Something Wicked This Way Comes!

Happy Halloween!

I am not a fan of 80's music. Yeah, that's right...it sucks! There are a few songs I can tolerate, but for the most part I find it hideous! Wes is a HUGE fan which makes it a constant battle when selecting music while driving in the car. If Journey is playing on the radio, forget about it - the radio controls are off limits because that is Wes' 2 minutes of melodic heaven! Ugh! Well, I think I have finally found a way that we can both be happy with music from one of the oddest decades of all time! If you are a fan of the 80's, you will love these! If not, you will still love them! Enjoy and turn up your speakers!

Farewell My Friend!

As some of you know, and for those who do not, a dear friend to the crafting world is leaving us! Zim's Crafts is closing it's doors after being in business for over 50 years! Unfortunately, October 31st will be it's last day here in Utah. I may mourn this event since Zim's is a local company and has thrived for decades supporting the hobbies and talents of so many crafters! I will consider it a great loss in my life - another paper cut moment! 

Their selection of unique supplies is quickly depleting due to their closeout sale of 65% (or more) off! To all who love to craft and enjoy a good sale, I highly recommend heading over. I did! I loaded a whole cart full of supplies for a grand total of $35.00! I may have to do a follow-up blog entry with all the crafts I make from my purchases. Here are some of my favorite finds:

They have a great selection of teeny-tiny flowers

This paper garland is sold by the yard...originally

 .15cents /yard, but with the closeout sale, I got

 it for .07cents /yard....so I bought 20 yards!

Sable paintbrushes! I think they were $2.50 a brush! Great deal!

This is the score of the day: A glitter library! I was going to ask Santa for the Martha Stewart one, but this cost me only $7.00!

Here are just some of my finds. I got home and displayed it out on the table and let the creative juices flow! So many possibilites and ideas spinning around in my chaotic head! Where to begin?

We bid you Farewell, Zim's you will be missed! 

Pumpkin Huntin'

As I have said before, the festivities of autumn are among my favorite!  I don't think Halloween would be complete without the hunt for the perfect pumpkin! We chose to venture out to a quaint and quite large pumpkin stand by our house that I have been driving by since late September. I saw that they had the white "ghost" pumpkins that I love so much so I knew it was a must-stop on our quest. Besides, it would make a good photo opportunity! While there, we admired so many pumpkins and thought we would no doubt be leaving with a trunk load. When the lady running the stand told us how much the pumpkins cost, I just about died! They didn't charge by the pound, they charged just by simply summing the pumpkin up, then telling you the price for it! Are you kidding me!? Our stash would have cost us over $40....In this economy?! Now what? Well, after taking so many pictures and basically just using the place for a nice photo shoot, we felt guilty and bought only one tiny pumpkin for Emerson. 

Then it was off to the grocery store for the real hunt!

Emerson is looking for his prize pumpkin! 

Here they are, all lined up like beauty queens. You can see their anticipation as they wait to be selected as the big winner!

Little E among the pumpkins that are apparently made of gold and filled with diamonds.

This is the trophy pumpkin to honor our cheap and guilty complex. 

Off to Albertson's! They had the best selection! Look at these beauties!

He thinks they are all toys and was rolling them around on the ground.

Here's the problem with the grocery store -vs- pumpkin stand: It's messy and difficult to find a good one. You really have to dig. A little dirt never hurt!

Eewww! No thanks! Only pretty pumpkins can be our friends! 

Can't forget a few of the tinys....

They are perfect for little hands to carry throughout the house!

Here is this year's collection! We are so proud of the newest additions in our home!

Morphastic!

Sometimes....while Wes is away at work and E. has gone down for the night, I find myself getting bored and lonely and even scared. Alas, refuge has been found! In the spirit of Halloween and all things scary, I am sharing it with you.

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Yes. Those are all pictures of me. 

Frightening, isn't it?

Hello, Goodbye!

The title of my blog is symbolic for all the beautiful and not so beautiful things in life. 

Twice a year I have a private ceremony in my bedroom where I box up and relinquish the past season's clothes and I welcome the new season's that have been hiding out and waiting to make their grand entrance into my closet. October is like a jack-in-the-box with the fall season always seeming to spring up unexpectedly and scaring me a little because I think about how time has passed by too quickly. Where did all that time go and did I take advantage of the nice weather enough to get me though the next six months? In April, I will be anxiously awaiting for my little spring ceremony to happen! I will watch the weather reports and the first sign I see of the cold weather packing it's bags, I will quickly bring out the sundresses and open toed shoes once again and find it to be a "poppies" moment. I love the fall very much. I hate winter very much. Winter just seems to linger a bit too long. Judging by the week's weather forecast, today is a good day for my fall ceremony and there is a bittersweet tear in my eye! Hello sweaters; you kind of suck. 

