Wreath

Well, I should have a million things to blog about since Bryan's birthday, but to be honest. I got nada. I should mention that Bryan got a new job, but I think most of you know that already. I should have blogged about Fourth of July, but if you look at last years--it was about the same. We recently went to Family Camp with the Twitchell side of the family, but of course I took absolutely zero pictures. I will mention that we went horseback riding and went to the Grand Canyon. Both really cool. Other than that, our lives are somewhat redundant. Still, I like the groove of our lives right now. We work, we come home and run (not together), I cook dinner while Bryan works his second job at home, and then we either read or watch a show in time to get ready for bed for the next day. I am oddly fulfilled in these types of days. It's Saturday that I have no idea what to do with myself. 

One of these days happened yesterday. Pioneer Day. I had the day off, Bryan didn't. I'm really not used to being home alone during the day. That being said, I did clean and go running. After that I decided to do this:

Of course I got the idea from Pinterest and decided to finally do it. I think it is uber cute! And thank you Pinterest for making my day not so dull.

On a random note, that night we were going to Bryan's sister's house to pick up some camping stuff and to pick Nathan and Korina up from the airport and this is what was outside. A double rainbow. Not only that, but a FULL double rainbow. I couldn't get a good picture 1) because we were driving and 2) because it was so huge, but I could see both ends and it was so clear. Anyway, random, but cool.

Bryan's Birthday

It's kind of hard to believe that Bryan turned 27 and this is his third birthday we've celebrated together. It seems so crazy to me in some ways. Well, I don't know about Bryan, but I thought his birthday was pretty darn amazing. Probably because I began the day getting all glam-ed up, going to get lunch, getting mani-pedies, going shopping, picking up a cake (all with Korina) and not getting home until after 4pm. So my day was pretty eventful already. But it's not like Bryan was sitting at home that entire time. He went and played frisbee like he does every Saturday morning and I'm sure he enjoyed some alone time without his clingy wife around. 

 This year for Bryan's birthday we went to Chef's Table. We had some gift cards and a Groupon and so only payed $40 for a $130 meal. Now that's how you pay for dinner! Chef's Table is really pretty on the inside (even if it does seem out of place). If you look at the picture below it has this whole French castle thing going on in the middle of Orem--overlooking a trailer park. Luckily the trailer park is covered with overgrown trees so you don't notice it. Still, pretty random. But like I said, the inside was really nice and the service impeccable. They keep giving you new silverware depending on the meal you ordered. They even seat you and place the napkin on your lap for you. How often do you get that? The food was pretty good too. It's no Communal, but still, it's not your average restaurant. Overall, a wonderful experience. Will we be going back? We'll see.

 Me and Bryan all dressed up. And I don't know why I always look tired in pictures. I blame the camera because I look great in person! (And I love my lace shirt.)

We actually opened gifts before we went to dinner because we had so much time before our reservation. This year wasn't like the past couple of special occasions where I've gotten him one really expensive gift (like his tablet and leather jacket and watch). Not that I didn't want too, it's just that I couldn't think of anything! This boy is so lucky that he already has everything!! Or he wanted something I wasn't willing to purchase without him being there like an accordion or guitar. So this year was multiple little gifts. One was practical (socks), one was fun (his electric helicopter pictured below), one was sporty (new frisbee shorts), one was lazy (Lord of the Rings Trilogy extended version on Blu-Ray) and one was for the both of us (I think you know what I mean). I think he really liked them all and obviously couldn't wait to try out the helicopter.

After dinner we decided to rent The Muppets because we hadn't seen it yet and it wasn't anything we had to get too involved in. Overall I think Bryan enjoyed his birthday. Plus we had a Lord of the Rings marathon the next day on his real birthday! It was a great weekend! Happy Birthday my love!! You are the most amazing husband and I am lucky to call you mine!

One HOT Date

This past weekend Bryan and I went on one HOT date. And I do mean literally! Recently we have been kind of boring and have spent our Friday nights at home watching episodes of Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica. Not that I don't love them, but there is something depressing about staying home on a Friday night, especially since Spring is here and it feels so good outside. I was determined to put a stop to our lazy days! I couldn't think of what to do until I remember being asked to go to a hot springs back in my single days and never actually doing it. Well, it was about time! So I asked Bryan if you would like to accompany me on a hike that coming Friday to a hot springs. Being uber in love with me, he just couldn't say no. 

So Friday after work we packed our backpack full of sandwiches and goodies for dinner, water, towels and flashlights (knowing that leaving after 5pm we'd be coming back in the dark) and head toward the trail. It was a 5 mile hike round trip, but that's just what we needed. It was beautiful--even if there still was snow on the ground--with a nice balmy 60-something degree weather.

