date night at the mall

this was from a couple weeks ago.
i am not a big fan of malls.
i don't know if i ever will be, but sometimes you just have to go and make the most of it.
so we did.
(sorry all my pictures are with my iphone. my canon is getting fixed)

portmanteau

photography by jon madson in washington

these pictures got me so excited for fall!

do you remember the wedding bridals i did for the sweet bride who had cancer?  well her photographer kris from burnt exposure photography posted her pictures.  so lovely.

want to make 'better than martha could' candied apples?  now you can.

some inspiring photos to make indoor vegetation come to life.

i wouldn't mind traveling to greece after seeing what it looks like.

that friend of mine i have mentioned that had her wedding from "the House That Lars Built" had her pictures posted everywhere on the web.... here is one example.

get your gravy practice on with this recipe... mushrooms and they are low in the numbers...

next weekend i get to work with this makeup artist in LA for a wedding.  she is gooood.

tid bit fact:

Psychologists have shown it takes between 90 seconds and 4 minutes to decide if you fancy someone.

Research has shown this has little to do with what is said, rather

• 55% is through body language
• 38% is the tone and speed of their voice
• Only 7% is through what they say

interesting fact. yeah?  

hope ya'll have a lovely weekend.  

i get jackson an extra weekend; and i'm loving it.

england

this weather has me missing a place.
england.
my anne friend is from england and scotland and took some gorgeous pictures of it.

yoga stocks

a few months ago i was asked to do a yoga photoshoot in st. george utah.
it was a big istockphoto event they do every year so this was my second one i was invited to.

there are thirty plus photographers there all using getty images (the highest level + price) from all over the world.  trying to understand the german photographer was the toughest.

i don't normally share these but i thought they turned out kind of fun and different.

 allpictures are by the copyright and photographer.

new preschool show

last week jackson performed a little welcome show for us parents.

of course i am a typical mom and took this many pictures... and of course there are more...


then after the songs, they group hugged.


i really like his new class.  he comes home from school everyday with fun stories, cute pictures he made for me and a new dance he learned.

so glad i was a nanny for so many years. i remember this phase in my past kids i tended to being this great but even better when you have one of your own!

jack ness

jackson has been a riot lately.  just full of so much personality, spunk and non-stop laughing.

he is also sporting a new do.
shaved to the brim.
he wanted to match his uncle blake.
he says when he touches his hair that it's soft one way and not soft the other.
oh buzz cuts.  i kind of like them.
(these pictures below are our recent travel adventures to and from LA + SF)

at SFO we have to say hi to his eel in the tank.

a boy of many talents:

- jackson's teacher told me that he fit the entire brown leather tie in his mouth.  when she asked him why his cheeks were puffed, he slowly pulled it out... then said ta-da!

his new favorites:

- the stunt lite app.  still hasn't conquered those hills without crashing but we are working on it.  i can't figure it out either

his current playlist:

- james taylor... i know right?  he loves his voice

- ingrid michaelson - he says he loves her voice.  she makes him happy.

- the yo gabba gabba album - he knows all the words and tries to get me to sing along.

- greg laswell - his voice puts him to sleep.

- regina spektor - he dances to her tunes

- the shins

- mason jennings

- jack johnson

- the nightmare before christmas album

- the little mermaid

he is obsessed with his superheroes he is collecting.  he lines them up and then rolls a ball over them, only to set them up all over again.  

 we still swim when it's not raining after i get home.  he has more energy than any kid i have ever known... but he sleeps hard.

we are having lots of fun on our dates and preschool.  i'll post some pictures from them sometime this week.

have a great week!

guess who is coming into town?

it's backwards, yes...
PARLOR HAWK
but they are touring again and coming to a local show.
i'm going! so excited to see them play at an old venue i have been going to since i was in high school.  they are playing with the weepies.  come!

if you click on this link, you get the discounted ticket.
come have fun with us!

