Clay and Jen

Just Wondering?

2011-10-04T12:18:00.001-07:00

Do you think that blogs will ever be a thing of the past? I have had my little blog here for 4 years! Wow, and my posts are slowly getting further and further apart...which is sad, because I love looking back at previous posts as sort of a journal to my life. I have also noticed that my friends and families update their blogs just about as frequently as I do... except those few really good journal bloggers that I really do look up to. So what do you think? Are blogs on the downhill?

To Europe and Back

2011-06-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

Clay and I got home from Europe a few weeks ago! A dream of mine became reality and it was just as magical as I expected. I feel like I have new insights and have grown as a person by traveling and taking in other cultures. I can only imaging what one might feel like after a life of traveling. I want that to be me.

Paris was deemed our favorite spot. We had a lovely little apartment to stay in above a restaurant on a quaint street in the shopping district. We loved it. We loved the food, the people, the shopping, the style, the buidlings. It was so magical. After our visit we tried to think of all the possible ways we could live in France for a few years.

Barcelona was amazing as well. It was beachy and the gothic architecture was inspiring, not to mention the Gaudi influence all over the city and the rich history. We got to experience staying in a hostel. It was really cheap and a really great experience. Ya, we didn't get great sleep, but we met some amazing people and learned a great deal about the European countries. We met Simone from Holland - it was funny to hear how excited she was to visit america one day and see the drive through pharmecies...

America really is a great place to live, we lack a bit of culture and a 1000 year history but we have a lot of opportunities and we have an ambitious spirit about us that makes us strive to acheive greatness. I think we need a good mix between our societies though, Europe has a way of enjoying life, they sit at restuarants with their friends and families for hours just talking and enjoying life. It seems like we are so busy and rushed that fun things even become items to check off our lists. Ireland was beautiful. It was so fun to see Mandy and Bryan and to get to know the two of them a little bit better. They were amazing hosts, taking us around Ireland and showing us the sights, and introducing us to their favorite eating spots. We loved the rolling green hills and the blue ocean, the gardens and all the sheep! My one compaint...it was cold and rainy. And I guess that you have to pay a price for all that green beauty. Europe treated me with my most embarassing moment of all time. In Paris, near the catacombs, I ran accross the street to use one of those restrooms that look kind of like porta potties. I had heard that they cost a Euro to use. I found a Euro and was holding it in my hand as I looked around for a coin slot. With no luck I pushed the red button that would open the door, once inside I still could not find a coin slot so I hit the button that said close door. I just assumed that maybe this one was free? Not long into my restroom experience I heard a loud alarm go off and the door of the bathroom began to slide open revealing the world outside. To my suprise the toilet began folding up into the wall. Siren still blazing and about 15 people waiting to cross the street staring at me, I began to frantically try and pull my pants up and get out of there. Of course it seemed like minutes for me to get myself together and make a getaway. One man with a smile on his face stared and just shook his head. Embarassing!!!!

For more Europe photos we have an entire album on facebook or you can check out the design posts on Opal Never Shouts under Inspiration Abroad.

Work and Snow...work and snow...

2011-04-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

The last four months it seems like there is nothing to blog about. Our lives as consisted of basically two things - lots of work and way too much snow...that is not ending! (Maybe I am writing this because as we speak it is snowing...boo.)

Clay and I have been really busy with work. Opal has it's first office and we spent lots of time painting it and making it look atleast better than when we moved in. Fight has been working hard to spread their message and are hosting a free concert in the summer! (Let's hope for no snow)

We did make it up skiing once this year - in April. It was fun and we both came home with lower face sunburns which felt nice and reminded me of warmer days. And I guess the biggest thing we have been working on is planning our trip to Europe! We leave on May 5th and are so excited. We can't wait to take a break from work and just have fun. We are hitting up Ireland, Scotland, Paris and Barcelona. Yahoo!

Unedited Thoughts

2011-01-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today I had a small frustration with the blog world…I was checking up on a blog and found out about a new online magazine called Matchstick and decided to check it out. Great! new design ideas and photos, right? In the letter from the editors, they write that they started the magazine to help women design a life they love. Something about the phrase really hit me wrong. I started thinking about all these vintage lifestyle blogs that follow girls that seem to have the perfect life. I had this thought … these bloggers are sending messages to “design your perfect life that you will love” you will have to have these amazing clothes, design your home just like these 1950’s photos, wear red lipstick, bake cupcakes, ride old bikes with baskets, and write your friends letters on expensive letterpress stationary.

It’s not that I don’t like these things, I do like riding bikes, I like new clothes, and I like vintage design. But I don’t want to ever get stuck into thinking that my life has to be perfectly designed for me to love it. Our world can be so materialistic sometimes especially in the design industry. It is so easy to get caught up into thinking that if only I had the perfect wardrobe, the perfect house, the perfect wedding etc. then I would be happy and life would be good. It is quite the opposite, design and material things are just a cherry on top. What makes a happy life is your family, your relationships, your hobbies, your faith, and your contributions to the world. Too much blog time and catching up on bloggers seemingly perfect lives can really leave you feeling down and like you need to go out and spend a whole lot of money on clothes and accessories. You just have to remember that they are just sharing the best of the best moments of their lives.

Ok, I will get off my soap box now. And I know what you may be thinking…you are a blogger Jen! I know, and I know that my chosen profession is materialistic. I just hope that Opal is a blog that is always teaching design principles, sharing tricks and tips of good design and isn’t the type of blog that emphasizes a certain lifestyle. So please, keep me in check!

Remembering My Grandpa

2011-01-17T14:17:00.001-08:00

This post is a tribute to my wonderful Grandpa who passed away this weekend. We love you so much and are going to miss having you a part of our lives. Thanks for being such an amazing example of service and for always being so interested in our lives. Thanks for attending all the birthday parties, softball games, piano recitals and school performances. Thanks for your words of wisdom, your playful personality, your whistling while you worked, your love of family, and for being the best Grandpa a girl could ask for.

I consider myself lucky that I was able to visit my grandpa each day this past week and half. I am grateful that I was able to tell him that I love him and will cherish the tender moment of him calling me over to his bed and whispering three words...I love you.

I am grateful that I was able to be there in the room while he recieved visitor after visitor and was able to learn so much about his life. How many people he influenced and the many boards he sat on and awards he has recieved. He kept busy serving others even in his final days --attending honorary kernals meetings, lions club, and being on the board for the Noal Bateman award. In fact, I didn't even know what a Noal Bateman award was or that both he and my grandma had recieved one until this week.

Sitting in his office this past weekend I was overwhelmed by the awards that hung on his wall, service this...community that... there had to be atleast 50 plaques that covered the orange plaid wallpaper. It made me realize that I had a lot to live up to, and it inspired me to be better at serving in my community and making a difference.

We will miss you Grandpa! I will try and make you proud each day!

The Most Wonderful Day of the Year

2010-12-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was amazing! So many fun times, great gifts and lots of laughs. Megan and Kayla gave us a gift that made everyone cry from laughter! We were all laughing so hard that tears were coming from our eyes, even my dad!

It was a great Christmas, Clay went way over the top and gave me a trip to Europe! The present was complete with airline tickets he made and a little picture of the Eiffel tower with the two of us in front:) I was so excited, I had been telling him I wanted to go so badly and he kept playing like we couldn't afford it, he didn't really want to go... and I was getting so sad. That little sneak! Clay went to an antique store that we had visited together and bought a painting that I was completely in love with. It is a little watercolor from Russia that is framed in the most elegant little gold frame. I am in love with it!

We went to Springville for Christmas Eve and had a feast of shrimp, crab legs and ham. We also tried something fun and new...Turkeybowling. Yes, that is right, we closed the laundromat early, lined up the benches to create bumpers and brought out ten pop bottles for bowling pins. We had a blast! The kids were having the time of their lives cheeringeach other on and running and giving hugs when some of the adults didn't knock any down. Grandma even bowled right on over with the Turkey and gave us all a cute little glamour pose as she lay in the middle of the bowling lane.

Tis the Season...

