word to your mother

WWF apology.

2011-12-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

LOVE it.

WWALECBALDWIN

2011-12-06T20:54:00.005-07:00

making my day today was THIS article from TMZ that my vanessa sent me:

"Alec Baldwin claims an American Airlines flight attendant WENT BALLISTIC on him on a plane at LAX moments ago ... all because he was playing "Words with Friends" while the aircraft was still at the gate.

Baldwin just tweeted about the situation ... saying, "Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving. #nowonderamericaairisbankrupt."

It's unclear if Baldwin was removed from the plane or left voluntarily -- but he DID get off the plane and was moved to another flight.

FYI -- "Words with Friends" is basically Scrabble for your smart phone ... and it's SUPER addicting."

even better was her comment accompanying the email:

"How do we play WWF w/Alec?"

so, if anybody knows mr. baldwin's wwf handle, let me know.......

holiday mayhem

2011-12-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

it's december 1st. prepare for holiday mayhem~

happy turkey day~

2011-11-22T17:19:00.000-07:00

yeah. what SHE said.

TRANSLATION: "don't eat me! 'cause i am sick. i sneeze, i throw up, and get runny noses. that's what you will get, too."

married to the sea

2011-11-20T12:54:00.003-07:00

married to the sea: i love you.

KETCHUP.

2011-11-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

no posting for a month means catching up. which i dislike.

so we'll do the condensed version, hit the major highlights, call it good & move on.

in the past six weeks we've....

gone to sadies with a fun group of kids:

& continued working on our "wood" coffee table book:

the parentals escaped to one of the most beautiful places on earth for rbc's 42nd birthday:

where they checked and, YEP. STILL IN LOVE:

we rocked out with one of the coolest bands on earth:

& dave grohl reinforced my theory about a not-so-hot guy turning SMOKING HOTwhen he knows his way around a guitar and a microphone:

we dressed like cats for halloween:

as well as hippies:

& a sweet little strawberry:

we embraced some crazy on the daddy-daughter date:

& chuckled over the continued creative spelling stylings of our mia:

(TRANSLATION: "hi, my name is mia. i am building a house for my family. it is going to be SASSY.")

but the best part of the past six weeks was having our grandparents return home to us:

lucky.

2011-10-03T21:36:00.002-06:00

i loved this video that my friend jennie posted~

some people ARE just lucky.

i {heart} charts

2011-09-19T20:00:00.000-06:00

these graphs from i love charts made my day~

{courtesy of a cup of joe}

distracted.

2011-09-19T19:59:00.000-06:00

yes, i realize that these guys are just trying to ride the wave that these guys so lovingly created.

but that dude in the hawaiian shirt is just so AWESOME.

thankful thursday

2011-09-15T21:30:00.001-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

**beautiful weather for a motorcycle ride. and a buddy who wants to get in on the action:

i think we look so natural:

**the fact that i may or may not have (allegedly) BEAT somebody in a game of words with friends who may or may not (allegedly) be in the photo above.

which might just be my greatest achievement, ever.

i place it right above marrying russ and birthing my four children:

**mia's fantastic spelling skillz:

(TRANSLATION: "this is an ice cream. it is strawberry. it is yummy.")

**that the 80's dream is still kept awake & alive by my 13-year old's school:

(on the downside, she came to me and described this outfit as "from the 60's". dislike.)

**baby libby's shopping skills.

she went right along to las vegas to search for a homecoming dress, and she couldn't have been any sweeter. or cuter. i think she might possibly be the actual cutest baby in the world.

here she is just chillaxing in the dressing room amongst the 400 dresses we tried on:

**when i find random old photos on russ's cell phone that i've never seen.

like these:

**that the good 'ole candy bar card never really goes out of style:

**& finally, for j lo & fiat. for making me actually want to purchase a fiat. (it's sooooo cute!)

my favorite part is at :14--

homecoming 2011*

2011-09-14T20:00:00.001-06:00

katilyn went to her homecoming dance last saturday night with her good friend, jordan h.

i couldn't believe how beautiful she looked--it seems so not fair that she received only the good genes from both her father and i......

her dress was beautiful, thanks to her aunt megan, who's impeccable shoping/bargain hunting skills came into play with a dress that was SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OFF:

& much love to joellen for once again making her look like an absolute princess:

7 lessons learned from madame tussauds wax museum

2011-09-14T19:59:00.000-06:00

7 lessons learned from our trip to madame tussauds wax museum:

1. using the president's personal phone line is really no big deal:

2. stevekemp is still the world's greatest photo bandit:

3. ALL THE LADIES want to get married to george clooney:

4. george clooney tends to be a very bad boy:

5. lindsay lohan is still not a great role model for the young girls:

6. mia ONLY wanted her photo taken with girls:

(thanks, kamwee for your awesome photography skillz)

7. the dads really only wanted their photo taken with girls, too:

100 years sept. 13th

2011-09-13T22:00:00.001-06:00

i saw this a few weeks ago but waited until sept. 13th to post it.

why, you ask?

because at the end of the video it said "TUESDAY SEPT. 13TH".

so, really......i'm not sure what it all means. but i thought it was cool.

9 lessons learned from labor day weekend in las vegas

2011-09-11T16:00:00.001-06:00

9 things we learned from our labor day weekend in las vegas:

1. friends accompanying last minute always make for better times. and better jazz hands:

2. it is still possible to milk out your 20th anniversary even 2.5 months after it happened at a surprisingly great new restaurant find:

3. mindi doesn't ever need to ride the new york new york roller coaster ever again in her whole entire life:

4. somehow it is possible that chandler will find the only feline in the entire madame tussauds wax museum:

(but we all wanted in on that action):

5. speaking of wax museums and roller coasters....

if you (allegedly) know somebody or are somebody (allegedly) that would be in possession of a counterfeit nevada driver license (again, allegedly) it just keeps paying off.

like in the form of half-off wax museum tickets & free re-rides for all ten persons in your party on the coaster:

6. sipping something out of an adorable container makes it even just a little better:

7. waking up to this view never seems to get old:

8. seeing this view is the reason why we keep doing it:

9. pseudo-suburban gang signs never go out of style:

thankful thursday

2011-08-31T21:10:00.002-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

**the loose tooth that FINALLY came out at the pool last saturday:

i tell you what: that baby was holding on for dear life by the thinnest of threads. the only way she was letting it go was the fact that her cousin showed no fear 2 minutes earlier and lost her first tooth to jody's expert hands:

the tooth fairy was quite busy that night:

**a kitty that makes me laugh when i see i've passed my "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out) right on to him:

ahhh, mahhhhhtin:

**once again, i want to express my thankfulness as a mother of four girls to the young men out there that are still asking to dances.

and in a clever way, at that:

katie is psyched to go to homecoming with taylor h.~

**& finally, for this priceless clip i saw of amy sedaris promoting her "weekender pants". which i TOTALLY need to get my hands on-- watch starting at :58:

every day i'm shufflin'.

2011-08-31T09:42:00.001-06:00

looks like i'm gonna have to buy a kia soul.

more mayhem.

2011-08-29T19:52:00.003-06:00

so many good ones that i had to post them in two different segments. enjoy~

i {heart} mayhem.

