Alice Lane Giveaway!!

I've been coveting this goldfish pillow by Thomas Paul for a while. Ok, not coveting but its one I'd love to have. Sadly at $105 it's just in my budget, nor would I feel ok spending that much on a single pillow. Well, what do you know, Alice Lane, a lovely interior design firm in Orem, Utah just finished a new interior for NieNie's play area in her basement is giving one away. I really wanted to stop by their store when I went to visit my family in Utah. I even made it to Provo to see my brother at BYU, but I had my nephew and son in the car with me and it didn't seem possible. Anyway, they used this adorable pillow in her room and are giving one away now. I never win, but lately I've decided I should up my odds by entering giveaways more often. I MUST NOT LOSE HOPE! Click here to enter the giveaway on Alice Lane's blog and to see the lovely pictures of NieNie's new play room! So creatively inspiring don't you think? I do!

Have a great weekend! My parents have so lovingly offered to watch Gav so the Mr. and I can scoot off to Sac-town for a quick overnight getaway and visit to the Sacramento Temple!! Ryan leaves in 2 weeks for his 9-week clinical in Austin, Texas. Boo hoo!

garlic noodles with asparagus

*please excuse the presentation. I knew the post wouldn't be as good without a pic and I wasn't in the mood to indulge you any more than whipping out my iphone and the bowl I was eating my second helping from.

I whipped this up for dinner tonight. I guess it would be called Garlic Noodles with Asparagus, I guess. It was done prep to table in 30 minutes. I was gonna cook some lobster ravioli I have from Costco but Ryan opted out so I nixed that. I make this a lot in the summer with kabobs. Tonight it took main stage. I just cook pasta until it's al dente. While it was cooking I roasted asparagus at 350 degrees (probably could have done 375) for 10-12 minutes (trim and toss with olive oil and then s&p). Then when 2 minutes left in pasta melt 1 tbsp butter in pan on medium-high heat when hot add 1 tbsp olive oil then add 1 tbsp minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or so dont overbook or burn then add drained pasta. Mix add more olive oil (I didn't measure, just went for the correct amount to cover, grated parmesan cheese, and s&p (sea salt and fresh ground black pepper) and serve immediately. The asparagus should be done at same time. I cut it up and mixed with pasta but it could be left in side as well. It's light but rich at same time with oil, garlic, and good amount of s&p. Yum!

** Remember with dishes that only have a few ingredients especially the quality of the ingredients used will really make the difference in the end result. You can only have food as good as the ingredients you put in it. That means a good olive oil since you will be tasting it and not cooking it much, fresh parmesan cheese, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper (not table salt or pre ground pepper).

I love the cooking class I took and the excitement it's given me in the kitchen. It's my new fav hobby and I already feel more confident in my cooking skills. Her tips for prepping garlic and shallots alone was worth the cost of the class ($20 for class and $15 for food supplies you cooked at it). If you're in the Chico area and looking to take some short classes (one night only, but she has a few different ones to choose from) contact CARD. So far so good! I'm taking her Thai food and Italian food classes later in March and April as well. Eat up!

allowance at age 29

All of my childhood I didn't have an allowance of money given to my by my parents. They didn't believe in that sort of thing and so I had to work for my money. I was horrible at saving and spent my money as soon as I had it. I worked cleaning houses in high school for family to make money for clothes.

Now as a grown adult I've struggled with managing money. Its probably one of my biggest weaknesses. It is a big challenge. I can make a budget but have never felt capable of keeping it. I honestly don't know how. We save a good amount but that is because I have it automatically transferred and most of our bills are paid automatically. With the new year came a challenge and desperate plea from my dear husband. He has been so patient and forgiving of my spending and lack of restraint. (In my behalf I am great at not spending money on big ticket items (say over $50), but I easily find myself spending $100 at TJ Maxx on shoes, clothes, home accessories (you know 10 items $10 each kind of deal). He wants more assurance, more peace when it comes to money. Can you blame him? Poor guy!

