Cherishing two Chairs.

As a small family at the time, we only needed four chairs to circle our round kitchen table.

Even as a little girl I noticed the details of the chair I climbed each evening to reach my dinner.

At the time, the chairs were a stark cream color. Mom bought them from an antique store and used her talent to fix them up. A floral pattern of pink roses was scattered across a cushion that delicately sat atop the round seat. A big bow tied across the back anchored the cushion securely beneath my squirly little girl self.

These chairs were kind most days, allowing me access to child-friendly foods such as mac and cheese or oreo cookies. More than once these chairs aided in my investigation of the kitchen cupboards. Another time these chairs watched my 5 year old hands explore the buttery taste of lobster. These chairs were often pushed up to the kitchen sink so I could wash and dry dishes like mom. On rare occasions these chairs weren't so kind. Upon my refusal to eat a single spoonful of pea soup, these chairs instantly resembled confinement.

As our family grew, our little round table was replaced with a larger, newer one. The old one soon disappeared and so did two of our little chairs. However, the remaining two chairs were retired to a corner of the basement where they sat for years.

Desperate to paint something one day in my teens, I dug up my moms' acrylics and reached for one of the lonely chairs. I brightened it up with messy streaks of pink, blue, yellow and green, but once the excitement had faded, my chair returned to the basement.

Years later I dusted off the other chair and painted it a happy shade of orange sorbet to match my sunshine bedroom. My work was infinitely better- the paint was smooth and even this time, but I was no artist.


Even more years passed, and I'm standing in the fabric store desperately comparing the same pattern of canvas in two different shades. Blue and green have always tickled my fancy, and this fabric was no exception. I loved them both, and I could simply not choose between them. But somewhere in the corner of my mind, an image of our old kitchen chairs tugged at my thoughts.

I dug those chairs out of the basement and cleaned them up. I sanded out the ridges and smoothed down rough corners. I added yet another coat of paint- this time those chairs are back to their original color.

I fully intend to use these chairs at my very first kitchen table, just as my mom did 20 years ago for her small family. Before I know it I'll have little ones of my own to climb up on them.

Brilliant Bear Lake

Beautiful Bear Lake- just another day in the company of summer.

This summer more than ever, I find myself basking in the beauty that is Utah. How grateful I am to live in a state of ever-changing seasons complete with majestic mountains, red rock, green grasses, and wondrous waters.

July is my favorite month of the year. Besides an explosion of fireworks, unlimited watermelon and pool-side days, July hosts a Utah-exclusive holiday that to me, is the epitome of summer.

In addition to parades and sparklers, Pioneer Day brought with it a week of fun for my family. We watched movies under the stars at the local drive-in. We sampled the flavor of summer with steak, burgers, pineapple and cherries. And we drove to beautiful Bear Lake for a day of sunshine and water.

There was no doubt the 90-something weather left a pink coat over each of us, and much to Larissa and Preston's dismay, a few new freckles scattered across the bridge of their noses.

The boys were entertained for hours with nothing more than a few buckets, a red shovel and infinite amounts of sand.

Preston waddling around like a penguin in his wetsuit, and Joel patrolling the area like a soldier.



The great thing about traditions is that they often consist of food. For as long as I can remember, we've stopped at LaBeau's for their famous raspberry shakes after a long day of swimming.


Bear Lake's raspberry days are a fond memory of summers growing up in Utah. These days are the days I look forward to all year long. Days in the company of summer...

My $15 robin-egg set

Once again I am thanking my local thrift stores for fantastic home furnishings.

My latest project required little work, thanks to the great shape and natural beauty these two pieces had. I bought them seperately, fixed them up individually and ended up with a great set.


I found this beautiful chair at a consignment shop in St. George for $10. 10 seconds later I was smiling broadly in line with my new purchase. I used it as a desk chair in my apartment at school, but upon bringing it home this summer I examined it more closely. It was in desperate need of a new paint job, so I unscrewed the beautiful seat, and freshened up the color.


This $5 table was hiding in an Ogden thrift store. It was heavy and very well made, so I snatched it up and brought it home for some extra love. The table was already blue and white, but it was chipped and cracked in places. My electric sander made smoothing down the top simple, and I painted coats during commercial breaks of The Bachelorette. :)

I have always adored the clean look of blue and white, so I was extra happy about this project.

The chair is much-too big for this bedside table, so it will likely go in the corner of a room while the table will hold bedside items.

Since these pieces are classic and austere, I would add accessories of the same simplicity to match the unadorned style of this set.

I love the clean cut lines and color of this vase.

Silver picture frames would fit in nicely with the teal and white.

This lamp's curvy base is a stark contrast from the straight lines of the chair and tabletop.

This set is simple and unfussy, but that may be just why I love it. I can't wait to have a house to decorate one day with these great items!

Zebra Zone

Mother-daughter DIY project #2 came together much quicker than my first one. Before I was even finished with my first refurbishing project, my mom spotted this simple chair at a yard sale. When I visited the same location a few hours later, I was thrilled to see it still there. The great thing about finding the perfect piece to fix up is that not many people see the potential it can have.