Today may be a paper cut moment in my life! 

Goodbye old friends! I will miss you!

Nice to see you again. Please keep me warm this winter and go away as soon as possible! 

The days of pretty pedicures are over. No need for them now. Boo hoo!

My toes are feeling claustrophobic already!

Tradition

It has been a tradition for my family to drive up the canyon the first weekend in October to one of my very favorite Utah destinations: Sundance Ski Resort

This place is very near and dear to my heart since I dedicated over 6 years of my life to this corporation. While living in Provo, I worked at the ski resort for a few years enjoying the benefits of free snowboarding and trading the chefs at the 2 restaurants a shot of espresso for a gourmet dinner (They considered that a fair trade!). I then moved to Salt Lake City and began working as an assistant manager at the Catalog Outlet Store. My paychecks were small, but I always found the means to buy several pieces of jewelry, clothing and housewares! After my time there, I was hired on at the Sundance Catalog corporate offices to work as an assistant to the buyers. Dreamy! My experience with the company was amazing! I loved all three jobs and miss it dearly - especially the resort at this beautiful time of the year! Robert Redford saw something special about this place so many years ago and upon my yearly visits, it is not difficult to see what exactly he saw here. It sweetly affects all my senses! The aroma of delicious food being cooked at the Foundry Grill and Tree Room, the sound of the river rushing by, the crisp clean air that gives anyone living among the Wasatch inversion a much needed break, and of course - the colors of the leaves that have turned the landscape into God's work of art. Mountains are a sanctuary in itself, but the small and quaint resort at Sundance is heaven! 

We got there right after a rainstorm so the sun was just starting to come back out from behind the clouds. Perfect timing!

Keep me warm! My bones aren't use to this cold yet!

We bought passes for the chairlift and rode to the top of the mountain. I was a little nervous about E, but he did great!

Peek-a-Boo, I see you!

All the boys together

Taking a stroll. I am wearing camouflage. 

E loves my dad! He may love his sunglasses just as much!

Amelia was the best babysitter! She kept him entertained and safe from the steep drop-offs. These 2 have so much fun together!

You can always count on Wes for a laugh and some good entertainment.

My sweet mommy and me!

This is Colett and Chief Ican'tsayhisname. If anyone else knows the nickname to this funny statue, feel free to email me for a good laugh! 

Wes wants to know if it would be o.k. to bring his fishing pole. The rainbow trout and I both say NO!

Just enjoying the day!

We walked over to the Art Shack and watched glass being blown into art. Not really my cup of tea.

He had the time of his life! Sorry buddy, we have to say goodbye and go home now!

National Homemade Cookie Day!

September 30th is National Homemade Cookie Day! As if America needs an excuse for making cookies! Well, I took advantage of this day and celebrated my baking skills by whipping up my absolute favorite: Chocolate Chip Cookies. I know there are so many cookie recipes in this world but I really do prefer a nice, simple chocolate chip cookie - without nuts (GAG!)!  This recipe has been in my family for a long time and I have come to not only memorize it, but also perfect it! 

*Update!*

October 1st is National Homemade Cookie Day

(photos are a little weird since my camera is still missing - I am using the one on my cell phone!)

Ingredients? Check! 

I get gitty just prepping and looking at all the stuff I have to pull out of the cupboards to mix together for a delicious treat! I will have to say that my Williams Sonama mixing bowl set and matching spatula are some of my favorite items in the kitchen. Having cute accessories just adds to the art and fun of baking! If you don't enjoy baking, maybe your stuff is ugly!

I decided that I am an apron girl. I love them! Not just when I cook and bake, but always. I love that women used to wear them as though it were a uniform. Some may say that it was a sexist symbol in an era when woman were to stay at home to cook, do the laundry and clean while the husband went off to work. That's actually my life in 2008 and I really like it that way! I say that aprons make me feel pretty, domestic and they keep my pants clean - especially from dirty kid hands that are constantly and endearingly tugging at my side. I bought this one at an antique store in Montana and it has become my favorite!

Mixing it up! Who can resist cookie dough! I am not afraid of raw eggs whatsoever. People have been eating raw dough for decades, and so have I. Never have I been sick from it. If you don't eat the dough, you are not my friend!

(I always have to take a chunk of the dough out and set it aside for Wes before putting in the chips. Then I bake plain dough cookies for him. He loves chocolate chipless cookies! Have you ever heard of such a thing!? What a crazy he is.)

The finished product! Why they are glowing, I have no idea. I guess they really are that special! A nice tall glass of milk is calling my name! I can't wait for my cookie breakfast, my cookie lunch and of course cookies for dessert! While these babies will be disappearing, the width of my butt will not!