own decisions could inspire others.

I love to discuss crafts and cooking and stewardship and environment, so don't hesitate to ask questions or share your ideas as well.

Live intentionally in 2011.

Winter Snow

2011-01-06T07:27:00.003-07:00

Loving this song right now:

Performed by Audrey Assad
Written by Chris Tomlin:

Could've come like a mighty storm

With all the strength of a hurricane

You could've come like a forest fire

With the power of heaven in Your flame

But You came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

You could've swept in like a tidal wave

Or an ocean to ravish our hearts

You could have come through like a roaring flood

To wipe away the things we've scarred

But You came like a winter snow

(Yes, You did)

You were quiet

You were soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

Oh, no, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning

No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind

It was still

It was small

It was hidden

You came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

Falling

(Oh, yeah)

To the earth below

You came falling

From the sky in the night

To the earth below

2011-01-05T17:45:00.001-07:00

Tonight I'm sifting through Humana's Health Insurance plans.

and I am soooooooooo THANKFUL that I finally have a job that will provide me with health insurance.

(yikes. if you click on this image, your screen will become mine. weird.)

wow.

so thankful.

Proof that I'm not Palin

2011-01-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

I've suffered a few accusations lately that my specs are like Sarah Palin's.

I really like her glasses, honestly. But ours are just NOT the same!

See?

So there.

Musings from Muir

2011-01-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity...

(photo by Photo-John)

I got The Essential Muir for Christmas. This is a book I've wanted for a while. I've just wanted a little taste of the writings from this brilliant environmentalist. And I'm loving it. Probably many more to come, but for now...

A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease. Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every fiber thrilling like harp strings, while incense is ever flowing from the balsam bells and leaves. No wonder the hills and groves were God's first temples, and the more they are cut down and hewn into cathedrals and churches, the farther off and dimmer seems the Lord himself.

Sheely 3rd Annual Colorado Hut Trip

2010-12-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

For the last few years, we have planned a family hut trip when we come to town for Christmas in CO. Wow, it is always so beautiful and a lot of fun.

Doons and Nell worked hard on this awesome video to capture our trip.

Christmas craft reveal - shoulder bag

2010-12-30T07:01:00.001-07:00

Well, now that Christmas has been celebrated, I can FINALLY share with you some of the crafts that I have been working on this month. I've had so much fun making hand-made gifts this Christmas. I hope that the receivers of these gifts love them!

This shoulder bag is the most difficult thing I've attempted at making so far. It was a lot of fun. I got the pattern and instructions from a book I rented from our library, "Sew liberated" by Meg McElwee (see her blog here). She's a talented and brilliant crafter.

Her instructions were easy to follow. I had to improvise a bit on the pattern and i totally rejected adding piping to this bag - it was tricky enough for me at it's barest form.

I had a lot of fun picking out the fabrics for this. My sister, LeeAnn, is so cute and is soon to be a mom of two so I thought that a cute bag would be perfect for her. These fabrics reminded me of her.

The applique technique is something new to me (along with pretty much everything else involving this bag). I played around with a lot of different ideas and then just decided on these fun shapes. It might be a little more my personality than hers, but I still hope she'll like it. I used the Fusible Web material. See a previous winter craft post for the technique.

The bag ended up a lot bigger than I thought it would.

I hope LeeAnn loves this bag. I am happy just thinking all the wonderful things she could fill it with. Being a youth pastor, active woman, and a mommy, i'm sure there is no shortage of stuff to be toted around.

The Button Necklace

2010-12-29T06:52:00.001-07:00

note: blog written on Dec. 9, 2010 - but is published with a "do not open until Christmas" date.

I admit, that while the husband has been locked in his study for weeks now (don't you just love the end of the semester?), I have been indulging myself in things that he doesn't usually enjoy. This includes putting up Christmas decorations, working, hanging out with mormon missionaries, CRAFTING, and watching movies like "Handmade Holidays with Martha Stewart".

Yeah, that sounds funny. But I found this craft on that video with Martha and thought it would be a great craft idea for my grandmother's Christmas gift. I found a link on Martha's website with instructions.

This necklace took 7 yards of red nylon beading string and about 100 buttons.

I found a wonderful deal on some beautiful buttons at THIS and THAT etsy shop.

I thought some tight rosettes out of white flannel would balance this really long necklace.

I found this great "clasp" at my local beading shop

Here's a shorter version with green nylon beading thread

Christmas scarf

2010-12-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I made a Christmas scarf for both my mom and my sister. They are even the same style, although my mom's is about half the width of my sisters'.

During my time home this summer, Mom and Nell and I were shopping and they really liked these scarves that I would't let them buy because I swore that I could make them for way cheaper. These aren't exactly them - those were summer scarves - but these have a similar idea with the surplus of ruffles.

This craft was fun. I'm not sure if it is done the best way - I just conceptualized and designed the scarves myself and hoped they would turn out okay. They're a little crazy, but I like them. I hope Mom and Nell like them too.

2010-12-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty excited about the presents under our tree this year. Not only did I enjoy creating a bounty of hand made gifts, but i really really love choosing the prefect gift wrap for each gift. The one with the cloth flower is for my dad. haha. not kidding. not exactly appropriate, i guess. landon thinks it looks like a nipple - what a guy.

His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches over me

2010-12-16T22:09:00.001-07:00

(photo by Saul Granda)

You know that things have been kind of tricky for us over the past few years. I love my work with ACSl's Sponsorship program and have been committed to it for over four years. However, when I started working from home over 3 years ago, we found ourselves without health insurance so I picked up a part time job at Starbucks for our two years in Illinois.

When we relocated here we had the same problem (no health insurance). Instead of my getting a part time insured job (which drove us both semi crazy previously), I enjoyed the mountains and leisurely days working from home. I am grateful that in our 18 months here in Utah, we have never had to test our catastrophic health insurance.

Last December I was informed that my program was going to be ending and I needed to start looking for another job. This job search has been going on for nine months and is finally at an end. Last month, I was offered a full time job at the Aviary, which will include health benefits. (yay yay yay yay :::happy dance:::)

And I am just amazed at God's provision and timing. In all of this time, we have never been without one thing that we have needed. My contract with ACSl ends at the end of this month, and my full time job doesn't begin until January 3. Our health insurance expires in January as well.

I can't believe that we will return home from Christmas to a full time job with health benefits. (and this story of provision is only on my side of the spectrum with important details left out - the story of how God has provided for us in the way of Landon's schooling is even more incredible!)