2011-08-26T03:46:00.006-06:00

i am seriously (SERIOUSLY!) considering switching to allstate insurance just because of their freaking genius 'mayhem' commercials--

plus, the fact that they star my favorite beeper salesman-slash-liz lemon's boyfriend dennis duffy ( dean winters in real life) certainly doesn't suck:

do yourself a favor and watch each one of these. they are each nice & short, which equals success to those of us with adhd as well as seriously funny:

{thanks to my fb friend ellery for reminding me how much i love these.}

thankful thursday

2011-08-25T20:00:00.000-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

**a blogger who took the time to write me AND my blog a love note.

even after 3 1/2 years of doing this, it's always does my heart good to hear from somebody who actually reads. thank you, jamie~

{note card found HERE}

**a brother-in-law who is trying to break into the lorn industry: (that's LIGHT PORN to you...)

**the fact that sprint has taken the guesswork out of my christmas present from russ this year......

awwwwhhhh! so sweet of them! i love that they are only looking out for my best interests.

actually, i don't care that they are going to bleed me for every last dime. i just want that phone.

**a daughter who doesn't know how to throw the 'peace' sign:

have i NOT TAUGHT HER BETTER? {sigh.}

**the creativity of others:

**& finally, for ok go and their tribute to the muppets:

olympic park

2011-08-23T21:01:00.000-06:00

one of the new things we experienced this year in park city was the utah olympic park

coming up the hill we could see the ginormous ski jumps and were just a bit awestruck:

the main agenda was the zipline. we opted for an all-female run and fared pretty darn well:

having proved at lagoon that she was a gnarly adrenaline junky ready for the next thrill, mia sailed through like the seasoned veteran she'd become:

she also decided that once was NOT enough, so she went for round two:

my favorite part of the afternoon was watching the freestyle aerial show.

the skiers, which seemed to be on the MUCH younger side (am i getting old? hmmmmm.) would ski down the jump up to 60 feet in the air and perform acrobatic fantasticness before landing in the 750,000 gallon splash pool:

super hardcore:

clever little couple.

2011-08-23T21:00:00.002-06:00

these engagement photos make me long for a "do-over":

& i confess that i might feel a tad bit put out by the fact that nobody has ever offered to eat MY brains. bummer.

{courtesy of the wedding bee}

married to the sea

2011-08-21T20:00:00.000-06:00

married to the sea: still WINNING.

thankful thursday

2011-08-18T21:36:00.000-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

**my friend's husband's amazingly creative way to celebrate their anniversary--

this banner was displayed proudly on river road today:

**a sweet new baby cousin for us to love & kiss on:

**& for her incredible fashion GOOD sense she displayed at a mere two days old by wearing kitty clothing:

**the last two elementary girls i have taking the annual "back to school" obligatory photo--

my 5th grader:

& my 1st grader:

i must admit that i got a bit misty-eyed when watching this from the front porch:

i felt like i had a love-hate-love-hate relationship with the fact that i had no child at home during the day for the first time in SEVENTEEN YEARS! crazy.

**speaking of said child, did you see her awesome backpack that we purchased solely for the fact that it looked just! like! her! :

i might have been so enamored by the items we found at target from the harajuku mini line that i may or may not have purchased THIS backpack for no reason at all.

or for myself: (really. not joking.)

**& finally, for zac. i still wuv hims. even if he says a naughty thing now and then....

just put a bird on it.

2011-08-15T20:00:00.000-06:00

having fallen into the "i like it--it has a bird" trap, i found this video hilarious.

{courtesy of jennie}

bathing beauty

2011-08-15T19:56:00.000-06:00

i loved reading this article about hamburg, germany's inner alster lake's giant woman sculpture--

For ten days, the giant woman sculpture called “die badende” (“the bather”) hung out in the water, making inner alster essentially the world's biggest bathtub:

i do think that she looked a bit tranny, though--i guess when you are one ginormous female, you are gonna get a bit of that:

she's gonna like me best.

2011-08-14T21:45:00.001-06:00

this is libby--we've waited a long time for her arrival, and she makes me an aunt on my side of the family for the 10th time.

she sure made her mom work a lot to get her here--but she was oh-so worth it:

she likes her daddy:

getting her long, luscious locks washed:

(so much!)

sleeping with her mouth open:

and hers mom's boobs:

{thanks for the heads-up on THIS onesie, kami!}

but i'm pretty sure that she likes her aunt mimi best:

dolly's bookstore

2011-08-14T21:40:00.000-06:00

one of our very favorite destinations on park city's main street is dolly's bookstore

however, we visit this quaint little bookstore not for the books, but rather for the CATS.

mr. dolly & che (SHAY, as in che guevara) rule the roost here, literally. chandler is absolutely beside herself every time she enters, thinking about the beauty of a workplace environment that not only tolerates but ENCOURAGES her crazy cat-lady behavior:

{amy--your dream come true!!!}

mr. dolly is the 3rd cat in the line of dolly namesakes:

che has been around for nearly 18 years, and prefers to chill out on the various sofas and chairs scattered amongst the store:

chandler's ultimate goal would be to move to park city solely to dedicate her life to her two loves: books AND catties!

we have a feeling she would fit in just fine:

hb colby!

2011-08-10T23:17:00.003-06:00

hb to our pride & joy on the links~

40 is a LOT of years to be around. congrats on sticking around thus far!

may the force be with you today and every day:

you know you are losing it when...

2011-08-10T10:49:00.003-06:00

you post a "thankful thursday" blog entry. and it's wednesday.

and you don't even realize your mistake until somebody comments that it's wednesday.

seriously.

thankful thursday

2011-08-09T21:00:00.002-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

**lagoon's one and only redeeming quality:

** police officers who don't haul this mother's arse off to jail after her 6-year old calls 911.

twice.

**and for the same said 6-year old who had the gall to tell the dispatcher who called back to the house that she "had the wrong number". nice:

{buy that rad t-shirt HERE}

**the fact that you really only need ONE chair to watch television: (a mere 18 inches from the set)

**the desert sage that blooms during these miserable hot months--it is my favorite plant and brings me much joy: (did i just sound like a member of AARP? yikes.)

**& finally, for the simple laughs in life. provided by the likes of the hunchcat of notre dame:

{courtesy of dooce}

move

2011-08-07T20:29:00.000-06:00

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

"3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films....."

yes, there are a LOT of things out there on the internet like this right now. but these three little clips have been my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE things to come around in a long time. they managed to capture some amazing footage and pair it with emotion-inducing music for the TOTAL WIN.

plus, under a minute fifteen each? YES, PLEASE.

learn:

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

& eat:

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

{courtesy of dooce}

park city 2011

2011-08-07T20:28:00.001-06:00

we loveLoveLOVE our annual trip to park city--the girls look forward to this almost more than any other trip that we take.

our dad's favorite part of the vacay is the drop in temperature of almost 25 degrees: heaven!

this year we walked up and down historic main street:

& took in the quaint "village" view that we haven't yet grown sick of after ELEVEN CONSECUTIVE YEARS:

we rode ziplines:

took time to stop at smell the gorgeous flowers at our hotel:

as well as those painted randomly on the side of buildings on main street:

we also posed for glamor shots:

& rode up beautiful green mountains on ski lifts:

we feel blessed to live our lives doing such totally rad things:

thankful thursday

2011-08-04T09:00:00.001-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

**abbey's intricate and detailed "to-do" list for the morning we left for our family vacay in park city last week:

**random photos that i find in my phone that my girls have taken with my retro camera app:

**speaking of apps, have you been sucked into words with friends yet? because you SHOULD:

it gets a bit addicting. which may or may not have contributed to the dysfunction that was (or was not) my husband and i lying on the bed next to each other a few nights ago, each playing opponents on our phones for roughly 3 hours. ALLEGEDLY.

it's basically scrabble that you play one move at a time with friends--you can sign up on facebook and see who plays as well. it's pretty rad. especially when i can play a semi-dirty word.