2010-12-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of our Friends and Family!!!

A Little Bit of Christmas...

2010-12-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Yahoo for Christmas! Our house is all decked out and we are starting the shopping. Yes, just starting and wishing we had been more prepared and done with shopping. Any good ideas for what to get parents? They always seem so tricky!

1 YEAR!

2010-11-15T15:51:00.001-08:00

It has been 1 YEAR since Clay and I hopped onboard with Clay's family and decided to cut out all processed food from our diet. How has it been? I have loved it! I would never go back! At first it was tough, we didn't realize how much of our food was really processed. Even though I thought I ate pretty healthy, I came to realize I was putting a lot of things into my body that wasn't really good for it. Over the year we have become more educated on our food system and the way America has been trained to buy and eat food. We have been a little grossed out and have been educated a ton on food and our bodies! (One of our fav. books is In Defense of Food)

Things we changed:

Unbleached Flour and Natural Organic Unbleached flour in all our cooking.
No brand name things that have lots of extra ingredients and preservatives
Less meat
Rice Milk
Everything made from scratch
Lots of homemade snacks
A new love for Costco, bulk bin grocery stores, and whole foods.

Things I have noticed that have changed:

I feel better
The grocery bill is way down (suprising I know!)
My weight does not fluctuate the 5-8 lbs it used to.

And don't worry, we aren't perfect at all, we still occasionally go out to eat and enjoy dessert that for sure isn't good for you. But we changed a lot of things and have loved the changes...I am constantly looking for new recipes and ways of doing things, Anyone have any good foodie suggestions?

Remember the warm days?

2010-10-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

A little while ago, for Clays birthday...okay a long while ago... we went golfing up at the Wasatch Golf Course. It was so beautiful!!! Then, because we weren't in a rush, we drove through the mountains from Midway to Brighton. We stopped to take a hike and enjoy the mountains. We really need to get out and enjoy nature way more than we do!!!

I love remembering the warm summer days on a cold and rainy day like today... is it bad that i am already anticipating the spring?

A really great day...

2010-10-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

I just had to let out what a great day I am having today! (Since Clay is in Brazil I don't have anyone to tell the silly little things too, so I am telling the good old blog.) So, a great day... and nothing extraordinary happened! 1. I let myself sleep in... till 8:30. It was so nice!

2. I ate breakfast while watching the Today Show to catch a glimpse of Mandy, my sister in law. After a little she finally came on with Amanda Pete, reading a book to a bunch of kids. Cool!

3. I went to the dentist, and to my relief and great suprise...after 2 years of not being to the dentist... NO CAVITIES! Wahoo!

4. I went and hit the consigment stores in Salt Lake and the little table I have been wanting for the last few visits was still there! I finially just caved in and bought it:)

5. I visited the Design Center in Salt Lake to pick up some fabric samples and they were soooo sweet! I felt like a million bucks when I left with my wallpaper books and fabric swatches.

6. I talked to a great friend on the phone!

7. I ate lunch at a small and quaint thai restaurant on broadway and 350 W. I ate outside on the patio while reading the paper, it was nice.

8. Clay comes home tonight!

Touchpoint Conference and wondering about the Perfect Balance...

2010-09-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday and Friday Jana and I were able to attend the Touchpoint Conference put on by Start up Princess. It is a conference for women in business that offers workshops and networking. We were lucky enough to be finalists in the video competition (Thanks to Clay:)

I loved attending the conference and meeting some really amazing women. There were so many people that had accomplished so many great things in business. The experience left me with with a lot of ambition and also a lot to think about. I loved being inspired and feeling like, "I can do this! We can make Opal Never Shouts succeed!" It also made me realize that I need to figure out where I want to end up. I don't really think that I want to be a huge success in business. I don't want the stress of it all, I don't want to commit the time that it takes and I don't want to sacrifice maybe as much as you have to. The last year, working at a design company, I really had my eyes opened to what I do not want to become. I saw priorities completely skewed and it was a huge lesson on what is important in life.

I want to be my definition of successful. I want to make Opal Never Shouts part of my life, not my entire life. I hope that it can grow big enough to give us a lot of fun projects, that I can continue to pursue my passion for design, and make a little money to travel.

Anyway, I absolutely loved attending Touchpoint and am excited to keep pushing our little design company. We made a few connections that will hopefully lead to a few new projects:)

2010-09-14T08:30:00.001-07:00

This message hit the spot this morning as this week I have been reflecting on the spirit. I have been trying to spend more time in silence, driving to work with the radio off being able to think. Clay and I spent time up the canyon this weekend and we reflected on how amazing the mountains are for reflection and pondering. I hope to be able to spend more time feeling the spirit and give more opportunities to the Lord to direct my life. Gotta love these little mormon messages!

New House, New Job, New City, New Ward...

2010-08-26T15:24:00.001-07:00

Wow, I hope that this isn't the trend for the rest of my life. It seems that the last three years I have completely changed my life every year. Each Spring/Summer I move to a new city, start a new job, move into a new place, establish myself in a new ward and all the other fun stuff that comes with starting over. This year it is Salt Lake City. We just moved to 5300 S. and 1300 E. into an apartment complex called Cobble Creek.

Moving was crazy and now I am left with piles of boxes that are having a hard time fitting into a one bedroom apartment. Cobble Creek seems nice - our neighbors may be drug dealers and our other neighbors smokestacks, but who doesn't love the crisp smell of cigerettes on the patio:) It is a gated community and as we were driving in the other night Clay stated, "O good, now we can gate all the scary people in so they can't get out." I thought it was funny.

We are currently renting out our house in Logan which made us decide to rent until we gain more of our bearings. Thinking of the future and wanting to design and build a little house - we decided to find a really affordable place - which lead us to Cobble Creek. We like the area and the apartment is pretty nice and roomy for the rent. And... we have a pool and tennis court!!! (With great intentions of using them often:)

Along with starting Opal Never Shouts, I took a job at "Fresh Air" as a phone answerer and mail person. "A job a monkey can do" stated my new boss. This sure makes a college graduate who has worked in their feild for two years feel really good about themself. But, a part time job to help with the travel and house fund is a good thing...

Despite all the crazy changes - we are excited to be down in Salt Lake. Excited for a little warmer winter, to see our friends who mostly live down here, the fun restaurants and shows downtown and a new adventure in life!

Clay is loving his new job with Fight the New Drug. He is keeping busy and making lots of contacts to push the campaign forward.

So here we are Salt Lake! Ready for the journey and aclimating to the changes. Bring on the monkey job!!!

I love this Chest!

2010-08-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a post for the blog talking about Clay's Grandma's chest that she refinished and I am falling in love with it even more!!!! Ok, back to the post, I have to have it done by tomorrow! Check it out http://opalnevershouts.com

2010-07-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hmmm.. I wonder how this cake tastes? Anyone ever tried it? Maybe I should bake a cake this weekend? Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cake Recipe (makes one 13x9x2″ baking pan) Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Dr. Pepper soda
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 stick salted butter (8 tablespoons)
4 tablespoons cocoa powder (again, I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder)
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350° F and grease or spray with cooking spray a 13x9x2″ baking pan.

- Begin by combining the Dr. Pepper, oil, butter and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a simmer, mix well and turn stove off.

- Mix dry ingredients together (sugar, flour and baking soda), add to mixture in saucepan and mix well, by hand. Don’t over beat. DO NOT OVER BEAT.

- In a separate small bowl lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together, then add them to the saucepan and combine batter well by hand, but again, do not over beat.

- Pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 350° for approx. 23-28 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake.

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

1 stick salted butter (8 tablespoons)
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
8 tablespoons milk
4 cups confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)

Directions:

- In a saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder and milk together over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth.

- Add in the powdered sugar a little at a time, combining after each addition until smooth.

- Pour over warm cake.

Funny New Blog

2010-06-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

So even though I look at catalogs and design magazines every day and often marvel at the beauty of a well designed space... I had to laugh at this blog that makes fun of staged spaces and design catalogs. Check out their posts!

http://catalogliving.tumblr.com/

Sweetheart, the Turners will be here any minute now! Did you put the plate of figs under the table?

