vinyl!

My sister Page has a great little vinyl business for home decor.  Originally I didn't think I would have much use for vinyl projects, as I'm not a huge fan of the stickered writing on the wall. BUT there are so many other ways you can decorate with vinyl! And it's very inexpensive, so cheap people like me do okay.

I LOVE this poster that Page made for us for Christmas.

Also, as a side note, directly above our stove is a mirror (as seen below).

What the heck am I supposed to do with a mirror above the stove?? Any suggestions?

This was a wedding gift from Page.  It's a 12x12 floor, with the date of our wedding underneath. It helps me remember if we got married on the 27th or 28th because I get mixed up sometimes.

These flower tiles were the first project I did myself.  Page mailed me the stickers, and I put them on the 6x6 tiles myself. It was surprisingly easy and I quite like this bathroom decor. 

And this has nothing to do with vinyl but I thought this mirror was pretty sweet. 75% off at the Tai Pan tent sale YES.

Coming up in future blog posts: Why we currently own 4 road bikes and all about the table I'm painting!

wj livin

BUSYBUSYBUSY.

Things that have changed since moving to West Jordan/starting my new job:
- I haven't driven a car for about 3 weeks.
- I am in a car about twice a week.
- Sometimes, I have to yell for Beau to hear me when we are both home. This definitely did not happen in our Provo apartment.
- There are more tupperware containers in the dishwasher than dishes.
- We have a dishwasher.
- We have a TV. I gave Beau a $20 limit for a TV, and within a day he had gotten one. Free dish- so why not?
- I watch TV.
- We have a couch.
- We are in a true Utah ward. Last Sunday, a woman in Relief Society asked how I heard about the church "all the way out in Virginia". Also, there is a family in the ward with the last name "Diehl". We still haven't figured out if it is pronounced "deal" or "dill". I think maybe they don't know.

Blast, no pictures again. Time for a random archived photo. Isn't Brooklee's face the best??

happy father's day!

bitter with baggage seeks same

the time has come, the walrus said

Surprise! We're moving to West Jordan next week.

Today was our last Sunday in the BYU 199th ward. I really like our ward, so I'm sad to be moving to a boring family ward. Not boring, just not the same as having everyone in your same stage of life. If I get a Primary calling.... we're moving back. Just kidding. At least not a Primary calling with children under 8, how's that for a compromise.

I've been in training for my new job for a couple weeks. And by training, I don't mean a little orientation with the software and duties. I am in the process of memorizing a very long presentation verbatim about the school. I'm more anxious about this than any test I've taken in school. I'll pass that off this week in front of bosses, coworkers, and a video camera. After that, training will be a lot less stressful.

Conversation with 4 year old Lexi:
"Lexi, are those gummy butterflies? Where did you get those?"
"A place that I love."

I don't care what kind of loyalties you have to your neighborhood grocery store, you need to experience the magic that is the WinCo bulk foods section. Candy (like the previously mentioned gummy butterflies. And they have gummy army men, too), baking supplies (sugar, baking soda, many kinds of wheat), like 10 different kinds of granola, dried fruit, cereal, SPICES, dog/cat food, honey, etc. I could go on for a long time. But I don't have to, because this girl already did.

When I wasn't busy studying and memorizing, I..

bought a bike for my new commute from the WJ apartment to work (really just an excuse to buy a road bike. I have a new-found love of cycling)

went to a Lamb and Wool show

This sheep just sat there while the guy was shearing it and kids were petting it. It was fascinating.

hiked Slide Canyon

note the off center-ness. if only we had this cool toy.

got my hair cut (it had been 8 months... a new record for me!)

picked up this sweet elephant

and held Nicole's precious week old baby, Symoni.

stay tuned for a photo that nicole should be sending me. to say this woman is busy would be an understatement.

PS. This was my drive to work today.

Thanks, Emily, for saying what we all wanted to.

happy mothers day to all mothers and mothers to be!

Is this not a great sight to behold? Utah is earning major bonus points for me now that it has springy weather.

Highlights of our hike in the aptly named Green River and in/around Arches:

Beau posing for the newest Izusu Trooper ad.

Finding a dead, headless rabbit.

Cacti!

Contemplating life whilst overlooking a scene that reminds me of Land Before Time. Seriously, this was the best view I'd ever seen. Photos (at least with my point-and-shoot camera) cannot convey how green and bright this canyon is, especially considering we were in the middle of the desert!

Ice cream and sunburn: the beginnings of a fantastic summer.

And for some other really exciting news.....

After just one week of job hunting, I have landed my first grown-up job! I start tomorrow at Utah Career College as an admission representative.

They offer courses for nursing, vet tech, pharmacy tech, criminal justice, and lots more. I will be contacting high school kids who are interested in enrolling. That's kind of all I know now, but after 3 weeks of training I should be a little more knowledgeable about what I'm doing. The campus is in West Jordan, and Beau also works in West Jordan, so it looks like we'll be thinking about moving a little further north. Alyse- too bad you guys just left!

So, think I'll be able to handle being stuck in an office 9-5? Good thing there's a Gold's right next door...

songs that make my heart hurt.

Back in high school, I was a lot more "into"music than I am now.  I hung out with the choir/drama kids, and I had a couple friends that were always sharing new bands or albums that I still love now.

Most people have a "favorites" folder on their iTunes, which has a hundred or so of your absolute favorite songs, and I started a playlist titled, "songs that make my heart hurt" for those select few songs that the moment you hear it, you have to stop and listen they're that good. I don't add to it very often, so it's a big deal when I hear a song I deem worthy of the heart hurt list.

Newest addition to the list:

"Cosmic Love" by Florence the Machine


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfBY96qxVRQ

Dear radio, please don't fall in love with this song like I did and kill it. Love, Mackenzie.


The rest of the list- if you care- after the jump...