God's loving provision is so steadfast. I found myself frustrated and distrusting a few times during this job search, and regardless of my lack of faith and attempts of self reliance, God continued to provide for us during the search until now. He continually humbles me with his love. I am so grateful to be the daughter of such a powerful, faithful, and loving Heavenly Father.

Freshies at the Bird

2010-12-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

Finally some more snow out here and Doons and I were on the slopes first-thing in the morning. There is a saying that goes, "there are no friends on powder days". This is incredibly funny and true. One thing that I really enjoy about skiing is the camaraderie among everyone on the mountain - we are all loving the snow and the view and having a fun time together - people are pretty friendly and cool (even the teenage snowboarder boys!). However, on a powder day, everyone is in competition to get to untracked snow. I lost one or both of my skis (during a fall) FIVE times today and only once did someone stop their run to help me locate my ski. I even had people skiing around me and spraying me with snow while I struggled to dig my ski out of the snow or put it on (which is really hard to do in deep powder on steep chutes!). Even on the drive to the parking lot everyone wanted to be first. It's a pretty pathetic but slightly hysterical reality. By noon we were all friends again - all the snow had been tracked through and everyone was just out for fun, not for freshies.

My husband is an amazing skier. Maybe one day I will be good enough at skiing that I will be able to keep up with him and video tape him at the same time. So far, I am very far from this, so you get to enjoy self-taped video. He tried a new technique this morning, so I think it's more fun to watch than the helmet cam recordings. Take a look:

Here is some video of me in the powder. Gosh, I'm pretty embarrassed to share this. I'm still learning, as you can see. But I'm MUCH better than I was at this time last year.

We both returned home dead-dog tired. My "neckie" was essential today in the wind and snow. Let me know if you want one - I have tons of material and would love to make one for you too!

What a beautiful day!

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-15T06:02:00.004-07:00

This weekend I put together some of my grandmother's Christmas Spritz cookies with her old cookie press. I colored these with food coloring and added orange extract.

Christmas Lights

2010-12-14T06:42:00.001-07:00

All of our snow is gone. Melted completely. Today and yesterday were in the 50's here in the Salt Lake valley. It's hard to believe that Christmas is in less then two weeks, with this beautiful weather. Ha. and I don't like it!

During the day, I'm commuting without a jacket and mittens, and I've lost all of the "feelings" of Christmas around the corner. But at night, when the Christmas lights are twinkling all around me, I can't help but get in the mood to bake Christmas cookies and watch Christmas movies!

I've added this song, and some other unconventional Christmas songs to my play list. Enjoy!

The Christmas Wreath

2010-12-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend I finished my Christmas decorating. I strung our lights on the outside of our house and put together this wreath for our front door. It's pretty lopsided, but I like it like that. I like the disorganized, haphazard look of it.

When the husband was trimming the bottom branches off of our tree, I asked him to toss them on the front porch so I could put them on a wreath.

Cheap supplies

I just cut the big branches into manageable pieces and wired them together.

Then I used the wire to secure them to the form

I overlapped each piece, securing each bundle all the way around the wreath. Doons suggested that I trimmed the longer stems to make the wreath look synchronized, but I didn't want stubs sticking out around it - I wanted the stems and branches to have their natural ends. I guess next year I could plan a little bit better to make it look a bit better, but I still like it.

Snowflake Pillow

2010-12-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a VERY easy winter craft that I have enjoyed lately. My snowflake pillow.

I used a brown and white flannel - just some left over fabric that I had. The snowflake I made using the famous and fabulous method of folding and cutting - like we did in elementary school. I found that flannel is much more difficult to cut than computer paper, so my snowflake is quite a bit out of balance. But that's okay.

Once the snowflake was cut and opened, I pinned it to my web interface.

My craft store sold this stuff by the yard. It was in reams just like the fabric.

See how this material is just like a tight little web?

I pinned the snowflake flannel to the web interface and cut through the webbing right along the edges of the snowflake. After about 10 minutes with the scissors, I surrendered and just used a razor blade, which was much easier and quicker.

I don't have any pictures of the rest of the process, but it's just as easy as the first few steps. I took snowflake (still pinned to the webbing) and positioned it on my brown flannel as I wanted and ironed it on. Very easy.

Next, I sewed the pillowcase. I just sewed the fabric with the softer sides (and the snowflake side) inside of the pillow, overlapping the two ends of the fabric. When I turned it inside out, it looked like this on the back - a perfect little pocket to put the pillow inside.

I'm loving making things snowflakey this year. If you didn't know, the snow bums out here are calling last month "Snowvember". For good reason - 140 inches in the early ski season is pretty close to miraculous. It's awesome.

Christmas Coffee

2010-12-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

This jolly time of year has me craving something a little more festive than my morning favorite (black coffee). So I threw some of the season's best flavors together to have a special cup of Christmas coffee love!

1/4 Cup water with scoops of hot cocoa in the bottom of the coffee pot before brewing

1 tsp. of cinnamon on top of the grounds

Yields a delicious cup of Christmas coffee.

Poured into my favorite Christmas mug and topped with marshmallows, I'm in the Yuletide mood!

"How often has the Christmas tree Afforded me the greatest glee!"

2010-12-07T07:02:00.001-07:00

I watch deals on Groupon.

Groupon is great. It offers great deal from LOCAL companies. I love the idea of supporting local companies almost as much as I love the idea of awesome deals!

One of the deals that I indulged in was a Christmas tree for us this year from prepaidchristmastrees.com.

We had it delivered this weekend and it is WONDERFUL!!!

We've only had Christmas trees 2 of our 6 past Christmases together. Mainly because they cost some money and we are always gone during Christmas anyway (and usually for 10-15 days). The two years that we have had trees, we cut them down from Pike National Forest outside of Colorado Springs. We were a day too late to get our permit this year to cut down our tree. I LOVED getting our tree delivered - it is fresh and purchased from a company completely run by a local family.

It's just beautiful!!! This Noble Fir is a lot fuller than any tree we have ever cut from our National Forests.

And it smells amazing.

We love it!

2010-12-06T07:20:00.001-07:00

Just a little glimpse of what's been going on at the McBrayer bungalow

The Long Sleeve Dress

2010-12-02T07:11:00.005-07:00

I'd love a long sleeve dress. Dresses are hard to wear in the winter. Most dresses are sleeveless and not made from necessarily warm materials. Even the cute little black dresses aren't suitable for winter weather.

