vintage vision

With our recent anniversary I had been thinking a lot lately about what I would do differently if I were to go back in time. If you were around me at the time you would know that I couldn't have cared less about the details, it's true, I was so obsessed with the fact that I was getting married to Justin that I just didn't care about a lot of the extra stuff. I am glad that he was my focus and I loved my wedding day it was perfect. simple, elegant, and everything I could have wanted. and I LOVED my dress.

Now six years later I have fully embraced my obsession with 1950's vintage style. I have always loved the 1950's, which you know if you ever saw my room growing up, but now I love tying that vintage feel with a modern twist. so now that I have more distinct opinions on my personal style choices (thanks in large part to my cute husband's input and awesome finds!), I thought I would compile a little peak into what I would do now if I were to roll back the clock and tell past me what future me would love.

I realize that a few tweaks would have to be made so it didn't come off costume-ish but here is a glimpse into my day dreaming.

DRESS:

I have a few different options here, depending on how daring I felt.

this first one would have a cap sleeve added of course and I would extend it to the floor, but I am pretty much obsessed with it.

I also love the vintage feel of this one...

(although I am not really a tool person...however you spell that)



and for the totally dramatic...although I would remove the giant circles.




then for my hair, I would add a vintage clip like this,

and if I was REALLY feeling daring I might even go for one of these attached to the clip, or depending on the dress I went with maybe even the flower.

and then I would change into this little number as we left the reception and headed for the honeymoon.

COLORS:

would stay the same as I had them (black, white, and red-red being the red roses)

DECOR:

I would keep it the same as we had. It was elegant and simple.

and the long stem red roses would stay...as well as my bouquet of all red roses with no filler.

BRIDESMAIDS:

some variation of this,

or this

or this

all would have to have capped sleeves or a cute cardigan, but you get the idea.

who knows 6 years from now I may look at this post and think what was I thinking! but for now this would be my wedding make over.

although I wouldn't actually change my wedding day, seeing as how it captures who you were at that moment, it's fun to think back to that time. and seriously if I went back in time and did it all over again, I would still think the best part of it all was that handsome man I was marrying.

And it's probably that feeling that makes a wedding and marriage timeless anyway.

year number 6 of wedded bliss

Six years ago, on January 21, 2005, I married my very best friend.

The man I had been crushing on for a good 5 years prior to those nuptials. I was smitten from the very beginning. Nothing, not even pool balls to the face, spaghetti flipped in the Morris Center, or tears at a board game could detour my affections. He was so worth the years of obsession.

I have to say that from the very beginning, long before we ever dated, he has treated me like someone who is incredibly special. He has always been there, watching out for me and making sure I was happy. Can you blame me for having a never ending crush on someone like that?

We could always talk. We never had trouble opening up and being each others confidante. It has always felt safe to trust him with everything. Whether it be serious or just laughing for hours, it has always been so easy to be together.

Our story may have taken a while. But I kind of love that we have a history so fun to tell. I can never tell our story without laughing about so much of it. One day I will have to write it all out here, and have Justin type up his version too...that would be entertaining for sure. But for now I will just say that as obsessed with him as I was six years ago as we knelt in the temple, I am even more obsessed now.

and justin, as giddy as that girl was that day six years ago, I so beat her in the giddy-ness department when I see you walk in the door each evening and see our kids run and tackle you yelling "daddy!" and see you head toward me, the girl who had that ridiculous crush, and see that look in your eyes, and know that it's for me.

Happy Anniversary to us!

it's official, he's 30!

On January 6th Justin became a true grown up!

I decided to do what justin wanted for his birthday...so it was pretty minimal.

I am super social and justin is a fan of having people over too, accept not when he feels like the center of attention. So while I would normally have planned a big get together, I decided to keep it super simple and so the party was intimate...but fun!

I also decided to ask him what kind of cake he actually wanted rather than doing what I wanted...he choose carrot cake...seriously? not wanting to be the center of attention and no chocolate? opposites definitely attract.

so I dutifully made a carrot cake and kept the celebration small...to the point that instead of singing happy birthday to him (which he finds agonizingly uncomfortable to sit through as everyone focuses on him) we just said happy birthday to him...really loud.

and I have to admit...simple turned out to be really fun.

he was also spoiled on the gift front this year. I found the BYU Football Vault book...which has a picture of justin in it, how cool is that?! He also got a subscription to National Geographic, and the best of all?...2 tickets to see Bill Cosby live!

It was a perfect birthday...a simple day to celebrate an anything but simple man.

I won't get too gushy on here considering our anniversary is this week and there will be a tender post then...and so in keeping with his birthday request I will keep it simple.

we love you and we feel lucky to have you.

happy birthday you highly attractive, amazingly wonderful man!

family night fun!

last Sunday night we asked cole what he wanted to do for family home evening that monday.

his reply? "I want to build a tent!"

daddy got right to work making that happen when he got home from work.

and this is what he came up with...have I mentioned I love this man?

It was pitch dark in our living room when I was taking these pictures...so its a miracle they turned out.

here they are entering the tent, justin made them repeat a password to enter.


can you see his grin? I see dimples...he was OBSESSED with this.

ali loved the adventure too, almost as much as she loves her daddy.

look at their faces, they loved every minute of our tent singing session.

daddy's make the best tents...and the best 'lil memories.

baby it's cold outside

my sweet boy kept telling me how much he wanted snow for christmas...in St. George that is a bit of a long shot...but it happened, a few days late that is!

we woke up Monday morning to a pretty good snow fall.

I asked cole if he had looked outside yet...and boy was he a happy fella when he looked out the window.

ali was pretty excited herself.


the first moments were pretty tender.



cole started talking about snowballs,

so ali picked up a hunk and informed me that she too had made a photo worthy snow ball.

cole's FAVORITE thing to do in snow is eat it.

so ali tried that out too.

then it was off to play.

until she informed me her gloves were "dirty" (had snow on them), and she refused to wear them, here she is ditching them, but then cole was doing something new and fun that she just had to check out.

snow angels!

here is ali's version.

then cole took it upon himself to teach ali how to make a real snowball.

which she threw at him...don't worry he dodged it.

watching them was hilarious. they had a ball together.

and ran themselves ragged.

honestly, I thought she would be a wimp without the gloves on...she was way too busy to feel a little thing like frost bite set in.

once they did their damage on the front yard, they moved onto the backyard.

I adore this picture of ali, just taking it all in.

and don't worry that she did bust out a chorus of "baby it's cold outside".

meanwhile, cole was like a man on a mission.

he had snow to throw,

poles to lick (just kidding, but tell me your mind didn't go to that movie when you saw this picture),

and snow to roll

(daddy had taught him this trick to make a well constructed snowman.)

yes, he had a lot of things to check off that list of how to be 100% boy on a snow day.

I thought this was so tender, it gave be flashbacks to seeing him sit in the snow when he was just a 'lil tike, ah how my baby has grown...into a huge 4 year old specimen.

who has fun like no other in the snow...

here he is holding a true st. george snowball...

yep, those are rocks rolled up in there, good thing he is a gentle giant who didn't attack his sister with this find!

but seriously how pretty is this contrast?

this is my kind of snowfall, once a winter, perfect amount to play in, and gone the next day.

and yes, ali made it the whole time glove free, and when she finally decided to come in she was holding her shoes and explaining to me that they too were "dirty". ah yes standing socks only in snow makes perfect sense when your shoes are "dirty".