Our Splash Page is Up!!!

2010-06-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

We have been working so hard the last few months to get Opal Never Shouts up and going. We finally have our Splash page up and are working on the actual site now. We had 106 hits to the site yesterday!!! Wahoo! We are excited for this new adventure and will be keeping busy as we manage a blog and keep up with design projects. Thanks for all your support! Check it out at www.opalnevershouts.com

Be Excited!!!

2010-05-14T15:42:00.001-07:00

Our new company is coming soon!!!

Michele Dunker Interiors Giveaway!!!

2010-05-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

So, the design company I work for is doing a monthly giveaway for a fun home accessory! This month is a sheek quilted tray with bamboo trim and handles. I love this little tray! Clay and I actually have one by the back door that we put our keys in as we come in the door. Anyway, to win the giveaway just go to the blog www.mdunkerinteriors.blogspot.com and make a comment!

1 YEAR!

2010-05-04T07:59:00.001-07:00

Wow, where has the time gone!! It has been a whole year since Clay and I were married! Happy 1st Anniversary! It has been a great year and we hope for many more to come!

Congratulations to our Friends Ryan and Sarah!!!

2010-04-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

We are so excited for our friends Ryan and and Sarah!!! We were able to visit them and their sweet new baby Logan at the American Fork Hospital last Saturday. How exciting! Thanks for letting us come and visit and we wish you the best! Can't wait to hang out with you guys and little Logan!

Canyonlands 2010

2010-03-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

A Few More North Carolina Pics

2010-03-26T21:18:00.001-07:00

Jackson was all decked out in UNC gear . . . as we checked out the rival schools campus. Duke University.

Thanks Jackson and Celeste for letting us come and visit!! We love NC!

We loved going to the UNC vs. Duke baseball game. The weather was perfect. Until. . . Seconds after the game ended it started pouring rain!

Sneak Preview to our NC Trip

2010-03-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

We loved the Duke Campus! And couldn't get enough of the gorgeous homes in Chapel Hill and Oxford! And even discovered a delightful little sandwich shop called "sandwhich." We ate an outrageous BLT with Avocado and jalapeno. It was amazing! And more houses. . . don't worry there are like 70 more house pictures on my camera.

Coco Before Chanel

2010-03-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

We watched the best little French Film this past weekend called Coco Before Chanel. It is up for an Academy Award this Sunday in the foreign films category and for good reason. The film production is beautiful. It was so interesting to find out about Chanel's background and her standing out against the current to create one of the world's leading names in fashion. After I watched this film I couldn't stop thinking about it! The French subtitles only add to it's charm and beauty.

Stella's

2010-02-26T16:49:00.001-08:00

I was introduced to a killer place to grab a quick lunch today. It is a fun little grill/cafe on 900 E. and about 4100 S. in Salt Lake. It is called Stella's- the design is fun and the food was great! I had a portabella sandwich with a sweet little side pasta salad. It was so fresh and so delicious! I love finding new places to eat!

Missing the Sunshine. . .

2010-02-17T18:15:00.000-08:00

Clay and I spent the weekend in St. George wearing shorts and T-shirts spending time in the glorious sunshine!!! It was amazing feeling the sun beating on your legs and reaching up to feel your warm hair on the top of your head. Just being outside put a smile on your face. I had many moments where I felt like the old me again! Happy and full of life, I felt like saying. . ."there you are old me! The girl that loves sunshine and spending every spare second outside. The girl who loves sunglasses and shorts and warm summer nights. Where have you been?!" And then I remember that the winter me is still in Logan buried under the snow and the smog, waiting for Spring. . .

Funny Blog

2010-01-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com Check out this blog, it is kind of funny.

Menu Change!

2010-01-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Holly, Adam. Kristen and Marshall - Clay and I have made a huge menu change around our house and we feel great about it! We are doing our best to eat all natural, non processed foods. That means cutting out all the high fructose corn syrup, the processed sugars, the hormones and the preservatives. Why? Check out these documentaries -

Food Inc.
Meet Your Meat (You Tube)
King Korn

They all talk about the food industry and all the things we are putting into our bodies so the food industry can make a few extra dollars.

So what are some of the changes we have made?

We also have switched a few staple ingredients to more natural things such as pure cane sugar instead of white refined sugar, grass fed and free range eggs, organic milk without any hormones, natural peanut butter (Adam's Crunchy!) and bread from a local bakery here in town.
I found these awesome containers at wal-mart for $1.99 and I shop a lot from the bulk section at Smith's marketplace. Things are really cheap and all raw foods! Some of the favorites are: barley, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, wheat, flax meal, oat bran, pinto beans, rice, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, quinona, and raisins.
We spend a little more time each week cooking dinner and preparing snacks and food for the week. Last Sunday I spend an hour making homemade granola bars and granola cereal.
I recently was shown an article that talked about buying organic fruits and veggies - it talked a lot about how some fruits and vegetables are okay to buy non-organics such as bananas, oranges and avocados. However three things that you buy that make a difference organically are potatoes, apples, and milk.
We are not eliminating meat but we are trying not to eat as much meat. We have realized that you don't need meat with every meal, pastas, beans and grains are delicious!

We have found a ton of great recipes and even had a little "foodie" party at Holly and Adam's house on Friday night where everyone brought a dish that was made of all real food. We ate a fine feast of turkey chili, roasted sweet potatoes, pesto pasta, barley pilaf, spinach salad and oatmeal cookies. We are not perfect and we still eat out on occasion and eat at other's homes but I feel we have made some good lifestyle changes that will pay off.

Career Change

2010-01-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

If you had to change your career every year, what would your 2010 career be? I love design, don't get me wrong. But, somedays I wonder what else would I like to do? What other jobs are out there that would allow me to learn new things and to work with other people and use other skills. Sometimes I think about all the things there are to learn and do in the world and I really do wish that I could change careers every year. After all, I did change jobs once a year all through college - and what a great thing that was. Now only if that were more do-able on a career level. I think my 2010 career would be something medical. I have been watching my sister Megan go through Medical assisting and heard her stories of working in a Pediatric office. I don't think I could do it for the rest of my life, but for a year - sure!

One Minute Writing Prompt

2010-01-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

What would you like to rediscover? I would like to rediscover my love for reading. All during high school and even my first few years in college I would always have a book I was reading. Even if I really didn't have a lot of free time to read, I would sacrifice sleep and stay up late reading my book. I loved it! Somewhere between then and now I have left reading behind. It now takes me months to finish a book and that is if I even have a book I am working on. So with that said, I am going to rediscover reading. Winter is such a great time to curl up on the sofa with a good book. Any good read suggestions?

Oh 2009 . . .

2010-01-03T20:49:00.001-08:00

So usually for a nice recap of the year I turn to my journal where I am sure to write most of the important and significant events. However. . . this year I was the worst journal keeper which I must attribute to getting married and having all my routines fly out the window. Next year I hope to get them all back to some extent, atleast the good ones.

So for 2009, here are some of the highlights my brain remembers.

1. Clay proposed on February 7th

2. I started working in Logan at a Design firm know known as michele dunker interiors at the end of March.

3. Clay and I got married on May 9th!!

4. During May we went on two honeymoons due to the swine flu.

5. We went to PArk City for a mini vacation and a shopping spree for my birthday in July! I loved it!

6. We bought our first house in Logan at the very end of July!

7. August we spent moving in and organizing all of our things into our new house!

8. I know. . . a repeat. We went to Park city for a mini vacation for Clay's birthday.

9. September we also got to go to St. George with Jen and Dave and to Island Park for a Fight the New Drug Retreat! (We had to really depend on the nursery substitutes this month)

10. We helped out at the Human Race on Thankgiving Day in Draper. Next year. . . I think I will run it!

11. Christmas was so great! Two families to share the season with!

Happy New Year!

A few of my favorite things!

