Happy Birthday To Me! January 31, 2011
Posted by Emily in : Birthday, Family, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband, Photography, Princess Hannah , 6commentsSo . . .
I am one year older, and hopefully wiser too. I just turned 33 this weekend.
THIRTY THREE, PEOPLE. I used to joke about “thirty something” people who could shop at Eddie Bauer (and just for the record, I had to google “Eddie Bauer” because the 12 different ways I spelled it was not recognized by me or spell check) because you had to be thirty something to shop there.
Well folks, looks like I am officially thirty something, but I still cannot bring myself to shop there!
Hannah picked out the most beautiful cake she could find. She LOVED this cake and David said there was no other cake that even came close to being as beautiful as this cake in Hannah’s opinion.
Brian called (for you new readers, that’s my twin) to wish me a happy birthday and we talked about our birthday plans over the phone. They were so similar, it was erie . . .
Me: We went to a model train show at Thanksgiving point.
Him: Took a private plane ride around San Francisco.
Me: Spent the afternoon watching Modern Family with David while the kids napped
Him: Attended the Apple convention in SF.
Me: Ate dinner with David at Rubios (they now advertise their calories on the menu . . . it was eye opening and shocking all at once!) and saw the movie, “The Tourist.”
Him: Ate dinner at the Ritz Carlton with some friends and probably a few A-listers.
See? It was like WE PLANNED THE SAME THINGS!
This is what he looks like now at the ripe age of 33:
And this is me and my family on my birthday:
I can’t get over how darling Dallin looks in the pic below . . .
And now he’d like to show you his orange . . .
And now Hannah would like to love him to pieces . . .
Where’s David you ask? He was running barefoot on the treadmill. He popped out 8 miles like it was NOTHING. Is now a good time to mention that he dropped 25 pounds recently? Yeah. I know what you’re thinking . . .WHERE DID HE HAVE 25 POUNDS TO LOSE?!
I know. My thoughts exactly. Somehow, his body found 25 pounds to drop and he is sporting a six pack and runs about 30 mile a week–barefoot of course.
David and the kids made my birthday very fun, low key, and special. I have a wonderful family, and for that I am happy I get to celebrate 72 more birthdays! (Remember that age calculator? This is how I know I have 72 more to go!)
What to do When You are Stir Crazy in the Winter January 28, 2011
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Little Man Dallin, Princess Hannah, Utah , 1 comment so farHave I mentioned HOW LONG the cold season is in Utah? It’s like eight months long.
If you ever find yourself trapped indoors for more than a few days at a time, you start to get creative out of desperation, not because you are inspired. 
My kids get in their bathing suits and jump off the couches into a pile of blankets and they think they are swimming.
They draw, run intervals all over the house, and probably watch too many movies and TV shows.
Hannah likes to “play” the violin, so she makes one out of markers, sets up her music, and we turn on some classical music for her to “play.” Honestly, she could do this for hours and by the looks of it, she really gets into it.
Dallin likes to do anything Hannah wants to do, so they make great playmates. (Especially since he LOVES to watch Tinkerbell more than Hannah does!)
He doesn’t like to sit still for pictures AT ALL. He wants to see his face on the LCD screen before you even snap the shot which is sort of impossible and leads to great disappointment like this:
This kid never says “what” either. It’s always, “WHY?!” When you call out his name, “Dallin!” he will instantly reply with “WHY?!” I swear that is kid is up to something and he knows it! The best is when you ask him something, like, ‘Come here Dallin!” and he replies, “Nevermind!” and runs the other way. It’s awesome.
On a random note, I took the kids to McDonald’s the other day so they could play in the play center, and Hannah befriended a little three year old girl. I overheard parts of their conversation and couldn’t help but smile. Hannah told her she was five years old, and that she already goes to kindergarten. Hannah then told the little girl, “You have such a cute little voice!”
Oh. My. She is four going on 24.
Product Review on Camera Gear January 26, 2011
Posted by Emily in : Photography , add a commentFor those of you who are interested, I did a product review on some of my gear that I can’t live without on my photo blog.
Check it out here!
VFF Boots? January 21, 2011
Posted by Emily in : Thoughts , 8commentsOh. My.
There are no words that can possibly describe the expression on my face when David showed me the fall lineup for Vibram Fivefingers . . .
I can’t get over this boot. It’s fashionable on the top and freezing on the bottom.
Remember, mittens are still warmer than gloves in the winter. :)
Really, what can you say about this?
Kristina? I know you LOVE VFF’s and are not creeped out by them at all, so do share! :)
Schools Kill Creativity January 20, 2011
Posted by Emily in : School, Thoughts , 8commentsDavid sent me an email several weeks ago with a link to this video. I didn’t watch it immediately because the clip is 20 minutes long, and let’s face it . . . 20 minutes is about 15 minutes longer than my attention span.
However, when I watched it a few days ago, I found myself immediately taking notes on the closest thing that resembled paper–a photo envelope. This man brings up several interesting points and addresses many issues with the public school system.
Is now a good time to mention that I’m considering home schooling my kids?
