{how about orange}

I found this blog today: How About Orange. I kind of love it. Correction: I REALLY love it.

Great DIY projects. In fact, I'm going to use this one this week for my craft room/guest room/office.

Picture from How About Orange. Thank you Jessica Jones.

{two. new. treats}

treat One

treat Two

{the many faces of my links}

Tartraz

{Disclaimer: This is the only picture I could find of Erica where she wasn't being "hardcore" or "pretty".}

I haven't seen Tartraz with my own two eyes for approximately 5ish years. She is one of those friends from my adolescent days that I really like but never know how to bridge the gap between Senior Graduation night and the present day. However, thanks to the wonderful world of Blogger, we have at least somewhat bridged the gap by using the WWW.

Some great things about Erica include:

a) her enormous sense of style. It's rather paradoxical when you think about it because her style is enormous but captured on a tiny little frame. The way she dresses is bold and punchy and she has the body to just make you want to be sick (literally) so you can have her anorexic silhouette. Did I just say that? Strangely, Erica eats more than your favorite farm animal. I think almost every other post, she mentions some kind of burrito that she ate or the Quesadilla Cheeseburger that she WANTS to eat.

b) that she is really, really, really funny. Only every once in a while do I read someone's blog and laugh really loudly and continue to laugh because it was so funny. Pretty much only CJane and Tartraz do that to me on a regular basis. I love it. I also love it when she randomly confesses things like, "Sophomore year of high school I cheated on all my Spanish tests by writing the words on my desk in pencil. I got an A. So, joke's on you morals."

c) that she is marrying her high school (junior high?) boyfriend whom I have also known during my adolescent years - poor guy. I am super excited for that wedding. It is going to rock. I can tell by how beautiful her ring is. I hope she invites me. Although I am a little worried about what this marriage might do to her very serious relationships with Daniel Craig and Clive Owen. Wha?

My favorite part of Erica's blog might be her Tuesdays With Jihone segments. This one might be my favorite. Or this one. Holy crap they are funny! I have tears in my eyes from re-reading these.

CASE IN POINT:
Jihone: So what are you getting me for graduation? Something cool I hope.

Erica: Rollerblades?
Jihone: I think someone’s already getting me those. Maybe you should get me a BB gun.

Erica: Ok. Or a butterfly knife?

Jihone: No. I'll be fingerless.

Erica: Okay, how about I just make you a burrito.

Jihone: That’s kinda scary.

Erica: Yes it is.

Jihone: Something tells me it'd be like chopped up hot dog pieces and popcorn with spaghetti sauce. Half eaten.

Erica: That is sick.

Jihone: Then why did you eat half of it?

Click here for more UNREAL hilariousness.

{the many faces of my links}

M

This tribute will most likely be my longest as this special person is my dearest and closest friend. I mean, there had to be a reason why she was the first person on my friend's list. I debated whether or not to put her on my "family list" but in the effort to not confuse you all, I decided to drop her down a line. I hope she doesn't mind but deep down, she knows that she's my sister at heart.

M's first impression of me was actually not a very good representation of who I am. We had been cast as roommates and she was in the process of moving into our apartment while I was out for the day (probably flirting with a boy). She peeked into my room to get a glimpse into the style and interests of her new roommate. Here is what she saw. Looking back at this picture, I gave myself the title of "Pretty Princess" on my own. Luckily, after meeting me, we became fast friends and found bizarre little connections to each other.

One of the very best things about M is that she is always ready and willing to listen and give sound advice. She can tell when I want to talk and when I really need to talk. There have been many long nights when we shared a room and laid in our beds while I talked and she listened. There have been many days when I woke up to find a little thoughtful letter or arrived home from school and found a cheery post-it note on the door to pick me up from a hard day. There have been long drives while singing our favorite songs, dance parties where we didn't care what we looked like, Friday night dates when we didn't have boyfriends and Friday night dates when we did. There has been shared music, poems, books, quotes, clothes and "Annie". There has been laughter until our bellies ached and our eyes cried and there has been total silence while we both appreciated something beautiful.

