Christmas Party Pooper!

There are a lot of perks with Wes' job, and this is definitely one of them!

Saturday was the Park City Fire Dept. children's Christmas party. It is such a fun event so I was really looking forward to going. Wes was on shift so we drove up and met him at the church where the party was being held. It really is so nice of the Park City residents to let part of their hard earned tax dollars go towards buying a present for my child and paying for this amazing party each year! We thank them graciously!

I really thought E. was going to be entertained by all the people, the games and food.... Nope. We had such a good time watching the other children behave so well and enjoying themselves while our child climbed the stairs over and over, ran away outside and gave random hugs to all the people he happened to run into!

He really is a good boy Santa, we promise!

The party was at St. Mary's church in Park City. The weather was perfect and we found ourselves being outside more than we were inside.

Well, only if we wanted a happy child instead of a screaming child.

The festivities included a couple balloon artists making imaginative shapes for the children. All E. wanted to do was play in their stuff and make a mess.

He didn't care much about what they made for him and he just left it behind for some other kid to play with. He just wanted to be back outside!

There was also a magician who had brought a real bunny and performed some pretty cool tricks with really bad jokes!

That would be my child behind the magician. He didn't want to watch the magic show either.

Finally we gave in and left the party inside and started our own outside. We knew what was coming anyway....

Only minutes later, AirMed flew in and landed in the field next to the church! All the other kids and parents were outside by this time.

Then, Santa jumped out and surprised all the kids! It was very cool!

Wes took E. to see the helicopter and let him have a look around.

It kind of grossed me out letting him sit in here since I could see blood stains on the upholstery and thinking about how many people have suffered and died in there. Morbid, right?

It was time to sit on Santa's lap! Well, needless to say, he didn't care much about that either. Shocking.

This picture is wrong on so many levels. 

E. hates Santa, Wes is giving me the creeps and I am sick as a dog and could not be any more pale. Oh well, what childhood is complete without a bad Santa photo?

I guess Santa didn't think he was too bad since he gave him this. Well, the taxpayers did at least.

Don't Forget!!

It's that time of year again! I am so excited! Every summer and winter, the Beehive Bazaar comes alive and features the handmade work from some of the most talented and creative artists and crafters here in Utah. It is a must stop and a real treat to attend this event! Don't miss out!

So what am I making for it this year?

 These:

Although, I am not quite done with them, here is a little sneak peak. This will be a vintage book of "The Night Before Christmas". I have Modge Podge'd the pages to heavy card stock and, of course, added accents of glitter to some of the pages. 

Of course. 

They will be bound with silver ruffle ribbon - perfect for hanging on the tree, doorknob or displayed on the table for a quick bedtime story!

Also...

These.

 They are "display" plates. I can't really call them "cake" plates because I am not sure they would hold up too well with food! I think they would be perfect for the bathroom counter to hold perfumes, soaps or what I did......

I use mine next to my stove to hold the salt and pepper shakers and toothpicks.

I thought I would show some pictures of previous purchases from past Beehive Bazaar's. In no way am I trying to show off all my great stuff - that is lame, but to give you a sense of what kind of crafts to expect. This is not your average Utah craft show. There will be no glass blocks or wooden plaques with vinyl lettering on them, nothing that was just shipped from Thailand and looks like it came from Tai Pan, and no, you will not find metal magnet boards with a large wooden frames here. Not that there is anything wrong with that stuff, and if that is what you prefer, then you might want to stick to attending the Holy Cow or Blue Goose Boutiques. This show is a little more innovative and modern, and how should I say it....not so 

"Utah Culture-ish".

Here we go:

Purses by Noelle Olpin. One of the founders of the whole bazaar production. She is a busy girl! Her eclectic mix of fabrics make these a big hit at every show! She also sells aprons for adults and children alike. I have one on my wish-list this year! I can't wait to see what she has sewn up this year!

Only the cutest pin cushion in the whole wide world!

Original artwork by the one and only: Colett Yarro. Also known as "my big sister", hence the big plug! No signed and numbered prints sold here! You can check out her blog to see her latest and AMAZING work or she is also featured on the front page of the Beehive Bazaar website at the moment. If you ever find yourself in Park City, you can get up close and personal with her paintings at Paisley Pomegranate and soon to be in the Sugarhouse location, as well. So proud of you girl! Did I mention that she was featured on Design Mom with a  nice little shout out? 

Check out Kanani Hayes with Vinylicious. She also sells smaller notebooks, checkbook covers, coin purses and scripture holders. Can't make it to the bazaar? You can also find her work at Frosty Darling downtown SLC.

