I Die for Damask...

It took a long time to stumble upon a chair worthy enough of this incredible damask.

Fancy and feminine, I knew I had to use this fabric. I just knew I couldn't settle on any old chair to fulfill the calling. It needed to have curves, and detail would be nice too. Something unique and elaborate, but still simple enough to wear delicate satin. So when I met this peeling, sticky mess at a thrift store, I was confident that it could do the job. $25 is more than I've spent before on a chair itself, but my mom reminded me that when my work is done the chair will be worth much more than that. A little over a month later, I can say that I think she's right. :)

I was all too eager to rip off the old fabric.

Forget piping, I vote for delicate trim.

Next to the damask was a bold striped pattern in the exact color and material. I loved the stripe too, but it felt masculine and I was going for a feminine chair. To compensate, I bought a yard of the stripe fabric and made a pillow to balance out the two.

I love it. :)

Time with the Tippetts

Could there be a better weekend?

Before Halloween creeps upon us, I have to acknowledge the incredible time I had in Las Vegas last weekend.

When Jace and I lived in St. George, spending time with his family was a pretty frequent thing. We would make the drive to Vegas for birthdays, holidays or Sundays to eat, visit and play together. I always liked those trips. My family was a rough 5 hours away, so having Jason's family in near proximity was a comfort to me I think. It soothed my homesickness, spending breezy Sundays at Tippetts family get-togethers.

It's funny that I'm only now becoming an official part of their family. From our original meeting at Disneyland two years ago, I have always felt effortlessly accepted.

It is such a blessing to marry into such a warm and welcoming family. Their unwavering love and support is more than I could ask for. So after a near six-month absence, it was high-time I made a trip to Vegas.

My almost mother in law Debbie got everyone together for family pictures on Saturday, kindly rescheduling the photographer so that I could make it after my quick morning shift and even quicker flight to McCarran. We met at a lovely little park in the warm Nevada sunshine; a stark constrast to the snow-threatening skies I left in my dust.

"I felt so loved," I later told Jason. We arrived at the park fresh from the airport, late and probably sweaty. But my amazing almost-sister in law Katie ran towards me, dousing me in hugs and compliments. My almost-brother in law Ben asked me how I was doing and what I was up to; mere small talk that would normally draw no attention, but it meant a lot to me. You see, I always leave the Tippetts feeling like a superstar. They are intriqued, involved and interested, and that immediately makes me feel relaxed and accepted.

Following pictures, we retreated back to the Debbie and Johns' for dinner. I used that as the opportune time to present my "Will you be my bridesmaid?" gifts to my sisters in law. I have spent a lot of time thinking about what it means to be a bridesmaid or maid of honor or best man, and I knew that Becky, Sheridon, Melissa and Katie would not disappoint. I want women who know me and love me. Women who are supportive and willing to help in stressful wedding plans. Women who will be by my side not only on the happiest day of my life, but also for years to come.

They immediately reminded me why I picked them; sitting around me to ask question after question, peeking at snippets of wedding pictures here and there, discussing ideas and exchanging thoughts. The very next day I found Katie, Becky, Melissa Sheridon and Debbie all by my side as I tried on dress after poofy wedding dress. I am SO grateful for them! Each of them have husbands, kids, school or work to attend to, but they put aside their obligations to spend their Monday afternoon with me.

Becky was in Vegas Saturday for pictures, but she had to drive back to St. George to work the next day. Monday she not only gave away her shift and probably missed school, but she also spent money to ride the shuttle back down to Vegas. I couldn't ask for better sisters!

Since Sheridon has always wanted to go to Tuacahn, Ben, Sheridon, Jace and I went up to St. George to see Thriller, perfect to get us in the Halloween spirit. Neither Sheridon or I had been to Tuacahn before so it was great to finally experience a show in the beautiful Snow Canyon. It was FREEZING, and honestly the show was bizarre, but it was great to spend time with Ben and Sheridon. Later, Jace and I talked about how we hope to be just like them when we are married. They have a home built on the gospel and their actions reflect their love for each other. What a refreshing role model to have in this day and age.