investments

how many of you collected american dolls
i did.
i had samantha + molly since they were both brunettes but my friends had felicity and others.  i loved those dolls so much.

so much that i played with samantha like a doll and kept molly in her box.  i still have molly!  when i was seven i knew about investments and decided i wanted to make money off of her.  i saved up that $82 from chores, lemonade stands and maybe a birthday.
she is in perfect condition.

well a while back when i went with my girlfriends to the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE finale,  we walked around the grove.  to my dismay, they have a huge two story american girl store.

they match what you look like so you can customize your doll.   -----this is my girl now.
my friends let me relive my past and hang out in the store for a little bit longer than maybe they expected.  i just couldn't believe it.  these were catalog only dolls.  now you can bring your doll to the salon?  unreal.
i'd get the native american doll for sure to represent.

weekend

haunted mansion in japan {found here}

a fun app for your kids or nieces or nephews

magazine called stella.

wanna clash in a smart way?  i know you wanna know.  i did.

this lady is super fancy in her sewing.  it may or may not be readable since it's not in english but you can follow if you are .

need new pillows?  these are fun and different.

hope everyone enjoys their october month.  happy first month of fall.
i'm hoping for lots of leaves, dancing in the street when it rains and snuggling up on the couch in loads of blankets.
fall is my favorite season.

indian summer

all pictures found here

hiii!

i feel like it's been a while since i just wrote whatever i wanted to.

things are going really well.  life is treating us well.  we are super busy and enjoying it all in the moment instead of looking for these said moments.  there are times i think i can't do full-time school, interning almost full-time at work, full-time mom, church callings, family, traveling to san francisco and friends but somehow i'm learning how to do it.  i feel so incredibly blessed.  i've found a way to be truly happy and accepting of my situation now that it's been years since i was a wife.  i am completely fine with being a single mom.  i have filled my life with things going on that will hopefully help jackson live the life he deserves.  as any mother in any situation, i want the best possible life for him. i want him to grow up strong, healthy, full of knowledge, humble, sweet and compassionate for others. hopefully we are on that path.

so yeah, these are my random thoughts.

i want to write you all back soon.  

i love your comments and emails and promise to get back to you.

a must see

some friends of mine that i met in san francisco when we lived there now live in san diego.  dan was sent to  serve our country when tracy was pregnant.  he missed his daughter penny's birth.
i cried like a friggin' baby when i saw this. 

you must click on this video and watch all six minutes.  you will cry, feel patriotic and probably a whole lot of other things.

so it's almost friday. thank you goodness.

found here

happy weekend!  i have been traveling back and forth to san fran so it's been busy already.  hope you all have a good one.

here ya go:
these chopsticks. love it.

a tower of bikes in santa rosa... i am curious how long this took.

so this lady is pretty passionate about what she does.  i kind of have watched a few of her videos.

favorite holiday is halloween?  you will adore this.

her hair is so fly.

OK GO has a great, great, great video out.

wedding worth mentioning

i try to do one link for weddings a week. this one i really liked because it was so original and none like others i've seen. i really think a wedding should represent who the couple are.  i have never understood weddings that don't reflect the bride and groom's true personalities.  i think it can be uncomfortable for them or their guests.  a wedding should be a day of little worries, lots of love, remembering of your commitments/covenants + hold them sacredly, being with the closest loved ones and just simple yet special happy feelings.

okay, enough of my opinions and soap box preaching.  reasons why i like this wedding.  it includeds a camper, special heirlooms used for decor from their family, streamers, looks like this is a spot ideal for camping, casual attire, mellow atmosphere, jones sodas, twigs for the altar, the bridesmaids bouquets matching their dresses (so unique), the groom's combo, of clothing, roasting s'mores (best idea yet), little details all around and a beautiful bride and groom - equally.  i also love that they look super happy and having a great day.  pictures tell a lot of stories and this story my friend matthew morgan captured, convinced me that it was the real deal.

i think this is one of the most perfect weddings + receptions i've ever seen.  at least for my taste.