adventures in baking...

No one will ever be able to say I didn't teach my kids about the finer things in life... what's better than actual home made (not from a box cupcakes)? Licking both batter & frosting spoons!

Ever since my first Sprinkles cupcake I have been on a cupcake kick. Thanks to the cupcake queen I have found zillions of recipes. I tried this recipe from Amy Sedaris first. They were voted second in New York City by New York Magazine... I couldn't pass that up! And boy were they tasty... care to try them for yourself? Go HERE!

look what the mail brought!

So I participated in my first swap this past week (thanks Marta for hosting!) The idea was to choose your favorite color and incorporate throughout your entire package. Thanks Christen for all the absolutely wonderful goodies. It was so much fun to come home to a fun little package, that had been specially created just for me! Christen filled this box with so many fun items, all in the shade of BLUE. First and foremost is the purse she created with her own two hands! (once again I find myself jealous of another's talent!) Neither my pictures or words can do it justice, it is way too cute. Her detailing is amazing... I love the silky fabric and denim together. The flower pin is just perfect, and the denim pocket on the inside! I think I'm in love. But that wasn't all! In addition she sent some BLUE bubbles, a set of notecards, a BLUE journal, a BLUE CD (I can't wait to give a listen!) and a BLUE card. Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou!

tag, i'm it!

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Working at the lumber yard... office clerk, inside sales, lumber loader...
basically whatever they told me to do.
2. Snowboard instructor at Sundance
3. Advertising sales for the PennySaver
4. Stay at home mom/ stay at home business person

B) Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. Pride & Prejudice
2. Grease
3. The Princess Bride
4. Sound of Music

C) Four places I have lived:
1. Thousand Oaks, CA
2. Provo, UT
3. London, England (6 weeks counts, right?)
4. Tustin, CA

D) Four television shows I watch:
1. American Idol
2. Lost
3. All the Law & Orders
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. There are just to many to list! Thanks to Tivo, I think I watch EVERYTHING!

E) Four places I have gone (or will go) on vacation:
1. Europe
2. Hawaii
3. Tahiti
4. Australia

F) Four websites I visit almost daily:
1. Bloglines
2. Gmail
3. Wells Fargo
4. Celebrity Baby Blog

G) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Pad Thai
2. Carrot Cake with THICK cream cheese frosting
3. Crushed Ice (that's totally a food!)
4. Home-made granola

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Hawaii
2. Shopping
3. At the Spa
4. Anywhere on vacation!

I) Four people who I tag:
1. Mama Jo
2. Gabi
3. Amy
4. Marty

Cut and paste and then fill in your own info and post!

what's for dinner?

I actually enjoy cooking, I just hate deciding what to make. I've tried menu planning, but let's face it, I'm just not that very good at it. Every week seems to be the same old thing. It's not that I'm not an adventurous cook, I just don't have the knack for it. I'm not the type of cook who can throw some ingredients together (without a recipe) and it tastes great. I'm also not the type of cook who can look at a recipe in a cookbook and think "ummm, that sounds good." That's one reason I love food blogs... I can get a good idea of how the recipe turned out, and whether it's worth attempting it. I frequent such foodies and salivate over the pictures and descriptions. They are hard to read without getting hungry. (want to visit a few of my favorites? Click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE & HERE.)

So I have this idea/ goal: I want to plan 6 weeks of dinners, with no repeats. That way I can just keep the meals on a continual rotation, without having to put much brain power into it. I don't want to plan a meal for every night... I need a little room to account for leftovers, frozen stuff, trying a new recipe, going out, etc... so I'm thinking four meals per week for a grand total of 24 different meals. Totally do-able! Right? Just think of all the headaches I'm saving myself. I won't have to decide what to make, I'll just know! Just imagine what a breeze grocery shopping will be.

My problem? I don't think I have 24 different meals that I just love! I'm an over achiever... I don't want just "okay" meals, I want great meals. When Jeff's asked how he liked dinner, I don't want to hear "hmm, it was good" coming out of Jeff's mouth. I want to hear "Wow! that was great. When do we get to have it again?" So... about a week or so ago I read a post over at This Week For Dinner talking about "Go-To Recipes"... you know, those all time family favorites that you tend to make again and again. She shared her favorites, and asked everyone to do the same. So I'm a total flake, and just got around to sharing. But I'm going to totally steal the idea and ask everyone to share with me. Please help an old dog learn some new tricks, hopefully I'll get a couple ideas, and soon will be revealing my new 6 week dinner plan!

Let the sharing begin... here are my favorite "go-to" meals!

Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Curry
Taco Soup
Grandma's Chicken Salad
Taco Salad
Honey Mustard Chicken
Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole
Chicken & Rice
Patio Beans
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Salsa Tacos
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

have a minute?

Then check out the video of Owen eating REAL food for the first time. Rice Cereal grosses me out, so we started with the pears. Owen isn't too thrilled yet, but Gavin loved it!

pam attack!

