anderson, party of three

{6 months}

2012-01-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

Oh how time has flown by.

(This could be my post title for each Shelby update, now couldn't it?)

6 month Shelby:

You roll over now. Mostly just to one side, then back to the tummy. You have yet to roll full circle.
When you get to your tummy, you look up, so proud, and give the biggest grins!
Panda is your favorite toy. Dad is proud of this, as it was HIS present HE picked out. Panda plays music, and you can pull the handle and skip to your favorite tunes.
The stage of kicking your legs violently in your crib has arrived. Thank goodness you're in your own room.
We seemed to linger in size 1 diapers, flew through 2's and are now in 3's.
You weighed in at 16.8 lbs and 25 1/2 in. long.
Sweet potatoes made their debut last week, and were welcomed with an open mouth.
Peas made their debut tonight...and were met with spitting them back out.
The highchair also made a debut. You particularly like it when we roll you from room to room. (could you be any more like your Dad in your love for things with wheels?)
As you've found your voice, a new pterodactyl like scream has emerged. Ugh.
No teeth. Yet. Maybe by your 7 month update...
It may be time to store away your baby swing. A sad day this will be indeed.
But in the swings place has come the activity bouncer.
You sleep through the night, on the most part. Although we've had some rocky past weeks.
If I get you at the right time, in the right mood, i can lift your arm, attack your armpit and get some good laughs.
As Grandma found out today, 6pm Shelby is an angry, moody, cranky, screaming Shelby.
When your laying down next to me, you put your hand up to my mouth, stroke my face and smile and I give your little hand kisses.
Your Dad LOVES you tons! (More each day, if you ask me). He typically gets you from your crib each morning and brings you in bed with us. It's a few minutes I look forward to every day.

Happy 1/2 Birthday sweet girl, we love you.

Christmas in January

2012-01-08T20:33:00.000-08:00

I may be late, but I thought we'd take a little look back at Christmas! Per usual routine, we did Christmas Eve celebrations with Dave's family at Grandmas. Since we got there before everyone else, she had me help her knead and braid her famous Zupfe (a swiss) bread. Seriously, a one-on-one lesson on how she works her magic is a big deal. Now I just need to learn how to make the bread itself. Minor details.

The famous braid

Kneading away

Dad & Shelbs on Christmas Eve

Aunt Rach & Uncle Mikey

Christmas morning we came back to Grandmas to do the Christmas morning ritual. Picture on the stairs, look at our Santa presents, open presents, breakfast with Zupfe toast, ham, cheesy eggs and homemade hot cocoa. All tradition, all yummy.

We came home, got ready, went to church, and hurried back to our place to host my first "Moore" Christmas! Mom, Dad and Aunt Chrissy came over,we had appetizers, opened stockings, had a yummy ham dinner. Of course, presents came after, where we we're showered with love.

The face of uncertainty

The face of happiness

Grandpa & Grandma love

It was a wonderful Christmas, spent with those we love. Seeing Shelby celebrate for the first time was great-and I look forward to next year when she can be even more "involved".

Merry

2011-12-21T13:51:00.001-08:00

Even though I was ready for Christmas early this year, like always, December 1-20 have flown by. I kinda wish it wasn't sandwiched so close to Thanksgiving so I have, let's say, 2 months to enjoy my decor and the holiday spirit? That would be my ideal.

We've pretty much crossed all to-dos off the list-disneyland, time with Grandma & Grandpa, baking day, visiting Santa, looking at lights and baking banana bread, which is in the oven as I type! I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with family, and of course, sharing in Shelbys 1st Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!
Xoxo

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Insert cute Christmas song lyric here

2011-12-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

Note to reader: Only one ornament was broken in the taking of these pictures.

I decided to get an early start on decorating at the Anderson house this year. The indoor and outdoor decor was up and the house was in order the day after Thanksgiving. That same resolve did not, however, reflect my blogging efforts. But at least this is post is coming out before Christmas! I love the Holidays, and for some reason they seem even sweeter now that we're sharing them with Shelby. That, and I'm home to appreciate my house during the day!

I decided last year, since our family collection of ornaments are minimal, to get an itty bitty tree and put our special ornaments there. It's just right, for right now, and I like how my big tree stays coordinated while the few special ornaments we have don't get lost in the shuffle but are in a place all their own.

It's the little things that get me giddy lately, and pardon me getting all sentimental, but we have 3 stockings now! I love hers, and doesn't Oatmeal (the little bear from Grandma) fit perfectly? Eeek, I love it!

And yes, in keeping with my sentimentalism, someone in our house is starting to eat solids. And by solids I mean watered down rice cereal...ch-ch-ch-changes!

{4 months}

2011-11-14T20:49:00.001-08:00

Time needs to slow down. I feel like I'm on a fast train and although the ride is smooth and my favorite people are with me, I look out the window and see precious moments and stages flying by. I am trying best to enjoy the moments, savor the sweetness this little lady brings and embrace the new milestones that keep creeping up!

For my own (and I'm sure my Mom's) viewing pleasure, some of Shelbys 4 month milestones and our favorite traits.

- she finds her pacifier chain, grabs it and pulls her paci out over, and over, and over...
-she can almost put it back in again.
- we have giggles. Official, someone is making me laugh giggles.
- stopped sleeping thru the night. Then started again.
- her bald spot is bad. It's been rubbed smooth.
- she will let me cut and file her nails without throwing a fit.
-when she comes downstairs, she always looks at the pictures of Dave and I and her.
- occasionally I'll hear her waking up with coos. It's so cute!
- she sits in her stroller like a big girl.
- when she's relaxed she'll hold her hands together and we say she's being 'reverent'.
- she can sit on my hip now. I feel like I have such a big girl on my hands.
- we have a half roll over. Haven't ever got all the way over, but we're working on it.

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my thankful list {3rd ed.}

2011-11-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

as i'm watching the nate berkus show, he's having a 'favorite things' segment. reminded me of oprah's, but on a much more modest scale. these kinds of episodes always get me excited. i know i'm not getting any of it, but i always feel the thrill of anticipation for what the audience has in store. i think i'm living vicariously through them. during the segment, the popcorn looked delicious, the keihls products made me want to buy some, and then i got to thinking what are some of my favorite things? how fun would it be to be able to give my favorite things to other people?! then my thoughts drifted to wants, and then i stopped myself and looked around. i have so much to be happy with! i am truly blessed. so i'm definitely not giving things away, and i'm not necessarily going to list my favorite things, but in lieu of wants, i figured i was due to be thankful. and it is november. tis the season, right?

in no particular order...
1. crock pot meals. speaking of which, corn chowder is cooking as i type.
2. nice neighbors. we took a walk/jog the other night, and stopped to chat with some of ours. makes me feel part of something, a little safer and warm and fuzzy.
3. daily chats with my mom. i mean seriously, who listens better than a mom?
4. having a family. going from 2 to 3 has been the best thing ever.
5. shelbys night time routine. i love our quiet moments. she's sleepy, sweet and cuddly.
6. the season of all things pumpkin. round two of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies will be made today.
7. my mommy baby yoga class. twice a week with my friend lisa and a handful of mommys and their babes. it's so nice to relax, be with fellow moms and treat my body right.
8. our trip to the temple with aaron and whitney. it was much needed, and much enjoyed.
9. free magazine subscriptions (as long as i cancel them by jan.) from loehmans.
10. friends in my ward. it's great to heytell, text, laugh, plan black friday and craft.

Who knew?! (x's 2)

2011-11-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

First, I must start by saying that there is a whole world of blogger that I'm completely out of touch with. Google reader? What's that? Do I know how to put that little list on the side that shows who has updated their blogs lately? Nope. And who knew that you could see the views to your blog, traffic feeds and even countries they're coming from! Seriously, it's like Aladdin..."A whole new world". I'm going to take Whitney (from Eat, Sleep, Cuddle fame) up on our conversation and have her give me an updated look and catapult me into the "real" blogging world! So Whitney, let's do this!

Also, my 'who knew' # 2 is something I am hesitant to post publicly. Don't worry, everything's ok. It's nothing scary, nothing tragic, none of that. Ready?.....I'm signing up for a 5k (insert sigh of relief, and maybe a laugh or two here). I have been wanting to get back into better shape since before I was pregnant. Then I got pregnant. Now I'm not, and the opportunity, for a wonderful cause has presented itself. The Run for Ruby is taking place on January 7th, 2012. Now that i'm a mom, I love my little lady more than words can describe. I feel so grateful for eternal families and want to show my support for the Taylor family. Getting my butt out and running 3 miles is the least I can do.

And for a sneak peek, my SIL Les took some fun pics the other afternoon of our little family of 3. I needed some cute pictures of us for Christmas cards...and she delivered!

wicked cute

2011-11-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Happy late Halloween everyone. This year was, obviously, Shelby's first Halloween. I don't know about you other Moms out there, but I felt quite the pressure (not from anyone, just internal) to make sure Shelby was ready and totally cute! I'm sure there are much better things I could have worried about. Much more important things I could have done with my time instead of endlessly browsing Etsy. Oh the laundry I could have done while I searched for leg warmers and witch hats, and the time I spent trying to find a plain black onesie?! Who would have thought that would be so difficult! But I mean really...I'm glad I did. We went to trunk or treat for our ward on Saturday and spent Halloween night at Leslie & Davids with family. I had good intentions of walking with Shelbs and Dave through the neighborhood, but in true 3 month old fashion, she fell asleep. I can't even believe that next year she'll be a big girl and walking around. AHHH! One day at a time, right? Right.

My Thankful List {3rd ed}

2011-10-23T23:50:00.000-07:00

Life has been good lately. Really good! It's not necessarily one thing in particular, but just a series of days and events. This week, our schedule was full. I think Shelby and I had plans every day this week

(which made for a cranky baby by Saturday!)

