BLUE AND GOLD

The cake we made for the cake decorating contest. We called it "The Leaning Tower of Patriotism."

My cute cub scout with his "Tallest Cake Award."

PALE SHELTER OR THE iPOD TAG

This is a tag from facebook again. I thought it was really fun and my sister needs a post idea, so here you go, Alese. This one's right up your alley!

I redid my answers from Facebook. This one turned out a lot more fun because I used all my music, not just a playlist.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put your iPod or Zune or other music player on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the 'next' button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE DOWN THAT SONG NAME NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

4. Tag friends who might enjoy doing this.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?

Winter Kills (Yaz) 

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?

Split Screen Saddness (John Mayer)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY?

When You Wish Upon A Star (Johnny Mathis)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?

Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave (James Horner-Titanic) 

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

Bigmouth Strikes Again (The Smiths)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

Broadway (Goo Goo Dolls) 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN?

Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) (Pet Shop Boys) 

WHAT IS 2+2?

Love Me Do (The Beatles) 

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Fall To Pieces (Avril LaVigne)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

Skin (Oingo Boingo)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

The Shadow of the Past (Howard Shore- Lord of the Rings) 

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LOVE?

Another Dance (Jean-Yves Thibaudet-Pride and Prejudice) 

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

Called to Serve (Mormon Tabernacle Choir) 

WHAT DID YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

Beautiful Disaster (Kelly Clarkson) 

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

When I Look At The World (U2)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

Somewhere In Time (John Barry)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

Fallen (Sarah McLachlan) 

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

Seven Years (Norah Jones)

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?

Let It Snow (Harry Connick, Jr) 

HOW WILL YOU DIE?

Name (Goo Goo Dolls)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?

In The Name of Love (Thompson Twins)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?

King Of New York (Newsies) 

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?

Spaceman (The Killers)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?

Tiny Daggers (INXS)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?

Seven Seas of Rhye (Queen)  

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?

The Meaning of Love (Depeche Mode)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?

Always Something There To Remind Me (Naked Eyes)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?

I'm Still Here (Knights Bridge) 

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?

Pale Shelter (Tears For Fears)

Okay, there you go. I am tagging anyone who needs a post idea. Have fun!

HAPPY 17TH TO MY OLDEST

My first sweet, darling little girl was born Feb. 20, 1992 at 1:15 pm. I instantly fell in love with her and her spiky black hair and beautiful blue eyes. I can't believe she is already 17... Where does the time go?

Ten things I love about her:

1. She is such a wonderful help to me around the house.

2. I am so happy we share a love of art.

3. She has always been so talented at being a good friend.

4. She is GORGEOUS!

5. She has deep spiritual understanding- even as a child she did.

6. I love her sense of adventure and love of the outdoors.

7. She is so kind to her little sister. They are great buddies.

8. She has the strength to stand up for herself and what is right.

9. I love how we share a passion for reading.

10. I am so proud of the woman she is becoming.

I sure love you, my beautiful, kind, loving daughter! Have a great day!

PROM: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DRESS

Remember 'Pretty In Pink'? I always thought that was the ugliest dress, but I digress..

Yesterday my oldest daughter and I went prom dress shopping. What a fun mother/daughter day we had! We took my sister-in-law and 2 nieces and went to some dress stores, out to lunch and to watch 'Twilight' since S and I hadn't seen it yet. Very fun day, I must say! Totally girl stuff and nothing male in sight.

We had some luck at the last store we went to, but it posed a dilemma for me. My husband's youngest sister is only 4 years older than my oldest and still has her GORGEOUS dress. She offered to let S wear it, but it has spaghetti straps. I, like my mother before me, am a stickler for modesty and if my daughter is going to wear it she is going to have to get a jacket made to wear over it. My daughter is fine with that, however, so it doesn't really pose too much of a problem in that way.

But, then there is the dress that S wants at the store. It costs $298, but it is just as GORGEOUS as the borrowed one, fits very well, and is modest to boot. I am so torn, I just don't know what to do. We put the dress on hold (for 24 hours) and S is going to try on the sister-in-law dress today to see how it fits. I am so torn between saving money and having S wear something modest. I know the jacket idea is great, but that leaves her the option of taking the jacket off... So torn, so torn... If anyone has any words of wisdom in my behalf, please let me know.