So, he devised a plan to give me an allowance. At age 29 I have an allowance. hahaha! At the beginning of every month I transfer the agreed amount to my own checking account and then use a debit card for that account so we can easily track how much I am spending and what its on. So far I have come to the end of each month with a chunk of my money still not spent. Last month I still had half left over. Now that I know the amount is limited I find myself asking more questions, "Is this really what I want?" "Will I forgot about it soon after the first time or two wearing it?" "Is this really how I want to spend my money?" "What is at the top of my list for things I want/need?" I only overspend really on things like clothing and home decor so that was the stipulation of what got lumped into that category. It feels good to start developing self-control and really assess how I am spending my money. I will say I find myself buying more expensive items but that is because I have decided what I really do want/need and then saving up for it or committing to spend more which is fine when you're not buying all those $10 items that you forget about soon after the purchase. I am buying less clothing but holding out to find the items that I "can't live without" or I really need for my wardrobe. I'm definitely not perfect yet. Both months I've come down to the last few days of the month and then made a trip to TJ Maxx and found myself sucked into buying some items that probably don't fit the bill, but I've returned them once I'm home because I know its not how I want to spend the money. So, if I do good 3 weeks out of the month and that last month is a struggle but in the end of the whole month I'm under my limit I'd say pretty good improvement!! We'll see how March goes. I am realizing that if I just save up my pennies I can have the things I really want that cost more and in the end will be more satisfied with how I spent my money (like that headboard and nightstands I'd really like to have in my bedroom).

So after two decent months how did I start off March? I finally convinced myself to buy the adorable Thomas Paul Octopus shower curtain for the bathroom makeover. I did find an alternative for much less at Target that had stripes, but I just realized that the shower curtain was what I really wanted and would really make the changes in the bathroom what I wanted in the design. I decided against changing out the lighting or hardware or doing the beadboard so that spending a little more on this will be ok. And I feel much better doing it now since I know I didn't spend all that money on silly little nonsense.

Any money tips you've found that really work? How do you restrain yourself? I'm just trying to keep myself out of a SA (shopaholics anonymous) group. Is there such a thing?

recovery

Well, physically I think I'm about 95% recovered. If you count the fact that the doc ruined my bikini modeling career with one of the incision scars, then I'll never be healed. LOL! (FYI Mom - that was a complete joke). I still am tired but not sure if that was due to 3 late nights in a row last weekend or what. When it comes to my emotions and what not, I have good days and bad days, but mostly good.

It's been two weeks. I've had a flood of different emotions go through me. First, I am sincerely grateful for all of the prayers in my behalf and the sincere messages I received. I realized more and more that really what I have experienced is nothing compared to many of the things you have all endured.

Although I know what I know in regards to my relationship with God and the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have still experienced some challenging feelings and emotions. For the last week I've been struggling with anger and frustration towards God. Some, including my husband, have said, "The Lord is in control." But every time I hear that I get angry. This is all out of my control and I hate that. I found myself struggling with anger towards God. If he's in control he's to blame right? Seriously is it possible to be angry at God without getting struck with lightning? It doesn't seem fair, and it isn't, but life isn't about fairness is it. I know, I know.

I feel frustrated because I paid for a baby and didn't come home from the hospital with one. Now all that money we saved up (we have horrible insurance so every baby costs us about $5,000), we have to save up again.

I feel discouraged. I know 10 months of trying to get pregnant isn't much compared to those of you who waited 2, 3, 5 years. But every month it feels like I get my hopes up only to get them dashed. And then finally, FINALLY, my wish came true. I didn't have any reason to think something would go wrong. I feel like I took pregnancy for granted, even that once you are pregnant, nothing would go wrong. Now, my prayers have changed. I bought a cute maternity dress for the summer. I am returning it. About six months ago I started buying baby girl clothes every now and again. Who knows if we'll ever have a girl, but it was exciting, it brought hope that I'd get pregnant. Now it seems like a waste all of the sudden.