Shelbs sitting big in her stroller @ Dianeyland

We played, we went to Disneyland, we visited, we dined, we shopped, we said goodbye to a life and celebrated another, we spent quality time with family and by yesterday, we were tired. We topped off a busy week today with a church meeting for each of us, followed by church itself, a nap for Dave and Shelby, and then a wonderful evening spent at the Ruby Jane foundation event. It was a nice evening, for a wonderful cause. (If you'd like to know more about the foundation, visit here). My wonderful parents came out to watch Shelbs while we attended. It was a great way to end a busy week. It made me feel especially grateful for eternal families and the togetherness and friendship that can come through our church.

I'm hoping that this weeks offers a lighter schedule. Someone needs to get some decent naps under her belt, and another someone needs to clean some house.

Tonight i'm especially thankful for...
1. Grandparents who love their Granddaughter.
2. A full nights sleep.
3. Shelby's new favorite play thing, her play mat.
4. Non-ingrown toenails. Having one stinks.
5. Homemade bread for toast for breakfast.
6. Generous parent in-laws.
7. The RSM lake across the street.
8. A husband who does my "honey do's" without complaint.
9. Being the winning bidder on a retractable screen door.
10. The moments that only I can comfort Shelby.

{3 months}

2011-10-15T00:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Shelbs 3 month birthday. It's hard for me to believe. Time flies and we love her SO much! I'm torn between loving the changes I see in her every day and yearning for the tiny little baby she was not long ago.

Some of our favorite things about this age:

The conversations and cooing she does when we talk to her.
How her little legs rarely stop kicking.
Her fist is her new found friend.
Last week she started sleeping through the night.
3 months brought about a more mellow and happier her.
She tracks us and follows our movements.
I feel like I finally know her needs and wants.
Naps have become easy and routine.
She smiles at most everyone!
The chunky rolls on her thighs. Just wanna eat them up!

Can't wait to see the changes the coming months bring!

A name & a blessing

2011-10-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

On Sunday at church, we blessed Shelby. In our church, this is a chance for the Dad to give their child a blessing. Typically it includes blessings of health, wishes for their future and words of love for them. (feel free to learn more about our church here)

It was so wonderful to see so many of our family and friends there to support us.

I am so grateful for Dave and how loving he is with Shelby. He has jumped into the role of Dad what seems to me, pretty seamlessly. We celebrated afterward at our house where we ate, chatted, the kids played and it rounded out a great day!

New leaf?

2011-10-11T13:43:00.001-07:00

Although her 'official' 3 month birthday isn't until later this week, it's seems as though week 12 has brought about some changes. Big changes. Fantastic changes. Like she's turned a new leaf. You see, Shelby has never been a tough baby, but she did enter a fussy stage after she exited the newborn-sleep-all-the-time phase. Then, one night last week, she slept all night. 10-6. What an amazing (once in a while) thing I told myself! Then it happened again. And again. Soon it had been almost a week. On what may have very well been the same day, she slept in the car, without a peep. And that was a big difference from the Shelby who cried hysterically when the car stopped, and almost as suddenly stopped once I hit the gas. (Once I realized that's just how it was going to be, it was hilarious how fast her switch flipped from crying to silent). But now, she just hangs out in the back seat for the most part. And I'm SO ok with that. And lastly, she's started to fall asleep randomly on her own. What? My baby needs to be bounced, held, rocked or nursed to sleep. Nope. In my lap at the in-laws? Asleep. Laying in her crib for naps? Asleep. Playing on her playmat? Asleep! I loved this little girl at birth. I loved her at one month, but my love for her grows deeper and more intense every day! I want to eat her up. Eeek! I just can't get enough!

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There's an App for That...

2011-10-05T11:17:00.001-07:00

I was just about to email all my recent photos from my phone to myself, then save them on the computer when I looked at my phone and said, DUH! You have an app for that! Silly me, how many times in the last few weeks have I had the urge to blog, but because all my photos are on my phone, stopped short and thought, not now, it's too much work! Oh boy, does pregnancy brain last beyond pregnancy? I think I have proof.

SO, here is our last month in photos.

We went to Grandma and Grandpas for dinner. When we pulled up, this is what we found in the backseat.

Seriously we couldn't stop laughing!

We went to the fair with out friends John & Darby. We bought fried food, candy and John came home with the entire angry birds cast in stuffed animal form. Isn't that what everyone does at the fair?

We took camera pictures together, in none of which she was looking at the camera. Oh yeah, and I dyed my hair.

I joined this, became addicted, and surprisingly, yummy and cute things have come from it!

...Like this wreath I made on Saturday!

...And this monkey bread I made during GC.

And lastly, we co-napped for the first time in a while on Monday. I loved every cuddly second of it.

Now I must do some laundry and shower while that "window of opportunity" I've spoken of still exists.

Anyone home?

2011-09-29T02:58:00.001-07:00

Hello? Where have I been you may ask? (ok I'm pretty sure no ones really been asking that, my blog isn't that popular!) but, just in case you felt like my slight break in blogging was getting too long, I assure you i've been completely pre-occupied with other things. Only one of which is pretty important, but both pretty neato.
1. These tasty cheeks. Seriously, as Rachel Zoe says, I die.

2. This site. Holy moly. If I thought FB was addicting...wrong!

I'm in love. From random tutorials on how to do waves with a flat iron (I've only ever used a curling iron!) to delish recipes like this...

And how about the wreath I plan to make? Too cute!

So with all these fab ideas, my blogging material should increase tenfold, right?!

And yes, If you haven't noticed, I am blogging during a 2am feeding. But I mean really, how can mind when it's with this little lady?

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my thankful list {2nd ed.}

2011-09-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

While the baby is napping, I wanted to take a few quiet moments to show my appreciation for things in my life. This past Thursday, Dave and I celebrated 4 years of wedded bliss. Ok, ok. I'll be real. It hasn't all been blissful. There have been disagreements, job losses, hard decisions, long awaited decisions, ups, downs, and in-betweens. There have been lots of blissful moments too though. Honeymooning, buying our home, deciding to start a family, welcoming Shelby into our lives, nights at home doing nothing, scenic drives to nowhere, in depth conversations and more. I am now, more than ever, grateful for him, all he does and the relationship we have created and continue to grow.
Here's some things I discovered about Dave through the years...

He's a mean BBQer

exceptional cookie baker...

and a precise present wrapper

He enjoys relaxing...

and being one with wild animals.

He knows how to party!

and how to shoot.

He's a good brother and son

a fun uncle

a wonderful Dad

and the man I get to celebrate anniversaries with

So here's my 2nd edition of what I'm thankful for:

1. Being an eternal family.
2. The importance to Dave of my staying home to raise our children.
3. My Mom and our almost daily conversations.
4. Good friends (who will spend their Sat. plating palm trees in our backyard...eh hem Aaron...)
5. Uninterrupted showers. Of which I've had 4 this week!
6. The Cheesecake Factory. Hands down one of our favorite places to eat!
7. The cooler weather the past two days! It feels like fall, for the moment at least.
8. Having a washer/dryer at my home. The days of apartment living are not forgotten, and weren't easy.
9. Living in a wonderful ward with great people (church-speak for the non-mormons).
10. My new sunglasses and Tory Burch flats. SO excited!

2 months

2011-09-13T16:08:00.001-07:00

Today is this little lady's 2 month birthday! I can't believe it's been that long since she was born. Just recently she started filling out, and she doesn't feel or seem as fragile anymore!

Things about this stage I love:

I get genuine smiles.

She loves car rides (it's the stopping part that's difficult).

We have conversations. Yes, they're only cooing on her part, but she thinks she's talkin!

She sleeps thru the night and only wakes up once.

We have our bedtime routine down pat.

He gets more kissable every day!

When she doesn't want her pasi, out it goes. No addiction here!

She still fits in NB, and is slowly growing into 0-3 month clothes. Slow and steady!

She loves baths, and has been known to fall asleep mid lather and rinse.

Her swing can be a lifesaver.

We love her, and can't wait for all the wonderful things that lie ahead!

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fall faves

2011-09-12T23:17:00.000-07:00

I know that the weather is by no means "cool". (Yes, it's still in the 80's around here during the day). BUT, at night, we have been keeping the windows open and enjoying a nice cool breeze. Our bedroom gets nice a crisp, and in Dave's words, "it feels like we're camping!". Not really. But OK, babe.

Since i'm feeling more fallish, i'm getting excited to do fallish things like:

Make this pumpkin bread pudding.
Light yummy season scented candles.
Put out our seasonal door mat.

Find a costume for our little lady for Halloween (ideas, anyone??)
Make my favorite cranberry salad.
Build baby's wardrobe for the cool months!

What are your favorite fall things?

Stay classy, San Diego

2011-09-09T18:05:00.001-07:00

Dave and I were excited for a little getaway to SD with his parents. He had some meetings to go to for a work conference one afternoon, so they said we should make a night of it. Who would turn that down?! So off we went. Then, as I'm sure all of the US of A heard, off went the power too. Seriously? The first time I go to San Diego and bam! Power outage! It hit in the afternoon, and was fun at first...until the sun went down and there was no food to be found. We had 4 hungry people who hadn't eaten since breakfast, a sleepy baby, beautiful rooms, and no power. Thanks to my wonderful in-laws that ended up bringing back some food for a nursing momma! So as we all debated whether to stay or cut our losses, we had some quality time talking to the soft glow of tea-lights and the ever growing crowd of drunks below at the pool. We decided to stay, and at 11:30pm with much cheering and applause (and waking up Shelbs) we were back on the grid. I'm so glad we stayed!