We got there at the perfect time. We passed some people coming back down leaving only one other person at the springs when we arrived. We sat down and ate our dinner and met a new friend. Meet Koda. This dog was so nice and friendly. Or secretly just wanted to eat our food. I'm not for sure, but I'll take what I can get. I would totally have a dog if it was like Koda.

 We tried to take a picture, but Koda would NOT turn around. It was so funny. Still we had a great time playing as we tried to decide whether we would actually get into the springs or not. Bryan was concerned that I would get in and be all warm, then the sun would go down and I would freeze to death when I got out. I think he just didn't want me complaining all the way back to the car about how cold I was. Still, after much consideration, we decided we were going to risk it. I mean, we did just hike 2.5 (if not more) miles to get there.

 It was amazing!!!! I can't believe how warm it really was. Luckily the stream would drizzle into the springs and cool it down. In the back corner it was so hot we couldn't stand it. So we sat in the middle where it would mix together and see all the steam. We chatted with the one other guy there for awhile until another couple joined us. It was nice meeting complete strangers and just talking about randomness.

We probably stayed there for an hour and a half just soaking it all in--including the sulfur smell. I think that was the only downside. As I said before we came at just the right time. Once we were ready to go and got all packed up I think 25 people came to the springs. We were so glad to be getting out of there.

So, if any of you live around a hot springs, I suggest taking a dip. It's so relaxing! Plus it got us in the survivalist mood for Hunger Games!! YES!!

Bad Day

Wednesday was a bad day. I don't know why, but everything seemed to be going wrong. I told Bryan that I hadn't felt like I wanted to quit my job that much in a long time which is funny because my job isn't that bad and I actually enjoy it most of the time. Maybe it was just stress. Maybe I was just angry. Maybe it was just "one of those days." I don't know. But it was not a good day. I told Bryan, of course, and I'm sure the poor man felt like he couldn't do anything. What's he supposed to say? "Hey honey, it's okay. Quit your job." Yeah, I don't think so. But he did the next best thing! I got home from work and saw this.

Except without Bryan's feet. He was waiting in the kitchen. And please ignore the gross carpet. It's actually not too bad and that just happen to be the one spot with a big ugly stain.

 And he had the fire crackling.

 And he was standing right where I took this picture waiting with a big hug. I cried.

 Doesn't this meal look amazing!

I know that I am so lucky. I'm tearing up now just thinking about. I am so blessed to have my wonderful husband who obviously loves me a whole lot. And that day ended up being one of the best.

Jewelry Table

So the other day I was at work talking to my friend Samantha when I noticed her watch. It got me thinking that I don't wear my new watch as often as I would like. Then I thought about how I don't wear a lot of my jewelry because I can't see it. It's tucked away in a cabinet and somewhat hard to get at. That's when I decided I needed a jewelry table. Someplace where it could all be displayed. And hence my search began. 

I was first thinking of making a table from the Ana Whites website, but thought I would check the local thrift stores to see if there was anything to makeover that might have more character than anything I could make myself at this time. I drove to the Spanish Fork DI because the Provo one never has anything good. While there I found this:

It was the perfect size for what I wanted. So after long deliberation I decided to take it home. I took it apart and painted it with a primer that doesn't require sanding (thank goodness!).

I then painted it a latex black enamel with I think 5 coats. It felt like it took forever to dry! But I think it turned out really well. I'm very proud of myself. :)

 So here it is all finished!

It is perfect so that now I can see all my jewelry. And it's all gold and silver and shiny, just the way that I like it. Plus it has a glass top to make sure I don't scratch it up. And for once I did it all by myself! I'm sure Bryan is so proud of me too.

Christmas Adventures: Part II

I thought that I should finally sit down write about the rest of our Christmas adventures. Let's see....

First off, we listened to Brandon Sanderson's new book The Alloy of Law on audiobook on the way down. Soooo good, but I seriously thought it was supposed to be a stand alone novel, only to find out at the end of the story that it is obviously going to be a series. That's great because that means we get more, but it also means that I have to wait for each book to come out--that's the hard part. I highly recommend that everyone jump of the bandwagon and read everything by Brandon Sanderson and I suggest starting the the Mistborn trilogy.

The first couple of days in Henderson were pretty quiet. We just lazed around, did a little shopping and met up with some of Bryan's old friends. Can I just mention that furniture in Vegas is much cheaper than in Utah? We also spent some time going to see the newest films, a la Sherlock Holmes and Mission Impossible. Both really great entertaining movies. In no way disappointed. We also spent some time practicing the music to the cantata that the whole family sung in on Christmas Sunday. Literally, the whole family--even the in-laws. Dad Stiles was the conductor so you can see why we all joined. It was really amazing, probably one the best ward choir I've ever sung in.