M is unique in many ways. She doesn't concern herself with what other people think of her. To her, that is completely personal and she has let that form her into the kind of person that never thinks of herself. She never ceases to serve other people in small and simple ways. She is the kind of person that everyone thinks is their "best friend" while all along, she doesn't label her relationships that way.

Watching television, eating chocolate and sleeping in are not things that M enjoys. I know it sounds crazy but instead of watching television, M reads "Walden" or "As A Man Thinketh" for the 100th time. Instead of eating chocolate by the pound (as some of us do) she prefers her own homemade granola or some non-acidic fruit (as she is allergic to citric acid). And, rather than sleeping in, M will instead wake up early to take a refreshing walk as the sun rises so she can think about life and her own goals. It's amazing when I consider how much self-control she possesses. M inspires me to be a better person and in my opinion, that is the truest friend a person can have.

M's blog marks many important events in her life as well as inspirational thoughts, fun events going on in the SLC area, delightful jewelry that she makes herself, beautiful photos that she captures with her trusty camera and plenty of other goodies that are worth checking out. Read her blog here.

{the many faces of my links}

Orange

If you knew my nephew, you would understand why Sarah's blog is called "Orange You Glad". A few months ago, his favorite knock-knock joke was the one that ended with, "Orange you glad I didn't say banana?" No one knows what this joke means except 4-year-olds but you can't help but laugh when you see a child giggle to no end about this silly joke. Being the mother of 4 young children, Sarah has her fill of corny jokes around their house.

Sarah is my brother-in-law's wife, making her my in-law twice. It's a long story and we'll just keep it at that.

The first thing you should know about Sarah is that she has phenomenal quilt-making skills. It seems that she makes one a month and if you saw the beauty and detail of these quilts, it would make you want to pay whatever it took to get her to make you one. I was lucky enough to receive one of her masterpieces as a wedding gift. She is so talented at knowing what is in style and then combining that knowledge with your personal tastes. I would feel confident letting her pick anything out for me to wear, eat, do or decorate with. She has made various quilts for members of my family and every single one is prized and loved. She features her recent quilts on her blog often too so it's a treat to see what she's working on.

The next thing you have to know about Sarah is that she is the kind of person that lights up a room when she arrives. At Sunday dinner with my family, she and her husband will walk in and make everyone smile within the first 30 seconds after they get there. They are the couple that you want to invite to your party because you know that Sarah will be an excellent conversationalist and look fabulous at the same time - therefore making YOU {the host(ess)} look stylish. Besides having impecable taste in clothing, she is also sickeningly beautiful while remaining gloriously humble of the oh, so obvious, fact. Along with that, her husband, Mark, will make everyone roar with laughter with his witty and somewhat sarcastic humor - therefore making the party a laugh-fest that no one will ever forget.

Sarah is also very giving . . . but I'm betting you've already guessed that when I mentioned the several quilts that she has hand-made and selflessly given to people with nothing in return. Another thing you may have guessed is that when she and Mark got married, they combined 2 families into one - not an easy task but because of Sarah's unselfish and giving personality, she swooped up my delicious nephew as one of her own thus combining the two families and bringing eternal bliss to everyone related. That takes a very special person and that's what she is. We all love her incredibly!

I love reading Sarah's blog to catch up on the latest news of my nieces and nephews but also to catch up on the latest styles. She also includes some funny stories every once in a while. This one is my favorite. Be sure to read her blog here.

{the many faces of my links}

Melissa

Melissa is another one of my cousins that I didn't get to know very well growing up but I knew that I liked her as a child mainly because she was the daughter of one of my favorite aunts and the sister to some of my most favorite cousins. As we both grew to be adults, I realized a few things about my delightful cousin, Melissa.

Firstly, some of the members of my family have been blessed with dimples. My mother is one of those people but not a-one of her 11 offspring inherited that beautiful trait. Somehow, this cousin and Melissa got them and I have never stopped coveting them!

