Carmel-by-the-sea

Probably my most favorite vacation spot in the whole world!  I have many font memories of Carmel and I do consider it a second home.  We recently returned from a little trip there and we had a wonderful time.  I went into stores that I had never gone into before.  I also was sad to see some institutions go...Thom Gregg Jewelers...my parents personal jeweler for years, how many mom?  has closed his doors, but is still doing pieces from his home he told my parents.  Howard Portnoy, a close friend who owned a successful art gallery, passed away suddenly from lung cancer but had never smoked a day in his life, he will be missed and is responsible for many of the masterpieces hanging in my parent's home.  It was sad to see those things, among others, gone...but things change.  I've never been a huge fan of the "chain" stores in Carmel.  I like the Carmel Pharmacy that's been there for 35+ years (a gallery next to the pharmacy had this picture...it's the spitting image of my Madelyn!!)

Neilsens market, etc, Carmel institutions, but I decided that I'd visit some different stores.  I walked into a Coach store on Ocean, which turned out to be an outlet, which surprised me.  I was pleasantly surprised however (thanks Megan) because instead of paying retail for bags, they were way discounted!  That was fun!   We visited our friend Roger Budney's gallery...where I fell in love with a little piece called "The Visitor" that will be on my wall soon...it evoked such emotion as to bring tears to my eyes, which, for anyone who knows me, knows that's not too difficult a task.  We dined at the French Poodle, a Carmel institution, finishing with Floating Island dessert, I nearly licked the plate clean!  My favorite NEW experience though was The Carmel Hat Company.  I met Mary San Marçon, who I adore!  She makes the most incredible hats....I had to have five!

 She talked of learning to pray as she made the hats because she realized that the people who were purchasing the hats often were sick with cancer and needed her prayers....what a sweet spirit she is!  

Carmel-by-the-sea is truly magical and though I always hesitate talking about my little secret because I like keeping it a secret, it's like the Gospel, how can you keep something so wonderful a secret when it brings such joy and happiness?

Lunch with my peeps

It doesn't get much better than going to lunch with my sistas!  I love you!  It was Rachel and Lizzie's birthday (respectively since they're minutes apart)...and so we celebrated at the new Zupas in American Fork that just opened.  We even shared a few Million Dollar Bars...yummy!  Although, they should rename them Million calorie bars! 

Time

Time is priceless, yet it costs us nothing.

You can do anything you want with it, but you can't own it.

You can spend it, but you can't keep it....

and once you've lost it, there's no getting it back...it's just gone.

All growed up

So yesterday as Cayden was ready for church, he whisked into our bedroom and the faint but distinct smell of cologne (or body spray from B & B works really) followed him.  It hit me at that moment that my little boy has left.  A series of events including adventures with his friends to the market, late nights playing night games, and "boy/girl parties" have led me to understand that my little Cayden who was just a moment ago my "angel baby boy" (what I used to call him) is now growing up every second and every day before my eyes.  I realized that he'll be on his mission in 7 1/2 years.  He'll be entering college in less than 6 (if he doesn't do something crazy like graduate early and I wouldn't put that past him).  I'm so proud of the man he's becoming and the integrity that he has.  He's intelligent, honest to a fault, sincere, friendly, knowledgeable about the Gospel, and loving.  I love you Cayden and I know that not only am I proud of you, but so is your Dad, and so is your Father in Heaven.  

Vintage Hem...amazing spring line

I was like a kid in a candy store...so excited to get my "Spring Tea collection".  I managed to turn a 21$ target dress into this with Effie's Dessert, which we're giving away on our blog.  Simply go to our blog and leave a comment on how you've heard about us!

Spring has sprung!

Despite waking up sick, the "farm" comes first!  I treked it down to IFA and picked up baby chicks.  Our chickens have been so much fun, but they just go on strike every winter now because they're getting older.  We have good friends who are going to take them, and we get to enjoy raising a whole new group!

This is Eliza's kindred friend, Lucy.  They had so much fun looking at, talking to, and holding the baby chicks!

When we're helping we're happy...

We've helped Madelyn learn how to empty the dishwasher and put everything in it's place...and Eliza is eager to follow in her footsteps!

Our green dinner!

We had everything green for St. Patty's day dinner...although our main dish was less than traditional for our family.  Fårikål (for-e-cole) is a traditional Norwegian dish.  They use lamb, but I'm not a big fan, so we used pork, then you add a TON of cabbage and peppercorns, etc., cook in the slow cooker (my favorite household friend) and voila!  a yummy main dish.   We dyed the lemonade green, the milk green...even for cereal, green rolls, green salad, and green donuts...we had a blast!

Letting go is bliss...

So I'll get into these introspective moods and I have to throw it somewhere.  I'm a big believer that when we learn a lesson or when we finally "get" something, we emanate that "energy" (at the risk of sounding odd)...but we give that vibe off...whether it's "I've got what I need, stay away" or "I like you, let's be friends" or "You need help? Let me fix it for you" whatever.  Over the years and through many experiences, some good-some bad, I've felt all of those things.  

As I was sitting in the car yesterday, I was overcome with gratitude that my attitude had shifted to one of, "I'm great and so are you" toward everyone...truly.  I'm not trying to say I'm perfect here, far from it, but an overwhelming calm and peace came over me and I just felt that I had come to a place where the things that had bothered me (which were my fault, not others), didn't bother me anymore; the things that I had faulted others for, I didn't fault them for any longer.  I had a genuine love for all.  

I'm being pretty general here and that's okay, but my point is that I think that we need to come to a reckoning with ourselves.  I have thought much about judgement and how sometimes I justify my actions as righteous judgement or thinking, "well, I was judged first..." shame on me.  That's not my job.  My job is to love others unconditionally and to NOT judge them.  

Now I'm not sitting here writing this thinking that I've arrived to some moral high ground, on the contrary, I've felt truly humbled and asked for forgiveness for all the harshness that I've passed, even unknowingly.  

For those of you whom I may not talk to, for those of you who I may not have a chance to call and apologize but by some chance may read this, I ask for your forgiveness; I offer my sincerest apologies.  When I thought I was walking around loving others and all, I was really walking around feeling badly that this or that wasn't happening in my life when that was my fault, not the fault of others.  It's too bad it's taken me 31 years to realize this, but I'm glad that no more time will be spent wasted on this negativity...because it's probably made me physically ill.  

we reap what we sow...I'm planting a great garden this spring...it's a new beginning, a re-birth!