Beehive Stripes

It seems like everyone I know is having a baby right now. For a while they were all having boys and now I feel like they're all having girls. There is a special little girl being born in our ward in a few months and I knew she would need a cozy blanket to wrap up in. This one is a combination of a few ideas I picked up on Pinterest and YouTube. It reminds me of rugby stripes for some reason.

This was the inspiration for this project

I used the Beehive Stitch from New Stitch a Day and it was very easy to pick up. For the color pattern I followed the owl blanket above pretty closely and just measured after I finished the first set of stripes and filled the middle with enough white to make it the right length before starting the last set of stripes. Confused yet?

The texture of this blanket is so cozy! It reminds me of a waffle.

My pattern went like this:
W--8 rows
Pink-- 4 rows
W--3 rows
Purple--8 rows
W--3 rows
Pink 4 rows
A bunch of white to make it the desired size
Repeat in reverse order from last pink row


I used Lion Brand yarn and I bought huge 1lb skeins (they're called a pound of love!) because they were on a great sale. This is actually the second blanket I made with those same 3 balls of yarn! This yarn was a little thinner than the Red Heart Soft which is what I normally use for baby blankets but it worked just fine for this. I used a 6mm hook and it gave it great texture.

My Favorite Beauty Products of 2013

Not many people know this about me but I love love love to watch beauty bloggers on YouTube. I have found so many helpful and informative tutorials that have helped me feel more confident in my make up abilities. I have learned loads about skin care and what products really live up to the hype and what products are just actual overpriced hype. It's sort of a thing for these beauty bloggers/YouTubers to compile a list of their favorite beauty products from the month or the year. I have to say that my collection of make up and skin care items has increased this year so I thought I would add my list of favorite products this year.

Make up

Foundation: Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua. Light coverage, easy to blend and makes your skin look flawless.

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte. Such a bargain at about $3, you can hardly tell it's there and it keeps things set all day long.

Concealer: Maybelline Color Eraser Under Eye Brightener. It's easy to use, great coverage and cheap as chips.

Mascara: Benefit They're Real. It sort of does everything- volume, length and stays put all day without being hard to remove at night.

Eye shadow: Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze. You can swipe it on by itself or use it as a primer/base for other shadows. This has seriously been a staple for me, I am on my second pot of it and have purchased it for both of my sisters. I also love my INGLOT freedom pallet for powder shadows and just got a few more to complete my pallet.

Eye liner: L'Oreal Liner Intense Carbon Black (with the felt tip). Easy as pie to apply and it stays put. I also like the Urban Decay 24/7 liners, especially the Mushroom color.

Tools: Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Blends in foundation like a dream and can also be used for cream blushes or anything else you can imagine.

Skin Care

Face Wash: Michael Todd True Organics Skin Defender AHA Cream Cleanser. I love this stuff but it's pricey unless you buy a kit and I didn't have good enough results with the other products in the kit to warrant another repurchase.

Toner: Clarins Toning Lotion with Chamomile. The smell was weird at first but I don't notice it now. It makes my face feel calmed and soothed when I get out of the shower and it's feeling tight and dry.

Moisturizer: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion +. Great value for money, doesn't feel greasy or break me out like the Michael Todd lotion did.

Serum/Treatment: Hydralouron by Indeed Labs. I had to order this from Canada but it's been worth it. The hyluronic acid helps draw moisture to your face and prevent your skin from getting too dehydrated. This has made such a difference in my skin this winter. I haven't had any dry patches at all since getting it which is insane for me in the cold winter months. (I can't find the website where I purchased it... oh no!)

Favorite Lip Item: Nuxe Reve De Meil lip balm. This stuff is magic! I don't know if I can pay full price for it but I got mine on a deal at Hautelook.com. A close runner up is the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfecter, I picked one up in Aruba when we were on vacation and I use it all the dang time!

YouTube Channels

Essie Button
Makeup by TiffanyD
Pixiwoo
Lisa Eldridge
Pretty Shiny Sparkly
Ghostparties
MakeupTIA (red head!!)
Vivianna Does Makeup
Karima McKimmie
Jessica Beautician
Beauty Broadcast
Tanya Burr

2 Years

Two years ago today I married the Dr. It was such an easy decision to marry him. I knew from the very first day that we were dating that I would marry him and that feeling never wavered.

We woke up early and went to breakfast with the best man and his wife plus the maid of honor. It was so relaxing and I didn't feel nervous at all. I did my own make up and hair sitting on the floor of my apartment while my roommate arranged hundreds of flowers and my two best friends chatted.

Melanie (the maid of honor) and I drove to LA together. We realized we'd left the bouquet in the fridge at my apartment and panicked but we found a friend who hadn't left for the wedding yet and they picked it up for us. That was the most nervous I got all day.

Everything went so smoothly. I changed from my jeans into my dress in the bathroom of the LA Temple visitor center and when I walked out I saw him standing there in his gray suit and green bow tie. We walked over to the Temple together, hand in hand under the sunny, clear sky. I was so calm and collected as I got ready for the Sealing ordinance. I think the little old ladies who were attending to me were more nervous than I was! It was just so much the right decision that I had no hesitations about it.