I've been doing some casual searches the last few nights online for long sleeve winter dresses and have come up seriously short. It's hard to find one that isn't: a wedding dress, cowl neck, lacy, mini skirt, open back (or bust), wrap dress, super slouchy, or bohemian. I don't know why, but i don't want a dress that is any of these things.

Here's just a taste of what I found:

Rachel Berry, anyone?

Cute, although short.

Mini skirt, maxi hole

I kind of love this but I could never sport it

Yikes

I like this mock-wrap

This one is cute, but has no form.

Which I guess is okay for mannequin-esque humans like this lady pictured.

Sweater mini. Cute, but still a bit chilly, right?

I like the boat neck, but that's about it.

Forget that this model is strangling herself with that beautiful sting of turquoise beads.

I actually love this

This designer (xiaolizi) has several charming long sleeve dresses:

Sorry, no other photo credits.

So what do you think? Do you even own any long sleeve dresses? I don't even have any in my wardrobe. I usually wear winter dresses and skirts with sweaters anyway. But, I hate to admit that I wore a long wool skirt to work yesterday and wore knee-highs and my winter snow boots underneath. I need a nice pair of leather boots for Christmas - something I can wear with a dress. But I was glad I wore the boots, I had to tromp through about a foot of snow throughout the day as I walked around the Aviary - I didn't regret the fashion crime at all. It was so practical.

Things I'm Loving Lately

2010-12-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

This video.

Well, and 'bucks, of course

Snow

Sewing

Wasatch Winter Alpenglow

Harry Potter Movies

Skiing

i'm not prego, even though I look it in this picture. it was 3 degrees on Thanksgiving and i was wearing 4 layers

Christmas Music

Check out my Christmas play list on the right --->

Heated Seats in the Jetta during these cold and snowy days

that car is amaaaazing.....

Purple Fingernail Polish

now that i'm no longer on the job search, I've indulged my sausagey-fingers in some color!

The Jesus Storybook Bible

written by Sally Lloyd-Jones

I purchased this precious book to have at my house for all of the precious kiddos in my life, present and future. And I've enjoyed it so much myself! Landon has been reading me stories from the book before I got to bed at night. It's precious.

Green Gifts this Christmas

2010-11-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

I try to keep track of the The Nature Conservancy is doing. They're great. This year they are claiming Cyber Monday as "Green Gift Monday" to raise awareness of responsible and meaningful gift giving.

For some of you, this sounds ridiculous. Mr. McBrayer and I strive to keep in mind spiritual, economic, and environmental stewardship in everything that we do. Although our (well, usually they are my ideas that the husband is so sweet to humor) methods are probably seen as strange to many people. I didn't really think this until I saw the look on my husband's face when I showed him my sister's Christmas gift this year. Not only is the gift handmade but the wrapping is a paper Chipotle bag turned inside out with a cut-out snow flake on top wrapped in twine. Welp, is that just cheap or is it eco-conscious? Maybe a little of both?

I seriously did consider making sandwich bags, produce bags, and grocery bags from cloth and putting them together in bundles for family and friends so that everyone can go paperless next year - but I realize that those of you who actually want to go paperless have already done so. Don't worry, there will be none of that under the Christmas tree this year, but don't think I didn't contemplate it.

The best ways to "give green" this year, I think would be to buy hand made or to re-purposed (vintage/thrift), and try to buy locally. Also, it is a great idea to give to charities - that would go to a great cause, and no packaging or shipping or production necessary. And always keep in mind how you are wrapping your gifts.

Get creative!

If you're buying vintage and the thrift store feels just a little too cheap (or stinky-dirty?), try Etsy

CopperPennyVintage

AFarmersWife

For the coffee lover: Support a Colorado local grassroots business owned by two Christian guys who are trustworthy in life and in business. They even buy only fair-trade beans and roast them fresh just for you:

Switchback Coffee Roasters

Just a few ideas for you to browse over. Feel free to comment with any ideas that you might have.

2010-11-29T07:20:00.007-07:00

hey, Doons' picture is on the Salt Lake Tribune hiking blog today.

Check it out!

Coffee and Snowflakes

2010-11-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

I carried my special insulated "ccci" coffee mug in one hand, with Duvick's leash and poop bag in the other. Of course, the dog was pulling me around like a rag doll forcing huge, slippery steps in the snow. My shoulders have been hurting like crazy from a little confrontation I had with a few trees while skiing on Thanksgiving day. Duvick's pull was killing the shoulders and no matter how stern or sad I made my voice sound while trying to give him a clue, he just wouldn't let up. He's not as smart as I sometimes think he is - or maybe he lacks the compassion I always grant him. Either way, there was no understanding between me and the pup except for yanking from both directions of the leash.

Duvick loves the snow - not sure why he looks cross-eyed in this picture.

There were no coffee beans in the house this morning. And when I thought to hop in the car to purchase a lb. of coffee, I saw the sky dumping huge clumps of snow. I knew Mr. McBrayer wouldn't have been happy if I took the car out - the driveway is a lot more difficult to shovel once it has heavy tracks on it. Not to mention, the thought of driving out of my neighborhood on a snowy Sunday morning in Utah made me a little nervous.

So I put on my favorite winter woolens, insulated hoodie jacket and knee-high-rubber-bottom snow boots and set out on my own two feet into the snowy morning with Duvick to get of my favorite morning friend.

It was a beautiful walk. The 5 inches of continuously building snow was slippery in spots, but otherwise easy to travel on. I love the silent stillness of snow filled skies. It's amazing how the snow insulates the sound making the "crunch" of my boots and the "jingle" of Duvick's collar amplified - it's all I hear as we walk, save for a snow-blower at the neighbor's house in the distance.

As I walk, I have time to think about things. A lot is going on in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for. Every day I thank God for giving us the opportunity to live in Utah. I dread leaving one day.

Our local coffee shop is probably a little less than half a mile from our house. It's close. It's a walk-up joint, like Good Times. You should have seen the surprise in their faces when I tapped on their walk-up window. I didn't see any footprints in the snow there - I think I was their first on-foot customer of the day. They filled my mug to the brim with French Roast, gave Duvick a doggy biscuit and told me to "stay warm out there, sweetie". I did notice some frozen chunks of snow in my hair, but besides that, I don't think I looked too cold. In fact, when it is snowing and the air is still, it's usually pretty warm out (30ish degrees), and it was. I was a little too warm by the time I got home - my glasses were even getting foggy.

What an amazing start to a wonderful day of continuous snow (it's now been snowing for 12 hours without letting up - yay!). I'm not scheduled to work at the Aviary until Tuesday. Tomorrow is my buy groceries, and work for ACSl day, but I'm not sure my to-do list can keep me off of the slopes on a fresh day.