**and finally, for this awesome clip {thanks, stevekemp} of the mariachi band that i would TOTALLY love to book for my next cinco de mayo party:

dareDEVIL.

2011-08-01T21:03:00.003-06:00

for me, the most dreaded part of our annual family vacation to park city is the day spent at
lagoon--

it's utah's theme park. or as my friend so lovingly put it: "WHITE-TRASH DISNEYLAND".

mia has been telling us for roughly five months that she would NOT be going on any of the scary rides.

when we arrived at the park, we somehow convinced her to go on their 80-year old roller coaster, which is a bit mild by today's standards. we figured it would either be a massive hit or a colossal failure.

here she was just before take-off:

& just after the coaster stopped:

she ended up going on every major thrill ride the park had to offer, including the bat, colossus, the spider, and finishing up with the BIGGIE, wicked.

lagoon's official definition of wicked:

"It’s big. It’s fast. It’s Wicked — Lagoon’s most thrilling coaster, ever! Riders launch to the top of the 110-foot tower at speeds close to 41 mph by means of a linear synchronous motor (LSM) drive system, essentially rocketing riders up and over the top of the first hill.

The 8-rider vehicles travel individually and achieve speeds of up to 55 mph, passing through steep valleys, high-banked turns, a half-pipe, a heart-roll inversion and more. The lap/leg restraints will provide an exhilarating upper body freedom for riders."

we celebrated the momentous occasion with a photo:

(disclaimer: yes, that is mom's tank-top that mia is wearing as a dress after being soaked on rattlesnake rapids. it was white-trash disneyland, after all--nobody even looked twice.)

directv

2011-08-01T21:00:00.002-06:00

still loving those directv ads.....

i adore the fact that each commercial has some sort of animal doing awesome things--can you spot them in each one?

(and if you missed it, this one & this one is their finest work.)

workin' at the car wash

2011-07-25T20:04:00.000-06:00

russ and i saw this last night and thought it was ever so clever.

(and then we re-wound it and watched it two more times.)

temple trek 2011

2011-07-24T20:30:00.000-06:00

Hello, everyone! This is Katie. (: My mom asked me to write a little bit about my Trek experience, what my thoughts were about it, etc. I can honestly say that this experience has changed my life forever. My testimony of my church had definitely grown in the short amount of time I had spent up there. Sorry guys, it might be a big long. I have a lot to say.

I admit, I LOATHED the idea of camping outside in the bitter cold with nothing but my sleeping bag and a blanket ( Okay, I know that sounds spoiled, but it was REALLY cold! ). I also didn't want to have to wear these pioneer clothes for three days straight. But, my parents said it would be a good thing for me to go, so I was practically forced out the door. (:

When we first got here to Panguitch, it was a bit chilly, and I didn't have a very positive attitude. But once we got put into our own families, I could already tell that the Lord's hand was at work. I was extremely nervous to be put into this family; What if there were people I didn't like? What if nobody wanted to be my friend? Lots of different worries surrounded me before I was put into my family. I knew that the leaders had pondered and prayed about each specific youth and which unit they should go into. Once I was put into the Hyde family, I felt a sense of peace and calm wash over me. My family already cared and loved me within the first few minutes, and I could tell we were going to be close.

After we were separated into families, they gave us a certain amount of money to spend to buy our "supplies", which were carts, sleeping supplies, etc.

soon we were off:

Even though none of my close friends were in my family, it was fun to see them randomly throughout the trek:

We trekked all of our miles ( a whopping four miles ) to camp, which is usually different from a normal trek, where the group treks many more miles per day.

But the Trek which our stake was doing was a brand new idea, and very special. They came up with the idea of having a Temple Trek, where the youth would discover the importance, hard work, and love that the Pioneers had put into building our St. George LDS temple. ( I put that link in there, just if you wanted to see more info about it. ) And wow, was it neat! We had a whole bunch of different activities, learning about how the temple was built. There is so much to say about my appreciation for our Pioneers, but I can't even express it all. The last activity we had, was to actually build our own "miniature" version of the temple. We built the wood frame, and the leaders had made special tarps to put on the outside that looked specifically like the temple. Because there was NO way we could've possibly built that whole temple in one day!

Once our youth had finished the temple, we felt a great sense of happiness come over us. We had built this thing all by ourselves ( with a little bit of help of some carpenters (; ) and it was spectacular. We each had our own meetings in our wards that night, to talk about our feelings of our trek, and our feelings of building the temple. And let me say, I am NOT a crier. Ever. But I seriously could not stop crying. And if that isn't a sign that the spirit had touched me, nothing is.

I am extremely grateful for the experience I had on this Trek. I am MAKING my sister Chandi go on it, it's a must! I am also grateful for the many friends and relationships I made in this special time I was given. I am EXTREMELY grateful for the parents I have and that they made me go on this thing. It was amazing. That's all. (: -- XOXO Katie.

in another life....

2011-07-21T21:45:00.000-06:00

.....i would totally come back as selena gomez. i think she is adorable.

this song is totally on our family's summer 2011 playlist.

plus, you cannot tell me that you can hear the chorus without singing, "and i keep hittin' repeat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat."

58 years.

2011-07-20T18:24:00.000-06:00

these three devastatingly handsome couples just celebrated 19, 20, & 19 years together respectively~

to celebrate, they ate beautiful food:

& in some really cool restaurants:

they watched a breath-taking show :

& made new friends:

(some which were liked a little better than others)

happy anniversary to us!

thankful thursday

2011-07-13T21:45:00.001-06:00

**our new sticker on the car:

bat shiz crazy? why, yes. but it brings us joy. in THIS form:

**the creative genius of others so i don't have to think. which is JUST how i like it....

the gals at eighteen25 turned me on to some pretty cool free printables. yes, i know that subway art is everywhere and therefore nearly "out" again. but with my penchant for numbers and letters, i can't help but be drawn to them like a raccoon to a disco ball.

you can find the cutest "girl" birthday poster shown above HERE.

they also include a "boy" version:

mothers and fathers day free printables HERE

**this picture that tiburon posted:

i fought the road biking thing for a long time. i didn't want to fall into the cliche of investing big dollars into something that seemed to be the "IT" thing to do at this moment. but i finally caved, thanks to my friend's persistence, and i'm so very glad i did. i enjoy riding because it's less impact on this old, tired body and i've even seen some (very) small benefits to said same tired old body because because of it. but i still maintain the fact that biking clothing is uglier than sin and only looks good on somebody who weighs 78 pounds. and even then, it's sketchy.