We were Sealed for time and all eternity that day.

We were the only couple to be married in the LA Temple that day too. Perhaps it had something to do with the date being Friday the 13th. Thirteen is the Dr.'s lucky number and who doesn't love a Friday!

There were pictures with the family and then pictures with just the two of us.

We stayed in Santa Monica that night at the Sheraton Del Fina. We arrived as we'd come from the Temple- He was in his suit and I in my dress. We drew a little attention in the lobby for that but I loved it. We were married! That only happens once in a lifetime- it's something to celebrate!

The next day was the reception back in Santa Barbara. We danced and danced under the twinkle lights on the patio looking out to the beach. The palm trees swayed and God drew the most beautiful sunset just for us. We danced to the Eagles for the first time as husband and wife- a real waltz.

It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, to marry this guy. I love knowing we're going to be together forever.

Snow Days: Part 1

So this snow thing that is going on right now, I am not a fan. At all. I have been trying to have a positive attitude about winter but every time I go outside and the wind is whipping and it's freezing cold I just can't help but get a little grumpy. And now they are telling us we are experiencing an "Polar Vortex", what does that even mean!?

I feel like people here are more aware of what the weather is doing- when it will start snowing, when it should stop and when the plows will be done moving it. So we knew that we'd pretty much be stuck inside the whole first weekend it really snowed. That's fine with me because I feel like we are rarely ever home and when we are all we have time to do is fix dinner, prep a Seminary lesson and go to sleep.

On the Saturday morning before the first "Snowpocalypse" hit the Dr. ran to the grocery store, I filled the cars with gas and we went to the craft store for some more yarn for my next crochet project. You know, the essentials. It turned out to be a nice day despite the falling snow. I crocheted, the Dr. watched sports, we did laundry and ate a ton of food. These are the things I don't mind so much about winter. They ended up canceling the church Christmas party Saturday evening and we spend Sunday morning digging our cars out of the snow so that we could get to church. The Sunday meetings were delayed by two hours which gave us some extra time. It was a small meeting but the ward choir still managed to belt out a beautiful Christmas arrangement. Oh and we pass this house on the way to church every week:

I would love winter even more if I could live in this house. 

Our handy dandy little shovels

Melting the show with his sheer hotness!

I think we got 7 or 8 inches this night

Crochet project for my cousin's new little one

I love our Christmas tree- especially all the weird ornaments from all of our travels

Our fireplace AKA our TV and YouTube

I don't think I will ever forget those winters in Santa Barbara where we could go to the beach on Christmas but I will do my best to find good things about winter here in Boston too.

Christmas in NYC

We like to travel. It's really difficult for us to have a day off and not go somewhere. We always have an airline ticket booked for our next trip. (We are working on some great travel plans for 2014!) So when both the Dr. and I had about two weeks off from work and Seminary we decided that even though we wanted to be home on Christmas day we would go on a small trip with the remainder of our time. We thought about going to Miami, the Caribbean or even to Minnesota to see the Dr.'s cousin but we thought and thought too long and then all the airline tickets got too expensive. So we decided on New York. It's a quick 3 1/2 hours away, there is so much to explore and there is no denying that it's pretty magical when they have it all decorated up for the holidays.

On the 26th we headed for the city! In a snow storm. We passed so many car accidents and were slowed down a bit but in the end we made it safe and sound. We even found a parking spot right away! We stayed in the Dr.'s brothers old apartment. They are subleasing it while they are in AZ for a couple years and the people they are leasing it to were going to be out of town for the holidays so we rented it from them. Whew, if you followed that then good for you!

We arrived in the early evening and decided to hit the town for some dinner and sightseeing. Well instead of dinner we got a waffle at the Waffles and Dinges truck. We did eat some pizza later (Pizza Suprema on 8th Ave and 31st- soooooo good!) but you have to get your priorities straight when you're in New York.

This picture really captures our night- freezing cold, Waffles and Dinges, and the city decked out for Christmas!

The lights and window displays at Macy's

Time Square. We were bundled up so tight and still cold!

The first whole day we were in the City we once again showed our priorities by heading straight for the Rockefeller Center Anthropologie. Oh my lands, that place is amazing! I had a gift card (thanks brother!) so I HAD to spend it right? Ok, I may be an Anthro addict. I will admit it. But just look at this place:

This is my happy place

Other stops of the day included:

The tree at Rockefeller Center

Ice skaters are Rockefeller Center

Us at Rockefeller Center

More Rockefeller Center- Can you tell I love this place!

Sacs 5th Avenue- the original

Park Plaza Hotel

Sandwiches at Num Pang Deli. Despite his face we really did enjoy these sandwiches- you must go there when you are in the City!

The home of Project Runway- Parsons

Mood! Just look at all that fabric!