On Wednesday we began our adventure inside an adventure. We went to California!! Bryan had this itch the week, or two or three, before Christmas to go to the beach and with only a 4 hour drive being the distance, we hoped back into the car and sped off. The day we got there we went straight to the beach, 1) because that was the whole point and 2) because we couldn't check into the hotel yet. Which, a little side note, we always wait to book until the day of on Priceline so that we get a 4-star hotel for $60--which is exactly what we did for this trip. Yee-haw! The ocean is so beautiful and settling in a way. Sadly the water was really cold (obviously being December and the west coast) so we didn't get in it.

It obviously did nothing for my hair either (which was perfectly straight that morning).

Some nice stranger offered to take our picture for us.

Notice that we rolled up our pants to walk in the sand and water.

It was wonderful! That night, after making it to the hotel where we had valet parking, we went for sushi. Yum!! I love sushi. I don't really get how people don't like it, but that's coming from the girl who won't eat oatmeal, so I'm going to start right there. But it is one thing that Bryan and I can always agree on. We also spent some time in the hot tub. Sadly it wasn't as warm as I thought it would be.....at least for a hot tub. Still,  we had fun until all the band nerds (which I feel perfectly justified in saying because I was one) came down. Apparently the Parade of Roses was going on.

The next day was probably the funnest of all (and I know that funnest isn't technically correct). We went to the happiest place on earth. Literally. The flier told me.

That's right people--Disneyland!!! It was so much fun even if it was crazy busy. And look at that street--spotless! Everything is so cool! And the animatronics were amazing!!! I almost thought they were real people acting. Plus everything is so kid-friendly--you don't have to worry about mean people.

Our parking receipt.

The shows and parade were great. And I love how their fast-pass system is really fair so that everyone gets to have some without paying more money. We were able to ride almost everything we wanted even with all the crowds. 

The one "roller coaster" they have. It's all about the other rides here.

Their haunted mansion was in a Nightmare Before Christmas theme for the holidays.

I just LOVED this picture of Bryan! He looks like he's having so much fun. I just look weird.

There was one of me and I just looked terrified. It was the Hollywood Tower Hotel/Twilight Zone ride. It's the kind that drops you a gazillion feet straight down. I really hate those rides. I basically just scream my head off. You can ask Bryan just how well I take those type of rides. Funny side note--I was wearing my stretch "Y" shirt (as pictured above) and Bryan was wearing his Woot shirt (their icon is a big exclamation point) so that when we stood next to one another it looked like....Y! Everyone kept saying Yahoo around us. 

That was a fun, long day. So worth it. Next time--Magic Mountain.

That night we dragged ourselves into bed and immediately fell asleep. We woke up late the next day and packed everything up. We were going to go get breakfast, but couldn't find the location (stupid GPS with non-existent Corner Bakery). We were going to give up until we remembered that the guy who parked our car mentioned a Cuban restaurant that everyone loves. Neither of us had ever had Cuban before....who has? Bryan and I know that we love food. But not just any food--good food. Good, exotic, usually expensive food. We'd rather spend $100 on a dinner than buying clothes or other random things. So we had to hit up this Habana place. It was in the craziest little shopping area. It was like a hipster, new age, grunge, storage units type of place. But don't get me wrong though. It was really cool and I felt very chic and Californian. I mean, we saw a woman selling hats for $200, but the art/water feature was of old oil drum (type things) pouring into a concrete pool with an old 50's trailer next to it. I hope you get the vibe I'm trying to describe here. I only store I recognized was an Urban Outfitters. We had about 10 minutes before the restaurant opened for lunch so we went window shopping. I wanted to get a hobo style maxi dress that everyone is wearing, but couldn't find one. However, Bryan let me get a shirt that was on clearance just so I could have something from Cali. Luckily it was actually 50% off all clearance so it was only $10--worth it to me. Anyway.....back to the food. It was AMAZING!! I will always thank that valet parking guy for suggesting it. I had a roast over beans and rice and it was so succulent and the flavor was wonderful! Bryan had some type of streak with pickled onions I think. It was all delicious and of course we forgot to take a picture until it was all eaten. However, we remembered with dessert. Behold.....

My chocolate cake surrounded in chocolate with chocolate mousse and chocolate syrup. 

Bryan's fried bananas with ice cream and a glaze that I can't remember.

I cannot tell you how great it was and I would love to go back just to eat here and now how I want to find all the little places like this so that I can always eat amazing food. After eating we hopped into the car and proceeded to drive back to Henderson. Sadly everyone and their dog was going to Vegas for the New Years celebrations so a normally 4 hour trip took 7 hours, but we had more audiobooks to keep us occupied.

