All of DC rolled into one post

As I stated, almost a month ago (sorry!)...We jetted off to Washington DC for a long Veterans weekend. Our fantastic friends, the Waldrips, and Dave's awesome brother Mike made our trip better than we imagined it would be! I think we saw just about everything. We did a White House tour, a Capitol Building tour, the monuments, Georgetown, Mt. Vernon, Arlington Natl. Cemetery, the 911 Memorial at the Pentagon, Smithsonian museums, the National Archives and of course "The Famous Waldrip DC by Night Tour". Phew. I'm afraid that if I told you I'd do our trip in installments, I would be lying and wouldn't finish what i started. SO, here are some of our moments in the Nations Capitol!

Happy November

Hello, hello! We're kinda excited around here, because a week from tomorrow, we fly out to Washington DC for a little vacation! I mentioned our intentions in a post a while back, and after talking to our friends who will graciously be our tour guides and hosts, we booked our flights and have been eager to go ever since! This will be Dave and I's first time to D.C. and we are stoked to be taking a White House tour, a tour from Dave's brother Mike of the Capitol building, seeing Arlington National Cemetery and much more. The weather is looking like a cool 60 degree high, which I'm SO happy for! I love crisp cool temps :)

In updates, Gunner, (aka: bud, budders, doo doo brown, poo poo eater, etc.) has become an established part of the fam. He is a definate puppy. He likes

to nibble, but we're making progress on those nibbles staying on appropriate toys and not our bodies, clothes, or personal items. He is getting better at walks around the block, and has met quiet a few neighbors! It's crazy how many new people we've got to know because of him!

He likes to eat EVERYTHING. Grass, sticks, tops of spray paint cans, his own poo, bark from planters, his leash....you name it, his mouth tries it. Only at least 9 more months of this to go. Yay! haha.

Introducing...

Gunner Anderson!

Stats:
Born- 8/9/10
Weight- 8lbs. 9 oz.
Breed- Rottweiler
Enjoys-
Snuggles, chewing, Jazz music, eating his own poo, chasing his tennis ball, getting training treats for going potty, warm dark places to cuddle up in, his fleece blanket, and his parents!

Greetings from...

...Logan Utah! We came up for Dave's cousins wedding tomorrow. Over the weekend we've been staying with Dave's Grandma. The weather is amazing. I love the cool, crisp air, the mountains just behind us, and being able to relax! We ate at Maddox on the way up. Oh my gosh, it was amazing! I think I would go back JUST for the homemade rolls. And the filet was so tender I don't think I needed a steak knife! The fresh peach pie we took home was awesome too. It definitely lived up to Dave's hype. Although I think we've seen about all there is to see here in Logan, we're glad to have time to spend with family. Dave has a little dream, to own a nice big beautiful "city house" in the middle of a farm. So we drove out into the farming areas and saw, well, alot of farmland, some goats, cows, and horses.

The Logan Temple is also super close, so we've been able to drive by like 3 times, and we snapped some photos. The temple is SO gorgeous!

The white trim mixed with the stone makes it stand out. It's Dave's favorite temple. Maybe next time we're here we can do a sesh...

Tomorrow we head to SLC.

Well, I guess we'll call it a night, because everyone else in the house has!

Fall & crock pot mishap

I didn't ruin dinner.

My crock pot did.

This is the second dinner that it has ruined. I think that either

A. It doesn't work right.

or B. I work too long during the day. Because when we got home, it had burned itself all up.

So i was actually a little excited when I realized that my {not} hard work was all for nothing, and that another dinner needed to appear.

Two topping choices later, it appeared! What a wonderful mishap. Fall nights always seem to make pizza sound so much better! (and tapatio always makes pizza taste so much better)

And per Dave's request, our evening of pizza will be accompanied by some hot out of the oven dump cake.

If you've never tasted this simple dessert...you should!

Dump Cake:

1 can of cherry pie filling

1 can of pineapple chunks

1 yellow cake mix

1 stick of butter

"Dump" all the fruit into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. "Dump" dry cake mix on top of fruit. Melt the stick of butter, drizzle on top. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or 375 for 40 mins.

I also started making our house more fallish.

