solo

i went to see this movie all by myself. i think this is the first time i have ever been to the movies alone.

let me just say that going solo was perfect, especially for this movie. it was sorta freeing walking in there alone. and it was a good thing i was alone because i was crying for an hour straight. tears streaming down my face, for an HOUR! i couldn't believe how much i cried. i don't really cry in movies either, not that i think it's dumb to, i just don't. i had to hold back the sniffles and sorta wished i had rented it and was home on my couch so i could sniff all i wanted. i read the book {thanks to jana!} and loved it and it made the movie that much better.

loved the movie and loved that i was alone.

does anyone else go to movies alone sometimes? i think i might do it more often.

gold's gym, anyone?

so my friend, maryann, who used to be my room mate and used to live in utah, is selling her gold's gym contract for CHEAP! she lives in indiana and can't use it there because the one she bought is from a utah franchise.

here are the details:

**price is $300, upfront for 16 months! that works out to be $18.75 per month and you don't have to pay startup costs or the lame bi-annual fee of $15. she already paid for all of it. {i believe new contracts are starting at $27 per month}

i wish i would have known about this before i renewed my contract, but i didn't so it's your gain. let me know if you want to buy it from her. it really is a great deal and then we can be gym buddies! i really need one!

feather headbands

i saw feather headbands in bella donna {a little boutique in ancestor square} a couple weeks ago and can't stop thinking about them. i am in love with them.

i found more on etsy here.

and here.

aren't they so cute!? i think i am going to search for feathers and try to make them myself, but if i can't find the perfect ones then i will cave and buy one of these lovelies. i love the ones with the peacock feathers . . . and maybe a little less big. i've got to work up to it.

kundalini yoga with benja

over the summer while talking to my aunt steph, the subject of music came up. i'm not sure what exactly we were talking about but she handed me her ipod and pressed play. i loved the song playing. instant connection. :) she says that she listens to this song and it makes everything right in her world. :) i can totally see why.



i thought about the song off and on. mostly when i would go to yoga classes and would contemplate buying it, but i would forget. then i heard it in my first kundalini yoga class taught by benja peterson. {who owns benja thai and i absolutely love the restaurant and love her.}

i love it when things like this happen. hearing something or about something and it keeps showing up in my life. needless to say, i loved the class. it was different than any other yoga class i have taken. and i have recruited family members to come to it every monday at 5:30pm with me. so if you want to come . . . email me and i will let you know where it is!

she ended class with this song. loved it.



so thanks steph, for introducing me to this beautiful music!

back to school

and a schedule. school started monday. wow. this marks the first semester, since i got my associates degree years ago, that i will be a full-time student. {only this time i will be working full time, as well} one of the reasons for this switch from part to full-time is because if it helps me see the light at the end of the tunnel a little faster. :)

so i've been purchasing books {ugh}, and other school supplies.

whenever fall comes around i think of the scene in you've got mail where they are emailing about "bouquets of sharpened pencils." love the idea of this. and love tom hanks and meg ryan.

i think this would be the perfect first day of school present. so cute. :)

the schedule has been crazy so far and i feel like i have been living out of my car, running from one place to the next, but i hope to have everything organized by next week. i may actually be able to fit passengers in my car then. :)

do you have any first week of school tips to help in organization or even staying sane?? i could use the help!

p.s. i am actually taking 13 credits and the 13th one is my favorite. kundalini yoga. i love it so far and have more to share on that front so stay tuned.

image via flickr.

quilts and such

finally finished my sweater quilt that i started, no kidding, probably 3 years ago. i made it from bright sweaters that i used to wear in my high school days and then i crocheted the binding. that's why it took me so long. there are more like this one here. :)

kind of bright, but oh so cozy

on another quilting note i thought i had plenty of time to make a baby quilt for sabrina's soon to be born sweetie, but her baby came 5 weeks early! so i had to hurry and get going on it. i'm still not quite done and with school starting it might take me a little longer, but hopefully not too long. here is a peak at the fabric we chose together. :) so far it is really cute!

cute little dominic. he is tiny and so sweet! congrats sabrina and aaron!

handmade for me!

this pay it forward {handmade} thing was way more fun than i would have expected. i sent out these and got this and now this cute new clutch. it's always fun to get something in the mail and handmade is even better. i am amazed at how talented robyn is! thank you so much!

fun inside material!

cool design on the back. :)

do you coupon?

it seems to be the fad now to coupon clip. i just started really doing it these last couple weeks. at first it stressed me out, and now i can say that i am just sort of getting the hang of it. i definitely am not hard core because i'm not shopping for a huge family, but tonight when my total for some bananas and 4 boxes of cereal was $0.67 it made me pretty happy!

here are some of the sites i frequent:
it's hip to save
utah deal diva
money saving mom
pinching your pennies
the obsessive shopper {this is the one where i get my shopping list every week}


do you coupon? what are your tips and tricks? teach me!!

meringue and raspberry ice cream cake

raspberries must be calling my name. i saw this deliciousness over at design sponge today and had to share.

go here to read more. yum!

Meringue and Raspberry Ice Cream Cake

1 2/3 cups whipped cream (400ml)

2/3 cups Greek yogurt (200ml)

1 egg yolk

3 tbl spoons powdered sugar

1 vanilla pod

zest of 1 lemon

1 bag of small ready made meringues

4,5 tbl spoons crushed dark chocolate -

alternatively chocolate sauce

raspberries (I’ve used fresh, but frozen ones are OK too for inside the cake)

Whisk the cream. Mix yogurt, egg yolk, powdered sugar, the content of the vanilla pod and the lemon zest (only the yellow, not the white). Turn the yogurt mix into the whipped cream. Spread 1/3 of the mix in a springform, approximately 10 inches in diameter. Cover with a layer of meringue and sprinkle over raspberries and crushed chocolate. Repeat with another layer of yogurt mix, raspberries and chocolate. End with a layer of yogurt mix. Cover with plastic and freeze for at least 4 hours. Place the cake in room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Decorate with raspberries.

i'm definitely going to try this!

cami's goin' country

amy and her family got to go visit my talented sister who is performing in virginia. {see more pics on amy's facebook} i went last year and wish i could have gone this year. check out how cute my sister is below {totally sounds like reba}:



cami's bf is the guitar player and the one who sings "friends in low places" in the second half of the video. :)



seeing these make me miss her! love you cam! i'm so glad you are going for it!

raspberries and ice cream

one of my favorite things about visiting salt lake city in the summer :)

what are your favorite summer treats?

picking up where we left off

do you have friends that, no matter how long it has been, you just easily pick up where you left off? i got the chance to spend the weekend with two friends that are like sisters to me! it was such a good excuse to make a quick trip up to the salt lake area.

me and rach. friends since we were little. (my dad dated her mom in high school - funny huh!) loved chatting the night away with her. thanks for letting me crash your saturday night and stay at your place. :)

then i had a lovely breakfast at mimi's with maryann. if you ask how me met she may loudly exclaim that it was one wild night in vegas, but it's not as bad as it sounds. :) she was my roommate for awhile after that and we had so much fun together! so we did breakfast and then just chilled at liberty park. i love liberty park. it was so fun to see maryann. she is definitely one of those people that i can be completely myself with. i love talking to her! and little did we know that we have twinner hairdos. haha! funny.

in my quick trip i also got to see my grandparents, Bri and Cath and fam and got to spend sunday afternoon with my sister and her family. we made yummy zucchini bread and chatted. such a great weekend.