We relaxed, took some walks thru seaport village, had a delicious lunch and went to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner...where Shelby slept thru all the noise. Amazing! After a failed attempt at breakfast in the gaslamp district (but had a LONG walk up and down the streets...) we grabbed lunch at the Pier Cafe. We're dubbing this a pre-anniversary trip, since our 4 year is next week. So power outage and all, the trip turned around and became all i could have hoped for. Thanks Kevin and Jill!

Doesn't he look good holding our baby?

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A taste of heaven

2011-09-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

Sometime in the last two years, I was introduced to the yummiest little cookies I'd tasted in a while. Our friend Lauren Woffinden and her SIL Marsha made them and brought them to our house for a BBQ. I was in L.O.V.E. and for 2 reasons.

1. They were chewy, tasty, sweet little bites of deliciousness.

and

B. I found out they were super simple to make!

So, whenever I find myself with some extra strawberries, I turn to this recipe.

I highly suggest you do the same!

The cookies:

1 box of Devils Food cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

That's it, you may ask? Yes ma'am. That is it. Pure and simple. Chocolaty and chewy.

Mix those 3 ingredients together. The consistency will be thick.

Roll into balls and bake at 350 for 5-8 minutes or so. I gauge the done-ness by the cookies cracking a little. I also press them slightly flat with the spatula while they're still hot and on the cookie sheet (makes them easier to frost)

Please don't mind the two missing cookies. Quality control...

and I find it better to undercook them and then let them sit for a bit than to overcook. (Undercooking makes them more chewy and they keep longer)

The Frosting:

Found here

Yes folks, it's the Sprinkles Strawberry frosting recipe...and it's amazing on these little bites of heaven.

I always end up with too much frosting.

So you can double the cookie batch by using 2 cake mixes, or make some cupcakes on the side and frost away!

And while you frost, your husband can re-seed your dying grass while your dog watches.

After you're done, you can both enjoy a piece of heaven. Shoot, you can even give your dog one if you're feeling generous...

Window of opportunity

2011-09-02T14:41:00.001-07:00

This term and I have become good
friends. Pre-Shelby (PS) there really were no restrictions. Showers, Target, grocery shopping, eating. It was all on my time. But now...haha...my time? No, no, no, silly new Mom. Everything has a window of opportunity, and it looks as if the window containing soap, shampoo and warm water has closed. Until Dave gets home at least. And with this warm cuddly bundle finally asleep on me, I'll gladly take the pjs and day old mascara.

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One of those mornings

2011-08-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

sometimes it's OK to lounge around in your PJ's and spend the morning watching TV.

(and shelbs thinks curtis stone isn't bad to look at either...)

my thankful list {1st ed.}

2011-08-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

I have to give credit where credit is due. My lovely friend Whitney writes an "especially grateful for" post each week. Well, with a lot of time sitting and just 'being' with my little love, I've had many moments to reflect on what and who I'm grateful for in my life. So here's to new traditions.

today i'm thankful for...

1. A husband who this weekend morning took the baby and let me catch up on a few hours of much needed sleep.

2. Swiffer dusters. They make a necessary task almost fun.

3. The vibrating/swinging/noise making swing that puts my baby to sleep.

4. The time the above mentioned swing gives me to shower/put in laundry and sometimes take a nap.

5. Being home to prepare dinners at a decent hour.

6. A sister & brother in law who we enjoy sharing meals and time with.

7. Cold ice water. I just can't seem to get enough of it!

8. A dog that actually let me (kind-of) brush his teeth today.

9. Shelby having wonderful, local Grandparents that love her and can't wait to see her.

10. That my wedding ring fits again after being pregnant. I keep looking at it and am glad to have it on my finger.

Thanks Whit for the inspiration to take some time and be thankful for specific things in my life.

Who doesn't love Costco?

2011-08-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

I mean really, isn't it the best? The prices, the quantity, the samples! I love that I can get toilet paper, chicken breasts, order glasses and then grab a frozen yogurt on the way out!

I decided I wanted to try their photo's on canvas to put up in our house. I've heard that they are nice, and for a totally affordable price. SO, I ordered up two canvases. (I admit, I have a hard time committing to things being hung on the walls. Or, I end up changing my mind or style too soon after I hang something up.) So I figured that these would be pretty timeless and could even be moved around the house when I change up my decor.

I'm pretty pleased, and a little less nervous to start putting more up around the house. After over two years, it's about time, right?!

My day in pictures

2011-08-25T20:46:00.001-07:00

Took the car to get an oil change, then Dave and I had lunch here...

Went to my in-laws and met up with my sis-in-law and Coco. Started to work on some crafty projects and made these...

Came home, and finally got little miss to take a nap. She is still in this...

Since I had a quick church meeting at my house, we got lazy and Dave grabbed dinner. I ate my Big Mac and am catching up on blog reading...

Now I'm going to put on PJ's and hopefully put little lady to bed. Dave has a project to "hang" and I'm excited to show it to you tomorrow!

Dave Approved

2011-08-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting over a week to make this recipe I saw on Kelsey's Essentials (on Cooking

Channel). I am a lover of Mac & Cheese.

I make a homemade one that's my Mom's recipe, and surprise...Dave likes it!

For those of you who don't know Dave, he can be, well...hard to please. He's a minimalist with food. How minimal you may ask? Let me elaborate...

No marinades.

No fancy sauces.

Hamburgers= Meat, cheese & bun only.

No weird veggies.

No salad. Except Caesar.

No condiments.

Bananas and avocados should not exist.

Nothing that can get "mushy".

And always add salt.

So when I come across something new, I always make Dave give it the good ol' college try. If he hates it, well, I'm sadly left to only make it for myself from then on. BUT when he likes it...I FEEL SO PROUD! Tonight, I was hesitant for him to try the Mac & Cheese. I, on the other hand was super excited. The moment of truth came. He took a few bites, I resisted asking too quickly what he thought. Finally I couldn't hold back.

S: "What do you think?"

D: " I never want to have another mac & cheese again"

S: "??Huh??"

D: "Yeah, it's pretty flippin good."

S: "YES!"

And with that, skillet mac and cheese has become a new Dave approved recipe that can make it's way into our meal rotation. Sweet success.

Missing

2011-08-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

{Le Mode Accessories}

{Anthropologie}

I'm missing the days when I carried a purse, and stuffed it full of all MY things.

Yes, minimalism by carrying only Burts Bee's chapstick and C-Thru Lip Glass by MAC make things simple.

But I hate being stuck with chapped hands and no lotion.

And going to grab a pen and realizing I don't have one.

Or wanting to write a check, and not having my check book.

I do however have gripe water, a burp rag and some extra teeny tiny socks...

One month already?

2011-08-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been one whole month since this little lady came into our lives. Of course I had to showcase some of the people who love her lots...her family! She is one loved little girl. And we are two lucky parents.

Of course life since Shelby has come into our home has been different, but in a great way. Yes, less sleep is taxing, and the tummy aches and crying that recently started can be hard to get through, but that adorable face, chubby cheeks and big eyes make it all worthwhile! And right now, she is (thank goodness!) sleeping in her swing, on full vibration to the sound of rain with birds chirping. Whatever works, right? We have yet to master the art of napping. Although she desperately needs them, she wakes up so quickly if i put her in her crib during the day. Night time: no biggie. She even slept 5 hours straight last night. But daytime...apparently that's a whole different matter.

I have recovered really well. The whole process was SO much better, and can I even say, easier, than I had imagined? Of course my pain meds were very helpful for a week or two! My wonderful Mom came and stayed for the week after we came home. She was SUCH a pleasure to have around! She made coping with my new reality easier. Not to mention she cleaned, did laundry, let me nap and made my meals! I'm wondering if she wants to come back and stay again, just for kicks?!

After being cooped up in the hospital before and for her birth, getting out and about was something I had been looking forward to for a month. I am glad to say we are now out on the town, have gone to the RSM beach club, Dr. appointments, had lunch with Daddy, and made a good handful of Target trips already. Now if I can only catch a break from some crying to throw in some laundry and do my hair. Welcome to Mommyhood i guess!

Introducing...

2011-07-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

Shelby Marie Anderson!

We welcomed a new member of our family on 7.13.11 at 8:23am.

She weighed 7lbs 9oz and was 18 1/2 inches long.

We are so excited to have her here, and our family of 2 has grown to be a family of 3. I already can't imagine life without her!

The delivery was a scheduled c-section for medical reasons. Basically the risk/benefit outcome was more favorable for Mom and baby if we went with a c-section, so, weighing the decision was easy. Yes, I was bummed that I couldn't even "try" a "normal" delivery, but in the end, the process was SO much better than I had imagined it would be, and I am healing and feeling well. Most importantly, Shelby is here healthy and happy, and we are thankful for the wonderful medical professionals that were involved that made the experience, well, smooth!

Life at home has been a bit of an adjustment, but she is an amazing baby. Sleeps well, isn't fussy, is adorable to look at, and pretty much the love of my life! My Mom was here for 5 days, and I can't even say what an amazing help she was! She allowed me to catch some extra Zzzz's in the morning, made me breakfast, lunch, and did my laundry. Most of all she was able to spend quality bonding time with the babe and I, and sadly, she left today with tears shed by both of us. Meanwhile, Dave is telling her that he isn't looking forward to the time when she has homework and he has to help her...

Let's take this step by step Dave! She's only a week old!

Not the "plan"

2011-06-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

My last day of work was supposed to be yesterday, Friday 6/24.

I was going to start swimming in the evenings and relax and float around.

There were things to clean, nesting that I had the urge to do and laundry in the dryer.

Relaxing and grabbing lunch with my friends was on my to-do list.

But apparently life has other plans...because

I've been here since Tuesday night.

Monday at my Dr.'s appointment I was told i needed to be done with work.

Looked like pre-eclampsia was creeping up.

My feet were horribly swollen.

My blood pressure was going up.

So the Dr. ordered tests, and me to admit myself for observation.

I cried. Alot.