I feel a little weird taking out the spooky door mat and cobwebs. So I started by putting out some candy corn and a yummy pumpkin spice scented candle. October first is my official day I can put out everything Halloween. I'm pretty excited!

Now I'll get back to searching for fabric to re-upholster my newly acquired wingback chair!! (next post will be about that).

We

He:

Loves his truck and car TV shows.

Goes to the store for eggs..and comes back with 10 Amps, HoHo's...and eggs.

Takes pride in the garage and what goes in it.

Can and will vacuum, leaving perfect lines.

Has had three jobs in 3 years. And is finally where he's always wanted to be.

Finds something he loves, and wears. it. out! (Shoes, shirts...etc.)

Excels at almost everything he takes on.

Loves McDonalds.

Likes to take scenic drives and look at houses with me.

Can sleep in until noon.

But can't sleep well at night...

Loves salmon for dinner.

Wants a puppy.

Likes his back scratched.

She:

Loves HGTV and The Rachel Zoe Project.

Can look at blogs and decorating websites all day long.

Enjoys a big diet coke with ice.

Can't imagine life without Target.

Loves it when he vacuums.

Hates to mop.

Enjoys fall and winter more than any other season.

Likes the drives she takes with him.

Loves to read.

Doesn't eat fish.

Can sleep in until noon with him.

But sleeps well at night too...

Secretly hopes to come home to a puppy from him.

Gets easily teary eyed watching Extreme Home Makeover and lots of other shows.

They:

Met on the internet.

Had their first blind date a month later.

Married less than a year after that.

Balance each other out well.

Love their life together in RSM.

Toy with the idea of getting a puppy weekly.

Enjoy deciding what project to take on next in their home.

Celebrated 3 years together on Wednesday.

Look forward to many more!

xoxo

"What's for dessert?"

When there is no dessert in the Anderson house for two whole nights....

Husbands get desperate.

And this husband baked his own butter yellow cake with (clearly not homemade) chocolate frosting.

Labor Day? Yes Please.

I was very much ready for this weekend. It's been a long 2 weeks at work. The last 3 days of this week were hectic, and I welcomed a three day weekend with open arms! After sleeping in, we spent Saturday doing some yardening, like crazy people in the 90+ degree weather. But we have weedless planter beds, freshly mowed grass, new grass seed on the side yard and a wasps nest that we thought we killed...maybe one more spray today will do the trick!

Can anyone else spend hours straight looking up recipes on foodnetwork.com? I love Paula Deen,

and a simple search for her mexican rice turned into searching through 17 pages of lasagna.

I had to call it quits, I was getting overwhelmed, ya'll!

It's hard to want to make these dishes that take a bit of prep and cook time when I roll in close to 7pm from work. So I have to find a balance of good food, at reasonable prep times.

Speaking of preparing food, tomorrow we are getting together with Dave's family, who are all down from Utah. It should be a fun BBQ/pool party. I am going to make some cupcakes and take some chips/dips. I ate these delicious cupcakes at our Monday night FHE group a few weeks back. Lindsay made them,

and they're on her food blog, (which has some fun/yummy recipes you should try!) and while I was looking for them, I saw a bean dip too. Don't mind if I do!

I'm still waiting on this little lady. I'm anxious to burn it, and can't wait for the holidays so I can get the peppermint one.

Happy Labor Day everyone, enjoy your day off. I know I will!

Etsy Envy

If I could log onto Etsy tonight, these are a few things I would most definitely order.

I love Etsy. I love browsing it. And I love purchasing items from creative sellers on it!Rose City Soaps. This one in particular is almond :) and isn't the matte black lid a cute touch?! I found these by RoseCitySoapSupply at a shop in San Clemente on Del Mar called Luxe. She didn't have them in the store last time I went in, but, told me I could find them on Etsy. Score!

I'm pretty much in love with Kelly Wearstler. Her Imperial Trellis design is amazing...and I love it in every color. I wish I could get drapes in this fabric. Ahhh, if only.... Anyways, moving on. I love checking out all the pillows on Etsy, this one being from Woody Liana.



With the weather not feeling like summer at all, i can't help but be excited about fall! I have a wreath I bought from TwoInspireYou last year. It has hung on my door for months and months, and has handled the elements well! I love the look of a simple berry wreath. And they look even better in person! I like this one, with oranges and creams. Just in time for fall!