2009-12-03T18:13:00.000-08:00

I was recently at a Target in line and the lady in front of me's grocery bill game to $48.00, she gave the check out guy a stack of coupons and brought her total down to $21.00! I said something to her like. . . wow, i need to use coupons! and she told me about this website. Utahdealdiva.com. I especially love the grocerysmarts link that shows you all the ads for the week and what is actually a good deal. I never know if a sale is a good deal so this really helps me out! I am really awful at grocery shopping but am hoping to get better at it!

The TONY Ikea Shelf! We recently painted our office one of my favorite paint colors - Benjamine Moore Lead Gray and we have been slowly adding these awesome shelves from Ikea to our wall! I just love the chrome brackets!

MINT.COM

Clay and I recently were told about mint.com and what a cool program it is!!!! We love mint and have all of our bank accounts set up through this website which allows us to set budgets and track every single thing we buy! Balancing your checkbook never was so easy!

I rediscovered my love for this Christmas Album that came out last Christmas by the Hotel Cafe. My favorite Song still remains "Winter Song" by Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareillas (sorry about the spelling!)

I actually haven't read her book, but I love her website and blog. It is all about green living and eating organics and fresh foods. Clay and I recently were in a discussion at his house over Sunday dinner and decided to try and eat much less processed foods. We then watched the documentary "Food Inc." and we are defiantly sold on the idea of non processed foods.

Tinyprints.com is such a fun graphics website and they have some way fun Christmas Tags. Sometimes I just go here for inspiration for making my own things.

I know it's a bit scary

2009-11-11T17:11:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I really want this picture posted. . . but this is us for Halloween! Clay came up with the great idea to dress up like a couple of emo teenagers. I straigtened his hair and he made nose rings out of bobby pins. He even fit into some of my jeans, which was sort of upsetting. And you should of seen him cry and squirm while trying to put eyeliner on. Oh Boys.

Our own Arbor Day

2009-10-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today we took advantage of the beautiful fall weather. We bought and planted two trees in our barren yard. Little did we know it was an all day event to dig two holes in rocky soil, make two trips to home depot and finally have two small trees in front of our home. It made a small dent on our lot of dirt, and we look forward to many more Saturdays spent planting and landscaping our yard!

The Secrets to a Happy Marriage

2009-09-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

I read up on one of my favorite blogs today and there was a series of posts named "Secrets to a Happy Marriage." I loved seeing the photos of the different couples and reading the tidbits of advice and the cute ideas to create a happy marriage. Posted below is a letter about marriage that I found very poetic and beautiful. Also, check out www.joannagoddard.blogspot.com First, I have found that one of the most important things in a good marriage is ordinary, garden variety politeness, the please and thank you, minor formality, etc. The point of this politeness is not only that it is good in itself, and makes life a little easier and a touch sweeter, but that it mitigates against the greatest danger in marriage, which is that familiarity can breed contempt, or at least can led to impertinence. A little politeness, especially in trying circumstances, goes a long ways, and then, too, politeness in public makes sure that no domestic dissonance ever leaves the confines of the house. It is humiliation, no matter how minor, that one can’t forgive, or that one forgives uneasily and only over great amounts of time.

Never assume that one of you knows what the other is going to say, since while it is often true that you do know, there are times when something unusual will be said, and making this possible is to keep the magic of matrimony alive.

Don’t fight it. One of the odd things about matrimony, on a long term basis, is that you don’t become two people so much as three, that is you, your husband, and then this other creature who is part wife and part husband. This third, combined creature grows larger and larger as the other two shrink. After a while there is only the third creature, and it can’t even remember what happened to the other two. You will know that the third creature is taking over when you can’t make a decision without consulting with your spouse (of course, it begins with big items, such as “Should we buy this house?” but it seeps downward from there so you find yourself wanting to consult about the quality of the basil for the marinara sauce).

The time to show largeness of spirit or generosity is just after having won an argument.

Small, considerate gifts, on a regular basis, are appreciated. These show that not only have you been thinking about your partner on a regular basis, you are willing to do something about it.

Also, one of the great advantages of matrimony is the team aspect of it, and it helps to think of this as a Way of Knowledge. It’s kind of like the army in which there is the right way, the wrong way and the army way. But whatever the style, this team is the thing that will get you through thick and thin, through the worst nights imaginable and will be there, too, to celebrate the best that you have hoped for. It is, like all good teams, a two way street.

Realize early on that each member of the union will have strengths, and that it is good to accept this. The ideal marriage will have complementary strengths, and the ideal couple will be glad to off load what he or she can’t do to the one who can. Not great syntax, but I think you get the idea.

For instance, my wife will approach a problem with great attention to practical details, but I will go at it on the basis of abstract theory, of intellectual considerations which will include, but will not be limited to ethics, morality, political science, economic efficiency, not to mention a general all around garden variety philosophy of what is correct. We are best at planning trips: I have my eyes on the horizon, if not the stars, and she will worry about the bath tubs and the food.

Looking the other way is a large part of bliss. It is a variety of generosity.

Finally, it is a good idea to forgive the spouse in the same spirit that one would like to be forgiven oneself.

The Hannah Montana Movie

2009-08-21T16:13:00.001-07:00

My Sister Megan and I had a girls night and watched the Hannah Montana Movie. I would say that if you are in the mood for a girly disney movie with the type of humor where the villian face plants into the mud- you are in for actually a good show. I don't think Billy Ray Sirus is such a great actor, but Hannah holds her own in her movie. It reminds me of the type of movies I loved when I was little. I would surely say it is far from a classic and not a must see, but if you are in the mood for a cute teenager show, give it a try.

17 Again is a girlie teenager show that is a must see. . . It reminds me of Freaky Friday or 13 going on 30. It's Fun!

Life without a Mailbox. . . or the internet

2009-08-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

It is funny how life hands you one funny situation after another. Just when you think you have your current situation figured out, the next one quickly appears. Clay and I after three months of marriage solved the "homeless" situation and bought our first home. Funny situation #2, we moved into a brand new neighborhood and don't have a mailbox or internet. . . There is a big brawl going on between the developer and the Federal government. . . individual mailboxes or a community mail box at the end of the street. And so far no one is budging. So, how do we get our mail? Well, I have only done it once - we go to the North Logan Post Office and tell them we don't have a mail box. The one time I collected our mail there were 3 bills. I don't really want to go collect it again anytime soon. And who knew that internet cables don't get run with the phone and electricity? We didn't. Looks like we won't have internet for up to two years! Or we can go with super expensive satellite internet - but we really don't want to spend all our pennies to check our email. Thank goodness for internet at work during lunch breaks and trips to the Post Office.

A Blank Canvas

2009-08-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

Our new home is all unpacked, almost everything has a spot and my things are more organized than they have been for a long time! We now have an office, a kitchen, a family room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms to live in. And for me. . . a blank design canvas. So to all of those who expect great things from a designer, just know that these are the before photos. So heres to a new project!

Are you kidding me?

2009-07-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

That the home buying process takes close to four months these days!!! This is a true story, we are not pulling your leg. Clay and I began the process of buying these quaint little home three weeks before our wedding, accepting the fact that we would most likely have to find a place to crash for a week or two before being able to close. Here we are nearly three months into our marriage and we are finally seeing the closing date in sight. . . this week!!! We are so grateful to Holly and Adam for letting us stay at their place and for being such generous hosts. We are so excited and can't wait to bring all of those fun wedding gifts out of storage!!!

Cruise Photo Album

2009-07-16T19:20:00.001-07:00

Forever and a day later. . . here are some photos from our honeymoon to the carribean!!!

The Giver

2009-07-13T07:58:00.001-07:00

Remember all those books they made you read in school? The ones that you half read so that you would be able to answer the questions on the work sheet and maybe pass the pop quiz? Well, one of those books happened to be the Giver and as I wandered through borders the other day looking for a book to read, it caught my eye. I remembered liking the story but other than that could not remember a thing. So . . . I picked it up as my next summer read. I loved it, I think I appreciated it much more now than I ever did in the sixth grade. It makes you think about all the things you are grateful for in life that we just take for granted. I am thankful for family, for colors, for joy and pain, I am grateful for the opportunity to make choices and be a unique individual. Any suggestions for the next summer pick?