Today, Jeff Owen & were upstair getting ready for church Gavin when suddenly we hear some commotion from downstairs & Gavin saying "Eyes! Eyes!" Jeff ran downstairs to see what was up. We soon learned was that Gavin had managed to get the Pam Cooking Spray down and had managed to spray a thick layer of grease on everything in sight. Jeff found him spraying himself down, and trying to rub in in like sun block. He was covered from head to toe.. what will this kid do next?

wishlist...

the sundance catalog arrived last week... as always I'm lusting over a few new items & some old ones.

british imports

Thank heaven for little sisters. Mine is great - she teaches me how to apply makeup, advises me on how to wear my hair & she always is keeping me up on the latest trends. This past summer, while we were on our European adventure, she introduced me to Topshop, Europe's answer to Forever 21. Here's what the press has been saying about Topshop:

The LA Times says "Topshop, a laboratory for trends and the world's best cheap-chic store."

TimeOut says "Topshop is a rare retail phenomenon - it has the ability to appeal to funky 16 year olds, sophisticated twenty and thirty something's and Gwyneth Paltrow all simultaneously."

If you haven't already, check Topshop out. They even have Maternity clothes for all those who may find themselves preggers!

have you heard about...

Thanks to Leslie and her loverly blog, I've found something new! Shabby Apple. Have you heard of it? They offer fun, flirty and modest! The stlyes are pretty classic, and their prices are reasonable. In their own words:

A return to what dresses were always meant to be — a one-piece outfit. No need to add anything...no tank tops, no cardigans, nothing (except accessories, of course!).

Here are some of my favorites, what are yours?

wishing we were still there!

Gavin is such a show off! He loves slipping into the pool and floating on his back. Now I just have to get him to swim with his eyes in the pool.

Again, something Owen & I have in common... our favorite thing - sleeping!

the perfect white t-shirt.

For years I feel like I have been on a quest for my own personal holy grail... the perfect white t-shirt. Can it really be that difficult to find? Am I really asking too much? All I want is something that fits nice, and is soft. Well cut sleeves,not too long, but definitely not a capped sleeve. Good fit across the shoulders. Not to gappy around the neck. I'd like to find something that is a little long, but not a dress (I just want to cover up what my low-riding jeans tend to reveal). I don't want something that is super clingy, but I don't want to be wearing a tent. And if it's white, it definitely can't be see through (I just HATE that). Is this really too much to ask?

Oprah loves adam + eve's tees and lounge wear.

I have a friend who swears by Layers tees.

Another prefers the shirts from Shade.

My sister seems to like shirts by James Perse,

but my brother loves the tees at American Apparel.

I've tried Realitees, and they're pretty good.

C & C California also have some nice shirts to check out.

So do you have any favorites?

already missing hawaii...

What a little water baby Owen is. He was content spending his days in the sunshine, lounging near the pool. He definitely takes after me... loves being lazy.

Can you imagine what Gavin would look like if I hadn't been putting 50 sunblock on him, all day, every day? I don't think I've ever been this tan in my entire life!

hanging with the rich and famous

Just thought I'd let you know who we've shared a hot tub with, ate breakfast next to and passed on the street...

Sean Penn & his wifey Robin Wright Penn
Jason Segel (Marshall from the TV show "How I Met Your Mother")
Kristen Bell (from the TV show "Veronica Mars")
Mila Kunis (Jackie from the TV show "That 70's Show")
and my brother and sister-in-law ran into Jack Johnson.

it's been fun hob-knobbing!

aloha!

We will be back from Hawaii next week, in the mean time I thought I'd post some pictures of Gavin & Owen enjoying island life!

happy birthday mama jo!

Someone once said: "life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away." As you look back on the past 50 years, I'm sure you will remember many such moments. To celebrate this exciting day your friends and family have compiled a book filled with their fondest memories and photos. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was able to participate. If you would like to view an on-line version click HERE!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to tell the world, or at least who ever is reading, how incredibly lucky I am... I have the the best mom in the entire world. Each and everyday she continues to impress and inspire me. You are the most:
Thanks for EVERYTHING!
i love you!

this is totally healthy, right?

ahhh!
the healing power of cookie dough.

my baby einstein...

how cute are these!

I just picked up my "Piggies & Paws" paintings, and they are adorable! Never heard of "Piggies & Paws"? Neither had I until about a month ago when I was invited to a "Piggies & Paws" party, but now I'm addicted. Check out the website for more information, and local artists, but the basic idea is that they do custom foot and hand-print paintings. It takes the idea of stamping foot and hand-prints to a whole new level. Very, very cute... too bad I didn't think of it first!

happy birthday alison!

I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed having you as a sister! This year is the beginning of new and exciting things to come! Today on your birthday, I wish that all your "days here and after, may they be filled with fond memories, happiness and laughter!"

remember that seinfeld episode?

You know, the one in which George's fiancee dies from the from the cheap glue after George refuses to buys cheap wedding invitations? After licking about 800 envelopes (nothing else would get the flaps to stick!), I'm hoping that won't be my fate!