**& finally, for this little video that i thought was short, sweet, & romantic:

Splitscreen: A Love Story from JW Griffiths on Vimeo.

o'er the land of the free

2011-07-12T00:05:00.002-06:00

our 4th of july celebrations could not have been better--much love to stevekemp & his bride, kamari, for being the hosts with the mosts.

the partyfestivusextravaganza had something for everyone-- including but not limited to:

swimming:

facebook profile posing:

cannonball contest:

cut-throat, life-or-certain-death relays:

waterballoons:

excursions on kevin's fancy toy:

(which even the cool kids rode:)

festive swimwear:

& AMAZING TRICKS!:

we couldn't have been happier:

sister wife!

2011-07-12T00:04:00.000-06:00

i love that my daughter is smart enough to get a picture at the mall with kody & robyn from
sister wives~

KETCHUP

2011-07-10T20:25:00.002-06:00

the problem with taking a massive blogging break is the overwhelming feeling you get when playing catch-up.

i've played this game before with scrapbooks (yuck. yikes! yes....) and the outcome is always the same: shame-spiral, guilt, procrastination, FAIL.

this time, i'm going a different route--catching up in one post: minimum wordage, minimum photos, minimum but essential info, MAXIMUM WIN.

so, what have we been up to for the past 1.5 months?

we've celebrated 20 years of marriage-ness:

for which russ thought this card so lovingly applied:

but i gave him this because he rules. and i can't live without him:

{found here}

we drove tiny cars:

filled water balloons:

had some real, honest-to-goodness fun at girls camp:

and even managed to show a little love to our sister in the process: (this is one of my favorite photos, ever.)

we turned 17 years old:

and continued to tolerate chandler's never-ending kitty-glam photo sessions:

we watched the birdies grow in their nest:

& saw lovingly-crafted (check out the time-consuming detail on the envelope! now THAT is love and devotion) notes to the tooth-fairy from a first-timer:

& the more no-nonsense, business-like approach from a veteran:

all in all, we have continued to experience a beautiful life.

which sometimes is just enough to nearly wear a girl out:

thankful thursday

2011-06-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

**TINY BABY BIRDIES!!!!

we knew that they hatched only when we heard the little "squeeksqueeksqueek"ing on the back porch. they are so very newborn:

**our neighbor & long-time bestie colby, for rescuing martin from certain death. (okay, maybe not certain---but close.)

when we left friday for the weekend, apparently we shut marty in our powder bathroom.

colby came on saturday afternoon to borrow some chairs from our garage when he heard a loud meowing coming from inside the house. he found martin in the bathroom, and that catty was none too happy to have been left in that predicament!

although there was no food, he had plenty of water due to his favorite watering hole:

smart kitty even made a temporary "litter box" with an entire roll of toilet paper:

we felt HORRIBLE that we had left him shut behind the door--and we were grateful that colby came to the rescue.

**fast flats: these little black, fold-able ballet slippers come with their own little purse and they SAVED MY LIFE the other night in las vegas. i dont know why i think it's ever a good idea to wear heels for an extended period of time--it always ends in tears.

thank goodness for these little babies. i HIGHLY recommend.

**& finally, for an oh-so-clever movie preview that made me cheer out loud in the movie theater:

7 things we learned in las vegas

2011-06-01T00:01:00.003-06:00

7 things we learned from our memorial-day weekend in las vegas:

1. max brenner is an awesome place to eat--

for a restaurant that is famous for it's desserts and chocolate, we were superDUPER impressed by the dinner menu. yummy.

what was really impressive, though, was the totally decadent, totally WORTH IT chocolate syringe (yes, you read that right) that we purchased and devoured.

it was quite possibly the best chocolate i've ever tasted in my life:

2. the cosmopolitan was still as spectacular as we remembered.

you should stop in just to see the ever-changing scene in the lobby:

or just to gaze upon the giant chandelier in the middle of the casino:

3. cheap blue man group tickets CAN be found. we just have to sit in the second row and run the risk of being sprayed by pureed banana. as well as strain our necks from looking upwards........but it's worth it:

4. nothing beats a romantic dinner out on the town with my hot man.

except for maybe a photo-op in front of the waterfall at the wynn:

and then realizing, for the first time in our 23+ year relationship, that the color of my man's skin is darker than my own:

5. we come to the conclusion that our children are well-traveled when the six-year-old is perfectly comfortable in the super-secret-VIP-room at the bellagio. that we shouldn't really be visiting. as we are neither VIP, nor staying at the bellagio.

allegedly:

6. a pool with a ginormous chrome shower head is better than a pool with no ginormous chrome shower head:

7. celebrity sightings? a dime a dozen over the holiday weekend.....

we are brave enough to snap a crappy cell-phone photo of holly madison:

we realize that chuck liddell is really, really tall when we stand behind him while waiting to be seated at dinner:

& jamie kennedy's stock rises just a bit higher when we are seated across from him in the same restaurant, and he tells russ, "happy memorial day, dude."

which then reminds us of how much we really like his lifeguard skit:

married to the sea

2011-05-31T09:47:00.002-06:00

yup. still funny.

my big fat gypsy wedding

2011-05-27T09:37:00.003-06:00

oh, my--it's our lucky day.....

..... because tlc is showing the series my big fat gypsy wedding starting this sunday.

which means you get to see awesomeness like this:

thankful thursday

2011-05-26T08:01:00.000-06:00

the thing i am thankful for this week:

a motorcycle ride with a hot dude on a gorgeous may night in st. george. WIN/WIN/WIN/WIN.

which just kept getting better when we spotted this:

(these photos were taken from my cellphone whilst doing around 50 mph. muy impressivo, no?)

and then a (semi) double rainbow!!:

sometimes the scenery here in southern utah just takes my breath away. i love living here and am thankful that i get to raise my family in such a beautiful setting.

NOT thankful thursday

2011-05-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

the thing i am NOT THANKFUL FOR this week:

the fact that i had 2 tickets to see the u2 360 tour in salt lake earlier this week, and i didn't go.

timing was crappy, and i convinced myself that making the last-minute trip to slc was just gonna be too much.

that is, until i started seeing these photos show up on facebook:

and then i realized that i was just an idiot.

universe: 1

mindi: 0

oh, rio, rio.

2011-05-23T00:01:00.002-06:00

meet rio--she is currently living rent-free on our back porch.

and i am THRILLED!

i've always wanted a tiny wild birdie of our own, so when i saw this being carefully constructed on one of our stereo speakers i could hardly contain my excitement:

since i am a geriatric when it comes to birdies, i have to resist the urge to document her every move, flight-patterns, eating habits, and consistency of her poop.

i think it would be safe to say that i go to the back door to check on her upwards of (no joke) 20 times a day. which could allegedly be more times than i checked on one of my infants.

and i spend WAY too much time standing there, watching. (likeWAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY.)

i'm just really grateful that she built her nest up so high so that dave & martin can't mess with her, because i would be really peeved at them if they did.

what can i say? she brings me joy:

she spends a lot of time on that nest, so we figured there had to be eggs up there. since she built her nest so close to the roof, though, we had to climb up a ladder and stick my cellphone in the 1 inch of space between the nest and the roof to (fuzzily) confirm three babies:

we think she's the best bird, ever.