New Design Blog

2009-06-23T14:11:00.001-07:00

Check out this new design blog created for Michele Dunker Interiors - - the company I work for - -updated weekly by me! www.mdunkerinteriors.blogspot.com

Sneak Preview Jamaica Style

2009-06-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

Clay and I had a blast on our Caribbean cruise and have some was fun pictures to prove it! We climbed a waterfall in Jamaica, scootered Grand Caymen and Ziplined in Hondorus. Pictures coming soon!!

Sneak Preview

2009-06-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

We picked up our wedding pictures last night!! Yeah!! Here is a little sneak preview from our formals taken before our wedding. I like the actual wedding day photos better though, hopefully we will have a spare minute and we can post our favorites soon!!

For now...

The coldest photo shoot in history!

2009-03-25T11:18:00.001-07:00

We got our pictures back!!! It was freezing, but they turned out pretty good! Go to http://www.momentsbykellee.com/ and make a comment about our photos. The one with the most comments wins a free large print!

A Weekend of Events

2009-03-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

Clay and I had a great weekend attending fun events our friends are involved in! We had the amazing opportunity to see Ashley's documentary "The Inheritance of War" in the Forsite Film Festival. She did a really great job on the film and it was such a cool way to spend our Saturday afternoon. Later that night we headed to Provo for a Joshua James concert to see Evan play! What a fun concert! It reminded me how much I love a good concert.

The Wedding Colors

2009-02-25T09:01:00.001-08:00

Inspired by this fun picture of umbrellas! What do you think? A no or a go?

The Proposal Story

2009-02-12T14:38:00.000-08:00

Once Upon a Time. . .

It was the Saturday Evening of February 7, and Clay Olsen had made dinner reservations for a night on the town. It was undetermined if Jen and Clay would see eachother on Valentines Day and Clay thought it was a great idea to "celebrate" early.

They started their night at a very beautiful restraunt near Little Cottonwood Canyon. Eating such a fancy dinner was quite a treat and very delicious.

Following dinner, they both decided to take a quick walk around the beautiful grounds. There were bridges and trees, fountains and animals. Then in the distance were some vibrant red flowers. Waiting just a minute to make sure they were indeed for her, (because that could create an akward moment had they not been) Jen told Clay the flowers were gorgeous and that he really made such a great night out.

As they were preparing to leave, or as Jen thought they were preparing to leave. Clay said that there was one more thing. The thought of a ring didn't even cross Jen's mind, she expected a card or a cd mix, or something of the sort. But then, Clay was down on a knee and he asked the big question.

100% suprised, Jen made sure it was the real deal by asking if he was serious, followed by the question if he was for real. But after two seconds of shock Jen said yes. Clay might say the color went right out of Jen's face, but she would probably beg to differ.

They walked back towards the car and a few minutes later were picked up in a fancy black limo. Jen had never ridden in one before and it was quite the ride! In the car they watched a video Clay had made of all his family and Jen's family saying Congratulations and welcome to the family! Jen absolutely loved it!

Their ride arrived at the Melting Pot for dessert. Jen and Clay then enjoyed fruits and cakes dipped in a Turtle chocolate fonue. Yummy!!

And there it is, the story of the day Clay asked Jen to marry him and she said YES! It is too bad they forgot to take any pictures:)

To All The Music Lovers . . .

2009-01-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some of my recent fav's in music. Some of the artists are well known and some not so much. I always love when someone shares a new song or a new band with me, so maybe I can offer a new song or artist to you!

BRETT DENNON - If you like Folk music, he has a very unique voice! One of my favorites is "She's Mine"
CHRIS O'BRIEN - he would also fall under the folk category. I haven't fully discovered all he has to offer, but I do know he has atleast one good song. "Hey Love"
CITY AND COLOUR - This one you should check out on youtube -he sports quite the pair of glasses! The lyrics of his music are interesting, but I like it! Check out "Body in a Box" and also "Hello, I'm a Deleware"
ANGIE APARO - an amazing song writer and singer! He actually wrote the song "cry" which is sung by Faith Hill. His version is incredible. He also does an excellent "Champagne Supernova" origionally sung by Oasis, and I would suggest listening to "Hush"
GOOD MORNING MAXFIELD - is actually a local band but can be found on youtube and i-tunes. I saw them perform in Logan and they put on a great show. Their enire album is good, but one of my favorites is "Lovers Past"
GRACE POTTER - has a variety of upbeat music and quiet pretty songs. I have the album "This is Somewhere" and love it. She has done a few songs for Grey's Anatomy and One Tree Hill. I would suggest "Falling or Flying" and "Apologies"
JOSH ROUSE - has an amazing album out titled "Nashville." I would say this is his best album by far. I love the song "Sad Eyes"
MISSY HIGGINS - is one of my all time favorites. I love every song on every album and can listen to them over and over. Not to mention her concert with Joshua Radin was one of the best I have ever been to! If she is new to you, I would point you towards three songs-- "Steer," "Where I Stood," and "Ten Days"
PRISCILLA AHN - I believe she is becoming better known, I have seen her music more and more lately. I would have to say "Dream" is one of her best!
SARA BAREILLES - "City" is one of those songs that could be on my life soundtrack- if you know what I am talking about. Not that the lyrics 100% fit, but the music does! It seems everyone knows Love song by Sara Bareilles, but she has a lot more to offer!
THE WEEPIES - Soooo Good! I can't tell you how many times I have listened to their music lately. I love artists that you can listen to the entire album over and over again. Songs that really impress me are "World Spins Madly on" and "Can't go back now"

ONCE - and last but not least is the soundtrack to the movie ONCE by Glen Hansard. I love the music before I even saw the film and now love the music 10x more! The most known song on the album is "Falling Slowly" but I have to say the whole thing is good.

I have such a passion for good music and love discovering a new favorite. If you have a favorite or a new discovery let me in on it!!!

I have made my blog playlist consist of a few of these songs for easy access. Enjoy!

Quite the Adventure

2009-01-16T13:23:00.001-08:00

Last weekend was quite the adventure. Clay and I went to bodyworlds on Friday night. We had nine thirty tickets and expected to be done around midnight. Well. . . it turned out that we waited in line from nine thirty till midnight. But the exhibit was amazing and well worth the wait! We got through around two in the morning and discovered we had a 12 block walk ahead of us to the gateway. On our journey, we took ourselves on a tour of the Grand America Hotel. Pretty Amazing. And three in the morning is pretty close to midnight. Right?

Sunny Winter Days

2009-01-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

I am not a person that loves WINTER. In fact, I could probably go as far to say that I don't love winter. It is entirely too cold for me and when you mix in a 45 minute commute up a canyon on icy roads, really. . . what is there to love? I have a few clients at work that live in Pheonix and they continually tell me how perfect the weather is during the winter. When I am old I think I will be one of those people that spends the winter in Arizona. But really, why wait till I am old? Is that a possibility now? But the purpose of this post is not for me to complain about the snow, the cold, the ice and all the negatives of winter. It is to say how beautiful winter is! I was driving to work this morning and the sun was shining and all the snow glistening and sparkling! The temperature was working up to a nice 40 degrees. I even enjoyed the falling snow outside the windows of work as it glistened in the beaming sunlight. There was a soft spot in my heart that said, winter is pretty. . .and add in a little sunshine and bearable temperatures and winter isn't so bad.

Year in Review

2009-01-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

I can't believe 2009 is already here! I love the newspaper right around new years when they put together the year in review page. It is always fun to remember all the things that happened in the news that year. I wanted to remember all the things in my life that I did in 2008, so I compiled my own Year in Review.