I showered.

I packed an overnight bag.

I left the house in my terms, a mess.

And i've been in since then.

Luckily, I think things happened for a reason. After my initial frustration and sadness, I came to terms with it. Nothing I can do to change it...so embrace it. So here I lay. I've been laying. And laying some more. My swelling decreased. So did my blood pressure. Blood counts went up. Tests came back negative, throwing Dr's for a loop. So I stayed. And I think it's what was needed to get my body back to a better place for our little one.

I've slept. And slept. AND SLEPT.

I've watched a lot of HGtv.

And foodnetwork.

I've checked facebook more times than should be legal.

I've done some easy crosswords.

I've prayed.

I've had kind visitors to pass my time and show me they care :)

And Dave has been wonderful. I love that man. He is a do-er when it needs to be done. He has sat with me. Watched TV with me. Went home and cleaned the house for me. Went to Target for me. Has taken care of the dog. And he is in the process of getting cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory for me. He has been kind and loving. And I know it must not be easy for him.

So here's to relaxing! Now I think I'll try to finish a crossword puzzle...

I'm lucky to have...

2011-06-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

myself one of these...
A bona fide best friend.

And today is her birthday!

I love my Katie.

I suppose it's the kind of love sisters can share, but since I don't have one of those, she's mine.

I love that we met 24 years ago.

I love that we lived 3 houses away for the next 20 years.

I love that she knows everything there is to know about me.

I love that I know all there is to know about her.

I love her children.

I love that our husbands are friends and at times eerily similar.

She listens. She laughs. She makes me laugh. She agrees. She doesn't judge. She makes me feel justified, even when I'm not.

She gives advice. Honest, I-may-not-want-to-hear-it advice.

I don't tire of her. I don't get offended by her. I don't get jealous of her.

We can just "be" when we're together.

We can always find conversation.

We can not talk for a week and it never feels awkward or strained.

We can relate, even though life had different plans for us the last 8 years.

There's just one Katie to me, and I'm grateful for her!

Happy Birthday to my best friend, and here's to many more years!!

xoxo

Life, lately...

2011-04-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

So after scouring Etsy day.after.day.after.day and being completely undecisive about what our little one's room should look like, i think i've found what i want! I am convo-ing tuft love fabrics and am totally excited about where things are heading! I won't give you too much more detail yet, i'll wait until things are a bit more final. BUT I'm happy with what I've decided on! Next steps around the Anderson casa is to get a crib and paint the dresser we already have to match. I'm excited to see things take shape! I started to register thru Target.com. Sadly, Babies R Us is lame and because their 'city' space is limited in the registry, our full city name doesn't fit. SO, it says it can't match the zip code to the city. DUH. (idiots). So i guess i'll have to go in to register. On some other notes...today was my 25 week checkup. Looking good. Heartbeat was normal, peed in a cup...you know, the norm! haha. Next appoinment: Glucose test. Ick. Yesterday was our niece Kensie's baby blessing. It was nice to be together with the family. And Kensie is so stinkin' cute! The weather is great, we have a good friends wedding this weekend and the weather is supposed to be beautiful! Can't wait!

Nursery decor...

2011-03-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

Oh my. Decisions, decisions. Since the day after we found out we are having a girl, i've been thinking about nursery decor. I have criteria to start with.

There will be the following:

No Characters. Of any kind. No Winnie the Pooh, no Princesses. No thank you.

Not much pink, and even less purple...

A comfy upholstered chair. Not a la-z-boy. But one that gldes/rocks and maybe swivels.

A dresser that Dave needs to re-finish with new hardware.

I found these curtains at Z Gallery, and am thinking 'jumping off point'? And the lamp in the photo?...Love it...and found it on overstock.com...

Storytime, Best Chair glider. It was SO comfy! (In another fabric)

An ABC print from Etsy...

Now i just need to find some CUTE white crib bedding, or a pattern that will compliment the decor...any ideas?

You know it's been a while when...

2011-03-08T10:38:00.001-08:00

You have to re-type your username/password 4 times because you forgot which one it was! Duh!

So on to better news...it's been confirmed (and if you're on my FB or a personal friend, this is OLD news....

It's a GIRL!

We are excited to have a girl on the way!

I think that when we found out:

a. I was initially a bit shocked (why? who knows. I knew I was pregnant and didn't have my heart set on a boy...I guess reality just set in!)

b. I started to get excited for all things girly! The ideas started swirling in my head, and I felt like I could really plan for the future. Strollers, nursery deocr, names, cute clothes...the works!

And in other breaking news...I stumbeled upon some websites I don't know how I didn't know about before.

I was on a blog I enjoy getting ideas from, and saw these member only sights that offer daily deals at discounted prices. And I mean good stuff! Like what you ask? For example, today at Hautelook, Stila Makeup and Joes Jeans are discouted and available for sale.

On Joss and Main Analon bakeware is on sale, and the Foundary has Calphalon! Sweet!

I'm going to list them all below, and if you're not a member, please join. Not just for me, but because of the sheer amazingness of deals and online shopping opportunitites that you can open up for yourself. haha. And yes, when you join, and invite your friends, you get credit. How pyramid sheme-ish you may say...BUT there aren't any strings attached. No fees, no nothing. Just pure simple shopping joy, given from one member to another :)

HauteLook:

http://www.hautelook.com/invite/SAnderson693

Joss and Main:

http://www.jossandmain.com/store/myinvite/b6q

The Foundary:

http://www.thefoundary.com/invite/sarahanderson83

One Kings Lane:

https://www.onekingslane.com/invite/sarahanderson53

You can thank me later ;)

xoxo

From two....

2011-02-07T13:21:00.001-08:00

to three...

The time has come that our Anderson family of two is expanding!

We will be welcoming a little one in July (July 23rd is the due date)

Now to answer all the commonly asked questions:

...I'm feeling great actually! Besides being really fatigued the first trimester, I've been very lucky so far to have not been sick (knock on wood).

...I'm 16 weeks.

...No, we don't know what we're having yet. But yes, we will find out soon.

...Yes, we're excited! And so are the families! The 'reality' of it hasn't really sunk in yet though. I mean, yes, I've heard a heartbeat and seen the ultrasounds, BUT I haven't felt sick, and I haven't felt it kick, and I'm not rocking a 'real' baby bump just yet.

So there you have it, i've officially put it out there in the blogging world. How official of me...

is anyone still there?

2011-01-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

I know i haven't blogged in, well, forever, when Dave tells me it's been awhile since i've posted a blog. Yes, I know, too long.

Life around here has been somewhat the norm. We got through the Holidays. They were spent with family, just the way it should be. Sadly I have no photos of our Holiday Season.

New Years Eve we did dinner with a great group of friends and a yummy little pizza place in San Clemente. The rest of the night was spent talking and sadly, I fell asleep at 11pm, we left SC at 11:30, and arrived home just in time to turn on the T

V, watch the ball drop and feel bad for poor Dick Clark. I must have been fast asleep by 12:20 at the latest!

January has brought quite a bit of rain, making getting to and from work a bit difficult. A few detours and late arrivals to work and home made me completely over the rain after a few days. Now it's a few weeks later, and in true California style we've got almost 80 degree beautiful sunny weather! It's perfect for a nice drive, opening up all our windows and letting the breeze come through.

Mr. Gunner is growing fast, but what needs to be done must be done.

We took him in and took his manhood. He was SO out of it when I picked him up, and for the

rest of the night fell asleep on our floor and was dead to the world. He really has been a whole different dog so far this weekend. I'm sure it's due to his recovering, but I'll take this quiet, calm, sleepy pup any day.

I think i'll go make some pancakes for breakfast and enjoy the fact that I don't have church until 1pm! What bliss :)

All of DC rolled into one post

2010-11-26T15:19:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-10-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-10-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

...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

2010-09-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-19T20:21:00.001-07:00

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?"

2010-09-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

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.

2010-09-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-08-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-07-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-06-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-06-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

...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

2010-05-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

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.

the BIG apple

2010-05-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

This last week, my mother-in-law took my sister-in-laws and I to NYC! We spent 5 days in the city and saw SO much, and had such an amazing time!

It was seriously a trip of a lifetime!

I'll do a "best of" tribute with photos from our trip.

Below are pictures of us in Times Square, our view out of our hotel, and some randoms of us on the streets after we arrived. The first night we walked down the street and saw the Late Show building. We stopped in for dinner at a great little italian place right next to the Late Show studio. That first night I was still in AWE. I fell in LoVe with the city, and already can't wait to go back :)

Dear Mom, With Love

2010-05-10T12:05:00.001-07:00

Dear Mom,
I know i'm a day late, but my feelings are still the same! Thank you for all your unconditional love, support, and guidance. Thank you for raising me to be an independent person. You have not only been a wonderful example in the gospel, in your faithfullness and strength, but a good friend I can share my life, joys and struggles with.
I love you.
More than any blog post can express!
XoXo
Sarah

Greetings from NYC

2010-05-08T15:45:00.001-07:00

I totally forgot I can blog from my phone! So here's a little taste of our trip so far. It's been fantastic! I can't wait to come back, and I haven't even left yet!

This is our view from our hotel room. A nice close up view of times square!

THE statue (& an older man on the ferry).

And pickles from the carnegie deli! They serve them as appetizers, and they were pretty delish. Just wait till you see the sandwich, huge!

Well, we're off to do some shopping, but I can't wait to share all the awesomeness that we've experienced!!

NYC bound

2010-05-03T17:08:00.001-07:00

I am heading out tomorrow for an all girls week in New York City with my mother in law and two SILS!
I promise to have things to blog about once we get back!!

"Hey Sarah, look what I found!"

2010-04-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

As Dave was taking out the trash, he yells "Sarah, come check this out!" I made my way outside, to find Dave with a flashlight and really eager to show me his "find".
He flashes the light on this bad mamma.