These tea towels look really pretty. I don't know if anyone is like me, but I hang cute towels over my oven door handle. And they aren't for use. I just like how they look, all crisp and clean. Once I wash them, they're never the same. So for decor purposes only, I think these by TheHouseofBouton would be a nice addition to my kitchen!


I bought some adorable Christmas tags last year...and loved them! These note cards are so cute! I love most everything in her store. PixelImpress has cute tags, note cards, and even calling cards. I don't think i need a calling card...but her designs make me want one!

Now go do some Etsying!

Wanna get away

Dave and I talk about going places quite often.

Recent conversations have included:

New York (after my trip and the need to share its awesomeness with Dave!)

Chicago (to see his mission stomping ground and check out the windy city)

San Francisco (because I've never been and have always wanted to go)

A cruise. To anywhere. Because we love cruising that much.

And recently, Washington D.C.

I always get a little excited, so I search the airline websites and check fares, look up hotels (checking for the cheapest places to try to persuade Dave we should go). I even look at the calendar to try to find what works with our schedules and non-conflicting dates.

But it all ends there. We never book flights. We don't commit to anything.

Don't get me wrong, we travel. Some may say more than the normal, given our Europe, New York, and Alaska destinations over the last year. BUT, those were family trips. Fantastic vacations, but different than taking off just the two of us.

I would like to commit! I want to get away. Just us. Of course we will probably spend time with friends, maybe even see some family. So I'm going to use my blog like people use a "vision board"? Maybe it will become reality!

Who's that cyclist in the window?

This image is something we are getting used to seeing...but it's still hilarious every time!

Rewind to a few weeks ago. It's about 7:30pm, Dave and I are sitting in the living room, windows open enjoying the evening, eating our dinner after a long day of work, the T.V's on, and I look up and think I see someone biking past our house. Nothing unusual, right? Wrong.

A flash of neon yellow pulls up our driveway about the same time as I hear a familiar voice yell out a loud but tired "whooo!" Dave and I exchange glances, wondering what the heck is going on, and I say, "Is that Evan?!" He'd apparently made his way from Tustin/Irvine to Rancho on his cycling route and we were being graced by his presence for a little rest! After an hour visit, a water refill and some good laughs about how he showed up, he was off on his cycling way.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of yet another visit by Evan the cyclist. This time we were a little less surprised, still totally amused, and the garage was open and he came right in the back door. So Evan, we look forward to your next visit. We may not have the garage door up, but if we're home the door is always open for you and water bottle refills are always complimentary!

We have...

Tonight at the Anderson residence we have:

- Fed the missionaries dinner, and were done and cleaned up by 6:15

(quite an accomplishment in our full time working home)

- Dug out plants in the process of Dave replacingbroke sprinkler valves.

- Attempted to re-plant these plants elsewhere.

Only to decide we didn't like them there...

- Berries. A ton and a half of them. They drop at an incredible rate.

It's a little out of control

We also have lovely across the street neighbors who are selling their home :(

The positive side of this: You now have the chance to be OUR neighbors! If we have to loose good neighbors, we are now on the hunt to find our own new ones!

We could BBQ together, ride down the street on our motorized wheelchair, play tennis together at the neighborhood courts, watch Modern Family on Wednesday nights, get each others mail while we're away, borrow cups of sugar...the possibilities are endless people! So if you, or anyone else are interested...

go here (address is 17 Pima Ct. RSM 92688)

It really is the chance of a lifetime. We're pretty awesome :)

And we fairly regularly blast Journey, ZZ Top or The Doobie Brothers at rather loud levels from our living room...

Waterfall and some BBQ

For the last week, Dave has been Sport Fishing in Waterfall Alaska.

While I totally missed him, it was great to hear that he had a good time with the men in the family and enjoyed their quality time together.

And even though I don't like fish, we now have a freezer full of it!

I see some salmon on the BBQ in our future...and maybe, maybe, i can make some fish tacos (which i'll eat!)