Secondly, Melissa is also one of those people who seems to always have the right thing to say. She is poised but still helplessly easy-going. She always has something happy to say and it's always a pleasure talking to her. Maybe it's because her dimpled smile is so noticeable that you just have to believe that she's happy. If she's just pretending to be forever in a good mood, then she's definitely fooling everyone.

Melissa is married to quite possibly the biggest tease on the planet. I believe I was a teenager when she married her husband and those years of insecurity and emotion did not go well with his incessant rib-poking, silly jokes and teasing of me and the other teenage cousins that I hung around at family parties. We all secretly thought that Melissa's husband was really cute (in an "older cousin way") and I know that I secretly wished that I could muster up the courage to make fun back. And all along, there stood Melissa who would occasionally let out a comment in her husband's direction to let him know that he better stop bugging us. It was always said very half-heartedly, and she would probably give him a little pat on the bum when she said it, but I remember thinking that I knew that she got the most teasing of us all - at home . . . and she must have a lot of patience and good fun in her. I was right. She does.

Another thing I've always admired about Melissa is how in shape she is. Keep in mind that all her sisters are tall and thin with no "behind" (if you know what I mean) but Melissa has made it a point to exercise and man - you should see the woman's arms! Wowsa! She is a babe. I couldn't find a great picture on her blog to display her arms, but just trust me.

Quite possibly the most important thing is that her sugar cookies are as good, easy and as fun to make as they look. I am NOT KIDDING. She is a baker-pro! It is uncanny how mean her cakes, pies and cookies are. She should look like Paula Deen but in reality, she looks like Heidi Klum.

Good luck trying to be as great as my cousin. If you want, you could try to snag some tips by heading over to her blog where she shares fabulous recipes, book reviews and more.

{the many faces of my links}

Karren
This fireball is one of my favorite cousins. Here are a few reasons why: She loves movies like "Cinema Paradiso", and can quote loads of delicious lines at your request. I'm willing to bet that if she could, she would only dress in Brooks Brothers cashmere sweaters. She's that classy. She has natural, beautiful, black hair that she has never tried to cover up (at least to my knowledge) and has glowing, ivory skin that you want to either touch or steal. She has fantastic taste in music and introduced me to Eisley {bless her soul for that} but not only does she listen to fantastic music, but she also can play fantastic music on her guitar while singing with a low, resonating voice. I’ve heard that her rendition of Matt Pond PA’s makes you wish she would never stop playing.

She is exceptionally well-read. By "well-read", I mean she has read all the books that I've been meaning to read for the last decade but only get about 5 pages into and then get lazy and grab the nearest "Harry Potter" book. For example, she has read Anna Karenina and loved it. Dickens? Check. (I'm willing to bet she even read "Dombey and Son"). Dante? Check. Austen? Devowered. Karren is also really, really, really brilliant. If you knew her family, you would not be surprised. I mean, they’re all brilliant. It’s quite ridiculous. I've heard a rumor that my uncle has a strict rule that before one of his children is allowed to date a person, that person must be able to successfully play an intelligent game of Scrabble with the family, probably using words like "perfunctory" and "antediluvian". She won a Merrill J. Bateman Oustanding award at the J.W. Marriott School of Business where she received her Undergraduate Degree. Here's another article. I told you she is smart.

If you want to catch a glimpse of some more greatness from Karren, head over to her blog as she shares some of her intelligent thoughts, deep observations and inspirational views from books she's read, lectures she's heard and her own convictions and perceptions of life.

{the many faces of my links}

Strawbs

He introduced himself as "Strawberry Steve" one day in church and has been known as "Strawbs" ever since. His red hair gives it away. Strangely, finding the right words to describe my brother is harder than I thought but his delightful fiance thought of some great adjectives. "Stalwart" is one of those words. I just love that she came up with that. Just saying the word out loud almost makes it so. Strawbs is committed to doing what is right. He never waivers in his dedication to his family, his religion and his goals.