I hope you enjoyed your extended weekend. The husband and I definitely did!

Best Apple Cider Ever

2010-11-24T11:58:00.002-07:00

Right now I have a batch of Apple Cider brewing on my stove top. It smells amazing.

Today the husband and I are stranded in our little house. We were supposed to be driving to Denver for Thanksgiving, but we were hit by an intense blizzard last night. This morning, we woke to a world of stillness, cold (8 degrees), and white. We are snowed-in and I am hoping to make the most of it (movies and apple cider sound pretty good, huh?).

This is my third batch of Cider in the last two months. It's amazing. When I used to work at ACSI headquarters, Teresa Bolton would have cider brewing all day on special days for the taking. And I loved it. I loved it so much that my first Autumn away from ACSI, I emailed her and asked for her recipe. I can't enjoy an Autumn season without it.

I thought it would be a great thing to share with you, just in time for your holiday.

Teresa's Apple Cider

One gallon of 100% Apple Cider
One orange cut into fours
Ten cloves on the peel of each fourth of the orange
Four cinnamon sticks

Brew for a minimum of two hours, covered.
Leftover cider put back into original cider container and refrigerate.

Christmas Stocking

2010-11-23T07:06:00.007-07:00

This year I finally gave in and made myself a stocking. I can't believe it has taken me this long. Well, I guess that I didn't have a sewing machine in Christmases past. That's a good excuse.

I wanted one that was not too elegant - just fun. And I wanted the top to be folded over with a coordinating fabric. I thought that this would be easiest to achieve by just making the sock reversible.

It doesn't have a mate - Dooney uses the stocking from his childhood, which he insists upon. Which is wonderful. I could care less about matching Christmas stockings.

These were extremely easy, once I had the concept planned out (i used the same building theory that I had created for my sandwich bags)

I picked two fabrics that I thought were very cute and matched. Dots and stripes are a no-brainer. I drew a pattern on a piece of paper. One thing that I tried to avoid, is making my stockings in an "L" shape, so I made sure that my toes were longer/deeper than the heal of the stocking. I loooooove Rickrack, so I bought two colors that coordinate with the opposite fabric.

I traced my pattern on both fabrics and sewed each one together (except for the top, of course) with the pretty side in. Must be careful about the direction of the stripes. The stockings above look really long but they have to be because the tops are going to be folded. So I made sure to account for that in my pattern.

Then I left one inside out and turned the other pretty-side out and crammed one inside of the other.

Fold over the top, and it looks like this:

The husband insists that this isn't Christmasy enough - that the fabric is too lime green to be about Christmas.

Turn it the other way and you get this:

I like this one too.

I used a piece of bias tape for the little hook. And I shouldn't tell you this, but I didn't sew these on at first because I wasn't sure how they would go. So I actually took a seam ripper to the area that I wanted to add the tabs and then sewed them in securely. Hopefully my stocking won't unravel. So both fabrics have the hooks. The hook on the green side is underneath the folded part of the stocking, so it doesn't get in the way of the inside.

Sooooo easy and fun.

I look forward to making many more for future Lan-Dooney Jr.s some day

Snow-woah woah woah

2010-11-22T07:11:00.002-07:00

Woah baby.

SNOW

We woke this morning to "heaps" of snow (as my sis LeeAnn would say).

Did you see my post yesterday (i NEVER post on Sundays) - it was noteworthy.

And amazingly, Mr. McBrayer and I weren't shredding down the mountain. Nope. We didn't want to put up with the high winds and masses of people on the two open lifts at Snowbird. Instead, we liberated Duvick and cross country skied a few miles up the canyon.

And it was glorious:

Doons blazing the trail into the trees. East Fork, Millcreek Canyon

Winds and snow-dumpage. We were definitely experiencing the elements.

Doons tolerating my picture taking.

Duvick in the distance.

He was in heaven.

I forgot my hat. By the time i got back to the car, my hair was literally frozen in little dreadlock-icicles all over my head. oops

And it's only November! I'm looking forward to a long winter full of beautiful days like today!

Get a load of this

2010-11-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

I woke this morning to a beautiful winter wonderland! Six inches of snow at our house here in the city. Winter has hit us hard in Salt Lake City. And it's only the beginning. We're hoping to drive across I-80 to Denver in a few days. I'm not so sure that'll happen...

Sweater Re-creation

2010-11-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

Isn't the color of this sweater beautiful?

I love the color.

The sweater itself, however, I've grown a little apart from. It's thin (not as warm as I would like) and itchy and about 10 years old. I couldn't figure out why I still own it. I usually thrift my clothes often, and somehow this sweater is still in my possession. I remembered why I had kept it when the husband saw me thrusting scissors through the middle of it and said, "hey, that's my favorite sweater of yours". oh, whoops, no wonder it's still in my closet.

I did destroy that sweater last night.

And here is what it became:

Leg Warmers

these used to be the sleeves

I got this idea from Mountaingirlclothing's etsy shop. She makes a ton of these.

I used the seam around the wrist of the sleeve to hold up the sock above the knee and I just sent a zig-zag seam around the top of the sleeve, which is what you see around my ankle here. It works nicely.

Mittens

well, yeah. they look pretty funky. but i loooooove me some mittens, and I only have one pair that's not made for snow-contact. these will be just a little kiss of warmth during cool winter drives.

It was easy. I just traced my hand on a piece of paper and then cut through BOTH layers of the sweater's body with a seam allowance. I turned the pretty sides to the inside and stitched. That was it.

Hair Rosette

I'm trying to make hair embellishments with almost every type of fabric I can these days. It's fun to try new things. I like the idea of having some sweater love in my hair.

Coat Rack

2010-11-17T07:11:00.001-07:00

About a month ago, I shared a post with DIY Coat Rack ideas that I was collecting. We have nooooooo closet space in this cute little bungalow (seriously only ONE closet - in the bedroom). So I've been on the lookout for cheap coat racks. Like under $20, cheap. And as you can expect, I haven't found anything save a few hooks that screw into the walls, but we need much more space for hanging than a few hooks can provide. So we finally chose an idea from the list of other peoples' ideas that I found via browsing the blogosphere.

Last weekend Landon collected some BEAUTIFUL fallen limbs while he was rock climbing with one of his buddies to use for our coat rack, which was inspired by one of the ideas from Apartment Therapy.

The weather here has been consistently in the 40's these last few weeks, so we find ourselves in hats and gloves and jackets every day. The winter woolens box has been out for weeks now.