I feel damaged. All of my significant health problems have been related to my girl parts. Gosh darn it. I have been freaking out about getting pregnant now with one fallopian tube. My two week post op check with the doctor couldn't come soon enough with so many questions. I was so drugged when the doc came in the morning after surgery that I didn't even know what to say.

Today was my two week post-op check with the doctor. The room brought back some pain. Two weeks ago I was eagerly waiting (although in pain and slightly worried something was wrong) the doc to confirm the pregnancy and that I was just experiencing some normal pregnancy pains. Two weeks ago I got the horrible news the pregnancy would have to be ended.

Results that dreaded day: I was bleeding internally. I'd lost about 200 cc's of blood. That was the source of my severe pains. The doc had to take out 1/3 of my left fallopian tube and I now have a 1 in 10 chance of having another ectopic pregnancy.

Did you know that you still ovulate every month when you only have one tube? The doctor gave me hope today. The human body is amazing regardless of my damaged goods. Both ovaries can feed into either tube so hopefully our next dear baby won't lose its way. He says my right tube looks good. In the future I have to call the doc as soon as I find out I'm pregnant and then get in his office as soon as possible to confirm the pregnancy and its location to hopefully prevent the same damaging effects. Its a tricky thing though because you have to wait long enough to detect the pregnancy and its location, but if you want too long to when there is a visable heart beat its too late. I was probably 5-6 days too late this time. You have to surgically remove the egg rather than use the chemotherapy medications that kill it at that point. Tricky business! I am hopeful though and really praying that this was just a bump in the road and that the Lord's timing doesn't involve waiting for too much longer.

diy frosting...yum!

Are your taste buds salivating already? Does the title of this post and that picture confuse you? Well anything decor related gets my taste buds going! Oh wait, maybe its the fact that I'm eating an entire plate of brownies as we speak. I deserve it after this week right? Right!

So I've been thinking about our entry area lately. It needs a plan. It needs life. I'm struggling with the entry table because the ones I like are expensive and not really functional (they just look pretty) and I'm realizing I should use the space for more function of either housing my stuff or more of gavin's toys. I'm thinking some sort of dresser is the key. Anyway, that is another post. I've been despising the DIY curtains I whipped up a couple months ago and want to tear them down immediately, but they are our only privacy unless we go back to having our entry closet door open to block the window. So, when I was visiting a friend in utah her front entry window was frosted and it got me thinking. Frosting!! That would still allow light in that I miss with the curtain and it would give privacy!

Here is an DIY I just came across on design sponge. What do you think? She just used clear contact paper and a paint pen. I love the lines, not the flowery stuff. Hmmmm... Here is the full post over at Design Sponge for your DIY pleasure. As soon as I'm healthy enough to get out of my house, I will be buying contact paper and a white paint pen!

Losing it's Way

My Valentine's Day was...well to say the least...eventful. I woke up to this sweet homemade valentine by Ryan. I had to laugh at his interpretation of me but it was sweet. Notice anything in my belly region?!? Well, I planned this post for a few weeks from now to announce that I am pregnant. Unfortunately, the Lord has other plans for us for now. I've been sick the past week with severe cramps on and off. I finally got in to see the doctor and he confirmed my fears--I had an ectopic pregnancy. The doctor sent me straight to the hospital and Ryan and I spent the night in the hospital while I had surgery. It's hard to accept but I received a priesthood blessing and have faith that the Lord will give me strength to handle this trial. Someday I will have more children, someday! This is all fresh and I think I'm still in a little denial, but I decided part of the process is sharing it, something I don't do often. The X-ray tech told me when she had an ectopic pregnancy she told her kids the baby got lost on it's way here. My baby got lost on it's way.

my house: dining room/kitchen updates

Dining Room/Kitchen Updates

I can't even remember how many months ago it was I promised pictures of the updates I've made to our dining room and kitchen. Well, it has taken time and in fact, still not complete. We did the initial painting and haven't finished the kitchen or hallway. I have, however, added some decor and we did finally get our pendant lights about the kitchen island switched out. Ryan's dad is AMAZING! I love that he has so many handy skills and he is so generous and willing to help. I ask for advise and guidance, and he saves me and does it for me. When Gavin and I were in Utah he came out I think twice to make these lights happen and I was so excited to see them up when I got home!