SERIOUSLY?! I did a spider dance, let out a little scream and told him "get rid of it! Kill it!"
Dave got what any man on a mission to kill a huge black widow would.
A can of WD-40 and a lighter. haha.
But when I got back from getting the camera and Dave got back from gathering his tools to kill, it was gone! It must have known it's fate, and crawled back into the cable and phone box. Well, we're smarter than any spider, so Dave unscrewed the covers, and there she was. Dave flicked it out, and hit it to the ground.

The rest of the story went up in flames. Don't mess with the Andersons!

window update...

2010-04-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

Update: The windows are still bare. After multiple trips to Target, a visit to Ikea, looking on Bed Bath & Beyond, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware's websites, and SO many others, i have yet to find "them". The ones that I did find (and had my eye on for a long time) went on sale at West Elm.com and are now sold out! *sob sob*

So the search continues.....

feeling the need for privacy

2010-04-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

No, i'm not going private. But my large sliding glass door and kitchen window are in need of some privacy. We've lived here over a year, and all but these two windows have been properly dressed. I guess it's because
A. I wanted to do the living room right the first time and i've been putting it together little by little, but it's been a slow process.
and B. I don't go into that room too much at night. It's not seen from my main living area.
Which really, seems so weird to me. Growing up I had a fear of windows without coverings. Case in point, Katie's house. Her family room was a wall of large sliding glass doors, with a hide-a-bed looking right out it where we would sleep when i stayed over, and a HUGE DARK backyard looming outside. I was so scared to sleep in there!
SO, i need something to cover it up! I'm stuck on the kitchen window most of all.
Exhibit 1.

And also, the living room window needs help, but that will be an easier task...
Exhibit 2.

I want something to make it pop, give it some personality, and add color. I want a fun fabric, patterned, but that can work with other things, like dishtowels, and the adjoining living room... but nothing that will go out of style too fast... i need some help! Any links? photo ideas? Show me your ideas my creative blogging friends!

Many thanks!
:)

The Anderson's Annual Vegas trip, 2010

2010-03-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was our annual trip to Vegas. We go every year with Josh, Jenn, and other Anderson's and friends who want to come join in the fun of Monster Jam Finals! Dave says it's a fun night to be "trashy". haha. We stayed at the MGM, and it started out a bit rocky...but they pulled it together right before I lost it at the front desk. The rest of the weekend fell into place and we had an awesome time! Saturday we went to North LV to the pawn shop on the TV show 'Pawn Stars'.
I've never seen it, but it was interesting. The line was down the street, but the inside was just a pawn shop! Saturday night was Monster Jam, which was pretty good. I can remember better years, but it's not all about that. It's about the people and the weekend as a whole!
We went to the Coach outlets, and I left a happy happy woman! We also avoided traffic by leaving on Monday, which made the weekend seem so much longer and I think we'll always do that from now on! It was a good time, with good people, and we're already planning next year.

it must be the weather...

2010-03-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

i've got decorating on the brain again! i think it's the weather. and the time change. i love that i can get off work at 6 in the evening, get home closer to 6:45, and it's still light enough for me to do things! i can water the plants (not that i have, because we have sprinklers on timers...but i've been thinking about it!) i want to paint our guest bedroom queen bed white, and distress it. and of course, with thoughts of painting, come thoughts of lamps, art on the walls, and all the knick knacks. then thoughts of white furniture lead to thoughts of white kitchen cabinets...like this

(i don't have the source)

(from caitlin wilson design)

my dark kitchen would just be so much more airy and fresh!
well, i think this week i'll get started on the guest bed, so i'll keep you updated!

Sloppy Joe is a NO go!

2010-03-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

Last nights conversation was about dinner tonight. Since we had leftover hamburger buns, i asked Dave if he liked sloppy joes. I was totally ready for him saying something like "heck no, nasty!" or "if i don't like spaghetti, why would i like sloppy joes?". BUT, he said sure. So, I made it, according to the Lawry's packet. This is what we had.

And the result was only a half eaten sloppy joe, and this.

I can check that dinner off of any future menus!
Thanks for being a trooper.

First timer

2010-03-03T21:47:00.001-08:00

I'm blogging tonight via my phone. Well, I don't know if this will count as a legitimate post, since it's more like a trial run. I also need to focus on Modern Family, which I love and we're watching right now. Don't wanna miss Cam, love him!

P.s. Shout out to Brittany Asay for showing this to me! Go me!

- Posted from my iPhone

My boo-boo bag

2010-02-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

Last week, in a freak incident, i tweaked my lower back. (ok, ok, i was flipping my hair back and forth after a shower to get the water out, and on the downward flip...bam!) So although it's not so freakish and more ridiculous, it happened, and it hurt. So that day, i was checking out Etsy (which I LOVE!) and found these.

I fell for the fabrics, and had been thinking of getting a heating pad to soothe my muscles. I ordered it that day, and have been anxiously awaiting them ever since. It even came with a smaller eye bag for my migraines! Not that i want to get a migraine anytime soon, but when I do get my next one, it'll be much more enjoyable!

They came from Comfy Creations, which has all different kinds to help you relax and feel better.
So it came today, and i'm currently enjoying this warm lavendar scented goodness while watching the olympics.

Uncle Dave & Aunt Sarah

2010-02-21T14:48:00.000-08:00

Dave and I embarked on a new adventure last night: babysitting. This was our first time watching our neice Raegan, just us, and it was a short but lovely time! She came over sporting her footsie PJ's with Nemo and Cars in hand. Cars was hands down the winner (a fave of Dave's already). Dave and I ordered some pizza, to which Raegan kept saying "pizza? pizza?....". I whipped up some Mac & Cheese for her, and threw in a cutsie clementine for healthy measure. I think Dave likes her.
He fed her dinner, she sat on his lap for the movie, they cuddled under a blanket, she tried to get him to share his "juice" (aka Coke...) to which he told her "it's not for babies". She got ahold of our camera, and even stopped to smile for a photo op.
I got to make food, change the diaper, and say goodnight. But of course, it was well worth it, and we'd be happy to do it again, anytime!

XoXo

2010-02-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's day to all! Today so far has included church, and an unplanned trip to my work to pick up something i forgot. The rest of today will include cozying up with blankets on the couch, some olympics on TV, dinner, and quality time with the one I love :)

Happy Valentines day to my Forever Valentine!

Around this house

2010-02-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get to the gym tonight, and i like going before dinner rather than after. So i took out my friend the 'neuro fuzzy' (yes, that's really it's name!). It's my rice cooker, and a good one at that! I mean, what good would a rice cooker be without playing a little jingle to tell you it's ready?! I came home with 4 minutes remaining, great timing or what by Mr. Fuzzy? Then it played it's little jingle and kept my rice all warm and soft until the rest of dinner was ready :)

I think dave and i were either gone or had people over, every night last week. It was a wee bit busy, and i am SO glad to be home, relaxing, and watching my shows. Do i sound old lady-ish when i say "my shows"? Like it's the daily dose of As The World Turns or something? haha. But really, i know it might not be wise to admit it, but it's true. I think we have a show we watch every night of the week. Thank goodness for DVR! Speaking of shows, i have to make a plug for the best show: Modern Family! I LOVE Cam & Mitchell. I mean, how awesome are they and Lilly?! LOVE IT!

Now i'm all cozy on my couch, with this great blanket my mother-in-law got me for Christmas. Each of the 'ladies' in the family got them, lovingly handmade by Lacy & William, found here. Not only do they do the coziest lap blankets for adults, they have awesome baby blankets and other cute accessories! I got Mallory (Katie's new baby) a cute cotton/flannel polkadot one. Adorable!! I promise, it's as soft and comfy as it looks!

....and of course, a quick shout out to my favorite Ashley, and her firm email reminders of my need to update my blog more than once a month. <3 you Ash!

bring on the rain

2010-01-17T16:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Saturday, and a productive one at that. In the corner of our garage was a stack of things.

things that needed to go somewhere.

things that we (I) just let sit there for too long.

SO, before i took off and got my new project started, Dave and I cleaned. for the most part, the "things" were boxes of my life.

boxes that my parents would randomly give me to take home after i got married and moved out.

boxes that pretty much held all my past.

photographs, letters, momentos, more pictures, scrapbooks...you name it!

poor dave continued to clean the garage while i would pop up from behind the boxes of stuff and say

"look dave, OH MY GOSH, you have to see this...it's my pager from like forever ago..."

and

"DAVE! Look at this picture of me and Katie! We were like 15, and at the river..."

and

"Dave, look, have you seen my first car? the blazer? you must have before! right? well look, it's a picture of when i first got it..."

Dave would patiently (at first) humor my trips down memory lane, until the minutes turned into hours. He was a good husband though! I finally condensed my past into 1 smallish sized box. i couldn't help but feel a whole bunch of emotions, and actually a little guilty about getting rid of so much.

Anywho....

On to more happy things! after cleaning up yesterday i started on my new project

.reinventing a coffee table.

dave got me all set up in my new work station. i forgot to get a "before" picture, but here's a "during" picture.

Today, i've picked up around the house, am lounging in comfy clothes, and watching the dark clouds roll in & rain start to fall. I'm ready for some heavy rain. The kind you can hear in bed at night and that makes you want to put on a fire and make some hot cocoa :)

For tonight, i'm letting something else do the work in the kitchen

If weather permits and isn't pouring too hard tomorrow, i'll see if I can get more work done on my project. And that's going to be possible because I'm OFF! Thank you Dr. Martin Luther King!

twenty-ten

2010-01-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

If you're like I used to be, you may just kind-of 'skip' reading the posts that don't have pictures. And if that is you, I don't blame you! I mean, really, what fun is an update minus the pictures?! SO, i will add a photo or two. And maybe a link, just to make it worth your reading pleasure.