& the 80's child that i am is not afraid to admit that i've sung the lines
"moving on the floor now, baby, you're a bird of paradise...cherry ice cream smile-- i suppose it's very nice" to her multiple times.

{jealous, vanessa?}

me + you

2011-05-23T00:00:00.002-06:00

my blogging bff kami posted about the lovely lovelies at lisa leonard--

i especially love her decor line (how cute is that pewter wand? SO.}

but what i really, WEALLY love is the pewter heart wall hanging that kami got:

methinks it could have something to do with the fact that it's the opening line in my favorite (yes.) j. biebs song:

but what makes me love it MOST is that her stallion of a man, kyle, shows that a "real man" makes this thing look good:

to each their own.

2011-05-20T00:00:00.000-06:00

have you seen these oh-so-clever commercials by honda for the 5 civic brand choices?

seriously, so genius. they make me want to be a consumer. in fact, i am fairly certain that they DEMAND THAT I CONSUME.

all i'm missing is the mexican wrestler/nacho libre clip. but you can bet that i'll be watching for it and passing on the love right to you -know- who. (who? YOU!)

thankful thursday

2011-05-19T00:03:00.001-06:00

many things to be thankful for over the past few weeks:

**a cheerful 4th grader who experienced a pioneer handcart trek with her class:

**a birthday cake for a 6-year-old girl made by aunt megan--

mia specifically asked for a "wedding cake". and it was spectacular:

**a broken vow made by a mother 16 years ago in which she stated (and i quote) "i will never, ever buy one of my children a motorized mini-vehicle."

eating my words never tasted so delicious:

**the best day, ever, on survivor when boston rob kicked some ass and took some names--

he was ruthless, diabolical, cunning, cut-throat, and manipulative.

and i couldn't have loved him more:

**temporary tattoos airbrushed-on at the desert ridge marketplace--

it was a big kitty. in honor of my kitties:

**& finally, speaking of kitties--why was i NOT creeped out by this video?:

hb jody!

2011-05-19T00:02:00.000-06:00

hb to my jody--as usual, you are just LIVING THE DREAM.

may you always lead the glamorous life. i love you!

making a house a home.

2011-05-11T00:02:00.001-06:00

this sweet little email and photo came a few weeks ago, and i thought her thoughts and observations were so sincere and so eloquently put. (but this IS my mother, after all.....who just so happens to be the smartest woman on the planet.)

i wanted to share:

Dear family and friends:

While first getting acquainted with Costa Rica, we were amazed at the variety of bright colors that the homes are painted. Well...maybe amazed, entertained and amused. I don’t now remember the exact thoughts I then had, but they ran somewhat in the following smug vein: “Who in their right mind would ever live in a house THAT color?” As I have lived here however, some of my perspective has changed, or at least enlarged. Now I look at the homes we pass and notice that it is seldom a large or expensive home that is painted bright lime green. But the tiny square or rectangle box constructed of wood or plaster or even tin, leaning slightly askew? You can bet it will be bright coral, hot pink, sky blue, or any other of the brightest colors available. Often times it will have two colors, such as lime green and purple. I think of the people who live in those houses--especially the women--and realize that if I were in their circumstances, trying to make a home out of a flat-faced house with a door and MAYBE a window or two on the front, I would do whatever I could to brighten, individualize and freshen my abode. And hey, a can of paint costs a heck of a lot less than anything else that can be used to cheer up the world: so celebrate color, Costa Rica. Bring out your paint brushes!

Hugs to all,
Lana (& Derrill, of course)

warning: infectious dancing ahead

2011-05-10T00:04:00.000-06:00

my brother mike sent me this video, which just made me happy.

it totally reminds me of my other brother, ryan, who used to love getting up on the fireplace hearth and putting on an impromptu dance recital for the family. with ALL the best moves.

i am also pretty sure that i have performed at least 35% of his moves, including both :54-:59 and 1:15-1:20.

if you want to feel good today, then watch.

dinner @ rita's kitchen

2011-05-10T00:03:00.000-06:00

i cannot sing enough praises to rita's kitchen at the historical jw marriott camelback inn--

we wanted a place to have dinner with all (yes, ALL) 361/2 of us one night in scottsdale, so i contacted ashley at rita's and explained our situation. she hooked us up, BIG TIME, and made our experience one to remember.

we love to eat there because of the beautiful inside/outside atmosphere, but mostly because the food is TO DIE FOR.

my favorite is the chicken enchiladas rojas--they are life-changing.

what made me love rita's just a tiny bit more was the fact that they printed a special menu for our group, which was at each place setting:

we were able to have tables for adults:

tables for adults with tiny kids:

tables for the up-and-comers:

and a table for the "too skool for cool" crowd:

the evening couldn't have been lovelier.

one of my favorite moments was when we managed to get a shot of all of the young ladies (and cole!) in our group looking so fetching:

scottsdale 2011

2011-05-09T00:05:00.006-06:00

ahhhh, scottsdale. how we love thee.....

you keep us coming back for more, and 2011 was the year that 36 and 1/2 of us landed on your desert shores. we partook of your beautiful bounty. and it was GOOD.

here are the lessons we learned this year while enjoying your sunshine:

1. taking a group photo at the gas station right at take-off is always required:

2. this group is one wild & crazy bunch:

3. sometimes you must endure a mother's smothering/love in order to get stuff you want:

4. there are many, many photo-ops in the desert for your "wood" coffee-table book:

5. our annual hike up camelback never seems to get any easier. perhaps it's our advancing years? (NOOOOOO.):

6. your hotel is the bomb-diggity for putting on a desert reptiles show:

7. ginormous snakes are creepy:

8. swimming with your friends is made even better if you can charge $80.00 at the waterside cafe for a couple of drinks and a burger:

9. the view from a balcony is always just a little bit better:

10. an easter egg hunt in the desert totally rocks:

11. when the lord said to multiply and replenish, we took it pretty serious:

(why did we have so many flipping kids??!! and we were missing three in the photo.)

12. having a sugar daddy is the best:

invisible man.

2011-05-09T00:04:00.000-06:00

i thought these photos by chinese artist liu bolin were simply genius.

these works of art can take him up to 10 hours for a single shot--no photoshop, no re-touching, just paint.

{courtesy of a cup of joe}

mom

2011-05-08T09:29:00.003-06:00

this photo was taken in 1970, when my parents were in santa barbara while my dad attended ucsb--loni is being held by my dad and i am in my mother's arms.

my mother was literally the perfect mother: she was kind, gentle, nurturing, compassionate, spiritual, and, above all, patient. in return, her children adore and cherish her, which i feel is the absolute most telling factor of a happy, healthy, and secure childhood.

i respect my mother more than any single woman on this earth--i love her and want to thank her for being the mother that she was to me.

xoxo to our "shrama"! i love you, mom--happy day to you in costa rica.....we are thinking of you.

