2013. WOOT.

My resolutions are always a bust, always. Don't get me wrong, I always start out enthusiastic, before failing miserably and making excuses for why it couldn't be done. But every new year I come in all ready to get fit, keep a perfectly clean home, made dinner EVERY night, get up at 6 EVERY morning, etc...

So this year I decided my resolution was to do better today than I did yesterday [Hence, why I am again writing on this blog]. One step at a time... At all aspects of my life. I also want to be more understanding when my best isn't as good as I wanted it to be. I've tried to not sweat it if I didn't run as far at the gym as I would like, or heck, if I wasn't able to make it to the gym at all and work harder the next day. Who cares if Jake had cereal for breakfast yesterday, I'll try and make dinner tonight.

This has seemed to be going a lot better for me. Instead of a clear cut guide line of what I can/cannot accept from myself, I wake up every morning trying to be better at something/anything than I was yesterday. Didn't get the laundry folded last week? That's fine, I'll try today.

I was inspired by this concept from this blog that I read the other day...

http://www.daringyoungmom.com/2012/12/19/drops-of-awesome/

If you haven't read it, you should. It's nice to come to terms with accepting what you are capable of every day and celebrating the good that you do, instead of everything you didn't accomplish that day.

I mostly wrote this for myself, so that when I look back at this post I can remember why I am striving to improve and that it's okay if I don't.

I also just started a fitness challenge with one of my dear friends & her family. I'm excited to have someone to try and improve with. Something that's nice about this challenge is that it's sole focus is not on weight, it's on a healthy lifestyle. Exercising everyday? Check! Drinking all your water? Check! Eating fruits & veggies? Check! It has different variables that you can do to improve... so that the number on the scale loses some importance and being healthy gains some.

For this challenge we also had to give up a vice, ugh, I had so many it was hard to chose. However, I chose the cursed free soda fountain at my work. That thing is of the devil, it glows as I walk past it and I sit close enough that I can hear the "ahhh's" as people take their first sip of Dr. Pepper. Hopefully I'll be able to resist & chick my Soda habit.

What are your New Years resolutions & how are they going so far?

'TIS THE SEASON FOR BLACK WHITE & GOLD

So Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of the year. However it seems like the first two years that we were married we never had time to do any fun decorating. (school & work can do that to a girl) And this was the first year I was really able to put forth any effort. 

So as some of you know I'm the biggest fan of black and white. I could live in a black and white world & be perfectly content. I'm a lucky girl because almost everything at my work is black and white along with everything in my house. In fact, the guy that came to deliver the mattress today said, "Wow, you guys really like black and white don't you." – I most certainly do. So what else would I do for Christmas besides black, white & gold. 

I wanted to keep it simple, yet sophisticated and just couldn't get myself to do red and green in my primarily black white and wood home. So, here are some of my favorite pieces. 

1. My "Ugly Sweater Christmas Throw": I fell in love. $25 Home Goods

2. My hot chocolate station: Apothecary- Tai Pan, 1/2 off; Gold Plate- Tai Pan $2; Small Jars- Tai Pan $2.50 for all 3. Fill jars with Hot Cocoa Mix, mini marsh mellows, chocolate chips, peppermints & anything else you may want.

3. Merry & Bright Chalkboard: Chalkboard I made a while ago. Used a projector to project design & traced with chalk and hung beaded garland scalloped around the top.

4. Advent Calendar: Advent Calendar I designed and attached to rope and hang across my mantle. I wrote little love notes to the husband for each day. 

You can download the PDF for this advent Calendar and make one here.

5. My fabulous wreath: Purchased at Home Goods for $40 dollars. After about a half hour pacing back and forth deciding on whether or not I should get it. I decided that a wreath that perfect was meant to be.

6. Christmas Card Garland: 20ft. of live garland purchased from Lowes for about $12 dollars. After securing it tightly to the banister (not swooping) I wrapped a cute natural ribbon around the garland and clipped my favorite Christmas cards on to show them off.