And some giant nutcrackers near Rockefeller Center

We went back to the apartment for a couple hours to take a nap before heading out again. We are normally in bed by about 9 PM (the life of Seminary teachers) but we had tickets for a 9:30 showing of the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular. I was so in awe of this show! Every single kick and step was perfectly in sync. I was a dancer for many years, I know how hard it is to get a kick line right. These ladies were perfect- seriously!

This is a chandelier at Radio City Music Hall and it's about 2 stories high!

They have a great manger scene to conclude the show and there's a live camel or two in there! So amazing!

Is there anything more magical than this?? Yes, it's Rockefeller Center again.

With staying out so late we had a lazy morning on Saturday. Our plan was to just wander the West Village/Greenwich Village area all day. But first, breakfast was in order. We had some of the most amazing bagels and cream cheese at this little shop a few blocks away from our apartment. Check this out:

Those are all different cream cheeses. I was in heaven!

 Greenwich village was so much fun, it's has a more small town feel if that is even possible in New York. There were so many quaint little shops, restaurants and there is a whole section of town with Marc Jacobs stores on every corner! We ate Magnolia Bakery cupcakes and had lunch at the Meatball Shop. Can you tell I like food? I think it's one of the best ways to explore a new place.

Meatball Shop- eat the polenta if you ever go there!

My cousin Valerie ended up being in town for the holidays so we met up with her for some dinner at a pan-Latin restaurant her roommate recommended. It was a little bit of heaven to say the least! It was so good to catch up with my cousin too, she's on my dad's side and there are so many of us all over the country that I rarely get to see them one on one. We walked through Washington Park, caught the subway to Grand Central for Junior's Cheesecake, rode to Columbus Circle and walked up to Lincoln Center and the Temple. We ran into some missionaries who had just whitewashed into Manhattan and looked a little dazed. I feel like we ate all day long but when we got back to the apartment I had no trouble scarfing down my chocolate swirl cheesecake!

Notice how my eyes are closed in all these pictures? I am just classy like that.

We had such a great time on this little trip. New York really is so magical during the holidays, I love it there! It was nice to take our time and just wander a bit, that's something we haven't had the luxury of doing so much in other trips we've made to New York. We didn't stay for the new year

Old Friends

Paul Revere and the Old North Church in the North End

A few weeks ago I got a Facebook message from an old friend of mine from my reenacting days. Yes, you read that right. She, her husband and I grew up doing reenactments, mostly Civil War and pioneer. She and her husband were both members of the Utah Fife and Drum Corp and our family sort of tagged along with them to many festivals and rendezvous. Our favorite was the Festival of the American West which sadly doesn't exist anymore.  It was a 10-day long celebration of everything that is the west- pioneers, mountain men, civil war out posts, Native Americans, good food, cowboy poetry and bluegrass music. Some of my earliest memories are of my reenacting adventures.

This dear friend of mine, Eden, mentioned that her husband James would be in Boston for a conference and asked if we would mind showing him around a bit. I love when people come to visit our city! I love the downtown area and I love exploring it with first timers.

We decided a little North End food was in order and we of course had to go to our favorite- Giacomo's. We've have been known to wait in line for two hours for their food before and I have to say that it is totally worth it every time! We were a little worried that we'd freeze to death if we had to wait in line that long again (thanks, polar vortex!) but when we arrived they had a table open just for us! I guess nobody else is stupid dedicated enough to go out in this weather. We also had to stop at Mike's Pastry after dinner because, well just look at these beauties!

Those Whoopie Pies down there are the best thing at Mike's Pastry

We had such a great time catching up! It's been about 10 years since I have seen James or his wife. Last time we hung out they had one little baby about a year old. Now they have 4 kids and that little baby is almost 11! They recently moved from out West to DC and I am so glad I know at least one more family on this coast. We talked about some of our favorite memories from the Festival- Dr. Quackenbush, String Fever, water fights, playing poker on Sunday afternoons, the Buffalo Soldiers, jam sessions and the band Blue Sage singing "the Scotsman". Old friends really are the best. I like all of our new friends here in Boston but there is just something nice about hanging out with people you have know ever since you can remember.

Come back again soon, James and bring the family next time!

Happy Birthday to the Dr!

The Dr. turned 29 this week. I think that is a very distinguished age. It's the age everyone lies about being as they get older so it must be pretty great. He has accomplished so much in his short life, it's very impressive! Not many people his age have persevered through as many years of school as he has (with not a stitch of debt mind you). He's such a great husband, he's an amazing cook, he is on top of our finances and has way more patience with me than I deserve. He's a great Seminary teacher- I want him to teach every day because I love the things I learn from him. He makes lunches for us to take to work and he always, always takes out the trash. He loves to travel and have adventures, we are always scheming where we will go next. His nieces and nephews absolutely adore him and he is such a good uncle. He loves singing around the house and he can play anything on the ukulele. I love his smile- I just can't get enough of him!

Our little niece Gwen really took to the Dr.

The Dr. and his brother playing some music

The day he officially became a Dr.!

Santa Barbara

Seattle

Montreal