& a happy mother's day to you all today~eat cake!

thankful thursday

2011-05-05T00:04:00.000-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

**little love notes--

**a night out with these good-looking gals--

& the chance to indulge in this--

**surviving my first "official" bike ride. and getting to do it with those i love--

**the genius of others--

**unexpected but delightful swag from the highly-sought after fierce ginger line-- (more info coming soon)

** & for melissa's head's up on what my chandler will be expecting from her future life--

blue canary in the outlet by the light switch

2011-05-05T00:03:00.001-06:00

i saw this blue canary night light on one of my fb friend's wall, and i must say:

i need.

tmbg will always and forever remind me of my two brothers. good times.....

glahhhhhses.

2011-05-04T00:03:00.000-06:00

guess who got glasses?

oh, and btw? she is also SIX:

(that's SIX YEARS OLD.)

bunnies!

2011-05-04T00:01:00.001-06:00

when aunt loni came down the other weekend, she brought the cutest little traveling companions along--

we were all pretty much instantly smitten:

the mother of the house may or may not have allegedly thought for 2 seconds about getting some tiny baby rabbits of our own:

and then she snapped out of it. and remembered what events this woman's longing for baby bunnies eventually brought about:

...and takin' some names.

2011-04-29T00:04:00.000-06:00

hope you kick some butt this weekend! (and, no, i do NOT endorse la quinta in any way, shape, or form. marriott has my heart.)

{thanks to melissa}

hb mia!

2011-04-28T00:04:00.000-06:00

it's hard to believe that my tiny baby girl is 6 years old today--

i've been especially melancholy & a tad bit emotional the past few days as i ponder this turn of events. and i ask myself, "how did this happen?"

so, today i choose to celebrate instead of mourn the years that are flying by way too quickly.

mia, i love you so! you are my favorite little snuggle-bunny in the morning. thank you for being such a sweet, happy little lady with the minnie-mouse voice......

xoxo.

thankful thursday

2011-04-28T00:03:00.002-06:00

so many things to be thankful for these past few weeks:

**for two brothers who help with my computer.

there is nothing more frustrating than when your computer decides to "check out"--i'm obviously WAY too dependent on it's abilities and equally as frustrated when i have absolutely not the first clue on how to deal with it.

thank goodness for techie brothers who will take care of us. and the approximately 3,000 viruses that we had downloaded on our hard-drive. GOOD TIMES!

**for my cute button bracelet that my seester loni made for me. (but NOT for the haggard-woman photo. even the ever-reliable go-to "glam pose" can't help this one.)

**for photos sent all the way from costa rica that bring a smile to my face. (love you, dad! nipper forever!)

**for mia-notes.

this one was quick to chastise me for my lack of interest in the school project.

translation: "my mom is not getting my poster done."

she was right. i was slacking. i have since been corrected.

**for surprises in the mail--the GOOD kind.

i received unexpected prizeys from both hers & hers. and i loved each and every aspect of them--

they included many wonderful things, including this little gem:

my favorite part was when my brother, mike saw this and said, "maybe?"

classic. thank you to my gals--much love!

**speaking of much love, could i heart the new foo album anymore?

i think not.

& my blogging bff heidi put into words what i have for so long been unable to adequately express with her comment:

"i just saw them on snl and i had to wipe my chin because of my dave grohl drool. he's my favorite kind of unwashed."

true, that.

**& finally, just when i thought i had written old charles sheen off, he goes and redeems himself:

miss katie

2011-04-28T00:02:00.000-06:00

katie had the wonderful opportunity to attend not one, but TWO different dances with two different but equally wonderful dates.

she was absolutely breathtaking:

we are eternally grateful to our jody for working her magic with the hair and the make-up. we realize that every girl is not so lucky as to have a personal stylist, and for that we are thankful.

katie & christian made jr. prom look GOOD:

then, it was steven's turn for sr. ball:

this mother wanted to give her daughter MAD PROPS for being smart and opting for wearing the same beautiful dress to both dances, thus saving her parents $$ while pocketing a little incentive purse money for doing so:

and the whole neighborhood rejoiced:

thankful thursday

2011-04-07T00:04:00.001-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

**walking into my living room and spying this:

it's sick & twisted, yes. but it brings me much joy to see dave kicking back wherever he wants, regardless of whether or not a cat should be anywhere in the vicinity. like it's his birthright.

privileged, pampered, spoiled, & thinking he's entitled to things that he shouldn't have?

i've taught him well:

**the chance to fit in this freaking awesome documentary. on a tuesday evening. in 3-D, nonetheless! :

(who says we should turn our heads to the wall and die? they can kiss my 41-year old behind.)

**the small & simple things that make such a difference to me. like pink tape on my bicycle:

muchas gracias to my biking guru friend jared who hooked me up.

i especially love the little lizards on the ends of the handles:

**this adorable little guy who was sitting on our porch waiting for katie the other night 'round bout 10:30 p.m.:

righteous shout-out to katie's date christian---you are the MAN.

i'm especially grateful, as the mother of 4 girls, that there are good guys out there that are still asking our young ladies to dances. it means the world to them, and to us.

**&, finally--speaking of cute ways to ask a girl to prom.....have you seen this video? it restores my faith in humanity.

i die for the adorable-ness of mr. pitts :

chandi's news at nine

2011-04-05T00:01:00.001-06:00

i must say: i thought that chandler's creative "newscast" about this book (thanks, aunt loni!) was showing signs of early genius. (didn't you know that reporters drank diet coke from 32-ounce cups on their desk?)

i loved that it was an effort that involved almost every member of the family showcasing their thespian skillz. do i smell emmy nomination in our future?

my favorite part starts at 2:12

making my mama proud:

2011-04-04T00:01:00.000-06:00

for the first time in my entire 41 years of existence, i made strawberry freezer jam WITHOUT my mother or my sister basically doing it for me.

i'd say get your affairs in order, people--the end is nigh.

i couldn't have done it, however, without my technical support crew:

a special THANKS to bailey for helping with each and every step and counting out the 48 (that's FORTY-EIGHT, PEOPLE!) cups of sugar that went into our 47 bottles.

breathe out....so i can breathe you in.

2011-04-04T00:00:00.002-06:00

i am the first person to admit that i have quite a diverse range of musical artists that i love (um, HELLO, nickelback? i know.) but some are a bit more special than others.

foo fighters would be just about on the tippy tippy TOP of my heap--i think that dave grohl is funny, intelligent, a musical genius, and the PERFECT example of how a guy who is not really hot at all can become the world's most attractive man whilst singing and playing a guitar.

these boys are my go-to if i want to really rock out--and i feel so strongly about them that i would be willing to state for the record that there isn't a band out there currently who can do it better. (oooh! sweeping statement.)

so i'm scheming, trying to figure out how to be in las vegas tomorrow night for the premier of their movie back and forth:

oh, my.

i can't get enough of their new single, rope:

hb megan!

2011-04-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

hb to my baby sister, megan! nobody rocks a 'high bang' like you do~

i thought that this card applied for today:

finally, know that i love you and wish you only happiness---and for you to lead a completely fulfilled life like this woman:

opulence: I HAS IT.

2011-04-01T00:01:00.001-06:00

if i could, i would kiss directv fully on the mouth for creating these commercials. i am so in love .

& now i want a tiny giraffe. i think it's not too much to ask for.

thankful thursday on friday

2011-04-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

so many things to be thankful for this week!