Tuesday Melissa and Katie were at it again, taking me to the bridal shop they bought their own wedding dresses at. They snapped pictures, offered opinions and laced me up when needs be. But after 7 or 8 dresses were tried and I wasn't particularly ecstatic, they told me not worry- I'll know when I find The One.

Jason and I spent my last night in town at our favorite restaurant with a good friend and his date. Over the firecracker shrimp and pina coladas I could see that Jace was bummed about me leaving. It was a short weekend, and we'd soon be back to long distance. Even though he'd be driving up to Utah for Halloween, it's difficult to be apart for any amount of time. Oh how easy it would be to purposely "miss" my flight, call in sick to work, and bypass my sociology paper and test. But I boarded that plane, unable to. be anything less than responsible for once in my life.

Once my weekend of fun was over and I was on my way back to real life, I reflected on all the ways the Tippetts have extended their love to me. Oh how blessed I am to become a part of their family.

Finding the Pretty in Halloween

We’ve never been friends, Halloween and I, and we never will be. I like pretty things, which doesn’t at all describe the blood, guts and gore that is the last day of October.

Halloween offers many treat that I no longer partake of.

I tried at one point to enjoy the endless corn mazes and haunted houses planted all over northern Utah, but that wasn’t pretty. Wetting my pants and crying like a baby isn’t really an option when you’re on a date. So I put on my bravest face and stomped into that awful haunted house as courageous as I could be…and I almost passed out in the process.

Forget scary movies, I tried those out too. For a while I considered myself a scary movie buff…that is until I learned that The Ghost and Mr. Chicken isn’t in fact, found in the horror section. Scary movies these days are about maniacs on unstoppable killing sprees. To me, there is nothing entertaining or pretty about that. Those movies leave me gifts of fear and worry that I would rather not have. I seek after anything lovely, of good report or praiseworthy, and surely Saw 5 is not that.

Even trick or treating isn’t my cup of tea. I’m not overly fond of the idea that clowns, zombies, ghosts and devils are repeatedly showing up at my doorstep. Even at dear old Polk Elementary Halloween and I didn’t get along. The blood, guts and gore that other kids dressed as would swiftly take my appetite. When it was time to dress up I was always something pretty. From mermaids to princesses to the Statue of Liberty, you could bet that I strayed from mummies, scarecrows or the Keebler Elf, all costumes my mom was eager to dress me in.

Although Halloween and I don’t get along, we did manage to find common ground. Amid the scary, ugly and repulsive creep a few traits that I do actually admire about the holiday.



Every year I’d help mom decorate the house, but only with pretty things of course. No spiders, gravestones or skulls for me. I adored pumpkins- heavy pumpkins, handheld pumpkins, painted or carved, I loved those brisk autumn nights that we spent carving pumpkins on old newspaper. Sometimes mom collected the seeds, washing and salting them to bake in the oven.



There’s something about crispy, colorful leaves, dropped from the sky. Childhood memories of walking to school are filled with images of those leaves. Polk Avenue always had lofty trees, gently leaning over the sidewalk. Those trees would drop armfuls upon armfuls of beautiful ruby red leaves. Yellow leaves snuck into the mix too, sometimes accompanied by chestnut brown as well. I was so intrigued by the sound of those leaves, crunching beneath my feet as I walked along my path every day.



While I didn’t love the chilly weather, I sure didn’t mind the food that accompanies that cold. Thick soups warming on the stove and rich cocoa or steaming cider have a magical way of warming the soul. Sweet pies topped with cream aren’t far behind meals of roasted turkey, butter-topped corn and golden potatoes. There’s something about good company, thick sweaters and warm food that make this time of year so incredible.

So although I don’t particularly love Halloween, I manage to get by on the pretty things that the holiday does in fact, have to offer.

A Family Vacation- Washington D.C.

For the first time in years the Johnson family took a family vacation that was not to Jackson Hole. *Cough cough hallelujah!* Jason and I spent some time in Washington DC this summer and we loved it so much that we talked my family into a vacation at our nation's capitol. I joked that Jason needed to sign a contract agreeing to marry me despite the craziness that would surely accompany a week-long trip with my family. However, I'm happy to say that DC has come and gone, and we are still happily engaged. Woohoo! Now on with the vacation!

