Caravan Crush

I have a crush...big time.
My not-so-secret crush is on Caravan.
I'm not sure if you have heard of this brilliant store, but you know now.
Caravan is a printable downloads store...brilliant right?
Guys they have chalkboard inspired printables (duh!)
And maps you can send off to letterpress...that's right, letterpress
And even toys for kids with olliblocks and monkey matching chips.
Folks, Melanie and Alma and Mike are pattern geniuses.
One day, when I grow up, I want to be just like them!

I met Alma and Mike at Alt Summit, and must tell you they are absolutely delightful in person. They also designed the most brilliant business cards (can you spy them above?). I have a few Caravan wish-list items jotted down and can't wait to get those printables cooking. Check out their sight...WARNING: you will fall in love.

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My sexy Valentine's Day gift

Check out my Valentine's Day gift from Clint.
Where to begin?!?

Shall we start with the box...Yes let's start with this spicy-hot gift box. Nothing says "I want some Valentine's sexy action" like a recycled Christmas box. To Husband's defense, it is red, pink, purple, and orange-all Valentine's-y colors. The snowflake and reindeer details scream "it's cold outside...let's cuddle".

Next there's the ripped corner of the erotic gift box with remnants of an old sticky Christmas gift tag. HOT. RED HOT. That little ripped corner whispers "hey baby...I'm going to rip off those sweat pants and baggy T-shirt tonight". Yes, I'm getting all hot and bothered by you saucy gift-box. 

Then, oh heaven help me, that gift tag...Hey you gift tag...you've got double the lovin'...literally. Didn't you know recycled gift-labels are gift-wrapping's aphrodisiac? Because husband does...bow chika bow wow...

The gift itseld?...sexy panties? Nah. Some milky chocolates? Nope. Creams and lotions? No way...
In this racy Valentine is not 1, but 2 DSLR camera remotes! This way I can take naughty pictures of glitter envelopes and hand-painted necklaces...soooo naughty.

For reals though folks...is this a sign that we should take it up a notch?
I like to think we are so sexy for the other 364 days of the year, that we use Valentine's Day as our day off...yeah, that's it.

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Why I am happy to be worrisome

Getting a blog post out this week has been horrendously difficult and as I quietly type next to a snoozing almost-one-year-old (gasp) I am forced to interrogate myself...Why has my blogging been slow moving? Why am I so tired and a little uninterested? Why can't it stay light outside until 9:00 pm so that I can get one photoshoot in!?
After a little bit of meditating perhaps I'll share a few things that I am working hard on so that you can stop judging me for being lazy ;) (ps I know that no one is judging me...except for me).

Okay so this week you could say I have been working really hard as a momma. This kid has kind of photo-bombed my life as of yet, but I kind of think that photo-bombing stared June 2011 when he became a little peanut in my womb. The past 7-9 days he just so happened to be more of a bomber than the previous month or so. I mean, these photos pretty much describe my blogging efforts lately :)

Does he not have the cutest chubby fingers this side of the Mississippi!? (That got a little western)

Another thing that has been a focus of my efforts and worries has been sleeping arrangements. Liam and Clint and I co-sleep, which has actually been a very positive and uplifting experience. Plus thousands of years of parenting would suggest that it is natural for many parents and babies to want to sleep in close quarters. So I am not sure why I picked this week to stress about sleeping situations and schedules and routine. Perhaps its because I am sleeping, um, too much. Is that weird? Most nights I sleep from 12:00pm to 9:00am with little interruption. Now I hear you sleepless parents out there thinking Sounds like a tough life Alix...too much sleep is your problem?
Strangely I think that is part of it.
I think in order to get the shiz done, I need to wake earlier and make a habit of it. Woe is me!

Also...some exciting blog-related things are in the works 'round here that have seriously consumed my creative energies. Which is a good thing in many ways...but I must remember that first and foremost I am a quality content creator! (that last sentence should be read as if declaring a significant manifesto!)
What's in the works, Alix? You may ask.
Oh I just got a little job with Vivint's blog The Neighborhood! That's right...Starting March I am contributing content to a blog that I adore and this has made be very happy.Very very very happy.
Also The Neighborhood and I have some mini party plans in the works so that is pee-your-pants exciting!
And not to mention I am busy designing and creating items for my etsy store which will launch March 1st!!!! (I hope...cross your fingers and say a pray for me that I will be able to get it all done)
Oh and PS I am still busy tackling my 100 rejections list because, dammit, I will make money blogging and love it all the while.

To be honest and truthful and fair...I am deeply in love with my life. I can't remember ever being as happy doing anything as I am being a mom and blogger.


Well this post has successfully balanced a stream of contentiousness with a journal entry, so lets wrap it up with well-wishes...happy weekend!

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One Sweet Slice

Day dates with my dudes are the best. And we couldn't just not take little Liam on a Valentines date. So last week we hit up my absolute favorite cupcake bakery in all of the world...One Sweet Slice. Let's just say that owner Janell Brown can seriously whip up the best cupcake I have ever stuffed my face with. Oh and by the way she won Cupcake Wars and makes wedding cakes that are so beautiful I may just have to re-marry Clint so we can buy one. So dont' walk, run to One Sweet Slice! And you are welcome for this ridiculously long list of photos...editing may not be a strength of mine.