With the new year, usually comes resolutions. We had a great FHE with our group last week talking about new years "goals". We each wrote down the things we wanted to do or accomplish this coming year. Most of our lists got pretty long, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that i probably won't focus on more than two. I thought, it was probably more realistic for me to focus on a few. SO i narrowed it down for myself. I won't bore you with my personal goals (actually, some of them I just don't want to publicize) haha. BUT i will tell you that I have some things I will be starting soon that I am excited to get moving on!

Also, I wanted to share my favorite blogs of 2009. I know you all have your token "read daily's" so, i thought what better way to begin 2010 but show you those that i discovered in 2009.

So go, visit, read, be inspired, browse their older posts for hours (what? Me? NO!) & enjoy!

In other news around here:

My very much needed new flat iron is waiting at my doorstep (or so my UPS tracking says)
I got 5 loads of laundry done on Saturday!
My nail polish is going on 6 days with no chipping! (are these getting too cheesy?)
My bed that we thought was sagging and defective was just sagging due to a broken support underneath! It's like sleeping on a new bed! Ahhh.

life round here

2010-01-01T23:58:00.000-08:00

December was buuuusy! I think we had an event every night the second week, and this past week with Christmas & New Years has felt the same! So, even though it is a bit late, I can't pass by the opportunity to blog about this....Yep, you guessed it! Dave was Santa. He braved the red suit and handed out presents to his brother Mike's GF Jenna's family Christmas party. (got that last part?) Dave was so kind and good with all the children and family! And of course, i got a little photo op with Santa at the end of the night! Christmas was great, we got to spend time with both our families. I was also able to take a few days off this week, which started out with a very busy Monday! I was off and decided to grab a manicure before a scheduled appointment for our new FRIDGE was delivered between 1 & 3. I was pulling into Ralphs to grab some burger makings to feed the missionaries that night, when the delivery guys called. EARLY! I mean, really, who ever has their appliances delivered early?! So i made a U turn, dashed home, and as I was frantically unloading my old fridge, get two calls from Katie...hmmm...I thought i should take it seeing as how she was due on the 4th with baby #3. I answer the phone and said "Are you having a baby?" to which she answered..."I HAD a baby!" She had delivered about an hour before! So i filled up my new fridge, and dashed to Whittier to see both of them! Mallory Jackman is gorgeous, and was so mellow while I held her! I can't wait to get over there soon and see her again! The rest of the week has been just as busy.
We rang in the new year with some great friends we've made since moving to RSM. We ate dinner in San Clemente and played a little poker with the group at Kirk & Chelsea's house. It was so much fun to be with all the couples, and thanks Schillings for hosting!!

So here's to 2010!

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.

-Oprah Winfrey-

Cozy.

2009-12-14T23:09:00.000-08:00

On the couch. Happily wearing these.

While watching this! (The Holiday...one of my faves!)

I'm so glad it's the season for this movie, even though I can watch it anytime!

Julie's big birthday bash!

2009-12-12T23:10:00.000-08:00

A group of 5 of us girls celebrated Julie's birthday today by doing dinner at Benihana's and then dashed (and by dashed, I MEAN dashed!) to see the Nutcracker Ballet! Dinner was, um, an experience?! Lol. No, really, it was fun to chat with the girls, see the classic "onion volcano" and get free dessert due to a little 'vent condensation' mishap. The ballet was so neat, seeing as how it was my first ballet experience! I still am in awe of how these people stand on their toes and look so darn graceful! If i tried that...well, first of all, i wouldn't. So i'll stop at that! :) Now i'd like to see an even more "professional" ballet and expand my experiences! I even saw two of my little preschoolers during intermission. It was a great evening, with great people, and was happy to have a reason to do it all!

Happy Birthday Julie!!

Deck the halls

2009-12-05T00:46:00.000-08:00

It's was pretty late, but we couldn't wait!

Last night we bought our tree with Leslie, David & baby. When we got home tonight we turned on the Sirius 'holly' channel, turned up the heater, and got to trimming the tree!

900 lights, many ornaments and a few yards of ribbon later, ta-da! I love it. It feels great to be getting in the holiday spirit! I hope your holidays are under way too!

{Baby checking out their tree}

{Our tree!}

A little Saturday yardening

2009-12-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a fun day. We went to the swapmeet with the Andersons, then lunch at Wahoos, and in non Sarah style, skipped shopping at South Coast to come home with Dave and do some yardening. Yes, i think i've used my new word here before. Yardening. Not quite yard work, not exactly gardening.

Back in July for my birthday, Dave gave me a gift card to work on a section of our front yard that needed love. Well, alot of it needs love, but we decided to start with the patch in front of the front door. It needed some shrubbery, something to add a little privacy, seeing as how we're a corner lot. It was sprinkling a little, but we grabbed a cart and got familiar with the "boxwood" section.

Before

After!

We had a good time, the weather was great, and now our front yard is looking much improved! Oh, there's much more to do, but it's all about baby steps!

Now bring on the Holidays!!

Thankful

2009-11-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is done. The dinner has been eaten, we've hugged & kissed my family goodbye, we're home now, and I wanted to reflect on some things that I'm thankful for.

1. My family. Mom & Dad. Small in numbers, but perfect for me.
2. My husband Dave.
3. The Gospel, and the peace it brings me.
4. A home of our own.
5. Nasal spray, and it's amazing ability to take away my allergy stuffed nose.
6. My Aunt Chrissy, and the tradition of The 24 days of Christmas.
7. In-Laws that have always made me feel more than comfortable and loved.
8. Christmas music as soon as Thanksgiving is done.
9. My niece Raegan, and how stinkin cute she is!
10. Family who are not just family, but friends.
11. Office night Thursdays, Wipeout Wednesdays...etc.
12. Katie & Randy. And the girls. They're like family.
13. Pedicures. Especially the part where they scrub all the dead icky stuff away.
14. Sweat pants on a chilly night.
15. A husband who is very handy around the house.
16. Down. Down sofa cushions, down pillows, down comforters...
17. A mom who listens and listens....and listens even more.
18. Our safe neighborhood and city.
19. Friends from the ward, and those we've met because of them.
20. Getting snail mail from Mom & Chrissy.
21. A husband who vacuums, really well.
22. Coupons. In any money saving form.
23. How my family says "Shut Up". Alot. (noticed that today. very funny!)
24. The blessings of tithing.
25. Days off of work to spend with loved ones.

I'll end it for now. But know that I could go ON and ON!
I hope everyone enjoyed their day, took time to be thankful, and are as excited for the Holiday season as me!!

xoxo

Happy Turkey Day

2009-11-25T17:42:00.000-08:00

It's almost 6pm, and I'm still at work, but my mind is not :)
Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to be employed! But... I am totally looking forward to the next 4 days off!

Tomorrow Dave & I head to Whittier, ooops, I mean La Mirada now, to spend time with my family. I'm SO looking forward to good food, time to relax, some sleeping in this weekend, and maybe some Christmas shopping. Maybe. (We've never done Black Friday, and to be honest i'm not sure if I want to start.)
And in the meantime, i hope that these "allergies" that have left me battling a sinus headache, scratchy throat, and now an oncoming cough, go away! Wouldn't that be nice?!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

dilemma...

2009-11-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking, or maybe I should say, dreaming. The focus of my daydreams?

This.

I want to really tackle this room, but i'm coming upon some issues.
A. $$ (there's none to be found around here for decorating and purchases)
2. The perfect design.

So, in light of #A's reasoning, i'll continue with my "dreams".

Today, i came upon this site. And found these!

I've seen the fabrics many times, but for some reason, i haven't ever gone to the Schumacher site. SILLY ME!! Now i'm thinking fabrics, chairs, upholstery, drapes, area rugs, lamps...it's kind of how Dave describes how his mind works when he starts thinking about cars...overload!

So, fellow friends, some of which are very decorating saavy, any ideas on what to do with this pretty much blank slate of a room?

what happened?

2009-11-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

to my motivation? three hours ago it was noon. and i had already had an hour long conversation with my bestie Katie, taken a long mile or 2 walk around our neighborhood, done a load of laundry AND watched my DVR-ed episode of Real Housewives of OC (which im so excited has begun its new season!)....now, three hours later, all i've managed to do is shower and do my hair, pull on some sweats and eat a PB & J sandwich. the dusting that i was going to do has not been done and the other loads of laundry have yet to make their way into the washer. but...i did manage to stumble across this beauty of a home, aka 11 Bonita, via urban grace interiors.

It is gorgeous! I love the spanish revival look, and apparently there are so many of them in this Alabama neighborhood! How fun! So if you have a minute or 5, go check it out.

Happy Weekend!

2009-10-31T11:41:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!

I'm really glad it lands on a Saturday today. Not that Dave and I are doing anything over the top, but still, it's nice. Well, Saturdays are nice anyway you slice it! I took Friday off of work, spent the morning doing some baking, met Dave and family at Moreno's (my favorite Mexican food place in Orange), stopped by and dropped off goodie bags to some of the girls in my ward, got a manicure, spent a few hours at Leslies, and then got some dinner at 'Bad to the Bone' in San Juan with the Brady's. Phew. Long day, but totally fun!

Today we slept in. AHHH. So nice. And Dave's friend Aaron is moving back to Cali as I type. So around 2 we're going over so Dave can move some heavy stuff and say WELCOME! Tonight is a family party at Leslie and Davids. I'm excited to see all the cute trick or treaters, spend time with family, and especially see our favorite niece, who will debut her trick or treating as a bee. SO CUTE!

So whatever you do, enjoy!

Ashley Turner, this one's for you!