Another great thing about my brother is what a peacemaker he is. You see, I'm almost certain that Strawbs is the only person in my family with whom I've never had a fight with. He's super nice to every one in the world. Every picture from our childhood, with the two of us in it, usually has Strawbs' chubby little arms around me or else he is laying a big kiss on my cheek. Being surrounded by brothers, I never wanted to play Legos, Transformers or Micromachines so Strawbs played Cabbage Patch with me a few times . . . maybe even Barbies. As we grew into our teenage years, I got nerdy glasses and Strawbs grew a huge bush of thick, red hair as well as a singing group of 5 boys called Euphony 5. Being annoyingly boy crazy, I would desperately make treats for those boys as a bribe to get them to even look in my direction. Strawbs never said anything around them to make me feel bad even though I’m sure he was annoyed with my pathetic attempts for attention (except the one time that he told his best friend that I was in love with him). I also love that he laughs really loud at my jokes so that it covers up how loudly I am laughing myself. Even if they are pity laughs, he is REALLY good at them.

Strawbs is a wonderful photographer. He has taken many pictures of family reunions, portraits, weddings, vacations and has somehow taught himself to be really good at it. So good, in fact, that he started himself a little business called "Orange Life Photography". Don't you love that name and the logo? Strawbs is eternally optimistic and "orange life" perfectly describes his personality.

He is getting married on Saturday to a really wonderful girl that we all like a lot. We're all really jazzed about the whole thing - especially since we all get to go to Seattle for the wedding! His website is rarely updated (like, since February) but here's his photography website and here's their wedding site and his Flickr site.

{the many faces of my links} part 4

alice k{i}nd

Sisters are often a lot alike . . . which is most definitely the case with my sister, Alice k{i}nd. She's so shrewd with all that "k{i}nd" stuff. You see, she really is "k{i}nd" and those letters are also her initials. She's ever so clever. She also really, really loves the Suns.

Alice and I have a lot in common. For example: We both have blonde hair. We both have the same "singing nose". We both love her children . . . a lot. We both love the Imogen Heap song from "The Chronicles of Narnia" and could listen to it on repeat on her kitchen iPod while we discuss the best way to make a recipe.

Another great thing about Alice is that when she was single and living at home, we had to share a room. I don't know how she could bear being 26ish and sharing a bedroom with a young girl at 11ish, but she did. When she would go out on a date, I would lay in bed and watch her get ready in the adjoining bathroom and then she would turn on Christofori's Dream when she left so that I could sleep. I still love that song.
Alice is the busy mother of 3 children. She drives them to and from school, lessons, activities and thousands of other things. She has a singing group for children, a time-consuming church calling, a {really funny and cool} husband and various other activities that take up her blogging time. Be sure to check her blog for sporadic postings. It is very fun read . . . especially when she writes about something her adorable children say or do. See Alice here.

{the many faces of my links}

Last week, I promised that I would blog about the wonderful folks on my links list. I apologize if some are longer than others but that is just the nature of knowing some of you and hardly/not knowing the rest of you. Here I go with #1 {and then on down the list}:

NieNie

NieNie is my fabulous sister-in-law. She is a world-class blogger. You think I'm exaggerating? NieNie is known in magazines like Cookie Mag, Dolly Mix and the Martha Stewart blog, Blueprint. Her cleverness defies all others.

In real life, NieNie is exceptionally kind. She is not faking the love she has for my brother or her children. She genuinely loves everything about them and helps them be better.

Plus, she is the mother to these children:

NieNie is spectacular with Claire (age 6 today!) in that she is her best friend and helps Claire be confident in her abilities.

NieNie has made sure that Jane (4) is always included. That's a hard task when you have 4 children and they all have strong personalities. Jane is the younger sister with a fiery personality . . . and Stephanie knows how to balance that.

Oliver (3) is an adorable handful. Stephanie has allowed Oliver to experiment with his own boundaries and in the process has molded a little boy with a huge imagination and a love for adventure.






None of us really know what Nicholas' personality is really like at 1 year old, but I can tell you that he loves, loves, loves his mama. She's definitely doing something right.















The best part of her blog, is how good you feel as you read it. NieNie reminds us all that there is beauty in the small things and a light of family that can't be replaced. If you haven't already been a part of the crowd that reads her blog daily, join in here {and check out her recipe blog here}.