7. Glitter Deer: Jake about died when I walked around the corner at TJ Maxx with this in my hand and the "I have to have this" smile on my face. It was about $12.

It's not very much and we don't have a tree up yet, but, I love it. And it's the first time that our house has been festive around the holidays. So eat drink & be merry this holiday season and enjoy the feelings it brings!

BREAKING BACK.

Today is a very important day. A day that might change my life – besides deciding to try and start blogging again, today is the day that we get a new mattress. Now, to some people this may not seem like a big deal at all. But it is... it sooo is. Let me explain:

Before Jake and I were married he had a giant California King mattress. It was a few years old (I'm not exactly sure how old) and it was placed on some old "under the bed drawers" (pretty sure they were from that famous waterbed bedset. Some of you should know the exact set I'm talking about.) with some plywood connecting the drawers and the mattress plopped on top. This bachelor setup was , hilarious, ghetto, functional, but was just not working. Pretty shortly after we were married I kicked the drawers out and we slept on a mattress on the floor. Pretty quickly after we decided that wasn't going to work either. Hoping that no longer sleeping on the floor would solve all my sleeping woes and after looking at the outrageous prices of California King platform beds, we decided to build our own.

It didn't take long to realize that the mattress just wasn't working. Jake and I woke up with pain in our backs and slept tossing and turning into the night. I loved going to hotels (even the cheap ones) so that I could finally get a good nights rest on a half-decent mattress.

I have been having a really hard time sleeping with nightmares, getting sick in the night and just being uncomfortable and so Jake decided maybe it was time his irritable wife got a little sleep. So we headed over to the mattress store and picked out this beauty.

After laying on all the beds and looking for the right amount of cush vs. support and reading reviews at sleeplikethedead.com we decided to pick up a Tempur-pedic Cloud Supreme. (Which just happened to be one of Oprah's 2012 favorite things I'll have you know. http://www.oprah.com/gift/Tempur-Cloud-Supreme-Mattress?editors_pick_id=40387 which we got for much lower than the price tag shows on the website) I'm putting my trust in Oprah and hoping that I love this bed instead of returning it in search for a new one.

If I ever wake up I'll keep you updated on how we like it.

RECOMMITTING– MAYBE

The worst part of blogging is actually having to take time out of my day to blog. I'm not very good at it. As you can tell from the fact that it's been 7 months (yikes) since I last blogged. Luckily time has flown by and I have barely noticed my lack of commitment. So, I'll start off with a quick update on the last 6 months.

Ready, Go!

+ We're are selling our townhome. We've loved it while it's lasted but are looking to settle into a     more modern permanent solution.

+ I am still working at Rain and still loving it. Jake is still jealous and wishes his job was quite as cool as mine.

+ I got a brand new niece, here name is Prentice Kaye Tibbs. She is one wonderful squishy delight. (+1)

+ Since we put our house up for sale our home projects have slowed down dramatically... making me, mostly bored.

+ We've been obsessed with watching Modern Family, Grimm, Suburgatory & Revenge.

+ Jake drew out for the Elk Ridge deer hunt and took off for a week without me to be one with nature. (He smelt like nature when he got home) He shot a big innocent  deserving deer & we are now waiting a year for the mount (which will be placed in the garage) and have tons of deer steaks that I am refusing to cook. (+2)

+ I'm not pregnant. I know, I know, married and graduated what's my problem? But I thought I would clear that up since there have been some off rumors. *scowl*

+ Jake and I just celebrated our 2nd year anniversary. The best part about that is that WE STILL LIKE EACH OTHER! We took off to St. George to enjoy some relaxing golf and great shopping! (+3)

Good things are happening!

So don't judge the fact that I've been too lazy busy to post on this. But I'm excited for this post because it's filled with a lot of good things that are happening. But to kinda recap before I get to the really good stuff, a lot of fun things happened. 