2009-10-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

*Please read the email correspondence below for the highlight of my day, and a not-so-gentle reminder that I do indeed, still have a blog, and it needed a new post!*

Dear Sarah....
Your blog is feeling neglected as it has not been updated since the beginning of the month. In turn, your friend Ashley has also been feeling neglected because she regularly checks your blog and is no longer satisfied with the cool Halloween door mat you found at Target and would like to know what else you have been up to. If you could remedy the situation at hand, we will all be delighted!

Thanks for your time,
Ashley
_______________________________________________________________________________

Dear Ms. Turner,

Your request has been received. In light of my busy schedule and lack of photographic evidence, I have not posted in a while. I was unaware of such a demand for my lifes happenings, but given your sincere email, I will do my part to remedy this situation. Please be advised that my schedule is full the next three nights, but i hope to carve out time this evening to fulfill your request for something other than my skull doormat to be the top post on my blog! I do hope this response is satisfactory, and look forward to your kind comments on my upcoming post!

Best,
Sarah
_______________________________________________________________________________

Now on to the simple, yet hopefully satisfactory, post!

We just got back from "FHE" at the Schillings. We had a great time, met a few new couples, and enjoyed seeing their new/remodeled home! (Looks great you two!) I'll post picks from last weekend and our sushi night after Chelsea posts and I steal them from her page!

Can October seriously be coming to an end?! We have added a few new things besides our "cool Halloween doormat we found at Target".

The spiderwebs are up...

The lights are strung....

and the candy's ready to be handed out!

In non-holiday updates, Dave got in the mood to "re-do" his workbench area in the garage. I thought I had a 'before', but apparently I don't. So here's the 'almost done'.

More black paint is needed for the upper cabinets. And of course there still aren't any craftsman red tool chests...But it's most definitely a fabulous improvement!! I love when Dave gets in the moods to just take on a new project, and finish it. (eh-hem, upstairs bathroom needs some final TLC...)

Well, that's all for tonight. You're welcome Ash :)

xoxo

finally fall

2009-10-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

ahhh, today has been amazing! besides getting my hair done (always a favorite of mine) the weather has been perfect! last night, on a sarah initiated target trip, dave got into the spirit of halloween. it started with the doormat...and soon i found that dave was totally on board with getting some purple and orange lights to string in the trees, bushes, and outline our front window. i got busy stretching out some spiderwebs this evening, and later we'll finish the light projects. i hope our neighborhood gets into the spirit of things (like les & davids new neighborhood!) i'll post those later tonight or tomorrow.

also, i've been waiting to show you all my new wreath! i found the seller, Two Inspire You, from Etsy via Our Suburban Cottage in an ode to sprucing up front doors. I AM SO PLEASED! i love the one i picked, and may end up grabbing another in red/green christmas colors for some real holiday cheer! ahhh...so in love!

and the inside of the Anderson home is also feeling a bit more fall-ish...

i brought out some decor, and of course, the scents of fall! i found a pumkin pie candle from illuminations, which i believe is no longer in business?! i loved that store SO much. it was a favorite of mine. i loved their smells. so i was stoked to find it at home goods for like 1/3 of the price! love that place!

lately

2009-09-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

helllllo.

i kinda don't know what to post about! life has been normal, i guess. haha. last friday night dave and i went to the other rancho (cucamonga) to have dinner with josh & jenn. we had dinner at a new steakhouse, which was ok...but at least we branched out beyond red robin! (right jen?...if you're reading!) we always <3 hanging out with them. it's fabulous to be family & friends at the same time. and on that note...saturday, after a day of yardening, we had les & david over for some steak dinner! and as an added bonus, baby fell asleep on our couches, which gave us extra time to spend with them! we are also excited because they will soon be our within the city neighbors! woo hoo! i'm so excited for them. it's been a long time coming, and they've been more than patient!

oh, and in other moving news, my parents are buying a place! it's bitter sweet for me. (sorry to describe it that way mom). it's sweet, because i KNOW my parents are SUPER happy about this amazing step in their lives and i share in that. bitter because it was the house i grew up in, and that house, and all the memories, will no longer be where i can go "home" to. but i am excited for this change in their lives and how peaceful they are about it!

well friends, since dave has dashed out to bryan cowdells, i think i'll finish up the rachel zoe project, and go read in bed. which was my nightly ritual...until i got married. apparently the light disturbes daves sleep.

xoxo

Well, hello lovely

2009-09-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Can i just start with this...
I am SO excited!

I have been wanting to get a brown leather sofa for our family room since we moved in. I've looked, casually, for one off and on. I was on craigslist this weekend, and happened upon a listing. It was pretty much one line. So I saved the listing. And went back to look at it like 10 times that day and the next. After an email to the owner, and some impulsiveness on my part, Dave and I drove down to Newport Beach. The people's house was totally awesome, modern with dark hardwood floors. Well, short story long...meet my new sofa!

Now i'm going Google crazy. Rugs, pillows, thinking lamps, frames, and coffee tables, but especially pairing the sofa with some chairs. I ideally want to find some wingback chairs and get them re-upholstered. Something like this...

or this...

From Pottery Barn

with some awesome patterned pillows...
Oh my gosh, i have to stop, i'm getting too overwhelmed!!

just what i needed

2009-09-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

annicole over at our suburban cottage gave me some needed inspiration tonight! i have been thinking of how to spruce up our front door area, and have been thinking "wreath". but, given this would be my first real wreath experience, i'm wanting to do it right! also, i have an opinionated husband, who said just twenty minutes ago "i hate wreaths". just great.

but wait....introduce the Etsy seller toinspireyou. guess what? in ten minutes time, dave said, " i totally like that" and "what if we painted our front door?" "HELLO! Dave!" i said..." let me show you this blog i JUST read!!" of course, he said "no, no that's ok..." but i persisted, and here we are, with a little inspiration from annicole, we paint shopped our door, just for fun.

our door now

door after (like my hand paint shopped wreath for the finshing touch?)

any other suggestions on door color? i'd love your ideas!
now, i know the front area is a little, sparse, for a nice word. but not to worry, my birthday present from dave was a lowes gift card to plant hedges along the brickwork, in front of those lights, for some added privacy and landscaping. also, i need a potted plant on the step, to the right of the door. something like this maybe?

from ballard designs

i'm seriously so excited to get a wreath and get moving on sprucing up our front entrance!

September 15th

2009-09-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Tuesday marked our 2 year anniversary Two whole years?! Already?! Seriously, time has flown by. And it has been great. I am so gateful for Dave, and all he does for us. We have had alot of things happen in the last two years, and I am glad for where we are because of it all! xoxo

Tuesday we celebrated by going to work, getting off at the normal times, and then catching some dinner at one of our fave's, Cheesecake Factory. I was able to work in a quick trip across the mall to Crate and Barrel, and with true control, left empty handed. We took some delicious cheesecake home, and called it a night! Low key and simple, pretty much. Just what I was looking for, totally!

This weekend we are here, celebrating.

Dave made us chocolate chip pancakes for breafast, and on the agenda today and tomorrow:

*Relaxing

*Some antique-y decor shopping on Del Mar

*A nap

*Homemade mac n' cheese for dinner

*More realxing

*A walk to the pier

*Another nap

*Some manly car shows on Spike

* Some HGTV to counter the manly car shows

could it be? is fall here?!

2009-09-15T22:17:00.002-07:00

with the weather cooler, no A/C necessary, and a nice evening breeze coming through our windows, i can't help but be SO excited about FALL! i mean, really, aren't you all totally anxious about all the fun stuff that this season brings?! here's a little taste of what i'm totally ready for!

from emmie cakes

from martha stewart

from thrifty decor chick

who needs order?

2009-09-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

Since i've been quite the lagger on posting the rest of Europe, i'll skip to my favorite place. Roma. aka, Rome. Pretty much amazing. I couldn't believe I was standing IN THE colosseum! I couldn't help but want to come home and become a history major! I loved everything about it. We went to St. Peters Bascilica, the Vatican City, and Colosseum. I'll let pictures speak for themselves about the coolness of it all!!

Amazing ceilings at St. Peters

A pope. Yeah, it's really him. Just with a mask covering his face & hands.

design on the brain

2009-09-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

i am forgoing the europe posts tonight to simply blog about my love of all things related to decorating. you name it, i get that butterfly feeling in my stomach thinking about how it would look in my house, where i could put it, how i could justify buying it, how i can re create the look for less, etc. and it's a good thing dave jumps onboard for alot of what i do. actually, dave is the brawn behind my brains. ok, so we share the brains part. and i am about 25% of the brawn

(the 25% that takes place at lowes, decorating stores, scouring websites, homegoods...)

SO, in my ongoing search for anything i can bring to life in my house, i've been checking out lots of blogs in the blogging world lately, and adding them to my 'must check daily' lists. i thought i'd share some that i love with you. you probably are already blog stalkers of them too...but for good measure i will share.

Our Suburban Cottage- cute, good links to fun stuff, and very cottage-y!
Urban Grace Interiors- An interior designer, who has fabulously fun taste, and a fun way of blogging about it and more.
Fly Through my Window- Sister to Urban Grace Interiors. Adorable posts, real life topics, fun fresh photography, and a country setting i'm slightly jealous of!
The Lettered Cottage- Clean, simple, and realistic before & afters.
Caitlin Wilson Design- LOVE her work. Stumbled across her, and i check back often.

now that i've shared some of my fave's, return the favor! i'd love to add to this list!

Next Stop, Spain

2009-08-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

Our first stop in Spain was Vigo. We had a few stops in Spain, Vigo, Cartagena and Barcelona. In this post i'm going to mush all our Spain spots into one post. Otherwise, my Europe posts would be forevvvver long! So lets get to it!