The dreadful green paint job, stained floral fabric, and cigarette-laden scent made this chair barely worth the $10 my sellers asked for. But with a few strokes of new paint, fresh fabric and a little bit of love, this chair barely resembles the aging horror it once was. Now it is young, hip and stylin. :)

$17 animal-print fabric, $4 colonial red paint, $3 black trim and $4 tack strips, make my new home addition less than $40, and therefore quite a steal.

This Hidden Treasures chair is fancier than mine, but its' pricetag is much loftier at $366.85.

I couldn't have been happier with the way this chair turned out. With each project I gain more practice and each time around I know more than the one before. Maybe after I fix up 10 chairs or so I'll have enough expertise and experience to start selling my work. Do you think anyone would buy them? If not, I guess I'd have a very well furnished home!

Georgetown Cupcakes

Is it possible to fall in love with a cupcake?

There's absolutely no question I have a major sweet tooth. I have a great appreciation for food in general, but a single desert always gets the best of me.

In planning our trip to Washington DC, I studied multiple food reviews about restaurants in the area. When Georgetown Cupcakes showed up across my computer screen, I vowed to get there- no matter how many deserts and oceans I had to cross. Lucky for me, this pretty little shop wasn't even 15 minutes away from downtown DC.

The reviews I read were more than sweet to this cupcakery, but during my visit I found out just how extraordinary Georgetown Cupcakes is. It is so good in fact, that this bite-size place is getting its' own TV series on TLC. I'm always watching cake-designing shows, so this is a new addition that I'll be sure to check out.

With it's newfound fame, and of course the fact that it's Georgetown's only cupcake shop, the line to get inside strung clear around the building. I guess I'm not only the only person crazy for cupcakes.

To me, each cake is a petite piece of art.

The pink boxes our cupcakes were gifted in reminded me of a larger version of the blue Tiffany's box. Forget styrofoam plates, these cupcakes come in style.


Since each cake was so beautifully unique, it took a minute to narrow down our choices. But we eventually settled on coconut, strawberry, birthday cake and red velvet.

It takes a real man to choose a pink cupcake with a heart on top. :)


I love cupcakes so much that when I saw this necklace I fell in love with cupcakes all over again. After I went out selling security systems one day with Jason in 100 degree highs, he bought me this lovely piece of bling. What a sweet reward!

I don't know what it is about this desert, but I wonder... is it possible to fall in love with a cupcake?

Celebrating the 4th- Making it happen in Manhattan!

After years of dreaming, I finally took a bite out of the big apple. The allure of prominent skyscrapers and breathtaking skylines, million-dollar businesses, night or day entertainment, and blocks of cultured metropolis makes the Empire State a fantasy for city girls like me. This year I was thrilled to spend the 4th of July in illustrious New York City.

Rockefeller Center

Visiting the Lego store was a must. Lego has always wowed their customers with impressive structures created from their tiny plastic blocks. NYC, of course was no different. Aside from the gigantic lego apple in the core of Rockefeller Center, they also recreated the Atlas Statue that faces 5th Avenue in Lego form. We spent way too much time in this store considering our age, but I did get some fun pictures and in the process scored a great birthday present for Joel!

What is a visit to NYC without a trip to Times Square?

The Empire State building was one of our first stops. What better way to see New York City than from the top of one of the tallest buildings around? This building has always been on my list of must-sees. 'Sleepless in Seattle' has lended the building an air of romance, and 'King Kong' has made it one of the most recognized buildings in the country. To me, the Empire State building is a symbol of success and victory. This renowned tower took only 410 days to complete, in the middle of the depression. What an achievement.


At the entrance, my heavy planning allowed Jason and I to pass the long line for tickets. I skipped ahead, feeling proud that I had outsmarted the people in our dust. I was in for it, however, when we approached the rear end of a beastly line. I learned quickly that a quick ride to the top doesn't exist in this building. 86 floors and an hour or so later, Jason and I were rewarded with a birds-eye view of the skyline.

You can see Macy's far below...

I love the picture of the shadow of the summit cast over the other buildings.

The lego replica of the Empire State had a little monkey on the spire. :)

I'd heard enough good things about the food in Little Italy to convince me to seek out Italian Saturday night. When I asked our tour driver for directions to Little Italy, he said, "Take this street down through Chinatown. When the words change to Italian, you're there." We followed his advice down the street, past markets of rancid fish and foreign vegetables until we did indeed run into Italian scrawled across banners and buildings. Twinkle lights were strung across the street, and restaurants overflowed into the road in the shade of oversize umbrellas.

Focaccia bread with red balsamic vinegar, and our delectable pastas.

We relaxed outside where we could enjoy the ambiance of Little Italy itself.

Friends recommended we take the Grayline busses for an excellent tour of the districts. Since NYC is incredibly overwhelming for first-comers, I was more than willing to shell out the cash for a day-long tour of the city. Rather than fight the traffic and navigate through unknown streets, I was happy with the double decker that allowed my camera full access up above where all the beauty is hiding.