Not your ordinary mouse pad! A little touch of Amy Butler never hurt anybody! Not me, at least.

Pillows by Sherisa Bly with Robots are Forever. Little E loves his robot pillow and I must say that it looks pretty darn cute in his crib!

Glass votive with decoupaged tissue. I love the iridescent glow when the candle is lit!

Vintage fabric lampshade with large ball fringe. Perfect addition to my craft room....someday!

Stained glass by Stephanie Higginbothem. Another shining face behind the making of this show. However, I think she is just going to stick to making her amazingly beautiful cupcakes this year! You may have already tried them here. The frosting looks like edible lace. She is just as sweet as her baked goods, too!

Wooden magnets to help hold my recipes in place

Bobby Pin created by Miriam Sabir with Abode. You may have been to her delightful store located in the heart of Sugarhouse.

A delicious belt buckle that I attached to my father's old tooled leather cowboy belt. This can be found around my waist on a near daily basis! I heart it SO much!

Felt pin that dresses up any sweater or purse. I actually think it would be cute on a pillow too!

Jewelry by the talented Jennifer Calderon of 57 Mondays.

Do you enjoy asymmetry as much as I do?

Antique button rings by Molly Call, one of the beauties and brass behind the whole show! You can count on Molly making something unique and innovative at each show. Her taste and talents are unparalleled! How does she fit in crafting with all the planning and organizing of the show!?

Earrings by Caroline Drake with Armelle Jewelry.

Her blog is drool worthy.

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So there you have it! Hope you can make it...it will be well worth it. Come do some Christmas shopping or to just spoil yourself! 

Getting Caught Up!

Blogging has taken a backseat to life. 

October was such a busy month for us that when November hit, we just sat back, relaxed and procrastinated for a few weeks! It doesn't help that E. is getting 2 molars in at the same time while battling a cold that was worsened by his flu shot. I was a hermit for a good week because of it! Now I am trying to catch up on all that was ignored or set aside, and it hasn't been easy. So this is my attempt to update the ol' blogster with the latest happenings in my life. 

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The Beehive Bazaar is rapidly approaching so I have been trying to get my butt in gear and get my projects finished for the show. They are a lot more labor intensive than I thought and I am finding myself getting burned out. My house looks like the craft fairy took a dump on our dining table. It's a disaster! Only 1 week to go before the show...must...stay...focused! Please try to make the Bazaar if you can! I will post an add next week as a reminder!

The Gallery Stroll has always been one of our favorite Friday night past times. We decided to hit the 3rd and 3rd district this time and I am happy that we did! We usually hit Pierpont, but I really had to get my Frosty Darling fix and check out the local goods! There are some really good showings going on downtown right now and we especially liked the photography exhibit at Saans Downtown! If you go, leave your boot cut jeans behind. Those are not allowed here!

Gardener Village is just a hop, skip and a jump from our house. Aren't we lucky!? I love this place! The Christmas elves are up to their usual mischief again so it was a must stop for our little family on Saturday! I really thought E. would get a kick out of these tiny fake people that are just his size. I was wrong. He didn't give a crap!

The highlight of our week was going to the Coldplay concert! I am a music snob. There is no doubt about it. I am not a fan of most music on the radio or bands that have been commercialized and saturated. This band is indeed an exception. I bought us tickets this summer for Wes' birthday, and at the time, the concert date seemed like an eternity away. I couldn't believe that it was already here! We went with our friends Holly and Andrew because Wes and Andrew bonded at a Coldplay concert in Orlando after a cross country road trip they took last year. (It's a long story!) I had to steal my friends pictures from her Facebook page because I didn't have any of my own (and Holly hasn't sent me the one's from her phone)! The tickets said right on them, "No Cameras" so I didn't bother bringing mine. Once we got into the arena, I saw that EVERYONE had cameras! Agh! It was honestly one of, if not, THE best concerts I have ever been to! 

No Camera, no Scmamera! 

Oh Chris Martin! You make my heart sing!

Here are the billions of velum butterflies that fell from the sky! It seriously gave me goosebumps. I love sensory overload and I love Coldplay!

No, No, Nooooo!

So, we have this problem. 

When we moved into our house, we ripped out our small windows in the front and replaced them with large picture windows. They are wonderful in every way, except for one. They are bird murderers! The second I hear the "THUD" echoing through the house after impact, I can hear another "THUD" as my heart drops to the pit of my stomach! As I have said before, I am an animal lover through and through, and I mean it!

-I nursed a baby robin back to health for 2 days after it fell from our tree this summer. 