Saturday we enjoyed opening day at Snowbird and came home with wet stuff.

Sunday I couldn't wait any longer. After waking and seeing our kitchen chairs laden with layers of jackets and the table spread with gloves, my procrastination evaporated and I headed immediately to the hardware store (well, not immediately - but right away after the coffee pot was empty).

I don't know what these things are called, but they were in the electrical isle. With Mr. McBrayer's mad handyman skills, we got this beautiful stick stuck to the wall.

So now, right next to the back door (where our garage is), we have a coat rack with our most wearable items. Now they are easily accessible and can dry, leaving our kitchen chairs free.

All the rest are still in the dungeon.

Winter Crafts

2010-11-16T07:00:00.002-07:00

I don't want this blog to turn into a craft blog, I really don't, and it's starting to feel like it's morphing into that.
Right now, crafting is one of my favorite things. I especially am enjoying it since I am learning to use my sewing machine and since we have been really struggling financially because of my job situation - "crafts" seem to be a great solution to things that we want and need but can't afford. So, not only do I enjoy crafting a lot lately, but we also sort of need some of the stuff I've been making, in addition to my "going paperless in 2010" initiative that seriously involves a lot of sewing!

And things aren't looking to change much any time too soon, although I'll try to keep including updates and adventures from our lives in addition to the crafts.

Christmas crafts are underway. And I'm so having a hard time not sharing them with you!!! Maybe I'll have to write some posts and make the publishing date to after Christmas because I'm a crappy blogger at that time of the year and I really can hardly keep these handmade goodies a secret. But I don't want Christmas surprises ruined, so my crafty posts about them will have a "do not open until Christmas" publishing date.

Until then, look for posts about these fun winter-inspired crafts:

DIY Coat Rack

Sweater Re-creation

Christmas Stocking

Back on the slopes - Snowbird

2010-11-15T10:00:00.002-07:00

Wow, what a weekend!

Saturday was opening day at Snowbird and it felt like Christmas.

Friday night, I had a hard time falling asleep with the anticipation of the next morning - our first day of skiing since April! I nodded off to the sound of Santa Clause perfecting the wax on our skis in the dungeon.

We slept in Saturday morning and got to the resort in the late morning. We had no desire to stand in line with all the other crazies. After all, since it is early season, there are only two lifts open. And I knew that I wouldn't be able to ski an entire day yet - my legs could only handle about 4 hours.

We parked our car, crammed our toesies into our boots (i hadn't remembered them being that uncomfortable), and carried our shiney-waxed skis to the lift line. We threw our skis on the snow and clicked into the bindings. At the feeling of finally being on skis again, Doons and I looked at each other with huge smiles. Mmmmm, what a great feeling. We were happy.

It was a beautiful day on the mountain and the snow was surprisingly awesome. Not too crowded on the slopes, although we had to wait in line for a few minutes to get on the lifts (very normal but never had to do that at Snowbasin - ever). I was amazed at how easy it was to get back into my old groove. I'm pretty good at keeping up with the husband (or so he lets me believe, which is probably more likely).

Wow. So much fun! 67 inches of snow in the last 3 weeks, and we're lovin' it!

Chair redo

2010-11-10T08:19:00.002-07:00

When we moved to Utah we got lucky. My sister had been living at my parents house for awhile and wasn't using her outdoor furniture that she previously used at the townhouse. So she gave her patio furniture to us:

It looks pretty good here in our yard, but up close the fabric is really damaged.

We are very fortunate to spend a lot of time eating outside. In the summer we eat two meals a day outside. It's great. But the furniture is getting old and weathered and quite frankly, ugly. The metal trim is transferring rust into the whiteish-gray fabric and it isn't pretty.

Here's Doons waxing our skis this Spring. You can see the discoloration of the fabric from the rust.

So I thought that I could easily refinish these chairs. At first I thought that spray paint was the key. But then I realized that the chairs were in great shape besides the fabric. This summer one of the seats ripped, so I finally gave in and bought some outdoor canvas at the fabric store in a pretty paisley fabric.

These take HOURS to refinish, so I actually only have one of the four completed. My goal is to have them all finished by next summer.

Making Ruffles

2010-11-09T08:30:00.001-07:00

Anna asked me to do a tutorial on making ruffles. So, here's the quick. And I learned this all from others through online tutorials.

Making ruffles is easy-peasy.

First things first: you're going to making a long straight stitch with a loose tension

You'll cut a piece of fabric as wide as you want your ruffles and make it as long as possible. Then start sewing down the middle of the fabric with your thread dangling off the end, no double-backing.

Easy.

Then you will hold one of the threads on the end with one hand and start pulling/gathering/puckering the fabric back with the other hand

Be very careful not to pull too hard and break the thread.

Once you get to the end of your fabric, you only need to tie a knot with your two threads on both sides since you are probably going to sew it to something else. If for some reason you want only the ruffle, secure your stitches better after your ruffle is achieved.

Easy.

I did that horizontally across this knit fabric for a little embellishment on this headband.

This flower was achieved with the same technique, only I stitched not down the middle, but about 1/3 of the way across, turned it into a ruffle and then wrapped the fabric around itself in a circular pattern. Very easy.

2010-11-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

This is a dark Monday morning. And it shouldn't be, because today's 7am was Friday's 8am, and I know from Friday that this morning should be full of sunshine. And I was so looking forward to waking into a day draped in sunshine. But no.

It's dark.

And raining.

A lot.

(which means it's snowing in the mountains!)

And I am glad to have this morning at home. My first few days at the Aviary last week were great. I am excited about the work there and I am already growing to love those birds. What magnificent creatures. I was asked in my interview by the Executive Director if I could grow to be as passionate about birds as I am about student sponsorship; "are you a bird nerd?" he said. Well, every day for four years I have been looking at the same childrens' faces and children really are my passion. So, I'm not sure if I'll ever be a "bird nerd", but I do really appreciate the role of the Aviary in my community and in the lives of our amazing feathered friends.

I'm excited and encouraged because Landon and I found a church that we both really like. They have soup afterwards and the last 2 Sundays we have stayed for soup and have really enjoyed the fellowship with the sweet people there. Landon wants to make sure that we choose the best church for us, so he's not settled on a particular church yet. After all, this next church will hopefully be our church for the next 3.5 years. AND it will be the first church that we have been able to attend long enough to become members - since we've been married, we haven't been a member of any church. So I'm excited. I can see New Song as our home and the people there as our family during the several years that Landon is at the U. Hopefully we won't have to attend too many more churches. I'd love to have a home church come 2011.

