simple made special

oh baby...the new nephew at 3 weeks

Some cute new pictures of baby B! We did a little photo session with the little guy and got some pretty cute ones. He is so little and sweet. It was funny, he had a few little baby pimples, and my brother was asking me to watch the kids while they went to eat. I said I would, and asked Katie (SIL) if it was okay if I cleaned off his zits. She looked horrified, and asked 'how would you do it?' and I was like 'oh, just in photoshop'. I meant the pictures and she thought I meant the baby! Well, if anyone knows how to pop a zit, it would be me.

This is going to cost me.

I want to make some yummy tomato soup, but I won't be making it out of ingredients from the dollar store. Husband put the kibosh on any such idea. What a snob. Actually, I went to the dollar store yesterday and it gave me the creeps. 

Speaking of groceries, I have to report a funny phenom that occurs Saturday nights in Orem grocery stores.  If you do your shopping anytime between 11 pm and midnight you will experience a mad rush! It's all the people trying to get their shopping in before the Sabbath! It really is bizarre though, the parking lot is totally full.

I came across another crazy Utah thing yesterday. I flipped the TV on to eat my cereal, and a local 'morning talk' type show was on. The ladies were all talking about Sarah Pallin's hair, and how to do your hair like hers! I almost died. They proceeded to do a demonstration on an audience member, and ooh and ahh over it.

Only in Utah.

I love fake wood.

I love these plaster logs and wish so badly they were bigger. They would be great in our lonely, unused fireplace. The artist has lots of other interesting items in her etsy shop.

In other fake wood news, I am 99% sure we will be going with ikea cabinets for our kitchen remodel. Here's why:

1. There are endless glowing reviews online about them. Everyone raves, no one rants.

2. They are affordable. I priced out everything at Lowes and ikea, and the Lowes cabs were more than 3x the price. True they are real wood, but I love all the cool features of the ikea cabs (quite stop, for one) and I think they seem to be very well built.

3. Customer service at ikea is great.

4. I have found some great pictures of real houses and I think they'll be purty.

Here's one example:

In other kitchen news, I am sad to report that the retro-style refrigerators all have awful reviews online! I was really disappointed.  Some words that re-occurred often: cheap, poorly made, and plastic. I guess we'll have to give up on this dream, because for the price you can get a really, really nice fridge.

99 Cent Store Food!

 

You've got to check this out if you are trying to stretch your food dollars! I am simultaneously  intrigued and grossed out by the prospects.

Radio or TV or the book

I am going to see if they have it at the library (even cheaper!) 

Kitschy Kitchens

We have decided to redo our kitchen. It is time. I really love my 'harvest gold' appliances, but they aren't working very well anymore, and I need to cook with fire! If I can only splurge on one thing it will be converting to a gas range. Woman was meant to cook over open flames. 

I want to get a retro style fridge, but damn, they are pricy! Plus I do love the water and ice in the door.

Things I don't want...

Granite, especially if it's green and has a decorative edge

tons of mini drawers (I see this in so may magazines)

a microwave

a giant fridge that sticks out of the cabinetry

Things I want so bad...

lots of big drawers

some open shelving

fire

wooden floor

white painted cabinets (kind of tired of wood)

a huge one bowl sink

These boots were made for...

me! I think I really want to do boots this year. I wanted to last year, but couldn't commit. I've decided that in truth, a flat sole is best for me. I'm also 90% sure that black is the way to go. I can totally see myself wearing them with tights and a skirt, as shown. I got some opaque tights, now I just need the rest. I hope to decide soon, and will report back.

Harvest Season

Just look at these gorgeous zinnias, sweet 100's (cherry t's), and that kunkin (as the nephew would say).

The garden looked crazy this year, because a few plants volunteered to grow in between the rows, and I decided that was fine. We have had lovely tomatoes and I picked my pumpkins yesterday, I got about 10 kunkins, the biggest at 18". They are an heirloom variety called Cinderella's carriage. They are a beautiful dark orange color with tiny red streaks. I have to apologize for the poor quality of the images in these posts, I've been using my iPhone camera. The berries are blackberries and we had 5-6 giant bowls of them this year. Enough for way to many cobblers and some freezer jam.

that's hot

Husband and I discovered a really good mexican place on our anniversary. It is Tarahumara in Midway. If you are going by, you must stop. Curb appeal is lacking but yumminess abounds. They have a rocking salsa bar, too.

oh baby!

Nephew number 2 is here! He was born on Saturday. He was 8.1 and very healthy. He is so cute and has a ton of hair! We got to see him on his birthday when he was just a few hours old. We also got to be there when Nephew number 1 came to see him for the first time. He was very sweet and said 'baby' and patted him. I brought some little pumpkin socks and a hat for the baby and he picked them up and said 'baby' and then took them to the baby, so he seems to understand the concept. 

No name yet. They are coming home from the hospital tonight. My brother and sister-in-law are so generous to share their family with us. We love these babies so much. Congratulations!