These dresses are actually very similar to the dress we found except it is a bright lime green. I LOVE it and so does S.

This very similar to the sister-in-law dress, except it has tiny straps.

These are some disgusting dresses I found on line when I googled 'prom dresses.' Why would you let your daughter wear something like this on a date??? I am SO glad we live in Utah!

HAPPY LOVE DAY TO ALL

I had a fun Valentines Day and hope all of you did too.

My lover and I went for a snowmobile ride up the canyon and he kite-skied for a while. We had gotten a lot of new snow and so the ride was chilly, with snow blowing over the hood into my face, but other than that, it was a lot of fun. I wished I'd had my skis too, the snow was so perfect- nice and light and fluffy... When we got home we changed and went out to get Chinese.

But the BEST part of the day was when my sweetheart brought me some CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES! Yes, he came through! Yummy, they are so luscious! I am rationing them- one a day- to last longer. Mmmmm. What a great guy I am married to (and not just because of the strawberries either!)

YUM!

I have a love of strawberries and chocolate. But TOGETHER they are even better! If someone needs to know what to get me for Heart DayY, here it is! Or you can just remind my husband... I'm sure he's forgotten it's Valentines Day Saturday.

BLIZZARD WALKERS

My friend and I walk in the afternoons sometimes. I love it because it gets me out of the house and I get to visit with another adult for an hour. 

Today, however, we should have stayed home. The weather was great two minutes before we left and now that we are home it is, of course, nice too. But during our walk it was a full-on BLIZZARD! I mean, the snow was going side-ways and everything! Needless to say, we didn't do our full route, we were just too frozen. We looked (and felt) like snowmen!

Now, I know there are some of you who read this blog that run and do it in any weather. I used to as well, but I do have to say that walking was much more miserable, because you don't have as much body heat worked up to keep you warm. (I just want you to fully appreciate the extent of my suffering).

It is 15 min. since we got home and I can't believe how calm the wind is now. It isn't even snowing anymore. Oh, the ironies of life...

LOVE'S DAY

That's what my youngest calls Valentine's Day. I love it. She's so darn cute....

Anyway, I thought I would share some cute Valentine card ideas I've found. I really like making cards. It is a great creative outlet.

This is one I made my husband about 4 years ago. I wrote 50 things I love Y about him on those little cards and put them in pockets. The message says, "How do I love thee, Let me count the ways..."

This is a page from the book I made him last year. I took self-portraits of the mentioned body parts and some were a little hard to do alone, but it worked out okay. The poem goes: "Take my lips, my ears, my eyes, my 2 big feet (excuse the size), my hands, my face, just pick your part. You might as well, you've got my heart." Y

This is a card from Scrapbooks Etc. I am thinking about making him this year. Y

This is also a card idea from Scrapbook's Etc., but for mom's to kids. What a fun idea! I Y it!

These are some from Family Fun for class Valentines. Y

Hope you're Y LOVE-inspired! Now, go create!

NEW YORK NOSTALGIA

I was looking for some art images on my New York CD and saw all these fun photos from my trip 4 years ago. I couldn't resist posting them to help me reminisce about them.

I have very fun memories of this trip. It was my first to New York and I was so fascinated by all the things we got to do: walk Times Square at midnight with a million other people,go see a Broadway show, walk through Central Park eating an ice cream cone, taking a taxi ride, sitting in the 3rd row for 'Stomp', taking a night-time ferry ride past the Statue of Liberty, hiking across the Brooklyn Bridge, and on and on...

But, by far, my most favorite thing about this trip was visiting the museums and galleries. It was so amazing to see all of the art in it's original state. Looking at the actual brush strokes on the canvas, being able to walk all the way around a sculpture, seeing the actual size of the work, instead of looking at it in a book. It was so amazing! I am so still in awe of the art that I was able to see and the buildings I was able to be in.

Next month I get to go to Chicago for another installment of what I like to call "Art Trips for the Needy." I am very excited and hope to see more amazing art and architecture.