A Favorite

2010-11-03T14:14:00.003-06:00

Orange-Yogurt Cake

Yummiest, easiest, quickest cake EVER

A job

2010-11-02T09:02:00.001-06:00

Friends, thank you for your numerous prayers and months and months of moral support. Tomorrow is my first day at The Tracy Aviary, exactly one mile up the road from my house in Salt Lake City. The pay is not too great and I'll only be working 12-18 hours/week so I'm still looking for something else to do in addition to this. BUT, I am so grateful to finally have a job after these 9 months of searching!

The Aviary is a local non-profit and I love what they do when it comes to conservation and education. It is literally a bird haven here at the foot of the Wasatch! I will be working in their development department. I am so happy to get to continue to work in development - it is really valuable work and I am grateful to be able to have jobs that I think are important and contribute to something great. I have been working in development with ACSl these last 4 years and have learned a lot and I have been looking for jobs in the field so this is great!

From now on you can just call me "Bird Lady"

An Autumn Wreath

2010-11-01T10:58:00.004-06:00

My mother bought me the prettiest Autumn wreath while she was in town a month ago. It looks so wonderful and welcoming on my front door. However, the husband and I rarely use the front door because our garage is in the back of the house. So, I've wanted a little Autumn wreath that would welcome us into our home. Mom and I started on this wreath project while she was in town trying to make felt flowers. I wasn't pleased with my limited creativity and shelved the project for awhile. This weekend, I put together some flowers and finished the wreath. It just took a few minutes. I just needed to sit down and stick to it.

I've seen these adorable little fabric-wrapped flowers all over the blogosphere and in etsy shops. I've always wanted to attempt my own, and I finally did with this project. I think I could definitely improve in my technique. Like, I would like to do it without the glue - the hot glue is difficult to hide, however hard I try.

I found an encouraging tutorial on how to make these sweet little flowers. I've looked and couldn't find it to share with you, so sorry about that. But they are everywhere - search YouTube. I decided to stick a little wooden bead in mine to add a little earthiness (usually you start with a knot at the end of the fabric)

Doons brought home some buckeyes that he found on campus and I have been wanting to find a place to put some of them. I love them on this wreath. I used three different fabrics for the flowers: The reddish ones are canvas, the green are a knit and the brown flower is regular cotton.

Our back door is made of solid wood - a rare thing these days. I didn't have a wreath holder for the door so I just took some left over canvas fabric and tacked it to the top of the door to hang the wreath. As you can see, I was dumb and glued the flowers beside (instead of over the top of) the part where the ribbon overlaps. Oh well. I still love it.

Making it Official

2010-10-29T08:56:00.002-06:00

Last night Dooney carved his first pumpkin

Getting his fingers dirty - I love this part

Getting creative

This is my laughing pumpkin

And Doons' monkey.

Although I think this was supposed to be a self portrait or something. haha!

First Snow

2010-10-28T10:08:00.002-06:00

You should have seen the three of us yesterday.

As we drove up Mill Creek Canyon, our excitement was impossible to contain as we saw the snow get deeper and deeper as we climbed in altitude.

Landon and I were giddy as we clicked our toes into our cross country skies and headed into the woods. Duvick was running and pouncing through the snow; if he could talk, i think he would have been singing. We're just a snow family, is all.

Can you just see how beautiful our first snow is? I love it!

Every year, our first snow in the Rockies is spectacular. As the sun breaks through the clouds, the world is not only twinkling with the snow, but in places it is golden as the leaves are glistening-wet and reflecting the light. It's incredible to experience the snow with the fall foliage. I LOVE IT!

Although, you can see it's hard on the trees to bear so much weight as the snow clings to the leaves.

We are so fortunate to have a ski-able snow so early in the year!

2010-10-27T10:59:00.000-06:00

I just snapped this photo of Duvick in our backyard.

First morning of SNOW in the valley this year!

And 16 inches on the mountain.

Ski season couldn't come soon enough!

T minus 24 days!

shadows on the walls

2010-10-26T11:34:00.004-06:00

This morning I have been thinking a lot about this old house. Never have I lived in a place so old, and I wonder about the lives of the people who called this little house "home" long before we ever did. Built in 1917ish, this little house has known many generations of people - enough to house a family for their lifetime. I do wonder if this little house was ever some one's home for their entire adulthood. I wonder if their children returned to this little house for family holidays with their own children.

I picture a young couple being gifted this house for their wedding day back in 1917. He left to fight the Germans and she stayed at home expecting their first baby, herself only 17 years old. That was pretty common, I think. A few miles up the street (across from the University of Utah which was established in 1850) are the Fort Douglas Barracks. From 1917-1920, Fort Douglas was a prisoner of war camp that housed 784 men: Germans and Austro-Hungarians as "prisoners of war, civilian internees and conscientious objectors". The local ward is two blocks down the street and it has been here before 1900. I am sure the families that lived in this little house walked there each Sunday.

Nibley Park Ward

These colder days have me imagining what it must have been like to shovel coal each day to keep the home warm. Wake each morning and build a fire in the fireplace, in the kitchen stove, and shovel coal. I wonder if there were ever chickens in the yard. And if these fences dividing the properties were always here, or if at one time all the children ran around together without property lines, the mothers greeting "good morning" from their back doors. The woman who lives in the house behind us makes me think of this. She is very elderly and has lived in that house all of her life (right now her daughter and her great-grandkids live with her). She always yells at me from her back door while i'm in my fenced-in back yard, "if it seems like i'm being nosy when I look into your yard, it's because I am," she said to me once.

Utah State Pen.

Up the street is St. Ann's Catholic School, which was once an old Catholic orphanage. And down the street in the other direction was the state penitentiary (which was removed in 1950). To get from our little town into the heart of Salt Lake City there was a cable street car with tracks all the way to the temple.

street car, 1933

When our house was built, the Salt Lake temple had only been built for about 25 years. Polygamy had only been denounced by the church for 27 years, and I wonder if the first owners were children or grandchildren of polygamist families. I wonder the pain that inhabited this valley when at one point it was the duty of a good Mormon who could afford more wives to take more than one, and do so faithfully for 60 years worth of generations to suddenly be told that it is no longer allowed. The identity of those families must have been shaken, and the people must have been heartbroken.

This little house is so small, I wonder how the families fit in here. With only two bedrooms, and the second being extremely tiny, it's a mystery to me. I would guess three children at most could live in this house (which would be seriously stretching it - if we ever have a baby, i'm not sure we could continue to live here). But I know that families in those days, especially Mormon families, were much larger.