So, here the are the photos and I will be the first to admit they are not in focus and horrible lighting. As such, I took the liberty to edit them and use some fun new techniques I've come across. You still get the idea... Someday I will photograph them again and hope for better results. I've been trying to shoot out of auto mode so I'm still getting used to aperture and shutter speeds when dealing with bad lighting and it is proving to be more of a challenge than I realized. I also couldn't get the woods in the kitchen cabinets and floors to read right. They aren't as orange/red as they look. I would love to paint them out white but it would be a HUGE $$ investment to have it done right and since we don't want to be here long-term it was out.

Wondering what that big white circled on the photo is? Its covering up the horrible builder-grade light that is still in the dining room. It so doesn't go with the updates and I've been struggling to find the right light to replace it. We need the 800-1000 Watts of light that it gives off (isn't that awful though, I mean seriously not good). I am looking for a compromise around 300 watts and a dimmer switch, but its hard to find anything that will cast light up and not just down on the table. I am leaning towards an oversized paper lantern around 30-36 inches in diameter and a light fixture that is inserted inside around 300 watts.

I was able to create a little desk area for myself in the corner of the dining room. For the first 3 years we were in this house the cut out area sat blank and was the first and only thing people commented on when they walked into the room. "Why is that there?" Our response, "No clue!". So, after debating about having a built-in desk added and not wanting to spend that much money, I found this little parsons desk on WalMart.com. Its not anything crazy but it works for the area and will do the job. We probably won't need it once we leave this house so I think the minimal investment was key. I love having this little area. Its all mine!!

I think I've said it before that our house has some built-in architecture that really gives it a cabin feel. I love modern (think warm wood, black and white contrast, industrial, rustic). So, I have been trying to decide on some changes we can make to help meld the home closer to my style and at a low cost. Neither Ryan or I want to live here long term (like no more than 5 more years) so I hesitate to make serious changes to the home. I also don't know how many people who live in Orland would appreciate modern design so I don't want to invest in something that won't appeal to people when we go to sell the home.

This display on the console is probably not permanant. Ryan thinks its weird having the green board there. Its a bulletin board I made (still need some more nailhead tacks to finish the trim). It was a bulletin board from Salvation Army for like $10 and I already had the fabric. I used it for activity days but am not doing that any more. Down the road with kids we could post quotes of the week, whatever. We will see...

Here are the amazing lights! They look smaller in the photos, but seeing them here I wonder if I could pull off the next size up. I may try them out. I love large oversized lights! Here is the magnetic chalkboard wall I painted. I love it! I found some dustless chalk that works pretty good. We have already been enjoying it drawing clocks, airplanes, and trucks. I love that it breaks up the wood and adds the black that I wanted to use in the walls.

Here is the other angle. I sewed a faux roman shade for the kitchen window. It took me a while to line up the pattern. Note to self: when a beginner seamstress stick with solid fabrics. Its tough because i love the prints! Its not perfect but I'm happy with it (most of the time). Its a chevron print (zig zag). It adds a modern kick to the area. We still need to paint out the area around the shade with the gray that's in the dining room, same thing by the fridge and into the hallway.

The bathroom is next and coming along Sllllllllllllowly. Thanks to my father-in-law again he got us moving again by helping to remove the trim and wall paper in there. Removing wallpaper is probably the worst thing ever and I haven't done any of it myself yet. Ryan is so sweet to be working on it. I am excited about what I think the end result will be. It is coming out much like my inspiration board!! So excited!

What have you been doing around your house?