Ran the Moab 1/2 Marathon and the Top of Utah 1/2 Marathon. And I have got to say that I am hooked on half marathons.
Graduated from Utah State
Graduation Trip to Hawaii
Trip to New York. . . just for fun
Got my first real job in Park City
Not having power for two days at our little house in Logan two days before moving out.
Took a spring break road trip to St. George with Jen. We did all sorts of fun and random things, like stopping at cove fort, quail lake, and the st. george tabernacle. Along with our side trip to mesquite.
Senior Exhibit
Experiencing True Aggie night...don't ask i have no idea
Jana's wedding in Logan
Jen's wedding in Alpine
Building a bed with my dad
Designing the PCTV cooking show set
Working on a PC showcase home
Watching fireworks from suncrest on top of Britton's explorer
The Devine Wedding. . . being set up on a blind date with the best man from Spencer Devine's wedding. . . for the luncheon and reception.
A stand still on the freeway and being stuck for three hours from 1-4 in the morning. I still can't believe that was real. And then setting off my car alarm twice. . .embarassing.
A phone call that lead to a Sunday visit that lead to a Wednesday lunch, which then led to the lights on temple square which led to a dinner at Zupa's and then. . . a december full of fun and good times. Who would have guessed?

Thanks to all my friends and family who have truly made 2008 so great. I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life. I hope this next year I can be a better friend and a better person. . . I guess I should make a list of Resolutions:)

Celebrate the Season

2008-12-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

This year December has flown by so quickly it feels as though I haven't had time to do all the things I wanted to truly get into the christmas spirit. However, I wanted to make a list of all the fun festive things I have done this season to remind myself that I have made good use of Christmas time!

Saw the Lights on Temple Square
Watched Elf, Home Alone, and Muppets Christmas Carol
Went to the Forgotten Carols
Saw the play Savior of the World
Experienced Ultimate Sledding in Park City
Drank Hot Chocolate
Made gingerbread cookies
Listened to lots of Christmas music
Decorated the Christmas tree
Wrapped gifts
Had a Christmas dinner in the Joseph Smith Building
Went to an ugly sweater party
Built a Gingerbread House of Graham Crackers
Hung out with Family
Attended the Family Christmas Recital
Went to the fesitval of Trees

Everyone's a bit quirky

2008-12-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Britton to name six quirky things that I do. I found this a little hard because these things are just normal to me, but probably pretty wierd to other people. Anyway, here it goes . . .

When watching sports, especially basketball, I love when the scores are even numbers. I feel a sense of relief and satisfaction when a three pointer changes the score from an odd to an even number.
I keep most of my shoes in shoe boxes. I like the organization and I don't like my shoes to be stacked on top of each other. In my mind they are staying nice and new longer.
I am really picky about the condition of my socks. I can't stand it when I step in something wet with socks on, or when I walk across the kitchen floor and get crumbs on the bottom of them.
I put salt on oranges.
This is a weird one that comes with past jobs and being a design student. I think of colors as either paint colors or chartpak rendering marker colors. A normal person would say that is brown, I would say that is "shaker beige" or "lenox tan." What one person calls red I would call "brick red" or "bing cherry."
When I make toast for breakfast, I take a peice of bread from the bag and then take a bite before putting it in the toaster. My toast always comes out of the toaster with a bite taken out. Odd.

My New Headboard

2008-12-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

Working at a high end furniture and design firm makes you want really nice furniture. And since there is no way I can have the really pretty things I see all the time, I decided to design and build my own! My dad helped me with all the sawing and screwing, but together we built a pretty awesome bed. It is an upholstered headboard with upholstered side rails and foot board. I love it! I have slowly been putting the bedding together and decided to splurgo on some expensive daniel stuart fabric for pillows.

I am Thankful for...

2008-11-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

I love Thanksgiving, I love the food, I love family and I love the occasion to think about all the things I am grateful for. Although my list could go on for a mile, here are a few things that I am especially thankful for this season.

1. Every good list starts with family, what a blessing!

2. The oppurtunity to go to school and get an education.

3. The opportunities and freedom to TRAVEL

4. Thoughtful friends who send nice little messages that really make my day!

5. The gift of creativity and being surrounded by inspiring design

6. A passion for music

7. All things that the gospel entails. This week I am especially grateful for a loving bishop and this awesome book he graciously gave me to read.

8. Elder Eugdorf's talk on HOPE. What an inspiration to get us through these crazy times.

9. Coats, Jackets and Boots...I am grateful for fun coats and jackets that keep me warm and are fun to wear.

9. Amazing Friends

10. A yummy Thanksgiving Dinner!

2008-11-08T18:14:00.000-08:00

What to do on a Friday night?... Go to Snowbird! First, round up all your snow gear and head to the lift for some great tubing. If you are me, crash on your first run down. Make sure to take pictures on the ski lift and in the nets below. Then check into your room at the lodge and throw on your swim suit. Head up to the roof top pool and enjoy the hot tub! When it gets too hot, go back inside and make hot chocolate in the coffee maker. For first time coffee maker users: it takes a LONG time to heat water. That is what to do on a Friday night!

Joshua Radin and Missy Higgins

2008-10-30T11:51:00.001-07:00

Last night I was able to go to Joshua Radin and Missy Higgins . . .What a concert! I love both of these artists and I would have to say this show is definatly on my top list of concerts attended! It was at the venue with a smaller crowd, which I love. There was no opening band and so they each played a ton of music. Good Times!

She played a new song that was really fitting to my life, It is for a movie scene and it is about a girl that was living life full speed, "running so fast," having her life planned out ahead of her, she did all those things she wanted, she graduated school and found herself a little lost and a little stuck on where she should go and what she should do. I love the lyrics.

So here I am Treading water again

This is not what I had planned When I saw this day

We run so fast With the wind on our tails

And the hope in our young hearts

Yeah we run so fast Oh we run so, we run so fast

Until now I've been bold I've laughed at fire

I've danced through the unknown

Oh but lately things have shaked me

Some paint this land For a want to believe

There's a hole in a dead end That you can let me see

This dark is strong I've been trying to move

But the inside is square one It won't let me through

Until now I've been bold I've laughed at fire

I've danced through the unknown

But lately things have shaked me

Do we ever have control?

I swear I thought I knew where rivers flow

But lately things have shaked me

High School Musical 3

2008-10-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

It was Saturday evening and as I got home from work Mom and Dad were going out for dinner and Megan was seeing HSM3 with friends. That left Kayla and I alone at home, what better to do than have a girls night and go see HSM3 too! We first stopped at the Thanksgiving point deli for shakes. And then to kill some time before the show we happened upon a Fall Festival . There we found a childhood favorite. . . War Heads. I forgot how sour they were and don't worry, we snapped a picture of our sour faces. Troy and Gabriella did not let us down in this teenage chick flick. It was a Disney spectacular with dancing and singing, basketball and drama club. High School Musical!

A week in the City

2008-10-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe New York has come and gone. Stacie and I had such a blast the whole week. We learned how to really travel! One backpack and a list of things to tackle.

One of our most favorite adventures in New York was renting bikes and biking through central park. It was amazing! The only way to see central park!

When in New York one must always see a broadway show. Our show of choice. . . The Lion King. The costumes were amazing!

We were really brave and took the China Bus from NY to DC. We went to Chinatown address for the bus station and this lady walked up to us. She asked, "Where you going?" We told her we were looking for the bus station and she replied, "Where you going? I am the bus station." Don't worry, we made it to DC and spent the day backpacking to all the memorials. We packed light but they sure got heavy after awhile. Our last day in the city was spent looking for boots. We saw all kinds of boots all during the week and we decided that we wanted a pair!Goodbye New York! Until Next Time

Once upon a trip to Bear Lake...

2008-09-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

we decided to camp up Green Canyon. Being the two very prepared camping girls we are, we began to set up camp and realized that Stacie forgot a sleeping bag and I forgot a pillow! We also realized that we had no flashlight and no toilet paper. Talk about roughin' it! It was a fun night out anyhow. We looked at the gorgeous stars and froze in the tent. Saturday morning we haeded up to the lake for Raspberry Days! It was gorgeous weather and it was so nice to enjoy the sunshine! Chris bought Stacie some sweet crab glasses and we made sure they got plenty of wear.

On the walk back to the car, we bought the most delicous chocolate covered raspberries. It wasn't a block later that my plastic bag broke and they all toppled out onto the gravel. I began to pick them up and tell Stacie that they were okay. But, in my panic of picking them up she convinced me they weren't good. We laughed really hard.