Doons, watching the rain pour out of the edge of the gutter

I was outside yesterday looking at my house (trying to figure out where a mystery noise was coming from - the roof) and discovered that there is a chimney raising out of the kitchen. I never noticed that before because my refrigerator covers where it was in the kitchen. And it made me happy to think of all of the food that was lovingly prepared in my kitchen, just as I feed my family in love and joy, so did many other women before me.

It's pretty fun to imagine the history of this old little house, filled with poodle skirts, wedding dresses, Christmas trees and babies. It's a kinship I enjoy, to know that I shared this "home" with so many others who lived and slept and cooked and loved here. One hundred years holds many stories, memories, and shadows on the walls.

sugar house history source

Cutsey floral bobby pins

2010-10-25T15:29:00.001-06:00

Let me just start by saying that posts like these make me feel desperate for a new camera. Ours is 5 1/2 years old and in digital camera years, that's pretty old. Although, it has been absolutely wonderful all of these years. But lately (like the last year-or-so - have you noticed?), I've had a difficult time capturing the images that I want, no matter what kind of lighting I have. It could definitely be a user error, but, alas, it's still frustrating. So please, I apologize for the crazy blurry / flash-necessary-color-destroying images.

A few weeks ago I bought some new bobby pins from the grocery store. The world of hair holds so many possibilities with good bobby pins and I had been out of them for awhile.

After unloading the groceries, I spotted these flowers in a box in the corner of the kitchen (with my sewing stuff). I bought these a long time ago thinking I would do something wonderful with them. They've been decor in my bathroom (but have i ever mentioned how Mr. McBrayer HATES artificial foliage?), I've used them to decorate hand made birthday cards, and that's about it. Hm.... my mind started reeling.

I removed all of the plastic pieces from the flower and sewed the petals together making an "X" on the inside of the top and going crazy with the loops on the bottom around the bobby pin. It's messy, but no one sees it - who cares!?

They're fun. And pretty. Even though they are fake flowers - they're just a sweet little embellishment.

did i mention i'm having camera trouble?

but....seriously.... taking pictures of the back of one's own head has got to be one of the most difficult shots!

Making it Scary

2010-10-22T09:23:00.003-06:00

I don't own any Halloween decorations. Not. Even. One.

I have TONS of Autumn decor, which is lovely because Autumn lasts longer than Halloween. I can leave that loveliness up until the end of November!

Growing up, my mother decorated for every single holiday (like, EVERY one!), which my little sister and I LOVED. Although when Halloween came around, we had a rule - Halloween must be celebrated in a Christian manner. So nothing magical or gross or evil or dead. We had a lot of pumpkins and artful little skeletons and black cats, but nothing evil allowed. When other girls were witches for Halloween, I was an Indian Princess or a Rock Star or Cheerleader. Very wholesome. And Dad had to check through all my candy when I got home before I could eat any of it.

I ran into this idea online a few days ago and thought that it would be a very easy start to Halloween decor.

I got this idea from Dana's blog. If you have never been to MADE, you have to go. You really do. She has 4800 subscribed followers for a reason. Very creative and wonderful lady. And she's a miracle worker with the sewing machine.

She got the idea from Country Living. Their bat template is here.

And if you stop by the bat cave this Halloween, you will be greeted by my winged friends with enough candy for everyone!

Can you tell by my pictures that we're having a cold cloudy morning in SLC? And we're expecting snow on the slopes this weekend (eeee!!!! yay!)

Wintervention

2010-10-21T11:59:00.001-06:00

Well friends, it isn't officially ski season until Warren Miller comes to town! And the Warren Miller film will be in Salt Lake City this weekend!

Going to a screening of these films each year is an awesome tradition to bring in the ski season! Each viewing gives away tons of free stuff from local vendors. Last year we got two free tickets to ski the Canyons (along with EVERY SINGLE OTHER PERSON who forked out the $20 bucks for tickets) and the year before we got a t-shirt. It's fun to be surrounded by winter-lovin' people. You'd think there was a dress code with everyone sporting their down sweaters and approach shoes - ha! Because we had a super-fun anniversary celebration this last weekend, we will be sitting this one out this year. But we'll be checking out previous years' Miller films on Netflix to get the excitement going around here.

Don't miss it!

Find a show near you

Pillow Project Completed

2010-10-20T10:39:00.002-06:00

Back in April, my girl Kris and I got together to have a girls' crafty night. It was WONDERFUL and I think I was a little nieve to think that we would actually accomplish this pillow craft in one night. Of course, we just had fun talking and eating and laughing and enjoying each other with crafts on the side. So we each took our craft home and were determined to finish it eventually. Kris finished hers much quicker than I was able.

Here is V and Co's tutorial for the pillow

Here is my pillow.

And this is my first pillow case so it was a learning experience.

It's shaped weird, I guess.

And I really didn't know what I was doing with the zipper - you'd think that zippers would come with sewing instructions - they don't. This was my first zipper experience, you see.

Making the little roses was fun, and took a lot of time. It was even trickier sewing them onto the pillow case - I think - but maybe I just didn't have the best method.

The fabric is Jersey so it is sooo soft and comfy.

Here is Kristen's finished pillow

Fall Craft / Paperless project

2010-10-19T10:55:00.002-06:00

My first sewing craft after receiving my sewing machine was making cloth napkins. I made two under heavy supervision. And it took a long time. And they weren't perfect squares. But I learned how to thread my machine and measure and pin and sew. And that was about a year ago.

When Mom was in town, we picked out some cute fall fabric for some fall table napkins. Although I didn't get around to making them until this last weekend.

I like each of them to be individual because at my house each person gets a designated napkin until they're too gross to continue use and then they are washed. So these four should get the husband and I through a week of meals, hopefully.

Unless I decide to make something awesome for dinner.

...don't push your luck.

We have plenty of cloth napkins that we use year 'round. Since Autumn is my favorite and most celebrated season, I actually have a box of leafy kitchen linens and when I got out my Autumn decor, I traded out the towels and napkins in the kitchen for Autumn linens and put the rest on sabbatical. It's just another way to enjoy the season even more!

When I was visiting the family a few weeks ago, my Grandmother gave me some beautiful fall table napkins. They are so pretty and fancy! We've been really enjoying them. Now that my sewing machine has spit out these casual napkins, I think that hers will be reserved for special occasions and for company (or for when these are in the laundry).

Another year of the same promise

2010-10-18T09:02:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Mr. McBrayer and I celebrated SIX YEARS of being married to each other.