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When Clint Proposed

This is the story of how Clint asked me to marry him. It happened on Valentine's Day 2009 on Temple Square with a dozen red roses and a lovely Hispanic family. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Lets start at the beginning.

The weekend of Valentine's Day that year just so happened to be a weekend where my family was in town. They were spending the night at my grandma's and so I drove my college-going tushy from Provo to North Salt Lake. Clint came with because we were dating and it was Valentine's weekend after all.

Valentine's morning began with an awkward gift-giving session where nobody gave any gifts but Clint to me. He insisted everyone gather around in my grandmother's living room and watch as I opened up a little box. Mind you, if it was a wedding ring I was going to say "no" because proposing in your girlfriend's grandma's living room was probably the least romantic location ever.

Relax.

In the box was a string of pearls (which I later found out was a decoy gift so I wouldn't expect any other surprises).

Overall, the grandma's-house-gift-exchange was kinda uncomfortable.

And then I spent the rest of my Valentine's Day doing what any normal single girl does: I spent it wedding dress shopping with my mother. No. Seriously.

So let me explain...My mom lived 6 hours away from me, she wouldn't be back in town until May, Clint and I had talked a lot about marriage at about that time, and I needed her help tackling the most significant task of a wedding day...that dress!

Um k?

The guys were all busy doing "guy stuff", so it was a terribly romantic day all around.

Then at about 4:00 in the PM my mom's all, "Hey! The guys just called and they said we should meet them on Temple Square to hang out."

Subtle.

We trekked to Temple Square. Parked. My mom immediately disappeared. And then I wandered around like an idiot as I passed not 1, not 2, but 3 couples getting engaged!

But then, just ahead was Clint. And he had what looked like a bouquet of roses, so I figured I was supposed to be wandering towards him.

...just before I closed in on him, a short man stopped right in between us and mumbled something in a Hispanic accent like, "take our picture please?"

We were both amused by the interruption as Clint fumbled the flowers into my hands and took a picture of a Hispanic family of 8. 

So that was awkward.

After, he got down on one knee, mumbling something like "will you put up with me forever?" and I was like "I guess I will" (all in good humor of course)

And that is the story of how Clint proposed to me on the most predictable day, at the most expected location, with the most common flower. And I still said yes ;). 

 

I am happy to announce that Clint and I are just about 4 years happily married, and that I threw away those terrible boring black flats.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Valentine's Day photobooth

Last week I hung a little photobooth backdrop in my dining room (because that's what normal people do) and it was staring at me all week long. Finally I responded with "okay. okay....we will take pictures of you already!"
So my darling husband agreed to a tortuous family photobooth shoot, which was just short of water-boarding, I'm sure.
But lets be honest...the shoot is meant to illustrate our family love...because we love each other...a lot.
And, you guys, isn't Nugget just dreamy in that mustache!? I mean...seriously?

 Happy Valentine's Day Eve!

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Valentine's Day garland and mantel

My heart is filled with pure love and lust when it comes to these little Valentine's-Day-inspired garlands. After I made these three easy DIY garlands, they of course were immediately hung on my mantel. And, you guys, I am pretty sure my mantel is having an identity crisis. She (yes my mantel is a she because mantel sounds masculine and I am a feminist so I like to defy stereotypes like a little rebel) was all "Yea I'm a fall mantel!" and then a month later she's like "Wa-who I'm a Christmas mantel" and I think at this point she's just hoping to find her true mantel self and settle down. But not just yet...Not until after the big Love day can that happen. You must endure at least one more arrangement of garlands and sparkle and poms, my dearest mantel. At least until next Halloween and then the crazy starts all over again! So without further adieu, may I present to you my three takes on V-day garland (and believe me I had to restrain myself to not make many more).

Sparkle Ball Garland:

Materials: 

- Glittered Styrofoam balls

- Quilting thread 

- Needle 

 

This little garland was a darling for sure. And a very affordable option for spicing up this spicy holiday without spending a whole bunch! I purchased these pre-glittered Styrofoam balls at a local craft store, along with the sting and needle.

1| String the needle with your quilting thread and tie a small knot
2| String on the Glitter Styrofoam balls one at a time. I didn't sting them in an exact pattern but you certainly could if you are feeling particularly OCD ;).
3| Cut off the needle and the string at the end
4| Hang the garland! I used tape to hang mine...real fancy to be sure.

 Pom Garland:

Materials: 

- Pink sparkle poms...or really any pom that you want

- Quilting thread 

- Needle

I recently used these addicting pink poms for a pair of earrings and for business card toppers, so you could say they are very versatile poms. You could also say they were a smart purchase. And what you should be saying is that I have a pom problem.

1| Copy all steps from the Glittered Styrofoam Garland above!

 

Martha-Stewart-inspired Doily Garland:

Materials: 

- Mini paper doilies (oooo I love them soooo much) found in the baking isle

- White yarn...but feel free to venture into pink or red yarn, you wild thing, you.

- Needle

When I spotted this doily garland in a Martha Stewart Weddings magazine I knew it was meant to be my Valentine!

1| Fold one doily in half once
2| Then fold it in half again
3| Now unfold that same doily (the folds in the doily give it a little fluff that really makes the garland)
4| String that needle with your yarn
5| And then string your unfolded doily!
6| Repeat the folding and unfolding and stringing with all your paper doilies

Final Step...Deck the mantel!

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