A NEW CAR!

2008-09-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

So I am a little behind in saying that I have a new car. It is a bit of an upgrade from my 1998 Toyota Corolla. Introducing... the 2007 Honda Civic. I actually decided on the car without even driving it, I was at work when my dad called and told me he just drove a great car that was a really good price. He told me it was such a great deal that I had to decide right then if I wanted it. Talk about a little pressure!!! The decision was extremely stressful, all ten minutes of it. But, I called him back and said, "I guess I will have it." The very next day we drove to Orem and picked up the car. After a few hours of extremely deep cleaning, inside and out, the car was perfect! The first few days it did not feel like my car at all. I drive old cars, not new ones. It took me a few days to get used to tinted windows too, it is tougher to see out the back. I think the funniest moment was me on the freeway trying to figure out how to turn the lights on. People must have wondered what was going on...dark....brights....off...brights again...oh, finally normal. I had my old car for a little over a week and yesterday afternoon I turned the keys over. It was a strange moment, seeing the little car I drove for 6 years drive away with a new owner. I guess I can see it driving every now and then, since our friend and neighbor bought it.

How many of me?

2008-08-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Online there is a website that tells you how many people in the United States have your same name. My name is a pretty common name, so I decided to type it in and give it a try. Here are the results! 1,421,110 people have the first name Jennifer, statistically being the 21st most popular name in the United States. 21,347 people in the US have Adair as a last name, coming in at the 1664th most popular. There are 99 people by the name of Jennifer Adair. http://www.howmanyofme.com/

Casa Bella Furniture + Design

2008-08-10T17:24:00.001-07:00

This is my place of employment, in other words the place a spend ALOT of time. Casa Bella Furniture + Design. Casa Bella is a design firm and furniture showroom in Park City, Utah. We sell high end furniture and design a lot of high end second homes. Our clients come from all over the country and even a few out of country! My job entails a little bit of everything, designing, helping customers, custom ordering, organizing installs--I am the girl that gets all the misc. jobs. I love the people I work with and the furniture is gorgeous. I especially love all the imported furniture from South America and France. Being surrounded by all the beautiful casegoods, sofas and linens has given me a new perspective on furniture. I love spending time in the French Heritage Gallery and I especially love all the original art that is hung throughout the gallery!

Songs of the Summer

2008-07-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

This is my top picks for music this summer... Holly Brook - "Heavy" - - - - -Matt Costa - "Sunshine" - - - - - - -Coldplay - Viva La Vida Album - - - - - -Sufjan Stevens - "Chicago" - - - - - Ace Enders- "Reation" - - - - - -Missy Higgins - "Where I stood"

Sunshine and Summertime

2008-07-16T09:46:00.001-07:00

Sunday Afternoon...

2008-06-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday Afternoon, the weekend is almost gone and it is getting closer and closer to Monday. Another weekend come and gone, and another work week on the horizon. This weekend was filled with friends and fun things. I went to the Art Festival at the Salt Lake Library with Rachel, Brad, and Jarom. There was awesome music and inspiring art. Saturday, although I had to spend a few hours at work, was a great day. Aokyo brought me a lychee smoothie, which was definatly different. I learned quite a lot about Pat, the owner. She lived in Korea and Hong Kong for 5 years. She was the youngest HR director at GE and the only female director. She is a pretty impressive lady. I headed from Park City to Springville where I visited with family and went to a wedding reception. I saw some of my best friends from Logan, which made my day! I stopped by Alpine on my way home and chatted with Jen, Ryan and Shellee. I haven't laughed that hard in a long while! Now it is Sunday, church was really good. I received a warm greeting from the Devine family which always makes a person feel great. I still am adjusting to the new ward. I miss familiar faces and attending a student ward versus a singles ward. You may think they are the same thing, but there is a big difference! It is a good ward though and the more people I get to know, the more I like it. So there it is, my weekend at a glance.

Hawaii!

2008-06-15T21:48:00.001-07:00

Things I miss about Logan

2008-06-03T10:00:00.001-07:00

1. Lundstrom Park 2. Firehouse Pizza 3. Aggie Basketball 4. Green Canyon Bonfires 5. The Logan Temple 6. First Dam 7. My Running Routes 8. Old Grist Sandwiches 9. Tennis at Logan High 10. Going to Lee's 11. The Studio 12. Midnight Movies 13. Pizza Plus Breadsticks 14. Driving into the Valley 15. Loganites

Tribute to Abby

2008-05-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks for two great years! I couldn't have asked for a better roommate and a better friend. I have loved every moment and every stupid thing we have done together. I will miss laughing so hard we cry, staying up late talking, making Sunday dinner, and being the inactives of the ward this year:) I look forward to many more good times and lots of memories yet to be made. Thank you Abby!

Graduation... the end of my life as i know it

2008-05-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

We decided to take a picture while waiting to go into the spectrum of all the Interior Design graduates! We found ourselves spray painting damask patterns on our hats just moments before graduation. I think we left a nice pattern on the parking lot as well. We have graduated! It was actually kind of a sad time for all of us as we said our goodbyes. Me and Steve- Professor of the year! I couldn't have asked for better teachers.

Top of the A 5K

2008-04-20T12:38:00.001-07:00

It was A week this week and my Shannon, Natalie, Chris and I ran the Top of the A 5k at midnight. I love midnight runs, i get my best times late at night. Despite the freezing cold, it was a good run and although i tried so hard to keep up with Chris, he finished almost three minutes before me.

2008-04-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

My Senior Project is Done!

2008-04-03T21:50:00.000-07:00

2008-03-28T16:30:00.001-07:00

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It all works out in the end. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." --President Hinckley

Interior Design Photo Shoot

2008-03-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

Last week the Senior Interior Design class had a big photo shoot in salt lake for Senior Exhibit. I hate pictures, and feel like such a nerd when there is a camera in my face. We had Russ Dixon Photography do all the work, and he took over 600 pictures! We had group shots of the 18 of us and then our individual shots. I will post some group shots when I get them.

Moab 1/2 Marathon

2008-03-16T10:46:00.001-07:00

I made it accross the finish line! I ran my first 1/2 marathon in Moab. My mom and I ran together and our finishing time was 1:54. Honestly, I was just glad I finished.

2008-03-15T08:13:00.001-07:00

The Spring Brek Trip with no real plans and no real final destination... 1. Stopping in Sataquin for "The World's Best Ice Cream" 2. Making a special stop to take a free tour of Cove Fort. 3. Getting back on the freeway after Cove Fort- is not always easy. 4. A sunny hike in Snow Canyon- we love self timered pictures. 5. Hiking through lava tubes, too bad we didn't have a flashlight. 6. They recoded our keys and we were locked out of out room. 7. Happy to be in Mesquite...before going into Eureka. 8. Sad that we are not good at slots and lost 2$. 9. The only restaurant we ate ate, Texas Roadhouse! We each ate plenty of rolls. 10. We looked at stars on our beautiful floral comforter. 11. Playing in the pool, okay maybe just the hot tub. 12. Visiting Quail Lake on the drive home, who knew there was a Quail Lake?

Things you may not know about me...

2008-01-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

1. Blue tootsie rolls are my favorite.

2. I walk through my dreamhouse in my head all the time.

3. I love the smell of coffee.

4. I often wonder when something bad is going to happen becuase my life is so good.

5. There is nothing better than a big juicy peach in the summertime!

6. I study better alone than in groups. 7. When I was little I ate mustard plain.

8. I sent someone in my place on a blind date.

9. I want to be an amazing cook someday.

10. I love going new places, whether it is a new restaurant or a new city! 11. I like the sound of trains in the distance late in the night.

12. I have never gotten lower than a B- in school.

13. I hate wearing shoes in the summertime.

14. I always sing to the radio in the car when I am alone. 15. I like to be the last person awake at night.

One Winter Ski Day

2008-01-07T20:25:00.001-08:00

One of the many perks of Christmas Break is ski days! My mom and I went up to Alta the day after New Year's for a nice day of skiing. It was a blast, despite the chilly wind. Smile mom! Our last run of the day.