Grand Central Station on the left

If nothing else, our tour bus allowed us a well-rounded tour of the layout of the city. Because we saw NYC with no driving distractions our first day, we had a basic knowledge of direction, and were able to easily navigate the streets our second day. Since I've heard so much grief about nonexistent parking, crazy cab drivers and terrible traffic, I had it worked up in my mind that driving our rental into Times Square would be a nightmare. I was pleasantly surprised though, that we didn't encounter any problems! Parking from noon to midnight was $14 on the 4th of July, and we were more than happy to pay it.

You don't get the full NY experience until you ride the subway. Jason was excellent at making sure we were taking the right loop and knowing where and when to get off. Alone, I'd have ended up who-knows-where. Good thing I had him to look out for me!


I was SO excited to see Wicked. I literally woke up and went to sleep singing Wicked for weeks on end. It was either playing on my laptop, in the car or on my ipod. Any other guy would have gone crazy with my fanatical passion for this musical. But Jason sang along with me. :)


In middle and high school I was absolutely obsessed with Phantom of the Opera. I thought I loved Phantom at Capitol Theater in Salt Lake, but Wicked at Gershwin Theater on Broadway was incredible.


When my mom asked me what the best part of my trip was, I responded without hesitation, "WICKED!" I could see this show again and again. And believe me, I will.

After the show we went exploring the town. NYC nightlife is no joke- around every corner is some kind of party. We were happy to accidentally stumble across Central Park, Julliard, the Manhattan Temple, the New York City ballet, and Papaya Dog- the hot dog place J-Lo eats at in her latest movie 'The Back-up Plan.' Jace had been wanting a hot dog all day, and I had put him off in my paranoia of the street vendors. We stopped at Papaya Dog though, because I figured if J-Lo can eat it, so can I! And once I tried it, I'm sure glad I did!

On the 4th of July our good friends Cody and Sara joined us for more fun in NY. That's when we went to Rockefeller Center and NBC.

Jace was excited to see Radio City Music Hall, and I was probably just as excited to get mango gelato from a little street vendor.

Sara's only request was to get our caricatures drawn in Times Square, so we posed while a young girl from Russia drew each couple. While our pictures don't look much like us, it was a fun experience and a good souvenier.

In Times Square Sara and I negotiated with the street vendors for NY artwork. But later we experienced real bartering of New York City when we discovered gorgeous designer bags and perfume on Canal Street. Jason and Cody probably enjoyed the experience more than we did because of the wild cop chases and undercover bargaining that went down. Sara scored a Louis Vuitton, I grabbed a Chanel, we both got matching Coach bags and Vera Wang smell-good. :) We were very happy girls.

A trip to the Statue of Liberty took a little bit of effort. A couple subway stops, and a few blocks of walking got us to Rockefeller Park at the southern tip of the island. We grabbed a few sweet peaches on the way and watched the sailboats in the distance as we continued on.

After our subway ride and walking, we shared a taxi and eventually got to the Ellis Island Ferry. Since it was a major holiday they were completely sold out of tickets. Weeks prior to the 4th I attempted to buy 4 tickets online, and instead ended up with 12. Apparently when I was refunded the money, I was also forfeitting the tickets. I was bummed, to say the least.

After so much traveling to Ellis Island, we splashed around in the fountains of Battery Park to cool off. Leave it to me to plan a trip in the hottest weather since 1995. The heat wave didn't stop us though. We bought faux Ray Bans and "I love NY" shirts. We'll see the Statue of Liberty next time.

When it was time to track down grub we followed recommendations to Peep, a hole in the wall Thai restaurant in SOHO. I never would have chosen this place on my own, but man were we SO glad we did. Peep was quiet, empty and dark, making it different from many of the places we usually go. But our service was awesome, the atmosphere was terrific, and the food was excellent. We all said more than once that the curry was the best $10 plate we've ever had.

I know it's weird, but I have to mention the bathrooms. There was no light switch, but a flat screen TV playing old movies over the sink left a dim glow. The wall was see-through on the bathroom side, so you could see the activity of the restaurant as you're well, doing your business. Coolest bathroom ever I think.

At last it was time for the Macy's firework show. We returned to Rockefeller Park and watched the beautiful sunset over the skyscrapers. Our friend McKay invited us to his brother's apartment for a roof-top firework show, but we preferred the park instead. It was so nice to relax in the grass after such a long day on our feet.

To conclude our long day, we ventured off to find Tirimisu at another recommended spot. When we found it closed Sara suggested Serendipity, another place I'd been dying to try. Serendipity's famous frozen hot chocolate lived up to it's name, and it was big enough to share. The beautiful chandelier and quaint furnishings added such character to this tiny place. No wonder Kate Beckinsale visits this place for her own frozen hot chocolate in the chick flick 'Serendipity.' Later Jace and I netflixed the movie to watch together.

What a great 2 days in New York City. As cliche as it sounds, it was everything I imagined it to be, and then some. We were constantly in the company of new and exciting adventures. The 4 of us decided that a week or more would be required to truly experience what Manhattan has to offer. I can't wait to visit the big apple once again. Because to a girl at heart like myself, New York really is a "concrete jungle where dreams are made of."