{jody, dannielle, kamari}

**what would a t.t. post be like during these months without me talking about the beautiful weather? if you are sick of me talking about it i won'teightydegreestodaydo it anymore......

but i SHOULD mention that it was perfect biking weather with my gals.

**this card that dannielle gave me this week--it couldn't be any more perfect.

until you get to the inside, and then it gets perfecter:

**the issue of dixie state college magazine that came out this past week with my mother on the cover:

i think she is adorable.

**a husband who takes out the trash. it's a big deal.

russ has been gone all week for work and i had to take the trash to the curb. it's only the SECOND time since i've lived in my current house that i've had to do this chore. (fyi? i've been in this home for 8 years......)

but i think that i looked very stylish as i did the job:

**great hotel hook-ups.

have i mentioned that i LOVE my husband's job in the hotel industry? the traveling perks are by far the best part.

i've thought for several months that i should compose an ode of love to the cosmopolitan hotel--but why should i when she does it so much BETTER?

i shant.

**& finally, have i mentioned how excited i was to meet mark from sytycd? cuz i was. MAJORLY. & who doesn't love a man in black eyeliner twice as thick as your own?

THIS is still one of my very favorite dances:

rollin' VIP: DO'S and DON'TS in las vegas

2011-03-29T20:45:00.002-06:00

DO'S and DON'TS of a girl's trip to las vegas march 2011:

DO be prepared to eat:

and eat:

and eat : (and eat.)

DON'T be afraid of getting reallyREALLY close together to get a glamor shot:

DO go to an awesome concert headlined by one crazy lady:

DON'T be shocked by the insane amount of crazed fans that turn out. in FORCE:

DO recognize mark from sytycd and get in on some sweet photo op action:

DO bring multiple pairs of shoes to wear. and pose in:

DON'T worry about taking off your shoes and walking through the casino at 2:00 a.m: (your feets hurt too bad to really care that you are a dirty, filthy, filthy girl.)

DO seize any and every opportunity to straddle glass objects:

DON'T turn this guy down when your waitress peer-pressures him into buying a round of drinks for your table:

DO see beatles LOVE. it will change your life:

DON'T get used to staying at a way cool hotel--they will eventually kick you out:

DO insist that your husband installs a chandelier like this in your living room:

DON'T self park in las vegas. that's only for commoners:

DO realize that, after arriving home, your life is really going to resemble THIS:

thankful thursday

2011-03-24T00:00:00.002-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

**that a photo like this exists in the world:

they just don't make 'em like rick james anymore, do they? bless his little corn-rowed heart....

**more little shopping lists created by the creative-spelling genius of a 5 year old mind:

{translation: get cosmic brownies at wal mart. get pop tarts!}

**the chance to embrace my inner-freak this weekend with peoples i love love (plus jentix) watching all of the outer-freaks watch a woman who has been known to wear a dress made out of raw meat.

but she has ALSO worn a dress made entirely out of hello kitties. which is pretty freaking awesome:

**speaking of hello kitty (or kitty hollow, if you speak mia) i heart the feline-themed gifts people bestow on me--one that i've enjoyed has been my crazy cat lady action figure. it sits on the shelf in my kitchen, watching over all:

**& finally, for this video which made me so incredibly happy--i would TOTALLY be a band geek if we played this stuff. AND had that totally dope teacher.

this is my favorite rage against the machine song. it brings out all my inner-grunge-angst as i'm pedaling my bike up a hill. and the fact that it's being covered with such intense JOY only makes it that much better:

{courtesy of wwMd}

it's a conspiracy.

2011-03-23T00:01:00.001-06:00

oh, dalton academy warblers--why can't i quit you?

but i just can't help myself when i hear you talented, young, fine specimens of teenage boyness belt out tunes like these:

so, DAMN YOU, blaine anderson--

damn you for making me want to shell out $38.99 for this warblers women's zip hoodie:

the old man's still got it.

2011-03-23T00:00:00.001-06:00

i've made no secret about the unhealthy love i have for dave gahan from depeche mode--it's been a relationship that has gone on for nearly 30 years, (yikes!) stemming back to the first time i laid my grubby 9th grade hands on a cassette tape of black celebration.

so, naturally, i was thrilled when he was named as one of the "godfathers of glam" who can still rock a skinny suit in this ny times article.

also appearing in the article who was NOT worthy? iggy pop:

hb mom!

2011-03-22T22:00:00.002-06:00

hb to my wonderful mother, who taught me every good thing i know (but may not retain? hmmm....) and is the center of our family's universe.

i hope your day is wonderful--may it be filled with songs of your praise, treats in your honor, and not having to send any e-mails for dad.

i love you! thank you for enduring my antics all of these years~ xoxoxo!

thankful thursday

2011-03-17T22:00:00.004-06:00

things i am thankful for this week:

** yahoo weather--

it allows me to hop on roughly ten times a day to check current conditions.

i remember, growing up, that my dad would watch the news every single night to just catch the sports and see the weather.

but when did i become such an old person? i NEVER used to even give the weather a second thought--it was something that occurred AS it was occurring.

merely one more sign of my turning to the geriatric side.....

**speaking of weather, there just couldn't be a thankful thursday post during this time of year without me praising the weather--mid 70's this week? well, okay..... if i HAVE to:

**guilty pleasures. such as my current favorite, holly's world:

it pleases me so. judge not.

**speaking of holly, i love THIS song by josh strickland:

perhaps it's because i fancy myself one of the sexy people? or maybe it's the fact that it's sick beats require, nay, MANDATES that i report.

to the floor.

yes, it's totally formulaic--which reels me in hook, line, & sinker.

**friends who allow my daughter to live the high-life with them in las vegas all week:

chandi may never return.

**a person who would spend money outfitting their ride with this:

{LOVE them.}

**& finally, for alec baldwin:

"pure and complete gnarly-isms."

2011-03-13T23:47:00.004-06:00

get your very own bit 'o crazy in bite-size portions HERE

thankful thursday

2011-03-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

thing i am thankful for this week:

**our sweet STAR student of the month:

february's student was chosen for empathy & love--true, that.

i wuv hers.

UP.

2011-03-08T00:04:00.000-07:00

git 'em.

2011-03-08T00:03:00.002-07:00

i love when my girls are just learning to read & write--the way the brain processes is an amazing thing.

mia wrote this note for her daddy--translation: "when russ you go to harmons get waffles."

she spelled the whole thing herself while sounding the words out loud-- i only helped her put the 'a' in harmons and the 'l' in waffles after the fact. (as well as decided that 'get' makes SO much more sense spelled as 'git'.)

hb kamari!

2011-03-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

lots of years= lots of snuggling.

i love this girl!

hb to the blond swimming in a sea of brunettes......

i love where i live.

2011-03-04T00:04:00.002-07:00

this is what the temperature read yesterday at 4:44 p.m.

thank goodness for these next few months, so i can long for them when my skin is literally melting from my bones in august. but still leaving the stretch marks, naturally. (thank goodness--wouldn't wanna lose those babies!)

happy weekend! i hope you get to do something along the lines of frank poncherello's disco dance extravaganza:

(fyi: estrada's incredibly sexy disco routine starts at :48)

{courtesy of petunia face}

BI-WINNING!