I was excited to see the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, or in other words, where they make money!

Below, Joel is standing in front of one million dollars!

We couldn't take pictures on the tour unfortunately. They threatened to kick you out of the building and take your camera if you snapped a picture, so I didn't risk it. I loved the tour though. Can you imagine being the worker who prints more money each day than the amount of money he'll earn in his lifetime? THAT would be a depressing job.

I admit I've never been crazy about space stuff, but even so, the Air and Space Museum was pretty cool. We explored a real space shuttle to see how astronauts go about doing simple tasks such as writing, eating and taking a shower without gravity. We learned about the discovery of the airplane in an exhibit about the Wright brothers, and we watched a 3D movie that I swear was better than any 3D show I've ever seen. (Avatar aside of course)

My mom couldn't be happier than inside an art museum. The National Gallery of Art had so much to see that we got lost more than once among the huge collection of European and American paintings.

Below are original works of Rembrandt and Picasso.

This was a fun little pizza place where Jace and I took a break. Excellent five cheese pizza.

Jefferson Memorial

I love this picture of Preston on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial.

Jason and I had to skip over the Roosevelt Memorial on our last trip to DC due to an overload of things to see and little time to see it all. So this time I was happy to have ample time to spend visiting the memorial of one of my favorite presidents.

I love the shot above where everyone is focused on snapping pictures. I learned quickly that a trip to Washington DC requires extra camera batteries and plenty of room on your memory card!

One thing I love about the memorials in DC is the use of quotations to depict emotion. Each quote is carefully selected to add specific feeling to the site.

Joel was in such a grumpy mood! Usually you want vacation snapshots to look flawless with everyone happy and posed, but when you look back at pictures like this you get insight to the reality of the moment. No one is always happy, and Joel's pouty face definitely shows that! That makes the picture realistic.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial has 19 statues depicting a squad on patrol in Korea. A powerful quote is scrawled at the feet of the squad. I felt that it fully explained the emotion of the memorial. "Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."

Above the serene reflection pool a second quote reads, "Freedom is not free." Below are the names of all the soldiers who lost their lives in the war.

My favorite- the Lincoln Memorial.

This is only half of our week-long vacation to our nation's capital. My next post will include pictures from our trip to the top of the Washington Monument, my favorite museum-the Newseum, cookies and cream cupcakes, the International Spy Museum and a day at the beautiful Arlington Cemetary.

Miles Apart.

I know very well the truth in the saying, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

During the past two years Jason and I have withstood multiple cases of long-distance. His job constantly requires him to pick up and move, first to Las Vegas, then to Florida and most recently to New Jersey. It's probably a miracle that our relationship survived the miles. Christmas, birthdays and summers have been swapped for phone calls, packages and Skype. It's been a heck of a time, that's for sure, but we're still together, and stronger too.


Monday night Jason surprised me with an early homecoming. I wasn't expecting his arrival, so when I was suddenly back in his arms, it was more than surreal. Five months was way too long to be apart. His return was cause for celebration, and celebrate we did.



Two years ago Jason and I went on a boating trip to Lake Powell with our friends Cody and Sara. Jason and I were good friends, barely retreating into dating status, but Cody and Sara were serious, getting engaged a few weeks after our trip.

Two years later we are boating with Cody and Sara again, but this time things have changed. Jason and I are newly-engaged, and the McArthurs are expecting a baby in a matter of months.

What a difference some time can make!

It was a gorgeous day of blue skies and 80 degree weather, perfect for some much-needed relaxation.

That night we joined Cody and Sara for a night on the town, visiting with friends over Cafe Rio, and cheering each other on during couple's bowling.

Over Labor Day I introduced Jason to Jeremiah's, a country restaurant known for their hearty breakfasts and huge portions. Jace was smitten, so this week we had to return.

My parents had tickets to General Conference so we seperated for Saturday's session, but Sunday we watched together back at the house over fluffy buttermilk pancakes.

Today Jason left again, this time back home to Vegas. While it's always difficult to watch him go, we know it's not for long. Our next few months are booked with fun together. We have Halloween and work parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas and a trip to Washington DC coming up. Before we know it all this distance will be behind us, and we'll be together at last.

I can't wait.