I just can't beleive it...

2007-12-16T14:35:00.001-08:00

I won something! I designed a rug that won first place and was featured in a magazine. I was awarded $1000 last week and told that they have already made my rug and sold four of them in California.

Fall Family Fun

2007-10-31T16:30:00.001-07:00

Welcoming Fall

2007-10-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

Fall has come and so has the cold weather up here in Logan. It is almost as if you have to get dressed twice every day, once in the morning for the cold, and once whenyou get home in the afternoon when the weather is warmer. I took a drive up the canyon and saw the pretty red leaves. What a great time of year! We have been trying to do festive fall things this month and so far have watched a Halloween movie- Disney's "Monster House", made pumpkin cookies, gone to the corn maze, and made chili and cornbread. Yum. On the fall list is still carve pumpkins, got to the pumpkin walk and make carmel apples. Happy Fall!

Just Reminiscing

2007-10-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Colors

2007-09-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

What a good way to spend a Saturday night, outside on the lawn listening to great music. We went to the Colors concert at the Sandy Ampitheater for Clay's birthday. It was a blast, the music was great and the ampitheater atmosphere is always amazing.

One Project Down...

2007-09-13T09:14:00.001-07:00

Well, two weeks of school and one project completed. Luckily the first project was a group project because it was a quick one. We had to design a small house for IDEC and affordable housing in less than a week. Our final results turned out great though, Dusty had the idea to mount our project on cardboard which was an awesome idea! I love projects and I love design but I don't know how ready I am for late nights and long weekends in the studio. Welcome back to school!

Providence Cave

2007-08-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday evening...what a great night to go exploring in Providence Cave. It is an hour drive from Logan up a dirt road and then a twenty minute hike to the opening which is merely a hole in the ground. To get into the cave is a pretty tight crawl, some spaces you really have to squeeze through and you get really dirty and I mean really dirty.

Once we got to the really large cavern, which was amazing that it was this huge space inside the mountian we opened up glow sticks and created our own starry sky. And then had fun taking pictures.

Clay was checking my head after I ran into a rock, i don't know where it came from, all I know is that it hurt and the so called dirt in my hair was actually a little blood. I was okay though and we kept on going.

Wow, we were dirty when we were done, it felt good to be back out after our three hour adventure. The air seemed so warm when we got out of the cave. Jo and Ryan were glad to be out and away from any bats.

Boy could they scream...

Back to Logan

2007-07-28T15:27:00.001-07:00

It's back to Logan. A new house with a new job, but old friends and good old Logan. I love the quaint little house that we will be living in till Spring, it has tons of little nooks and crannies and lots of character. The only downside are the little box elder bug friends and my summer roommates pet snake! Yes a snake! I can't wait for Abby to move in, just three weeks!

Twenty One

2007-07-22T19:19:00.001-07:00

Twenty one... I had a great birthday this year as always. I have such great friends and family that never let the day go by unnoticed. My mom and I went up to Park City for the day and went shopping and also rode the Alpine Coaster. It was a blast, ridng down the mountian on a track in a sled, zooming through trees and winding around and around. I am just especially grateful my mom snapped this great picture, along with many other blackmail photos on the coaster. Happy Birthday today Dad!

Palmyra

2007-07-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

During the week my mom and I rented a car (with a GPS) and took a five hour road trip to Palmyra. It was nice to get out of the city and see the beautiful countryside of upstate New York. It is so Green! We were able to see Joseph Smith's house, Hill Cumorah, the printing press of the Book of Mormon, and my favorite- the Sacred Grove. It was a fun little trip and I loved walking the places that we always read about.

One Last Week

2007-07-15T14:27:00.001-07:00

One Last week in New York City... It has been 7 weeks living in Harlem, 6 weeks interning for Bunny Williams, and now one last week to play and have a good time. It started out great given the oppurtunity to be on the Early Show and see the Fray perform. Mom and Susan came that same day, I took the subway out to meet them at the airport and we hauled their luggage back through rush hour traffic. Thursday night we all went and saw Mary Poppins on Broadway! What a show! I love Broadway and the amazing productions, i still can't figure out how they fit a coat rack in Mary Poppins Bag!

The Last week of New York was great, having my Mom and Susan there was a lot of fun we packed in all New York City has to offer in just a few short days from Wall Street to Canal Street, to Battery Park and Serendipity, we did it all!

Down By The Sea

2007-06-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful night! Down by the sea on Peir 17, the lights were glistening and you could smell the salt of the ocean and hear the sound of the waves hit the dock. In the distance you could see the Brooklyn Bridge towering and three others behind it. There were beautiful old ships in the Harbor one of them being my favorite, the little red tug boat. Out on the sea were fancy yachts cruising the island with people at fancy parties.

P.S. For more photos click on the link NYC Photo Album

Toys R Us

2007-06-21T19:18:00.001-07:00

Watch out for this big guy. It was a close call but i escaped being eaten by T- Rex. Jana and I spent a night out on the town. We started out in search of Rockefeller center and found ourselves in Time Square. None the less, we had a great time playing in Toys R Us, shopping, and taking in the lights of Times Square. We saw everything from Barbies Dream house to T-Rex from Jurrasic Park and the characters from Candy Land! We didn't get a chance to ride the giant ferris wheel due to the long line. After our toy store adventure we ran into a 5 dollar bag stand on the corner of the 49th. They kept unloading all these bags from a truck as the man yelled, "I just can't beleive it! Five dollar bags, I just can't believe it!" Following our little shopping stop we had a "bag of bags" to lug back home. What a night!

Fortune Cookie

2007-06-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

This was the fortune i recieved in my fortune cookie--"A visit to a strange place will bring you renewed perspective." It seems fitting. Tonight I went to a free summerstage concert in central park. The performer was Cassandra Wilson, a jazz musician that reminded me of Norah Jones. I sat on a bench outside of the theater and just listened and looked at all the beauty around me. It was a great evening with some awesome live entertainment and pretty scenery.

The Barry Dixon Project

2007-06-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today I thought back on all the time spent on projects last semester. Although it was a ton of work and a lot of late nights I miss having projects that I can claim as mine. I miss being able to design a room from start to finish - to space plan in cadd, alter the architecture, pick materials and ultimalty create a room.

Road Trip

2007-06-12T19:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took a road trip to Washington DC! The five of us packed into a rental car and took the 4 hour drive to Virginia. We got lost for about three hours in New Jersey until we were able to pick up Darrin who had the GPS. I think the people of New Jersey need a little work on their street signs. In just two short days we were able to do so much- the Smithsonian, the Memorials, Arlington Cemetary, the DC Temple and the countryside of Virginia and famous designer - Mr. Barry Dixon's estate. I think Virginia is such a gorgeous state! There are trees everywhere and the houses are so historical and picturesque. I haven't been to DC in years, yet it was amazing how familiar everything was and how much I remembered from last time. One of my favorite memorials is the FDR Memorial, it is full of quotes from his life and his many speeches, one quote that I loved says, " The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be out doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith." -FDR

The Intern

2007-06-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

Some call it shopping, but i would have to go with hard work. This is the D&D, 18 floors of which I spend most of my day. From chairs to sofas, chintz to silk, rugs and lights, they have it all and more- 75 showrooms full of expensive things to buy. In the D&D you wait an hour for an elevator, 3 hours for fabric samples, and only have 2 minutes in the office before you are sent back to spend the next five hours doing the same thing. I have started making friends and have become a regular- Hertsy is in Scalemandre, Francesca can be found in AM, Danny works in Pollack, and you can't go a day without visiting Jose in Lee Jofa while munching on complimentary pastries and water. You might say I have the perfect job, but don't be fooled. Today I heard a great quote that I will try to apply as I am The Intern. "Remember that the fly on the wall who says nothing knows everything through observation."

A Month!

2007-06-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

We have done so much since we have been here. It is funny, we describe ourselves as locals on the weekdays and tourists on the weekends. For being here almost a month there is still a ton we haven't done.You see, ever since we discovered the beach we can be found there every Saturday afternoon.