My on of my best friends since elementary (Marissa) is pregnant! Which is crazy to me! But so exciting, so me and my other best friend Natalie threw her a baby shower! Heres a couple shots of the brunch food from that day. 

Next... bah bah ba! I graduated! 

I was extremely happy, as if you couldn't tell from the photograph. I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts (before you judge my artsy fartsy degree know this...) with an emphasis in Graphic Design. I love my major. I get to be creative and have an amazing job while I do it. 

In case you didn't know, I am currently working part time at a Design Agency called Rain. They're located in American Fork. It has been awesome. They focus on interactive design, like web design and iphone applications. It's pretty great! I was also working at AMP Security, I have been there for ages and last week I decided it was time to be done. So I walked into my bosses office and gave him my two weeks. It was actually a really bitter sweet feeling, I was excited to move on, but it's been great while it lasted and I will miss the people there. 

So, there was some unknown after I quit about what would happen in 2 months when my contract ended with Rain. Unknown job status makes me really nervous... fortunately about 3 hours after I quit my job I got a call from a previous co-worker and he put his boss on the phone. He offered me a job as their Graphic Designer starting as soon as possible. So, being excited about this opportunity, I took it! So, starting this week I will be a part time graphic designer for The Color Run and will move to full time status when my contract at Rain ends. And if Rain wants to renew my contract, then I'll have a choice to make. :)

Also, on this post... 

Jake and I have been dying for a dining table. We have had a small little desk with no chairs that has been sitting in the space fo where our dining table should go, so this weekend after months of searching on KSL for the perfect table, I decided that I was going to make one. I wanted it modern of course and to fit in with the rest of my industrial look going on in our house... and voila. Here is is. 

Honestly, I'm obsessed. I am so happy with how it turned out. (I found the chairs on ksl for $30 for both) and couldn't be happier with the juxtaposition of the pieces. It completes my space so well. I can't wait to find an awesome center piece for it. I also have a project coming up where I am going to be making a dining bench for the other side. 

On another great note, my sweet husband bought me this poang chair from ikea. I'm pretty sure it's the coolest, most comfortable chair I have ever had in my life. We decided we like it so much that were going to sell our red ikea couch and replace it with two poang chairs. We're excited. I'm almost completely done with my front room. I'll have to post pictures when we're all done. :D

How time flies...

Well, well. I will be the first to admit that I have slacked severely on updating this blog lately. I suppose it's because nothing to interesting has happened and I would hate to bore everyone. But, the time has come to update those that care, on the interesting events happening in our life.


First, Jake has been travelling a lot for work and has been selling like a mad man. I am so proud of him. He mostly travels back east but recently got to spend some time in Las Vegas... one of these days I'll go with him and enjoy time away from Utah Valley.


I got a new internship as a graphic designer at RAIN. It's a sweet company that focuses a lot on interactive design. I love it. They have clients like skull candy, under armor and google. It's been a lot of fun to get started there, I am adoring it. As far as school goes I have one class that I'm in right now and I applied for graduation last week. I am so excited to move on from this part of my life and dive into my the design industry. 


Okay, this was going to be a good update... however, so sleepy.


Night.

ONE BEAUTIFUL BLACK WALL

So, I have no blogged in a while.  My class got cancelled today, so instead of being productive with homework, I am going to show you the final of our black wall.

TaDa!

I am loving it so much better than the tan that we had, and the gay that we tried. (Ignore the ghetto light fixtures, I'm going to be replacing them with a black one on that wall. YAY!. Anyways, like I said, I'm super happy with it. 

We debated painting the doors black, but rumor has it that when you wipe the handprints down, a little black come off on your towel. I'm not really down for re-painting anytime soon. So we decided that black was not the color for the door. 

Anyways, I want to incorporate metallics and wood. So, i was super excited when I came across that black leader and wood chair on KSL for a whopping 5 bucks. 

Anyways... I'm going to go be productive now, but there it is, a few weeks later.