-My friend Lisa and I stood on the pier in Huntington Beach and saw a man pull a stingray out of the ocean that he accidentally snagged on his fishing line. We watched it gasping as it bled profusely and I started crying. It didn't help that some touristy Asian guy equipped with a fanny pack kept saying that he wanted to take it home and eat it!

-I helped Wes rescue a batch of baby ducks that had fallen into a sewer drain after witnessing the mommy duck fall into panic mode and screaming for help! 

-I make Wes stop the car whenever I spot a lost dog so we can try to find it's home or owner. (Maren, your dog has been a client of ours a few times!)

So, as you can see, having my feathered friends fall to the ground after flying aimlessly into our windows is heart breaking and traumatizing! Our neighborhood is filled with quail and dove families and I find much happiness in watching them and admiring how beautiful they are. I know they are families because quail and doves are monogamous. I think this is very endearing and tender! So when I see one that had a fatal accident in my yard, I get very sad knowing that there is a loved one awaiting it's return. I want to help prevent this but am not sure what to do. If any of you have suggestions, please share them! I don't want to be responsible for any more birds kicking the bucket!

WARNING!

Image may be considered graphic and not suitable for the big hearted!

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R.I.P.

Update: 

-The stingray was released back into the ocean by the fisherman and lived happily ever after! I'm sure he had nothing to do with the death of the Crocodile Hunter. Oh yeah, I also reprimanded the Asian tourist.

-The baby robin was soon found by his mother (who nearly attacked MY mother for getting too close to the baby!) and learned to walk, then jump then fly!

-We were able to save all the baby ducks (but 2) by fastening a plastic bag to a wire hanger and scooping them out of the drain before they were sucked down. Wes still talks about the 2 ducks that were lost to this day. He has a very tender heart, as well!

The first snowfall of the year always brings a little holiday spirit into our home. Here is my confession: I am one of those people that could listen to Christmas music everyday for the next two months straight and not get sick of it! I love it and I have such a hard time understanding why people bitch and moan that the radio stations and mall's play it beginning the 1st of November. They cringe as though they just walked by a homeless person and took in a deep breath! When I was young and worked retail during the holidays, I had to hear my coworkers complain that the music was "unbearable". I was always too embarrassed to admit that I loved it and that as soon as I got into my car at the end of that shift, I would be playing it on the radio, too! Instead, I agreed with them and followed by saying things like, "I know, it's like, totally ridiculous" or "I can't believe how totally lame this is", when inside I was beaming and singing along in my head....because I know every word to every Christmas song and I can also tell you who sings it! Growing up, my mother played records of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole singing their holiday favorites! Now, we are fortunate to have not 1, but 2 radio stations here that play it all day everyday. So here is to all the Christmas music lovers of the world! Stand up proud and sing your hearts out this holiday season! Thanks to KOSY 106.5 and FM 100, We can get into the spirit NOW!

Men in Black

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Gundry!

This weekend we had the opportunity to attend the wedding of our good friends, Ben and Rachael. It was a beautiful event and we are so glad that we were able to help them celebrate their special day! 

Ben and Wes have been best friends since they were 12 years old, so naturally, Wes was the "best" man. The real kicker was that little E was the ring bearer! Oh my! Emerson was not really on his best behavior that night since the day was loaded with tiny black shoe shopping, the rehearsal luncheon, the rehearsal and finally the wedding - which left no time for napping! He didn't want to walk down the isle or carry the pillow that held the rings and when he eventually got to the front of the room with the rest of the wedding party, he didn't want Wes to hold him during the ceremony! He finally crashed early in the night and woke up with a second wind just in time to hear his daddy give a wonderful toast to the new bride and groom! Aside from the irreverent behavior from our child, the two of them looked so handsome and charming! Wes did a great job with his duties and Emerson, well....at least he looked good! 

Out cold! A very hard day for someone so little!

(Calm down readers...it's just sparkling apple cider!)

That's my boys!

Up to his usual mischief!

Getting him ready and trying to keep the suit wrinkle free was the biggest trial of the evening!

Graveyard and Grins

What do you do with a 14 month old child who doesn't understand the magnificent details of Halloween? I, being the morbid mom that I am, took my child to the cemetery for a nice and haunting photo shoot! I don't have the nicest camera and I have never taken any photography classes, but I am happy with the results! My neighbor gave Emerson a ballon left over from her family's Halloween party almost a week ago and he has not taken of his wrist! He is obsessed with it and I thought it was too funny to resist taking a million pictures of it. Here are some of my favorites! Sorry, they are low resolution for quick uploading purposes!