Did I just open a can of worms? :)
Yes, I’m considering all of our options: public school (100% positive this is not the option for us), charter school (she’s on a lottery list for a school), private school (we’ve narrowed it down to one school and it is pricey, YIKES!), K-12 which is an online charter school, and . . . home school.
There are so many options once you entertain them all, and I’ve been analyzing all the pros and cons for years.
Yes, YEARS. (Before we even knew if we would ever have children, David and I talked about home schooling.)
I have a big decision to make in a few months and I want to behave like an ostrich and stick my head in the sand, wishing all this decision making would just go away! Can’t my kids just stay little FOREVER?!
I’ll post the pros and cons of each option (in my opinion of course) soon. Maybe if I write it all out the answer will be clear to me.
Mrs. Texas 2005 and Why My Husband is Cool . . . January 19, 2011
Posted by Emily in : Beauty, My Handsome Husband, My Previous Life , 7commentsMy husband is cool. Really cool.
I could name a million reasons why he rocks, but for now, I’ll just mention reasons 27,834 through 27,847:
#27,834: He voluntarily watched Miss America with me this weekend even though watching it was the equivelant of drilling a hole in his head.
#27,835: When the GPS on the iPhone crapped out on my way to a baby shower, I called him in a panic while I was on the freeway. He pulled up google maps and talked me through the directions turn by turn for about 40 minutes until I reached my destination. That’s love I tell you. :)
#27,836: He always knows when I need a little bit of raspberry sherbet, and a bowl magically appears in front of me when I need it most. :)
#27,837: He supported me when I wanted to compete in the Mrs. Texas Pageant in 2005 even though he HATES pageants.
After my post on Miss America, I decided to dig up my Mrs. Texas pics in my archives. This pageant happened like 100 years ago. Gosh, this pageant happened before David started and finished medical school, before we moved out of the country, before we sold our house and our business, before I birthed two kids, before we moved like 35 times, before I knew ANYTING about photography (I had never heard the term SLR before!) and twenty pounds ago.
THAT DOES FEEL LIKE ANOTHER LIFETIME.
Here is my previous life; the one where I worked like 100 hours a week, and suffered from unexplained infertility.
This was the opening number. As I recall, the opening number was quite a complex dance number and even one of my competitors, who was a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, commented on how complex the dance number was to learn in one evening! (OK, so the pics only show us walking, but trust me, I got my dance on!)
Evening gown portion . . .
I designed this dress specifically for this pageant while I was in Taiwan on a business trip. It’s sort of hard to tell from these teeny tiny pics (sorry, I don’t have bigger ones to upload) but the dress has like a million beads and sequins on it. I won the evening gown competition, but received first runner-up to Mrs. Texas 2005.
Ah, look at David . . . we are so young! We’re both still in our twenties!
OK, note to self, gold/ivory washes me out. END OF STORY.
Turquoise, is MUCH better.
This was the interview portion.
See? GOLD is not my best color. UGH.
This was rehearsal for the opening number. Seriously, it was a little more advanced than many of us expected.
When I look at this picture I think, “What the heck happened to that purse? I love that over priced Louis Viutton knock off bag I picked up in Hong Kong!”
Too many moves I tell you. Maybe I still have it in storage . . . who knows!
And did I mention this pageant took place in San Antonio, which was about five hours away from our house in Dallas? My sister and two of my employees came to support me, as well as our BFF’s, Daniel and Lydia. I felt so supported. :) (Especially when I could hear one of my employees screaming my name over the entire audience. AWESOME.)
Immediately following the crowning, I packed up my things and we drove five hours through the night in order to catch my early morning flight out of Dallas to Taiwan. We got home safely, and with just a few minutes to spare for me to pack my bags and drive to the airport in time to catch my flight.
That last paragraph would be reason #27838.
Let’s Talk About Miss America, Shall We? January 17, 2011
Posted by Emily in : Beauty, Thoughts , 3commentsDid any of you watch Miss America this weekend?
I used to LOVE watching pageants. Heck, I’ve competed in several! Over the years (read: after my stint as Mrs. Dallas, and after competing for Mrs. Texas and receiving first runner-up) I’ve moved on. National pageants are not on my radar very often, (except Miss Universe. It is a must see! Remember Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith slipping at Miss Universe!? I had dinner with her once in Atlanta when she was modeling for Jovani when she was about 16 . . . so I kind of feel like we go waaaayy back.) but after reading a few facebook status updates regarding the Miss America Pageant, I thought, WHAT THE HECK.
I tuned into the pageant right after it started, so I didn’t miss much. David even sat down next to me to watch it as well. This is the point where I need to clarify something for him: he likes to hang out with me, (I mean, who doesn’t?!) he does not like watching pageants, EVER, so it was sort of a big deal.
I was happy Miss Nebraska won . . . the youngest Miss America EVER. DANG. (It’s not like she has big shoes to fill or anything!)
Honestly, my favorite contestant was Miss Arkansas. She was beautiful, poised, and INSANELY TALENTED. I must admit, I cringed when they announced her talent as a “veltriquist singing act.”
OH. MY. I squeezed David’s arm a little too tight while I waited for the train wreck I imagined.