It's pretty amazing where God has taken us since this day. In some ways, I feel like we are exactly where we were then: in school, in the mountains, and poor. But in other ways we have grown so much and our lives have changed accordingly.

I'm remembering our first year of marriage and what a disaster I was in the kitchen. For the entire months of October and November I cooked chicken breasts for dinner every night - I had never cooked anything else before in my life. And it was awful. One day the hubs and I were grocery shopping together and he sweetly asked if I could cook something besides chicken breasts and I just started bawling and was inconsolable. I used to cry when I would put the meals on the table before we even started eating - I knew they were just awful. My sweet husband would thank me for dinner and ask for seconds.

I made a McBrayer family recipe for venison stew one evening and put two TABLESPOONS of peanut butter instead of two teaspoons - the whole thing tasted overwhelmingly like peanut butter.

We used to have Dooney's roommates over for dinner - they would bring the liquor and we would provide the food (I think we all knew that the McBrayers were getting the better end of that deal). One night I made dinner with red wine vinegar instead of red wine, not thinking it would be awful and it was AWFUL!

That year I was finishing my degree in English and Mr. McBrayer was working at Compassion International. Three days a week, I would drive to his work and we would eat lunch in the parking lot together. I loved that.

(click on the picture to see full size - this one is click-worthy!)

If you know me, then either you or someone you know is probably in this picture.

Thanks to all of our family and friends who continue to support us and encourage us in our marriage and in our life. Our lives wouldn't be the same without you!

That first year was fun, being surrounded by family and friends in Colorado. We didn't know then how short and precious that season was. After we had been married 9 months we moved to Kenya and celebrated our one-year anniversary in Nairobi that year.

I am happy that our future is in one place for the next few years - I see the potential for some roots to be planted. The baby itch has found me again and is pesky and cruel as before, but I do continue to hope for some babies. Or maybe I'll get a job and things won't be so tricky financially. But even if none of these things are to occur, at least I know that whatever does happen, it happens to us both, and that we are together in this life. It is wonderful to have a partner in life, especially one as resilient, hilarious, adorable, exciting and wonderful as my Mr. McBrayer.

My dear, home is where you are.

Works

2010-10-15T14:09:00.018-06:00

I saw this video today on a blog that I read every once in awhile, Mormon Coffee

I am so grateful that "it is by grace that we have been saved, through faith- and not from ourselves, it is a gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2: 8-9)

I wish that people would not carry upon themselves the burden of good works.

Do you know that more women are on anti-depressants in Utah than any other state in the U.S.? I think that there is a lot of pressure on women in society, but especially within Mormonism. I am amazed at how wonderful and hard working the LDS women are. Although I pity them, that so much of their worth within their community is based upon their participation and what they do.

It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free. His yolk is easy and his burden is light. I wish that everyone could know the freedom that is in Christ and that knowing him is not being put on a leash and under the pressure of right acts and good works. But we are found without fault before God because Christ carries our works (or lack of) and thoughts upon himself so that we do not have to face life and death with them on our own shoulders. I am so grateful to know and be loved by such an amazing God.

Gearing up for Winter - DIY coat rack ideas

2010-10-14T09:23:00.000-06:00

I have written a draft the last few days, never wanting to publish what I've written. I'm not sure of what to write.

Looking for jobs is exhausting emotionally. Some days I am so tired by the end of the day. Why it is so difficult?

We are winterizing our house this week. It's getting cold enough at night that we now keep all of the windows closed and I have turned on our gas fire place at least once each day. It still is around 70 in the afternoon, so the days here are just beautiful.

Yesterday we drained our sprinklers, drained and covered our swamp cooler, and removed the cooling fan from the bedroom. Before the first frost I need to cut back the roses and plant my tulip and daffodil bulbs. I will try to get around to that this weekend while Landon is climbing Indian Creek but my rose bushes are just beautiful right now so I've been putting it off. We need to do a few more things to close out the cool air and get the furnace ready but we're almost there. We saw a mouse in the house 3 weeks ago, which makes me wonder how many we have now that the weather is getting colder. I try not to think about it.

I am in desperate search for a very cheap coat rack and I'm contemplating creating my own. We need this soon. This house has only 2 closets total and one of them is not a hall coat closet and I have already found myself throwing my fleeces on the back of the couch or on the back of the kitchen chairs. Besides this being sloppy, we really need a coat rack once we come home with snow-soiled things from brilliant ski days. I also need to find a place for our box of winter woolens and I can't remember if I washed them at the end of the season last year.

Mornings are cold already. Yesterday when I went outside to let Duvick out of his kennel I could see my breath in the air, and the thermometer read 37 degrees. No frost yet, though, which is good. So we still have yellowing leaves on the trees. The Autumn seems to last a little longer here than in Colorado. Maybe it's because our elevation is a bit lower. It's nice, though.

Fun DIY Coat Rack ideas I found online:

By Kate and Design Sponge

From Apartment Therapy

from Camille Soulay

from a beach cottage only I think it would be fun with an old ski

kind of like this one from Orvis ($150)

and I really like this one.

also from Orvis ($800)

another one from Kate at design sponge

this is probably something that is more in my scheme of creativity. And I love the mis-matched hooks

Do you have any ideas?

Fireplace

2010-10-11T11:28:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite cold weather enjoyments are fires.

This weekend I went camping with a handful of women from Salt Lake City and I ended up sitting beside the fire for probably 10 hours, as the night was below freezing and it was dark by 7:30p and we cooked (except i did zero cooking) all of our meals over the fire in dutch ovens (a new experience for me - and it was a long process but so so so yummy!). I came home smelling like smoke. And I was wondering if people used to smell like smoke all of the time - when fire was the only option for warmth in the winter months and cooking year-round.

For the first time in 4 years, we live in a house with a fireplace.

It's a gas fireplace, but it's still a fireplace.

Today I have had it roaring in the other room because my house is cold and we haven't gotten the furnace winter-ready yet. I love having the heat from the fire permeate through the house. I especially love the emotions and feelings that a fire in the fireplace evoke in me. Every home in my childhood had a fireplace and it reminds me of family and security and warmth.

What about you?

Do these pictures make you feel any certain way?

Sorry, no picture credits for any of these

I can almost smell this picture!

This one confuses me a little but it still looks nice. I can't decide if it's warm or cold out there.

Wonderful.

This one I love especially. This is Snowbasin, and the cafe' where Landon and I enjoyed our lunch every day on the slopes. So warm and cozy next to the fire and beautiful views and cozy chairs. I will miss that this year.