2011-03-03T11:00:00.004-07:00

okay, it was really only a matter of time until i felt like i must comment on the charlie sheen trainwreck thing--holy MOLY. talk about insane!

my only problem with the whole shebang is the fact that i oscillate between feeling like charles is a complete and utter arrogant ass, and then semi-worshiping at his feet for some of his perfectly candid and chuckle-inducing observations and theories.

if you wanted a quick tutorial on his latest, you should watch a clip of his 20/20 interview HERE--and, did you catch the fact that he took not one, but TWO drug tests right after the interview and PASSED BOTH? i was convinced that he was higher than a kite. INSANITY.

since i have already admitted in times past that i tend to like some of the guys who would be helming the d. bag wave (john mayer, eminem, kanye west.....need i go on? yikes.) it was no surprise that i find sheen completely amusing at times. like during a recent interview on the dan patrick show :

sheen: i decided to stay away from the crack, which i think is pretty good advice.....unless you can manage it socially, dan. if you can manage it socially, then, GO FOR IT. but, not a lot of people can, you know?

dan patrick: did you think you could?

sheen: eeeehhh, yeah. but then that kind of blew up in my face. much like an exploding crack pipe, dan...

but my absolute favorite commentary about the whole debacle was la time's the charlie sheen dictionary: a totally gnarly, bi-winning guide to the actor's best quotes

some of my favorites:

Charlie Sheen

Definition: The name of whatever Sheen’s on.

Usage: "I am on a drug, it's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body."

Winning

Definition: The end goal of Charlie Sheen’s life philosophy.

Usage: “The only thing I’m addicted to right now is winning,” “Just winning every second,” “Winning, anyone?” “Duh, winning!”

Pronunciation: Quoth Sheen, “It rhymes with winning.”

Bi-winning

Definition: Winning on the ultimate level.

Usage: I’m not bi-polar, “I’m bi-winning. I win here and I win there.”

Riding the mercury surfboard

Definition: Skillfully working one’s way into the headlines.

Usage: "It's been a tsunami of media and I've been riding it on a mercury surfboard." (See also: “winning.”)

Wearing a golden sombrero

Definition: Getting divorced four times in a row (kind of the opposite of a hat trick).

Usage: “I tried marriage. I'm 0 for 3 with the marriage thing. So, being a ballplayer -- I believe in numbers. I'm not going 0 for 4. I'm not wearing a golden sombrero."

Tiger blood

Definition: What runs through Sheen’s veins, making him all-powerful.

Usage: “AA was written for normal people. People that don’t have tiger blood and Adonis DNA,” “[I survived drug addiction] because I'm me. I'm different. I have a different constitution, I have a different brain, I have a different heart. I got tiger blood, man.”

Sober Valley Lodge

Definition: The Beverly Hills home where Sheen claims he’s healed himself “with the power of my mind.”

Usage: “We couldn’t really call it rehab because we didn’t have a license to operate one, so it was a crisis management center that we labeled the Sober Valley Lodge. … Its primary client achieved radical success.”

The Wedge

Definition: Sheen’s nickname for himself, based on his preferred position between his two blonde 24-year-old girlfriends, a.k.a. "the goddesses."

Usage: “It’s a wedge. Boom. You form a wedge to make room for the guy carrying the ball.”

Boom

Definition: An exclamation used to signify the end of a mind-blowing statement.

Usage: “You have the right to kill me, but you do not have the right to judge me. Boom. That’s the whole movie. That’s life.” “[My ex-wife Denise Richards] shows up looking the way she does. … Wow! Everybody’s winning. Boom!” “White gold? Boom!” (Synonyms: Bang.)

Buh-bye

Definition: An exclamation used to signify the end of a conversation.

Usage: “That's how I roll. And if it's too gnarly for people, then buh-bye,”

the guy is crazy. but i must say, CRAZY LIKE A FOX--he started his twitter account and reached ONE MILLION subscribers in less than 24 hours.

i should have known he had it in him, judging from his genius early work in ferris bueller's day off: (and i apologize in advance for it's usage of two naughty words. but it's a classic, so i think it was grandfathered-in.)

thankful thursday

2011-03-03T10:59:00.003-07:00

the things i was thankful for this week:

**tom hanks and his daughter: (thanks, vanessa)

i just fell in love with mr. hanks all over again.

**my friend (and 4th grade boyfriend!) jim's photo he uploaded to facebook--it said:

"this was great! city employees burning weeds by the brand new fuel tank at the new airport."

i love where i live.

feels so good!

2011-03-01T20:43:00.004-07:00

as usual.......married to the sea: you complete me.

when you have teenage daughters......

2011-02-27T20:44:00.002-07:00

you get sucked into watching movie trailers that may or may not appeal to your inner 14 year-old.

thankful thursday

2011-02-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

things i am thankful for this week:

***another birthday celebrated with yet another super-fabulous cake by our aunt megan:

***a little fever de bieber at the movie theaters with my girls. (which did NOT kill me, btw--i was totally entertained. and may or may not have downloaded a few songs by justy. allegedly.)

& for a world where we have both a poor man's kim kardashian AND pseudo black-eyed peas selling jeans for old navy:

genius!

guanacaste

2011-02-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

& the last posting of costa rica pics finally comes 'round.

we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at jw marriott guanacaste--

we had a very stressful schedule. which included (but was not limited to) golfing:

watching THIS view from our room patio:

eating, sleeping, reading, & lying on chaise-lounges that a young, strapping pool boy had just seconds before prepared for you with thick, white towels and bolster pillows:

walking in the ocean:

& enjoying spectacular costa rican sunsets:

what a wonderful time we had together--it's a trip that i'll forever cherish .

keane + queen = AWESOME.

2011-02-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

while watching this ultra-cool video, i was struck by three thoughts:

1. freddy mercury was RAD. queen was, as well.

2. keane is still in my top 3 favorite bands of ALL TIME.

3. why doesn't anybody wear their pants up on their waist anymore?

la paz

2011-02-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

we were blown away by the stunning waterfalls (yes, multiple.) at la paz--

getting there by trail & bridge was half the fun:

we stopped for group shots:

kissing portfolio shots:

and even had time for a glamor shot:

then we all loaded into a cart drawn by two oxen and rode off into the costa rican sunset:

hb chandler!

2011-02-19T08:37:00.005-07:00

hb to my chandler--THIRTEEN!!

officially entering your teens is a BIG FREAKING DEAL. i wish for you only love, happiness, drinks from swig, & fever de bieber for you today~

we love you so much!

so....go get crazy today--wreck something! (not really.)

hb dad!

2011-02-18T21:04:00.004-07:00

hb to my sweet daddy--i love you so much!

hope you day is one ginormous hole in one!

true confession.

2011-02-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

i have lived on this earth for 41 years. last saturday i performed a "farmer blow" for the first time in my life.

i was simultaneously completely repulsed and proud of a job well done.

in my defense, i was on a bike for an extended period of time with no kleenex and a continual runny nose. things were getting dicey--desperate times call for desperate measures! (sorry, mom.)

thanks to our gingerbread boy, jared, for walking me through the complicated process. and for looking away when the first attempt landed all over my shoulder.

hb kristin!

2011-02-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

yep. you STILL got it going on!

hope you get to "i like can i touch" today~