BUT . . .
That girl is talented! She can sing (amazing), yodel (even more amazing! I would know . . . ), and talk very clearly through her teeth! YIKES! She needs to go on America’s got Talent! I had goose bumps while she performed! AMAZING.
Oh, look, I found a video clip for you all to enjoy!
She had my vote for Miss America!
I was really excited to see two of the contestant dance on point . . . their costumes were beautiful (especially the red one) but sadly, they just don’t match up to the professional performances I’ve become accustomed to seeing, so they both fell short in my opinion. VERY SHORT.
And last, let’s talk about Miss Delaware.
Oh. My. Goodness.
Her wigs are AMAZING. I’m starting to think alopecia isn’t such a bad thing . . . you never have a bad hair day, and your time getting ready is cut in HALF when you don’t have to style your hair!
She was beautiful and confident and I was glad to see her as a semi-finalist.
Mark your calendars to watch Miss Universe in May!
My Achilles Heel January 13, 2011
Posted by Emily in : Thoughts , 5commentsHave you ever tried Hershey’s Bliss with the raspberry meltaway center?
DON’T.
Once you start, you will NOT stop! Each chocolate is a like a velvet truffle melting away in your mouth and you’ll only want more, and MORE, and MORE.
This is my new favorite candy. It might even trump HI-CHEW, which, as you all know, is the greatest candy in the whole wide world!
Trust me, I’m doing you a favor. Your waistlines will thank me later.
Funny Internet Finds January 11, 2011
Posted by Emily in : My Handsome Husband, Thoughts , 11commentsDavid came across a “life expectancy calculator” online this weekend. He answered all the questions and guess what? His life expectancy is 97 years old.
I was super impressed. :)
I was curious what my life expectancy would be after learning of his long, long, life, so I filled out all the questions as well.
Guess what my life expectancy is?
105 years old.
HELLO. DID YOU READ THAT?!
105 years! I seriously don’t know how it’s possible that I am projected to outlive David . . . he’s the one who runs a 10k every night on the treadmill! I’m super pleased with the two miles I run every other day! (I know you are all curious now too . . . go check out your life expectancy here!)
David also found this funny video of Saba from 1937 . . . seriously, this island we once called home has changed A LOT in the last 70 years! You must watch it, especially if you are a current or former Saban. It is hilarious and it’s not meant to be funny!
Oh, how I love a good chuckle. :)
DIY Toy Storage! January 10, 2011
Posted by Emily in : Deals, My Handsome Husband, Parenthood, Projects , 5commentsI’m nesting.
Not in the “pregnant” or “I just had a baby” sort of way . . . it’s more like “the kids’ toys have taken over our house and I’m pretty sure we don’t meet fire hazard standards.”
I really, really, really, really hate storing toys all over the place. Did I just say “store?” Because that is a joke. We have NO TOY STORAGE. We really don’t have any way to ORGANIZE toys, so you can only image a neat freak like me, sort of freaking out about now . . . it’s been two weeks since Christmas (which brought an influx of new toys) and I’m at my tolerance max.
I MUST ORGANIZE NOW.
I really don’t know how I (or anyone for that matter) could survive without Google. Let it be known: I LOVE GOOGLE. :) Thanks to Google, my husband now has several projects on his “honey do list.” :) After doing a few searches for “toy organizers” I came across Ana-White.com and oh my goodness . . . I haven’t left her site yet! She posts DIY projects with tutorials and let me tell you . . . it is addicting! It’s super easy for me to pick out lots and lots of DIY projects because I’m not actually the one that will be doing them! It’s like shopping without a budget!
It’s so liberating to shop this way. :)
I saw this “Playhouse Room/Bed” and FELL IN LOVE. Heck, I could sleep in a bed like that! Think of all the toys that would magically have a home right under the bed! :) I love the plans with the stairs. Oh my. Hannah needs this STAT! To see a detailed project description, check Sherri’s blog at www.luvabargain.com.
You can find the plans for this playroom/bed here.
I’ve been wanting to buy Hannah a beautiful timeless kitchen set. (Also read as: a kitchen set that doesn’t look cheap and plastic . . . a kitchen set that looks like furniture, and something you’d be happy to have displayed in any room in your house.) I’ve seen some beautiful kitchen sets, but they are all like a million dollars, so this DIY kitchen not only fits the bill aesthetically, but it’s cheap to make! (I don’t pay my husband for labor, so yes, it really is cheap!)
Plans to make this kitchen are here.
The above images are from Cat at Constant in Chaos. Her husband made this kitchen. You must check out her post to see more photos. WOW. You are going to want to make this kitchen too!
I really liked this bed too . . . the plans for this simple bed are here.
OK, WE NEED THIS BOOKSHELF. No question. Plans for this bookshelf are here.
I love this idea! Hannah needs a place to store, and play with her Barbies, Poly Pockets, and all of her other trinkets. This doll house will be perfect! The plans for this doll house are here.
Not to leave Dallin out, he has his share of small toys– lots of trains and cars to be exact– that need a home.
I’m very excited for my newly organized playroom! Dang! I can hardly wait!