Last night we had a lovely Lucilles BBQ dinner with these fine folks! As always, i enjoyed the BBQ ribs, and I had a great time chatting, talking decor with Emily, driving around Tustin...quickly :) and complaining about the server who kept asking for 2nd and 3rd times if we were sure we wanted refills on biscuits.

(Note to servers: When a customer asks for more biscuits, don't not bring them for 20 minutes, then come back and say "You still want those biscuits?" because YES...we would still like them!)

It's nice to have Dave back. I missed my housemate :)

A (not) short & sweet Saturday

Today was busy, and long. I know this because my contacts are blurry and dry. And my eyelids are very, very heavy.

But first i'll backtrack...

The 4th was a great weekend. Much relaxing was done. And falling asleep to the sound of the ocean can make one feel really spoiled. (So much that the the first night's sleep back home was a restless one). This is our only photo...and only thanks to Whitney!

Today was a good day.

Nordstrom previewing

breakfast

some light house cleaning

lunch

a pedicure

a long, productive date with Target

and a beach bonfire for our friend Lauren's birthday

All in all, i'm beat! I'm off to bed, because i'm literally falling asleep as I type.

Tomorrow and Monday will hopefully give me some good blogging material.

Until then!

xoxo

The tradition continues

Happy 4th of July weekend!

Dave and I are happy to be spending our weekend in San Clemente.

I rang in the 4th by making it a 4 day weekend, running errands and taking advantage of the beautiful city I live in, but miss out on by working all day.

We had a great dinner with the Schillings (we <3 you guys!) and are now settled in and doing a little late night TV watching.

Hopefully this weekend will include: (not in any particular order)

1. Working on my tan. 2. Making some fab cookies! 3. Sleeping. 4. Listening to the sound of waves. 5. Spending time with family and friends. 6. Napping. 7. Visiting a favorite store of mine: Luxe. 8. Relaxing

Also, if you haven't been over to Life In the Fun Lane, go check out Holly's blog!

It's a great showcase of great transformations she makes to all types of furniture. And new to

her blog is Fresh Coat Fridays!

A tribute to pieces of furniture transformed by fellow bloggers.

Today, my hutch made it's first featured debut!

Have a fun & safe Holiday! I know we will!

Life these Days...

Well, it is a gorgeous Saturday here in RSM!

I'm sitting here after a productive day of errands. We ran to Nordstrom, Macy's, Costco, Target and Lowes. All before 2:00! (this is quite the accomplishment for us, seeing as how some Saturdays we don't get out of bed till' noon...).

Dave is washing the car, and i'm watching Barrett Jackson live from the O.C. fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. We drove past it on Thursday and I saw the signs and told Dave, who was totally excited and wanted to go. Instead, sadly, we'll settle for it on TV. I actually love watching these shows, and wish we were there, seeing as how i'm currently falling over the 57' pink Thunderbird thats being bid on! If I only had $80,000, it could have been mine! :)

A week or so ago, I spotted something white sitting on the sidewalk in front of our neighbors house one night. I tip-toed across the street to see a "free" sign on it, motioned for Dave to come help me, and carried it to my front porch. I think it fits perfectly! (now to just fix that hanging door bell...)

The post that took forever...

...to post, and to upload!

I know, I've fallen behind. But in my defense, these pictures take so dang long to upload I almost ditch the effort every time! But, I stuck with it this time.

I wanted to document possibly my favorite part of NY: Central Park. The sun was shining. The trees were lush and green. The temperature wasn't too hot. Our rickshaw drivers were very kind and informative. The company was great, and the experience was one to remember!

dreamy

I NEED to go here.
I mean really?! I think i just drooled a little on the keyboard.

What's even better? It's local...and looks like perfection.

30 Rock and Jersey Boys

We spent some time in Rockefeller Center. It was pretty cool, but I must say, my favorite part? It was the fabulous Anthropologie and J Crew right next to 30 Rock! I saw the shoes in their window that Oprah wore on her episode with Jenna Lyons. I want them!

In other events, we saw (my new favorite play!) Jersey Boys!!!! The music made me all giddy and took me back to driving in my Mom's VW Bug listening to K-Earth 101!

Rachel. Being Rach.

Of course we ended the evening with some Starbucks. Which, like everywhere else, is pretty much at every corner.