I'm sure we did other things along the trip as well, but this is WAY too long anyway, so I will end the adventure here. Thanks for coming along.

Christmas 2011

 Oh, where to begin. I guess I'll start with a song. "On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me....." That was my theme this year. I got the idea from--Pinterest, of course. I actually did the 12 days leading up to Christmas instead of the days after, but you get the idea. So here we are:

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...1 custom T-shirt. 

If you don't understand the shirt I will direct you to Bryan's blog.

Day 2...2 cherry chapsticks.

Bryan loves his chapstick. And only the cherry kind.

Day 3...3 skinny ties.

I'm really proud of these. I "skinny-ed" them myself. They are just some DI ties that I cut, ironed and hand-sewed to make them skinny. 

Day 4...4 kit kat fingers. 

Under that in tiny print it says "literally 'fingers'--I looked it up." Weird, but it's one of Bryan's favorite candies and it's perfect that it comes in fours.

Day 5...$5 Movie. 

I was lucky on this one, because I was just going to get a DVD, but then Bryan and I were talking about movies and he made the comment about "what-would-be-the-point-of-ever-buying-a-DVD-again-when-there-is-Blu-ray." Well, crap for me since Blu-rays aren't exactly as cheap as DVDs, but low and behold Wal-mart had a Blu-ray sale. Thank you Wal-mart for your cheapness.

Day 6...6 pack of rootbeer. 

Yes I know that the tag says IBC and that was what it was supposed to be, but I went to 3 groceries stores and they were all out, so I was left with Henry Weinhard's. It's not too bad.

Day 7...$7 Messy Look Hair.

I was going to do 7 ounces, but that's a lot of hair product and I didn't know if he'd like it. This is a hair wax type product and since Bryan is growing out his hair I thought what would be better than that sexy/messy hair look.

Day 8...8 cups of Chocolate milk.

And not just any chocolate milk--BYU Creamery chocolate milk. Yum. We both love chocolate milk. A testament is our wedding where we served it. 

Day 9...$9.99 cheese plane.

Bryan kinda picked this one out himself because he is picky about his cheese slicers--his words, not mine.

Day 10...$10 water bottle.

He had one just like this and then lost it at a frisbee tournament. He liked it so much I had to replace it.

Day 11...11 point Scrabble word.

I think this is by far my most ingenious one. 

 I knew we both wanted to see Sherlock Holmes, but I didn't know how to fit is into 1 through 12. Hence I was playing Larissa in Words with Friends and I thought, I wonder if I can work a Scrabble word. Holmes fit perfectly--11 points. I'm a genius.

 Day 12...12 reasons I love him.

No picture, but it was a letter and way to personal to let ya'll read it.

Yep. That's what I did for Christmas.....well, actually, leading up to Christmas. On Christmas day Bryan only got one gift from me. A Galaxy Tab 10.1. Yeah, I love that man. (And my parents who were so gracious to help me out since I couldn't afford a $500 tablet myself.) Let's just say that he was pretty darn excited. I don't think he actually registered it when he opened it.

As for me, Bryan loves me too. He bought me some euro pillow for our bed. We've had the pillow cases forever and he finally bought to pillows to fill them. I love it. We now have 11 pillows on our bed. I think he thinks it's a bit much, but I think it looks like a big, comfy, cozy bed now.

He also got me my OWN UnderArmor so that I don't have to steal his all the time when I'm cold and I know we are going some place where I know it will be ever colder. I got jean needles for my sewing machine so now I can turn all my ugly, frumpy jeans into skinny ones. We got a picture frame with STILES in it. I'll have to take a picture so that everyone can see it. We got it from Craig and Sarah (Bryan's brother and sister-in-law for those who don't know.) I love that I was about to make one of them, but now I got it for free and didn't have to any of the work. :) We also got a journal book from Uncle Ken and Aunt Becky. It is really funny--it's a graph/statistical journal. Like a pie chart of what type of movies we watch and stuff like that, how much time we spend cooking, etc. We got a marble statue of Christ from Mom and Dad Stiles along with Amazing (a movie about Jimmer I think) and a Brian Regan CD. Man that guy is funny. And Jamie and Aaron (really just Jamie, I think) got us a Christmas quilt. It is beautiful!! She must have worked really hard on it. Other than that my big gift from Bryan was a Kindle!! Yay!!! Now I can read everywhere with a tiny, little, skinny electronic thing. I love it. I love him. I love Christmas. A lot more happened over Christmas, but I will have to post that later.