[vigo]

[barcelona]

cherbourg, france

2009-08-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

i decided to keep good on my semi-promise from earlier. i am feeling a little more blogger-ish tonight, so i'll post about stop #3 on our cruise, but i 'll have to detour from Spain like i said earlier.

stop #3 was Cherbourg France. it was a cool little fishing village. i don't remember too many specifics about it (other than the fishy smell, bleh) but what i do remember was a very cool church and some adorable yummy little french bakery's on the street. back to the church though. we found it on the map, listed as Cherbourg's Notre Dame. my favorite part of it? the bullet holes in the cement all over the church. dave remembers it as the "place with the skate park". yeah, so we know what matters to dave, and apparently it's not centuries old historic structures.

[the.church.in.cherbourg]

[the.bullet.holes]

[dave.and.i]

[rachel.and.mom.listening.to.mass.inside]

[dave.&.mike]

[the.streets.of.france]

[random.street.shot]

[another.sweet.old.building]

please forgive me

2009-08-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

i just haven't felt like blogging lately! i'd rather read in bed. i hope to get to it tonight...?
:)

back home, and back to decorating

2009-08-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

Dave and I had a little date night last night. Ok, we're childless, so everytime we go out is pretty much a date night...but anyways. We went to Jerry's Dogs, which if you haven't had, is delicious! We dined on fine soda's, cheeseburgers (plain) and then I popped the question. "Do you think, that umm, maybe when were done, we could, maybe, i dunno...just pop into Home Goods? Cause it's just right here, and we have the whole evening...ya know?" haha. He said yes. After insisting that my suggestion was premeditated, which is completely untrue. It was absolutely spur of the moment and in no way thought out beforehand.

So the result of our date night is this great new addition to our home. I brought her home to test her out in our master bath...and i think she'll stay! She's a shade of light grey/blue with some creams and a charcoal color. (there's not much natural light, so the picture isn't as good as it could be). I think she fits into the scheme very well. Anything tan/brown would have just gotten lost in the tile. And i need to try not to get caught in a tan funk! Although it's still not bold, it goes well since the bathroom opens up into the master.

Say what?

2009-08-21T14:01:00.001-07:00

On our trip, alot of time was spent with our fabulous family. And with all this time that was spent together, were some memorable quotes and such. I realized that if I don't get it onto paper (or blog) then I won't remember. Les, anyone else that was there, feel free to add things. And i'll update as memories pop into my head.

"It's windy enough up there to blow over a baby. Twice. I know from experience."

"Your a peach from a vineyard"

"Santa Maria"

"You can't say that here. Stop saying Santa Maria!"

"If it's too cold to lay out, you can just sit there and look at Africa"

"Look, there's a naked man on his balcony!"

"Look, Nascar is dancing!"

"I will survive...." sung by Rachel

"I twy, and I twy..."

"If I hear one more ABBA song I am going to kill myself"

"It's so hot, milk was a bad choice"

"Can I put my (digital) camera through the X-Ray machine? Won't it ruin my film?"

Vive la France!

2009-08-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

Our second stop on the cruise was La Havre, France. Of course, with Paris being less than 2 hours away, thats where we spent our day! With only one day, and a limited amount of hours, we had to try to cram as much as we could into what time we had. SO, like all good tourists, we took the double decker red bus around the city. We hopped off and on thru the day, and were able to see more than I had expected to see. I have to go back here someday. There was so much to take in! My favorite part: the Eiffel Tower. I was just amazed! I think Les got a picture of me "taking it all in so I could remember".

I'll show you our day in photos, because it's much more fun than reading...and i don't feel like typing all the details. But in 2 words, overwhelmingly amazing!

(oh, and if you notice no Dave, it's because while we were in Paris, Kevin, Mike and Dave were at Normandy. Which maybe he can guest post about? haha...yeaaaah riiight!)

[THE.tower]

[on.the.red.bus]

[arc.de.triomphe]

[relaxing.on.the.tour]

[lunch.at.a.little.sidewalk.cafe]

[the.louvre.and.the.fam]

[sister.in.laws!]

[notre.dame]

didn't get to go in. next time!

[randoms]

[baby.takes.eiffel.tower]

[the.opera]

There are alot more pictures, that the family has, that I don't have copies of yet. So i'll have a "best of" post later!

Out of our trip, there are two places i want to go back to.
1. Paris.

2. Rome (which you'll have to wait to see!)

Stay tuned for: Spain!

I'm baaack!

2009-08-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

I'm back! I have mixed feelings about being home. I was sad to say bye bye to our cruise ship, having someone else clean up after me, serve me my meals, and turn down my bed at night while leaving me a little chocolate....BUT i'm glad to be in my own bed, not break a sweat just by stepping outside and to be done with flying accross the country. So I bet you're all wanting me to get to the good stuff, right?! Well i'm going to do this in installments. There's just too much for one post. We saw alot of amazing things and visited alot of fabulous places. Detail wise, we flew into London and spent the day there. We took the tube all over, and stayed the night by the airport. We left the next morning and boarded the ship. The next day we woke up in France, went to Paris, then Cherbourg, Vigo, day at sea, Lisbon, Gebraltar UK, Cartagena, day at sea, Barcelona and ended in Rome. We stayed the day there, spent the night near the airport, and flew out the next morning for home! Phew!! I can only say that by the end, London seemed like such a long time ago, but the cruise flew by!

Now for Europe stop # 1:

London, England!

[buckingham.palace]

[and.mind.the.gap!]

[parliament.at.night]

[big.ben]

[baby.in.awe]

[us.again.with.david.&.baby.in.back]

[westminster.abbey.at.night]

Stay tuned for: Paris, France!

suitcases and passports and airplanes, oh my!

2009-08-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

i'm done with work (for 2 weeks)!!!! but i'm still busy before we fly out tomorrow. i need to...
- get a pedicure & manicure
- get a massage tonight with dave
- finish packing my big suitcase
- get our carry ons packed
- shower
- eat!
- sleep

gotta run, but i'll see you all when i get back! pictures will come shortly after!!!!
can't wait to share the experience with you all!

xoxo

just checking in

2009-07-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

today was a lonnnnng day. we took my center to the oc fair. and can i say...my children were SO good! i am so happy about how beautifully well behaved they were! we saw lots of animals (chicks, steer, goats, sheep, pigs, piglets, birds....) and of course what would a trip to the fair be without some rides? so we tried to appease, key word tried, everyone. we did a 4-d mummy ride, the big slide, and a measley log ride (that they all loved). they partnered up like pros, held my hand, were quick at the bathroom breaks, did 2 finger touches while petting animals, and even said their pleases and thank yous!

i have a few, meaning at least 3, to-do lists on my phone and work desk for pre-vacation things. i have a list of carry on items to be sure to pack, a target shopping list, and a general to-do list. i like lists. they make my brain feel at ease. if it's on paper, i can refer to it, and either delete it or check it off. so rewarding! and then there are the things i keep remembering at inconvenient times, like while i'm driving. like setting up an auto mortgage payment. nothing big right?

well, i should get back to eating my pizza that dave ordered so i didnt have to cook...oh and setting up that payment!

.the frustration has passed.

2009-07-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

About my blog deleting. a few of you posted nice help afterwards. Les, I will try that control key thing next time this happens, and Cindy, i looked up the last edited version it saved, but because of my fabulously fast fingers...it was only like the first two sentences!

Ok, on to the meat of the post. Saturday for Mel's bachelorette partay we dined at The Mayan, then went to the SkyBar at the Red Lion for dancing. (Editors Note: Ash, myself, Leah and Audrey didn't dance. We chatted and sipped pina coladas).The rest of the weekend was not really documented with pictures...but there was shopping at the Park City outlets, and some laying out at the pool (with molcasalsa for lunch!)

Monday evening we walked Ash's roomates dogs, Cassius & Laila (as in the "boxers" Muhammad Ali and daughter) to 7-11 for some sodas.

Mel and Brent Hawker were married on Tuesday. The Draper Temple was amazing and Melodie looked fabulous!

And I can't leave out the homes, no more like chateaus, on the hill above the temple.

V-Ron with the sparklers we waved as the newlyweds left the reception.

It was a great little vacay. It was great to see my friends, especially now that we're growing, our lives are changing and the quality time together is fewer and far between. And thank you to my wonderful hostess with the mostess...Ashley!

anderson, party of three

{6 months}

Christmas in January

Merry

*Insert cute Christmas song lyric here*

{4 months}

my thankful list {3rd ed.}

Who knew?! (x's 2)

wicked cute

My Thankful List {3rd ed}

{3 months}

A name & a blessing

New leaf?

There's an App for That...

Anyone home?

my thankful list {2nd ed.}

2 months

fall faves

Stay classy, San Diego

A taste of heaven

Window of opportunity

One of those mornings

my thankful list {1st ed.}

Who doesn't love Costco?

My day in pictures

Dave Approved

Missing

One month already?

Introducing...

Not the "plan"

I'm lucky to have...

Life, lately...

Nursery decor...

You know it's been a while when...

From two....

is anyone still there?

All of DC rolled into one post

Happy November

Introducing...

Greetings from...

Fall & crock pot mishap

We

"What's for dessert?"

Labor Day? Yes Please.

Etsy Envy

Wanna get away

Who's that cyclist in the window?

We have...

Waterfall and some BBQ

A (not) short & sweet Saturday

The tradition continues

Life these Days...

The post that took forever...

dreamy

30 Rock and Jersey Boys

the BIG apple

Dear Mom, With Love

Greetings from NYC

NYC bound

"Hey Sarah, look what I found!"

window update...

feeling the need for privacy

The Anderson's Annual Vegas trip, 2010

it must be the weather...

Sloppy Joe is a NO go!

First timer

My boo-boo bag

Uncle Dave & Aunt Sarah

XoXo

Around this house

bring on the rain

twenty-ten

life round here

Cozy.

Julie's big birthday bash!

Deck the halls

A little Saturday yardening

Thankful

Happy Turkey Day

dilemma...

Insert cute Christmas song lyric here