Dean's Mission Call

What a big few weeks for the family... a baby born... a mission call?!   It has been wonderful having Dean close by being a freshman @ BYU this year.  He was so kind to include the entire family while he opened his call.  Ben and I drove down to Granny's - and set up a massive ichat with Tessa & Duffy, Linds & Mike, Mom Taryn & Mike, and Dad.  It was like a control center! Dean was so patient to wait while we got everyone logged in and live.

And then, the moment we'd all been waiting for -  a call to Czech Prague. 

( I gotta get good at spelling "czech") 

Dean was beaming. It was such a great thing to witness.  He was beaming and flushed and excited and nervous and all smiles. Seriously. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face.  It was adorable. I love Dean. Since the day he was born he had an instant a fan club of four.  I feel like my sisters and I have been his little hovering fan club. It's hard to explain but in a way he's like the apple of our family's eye.  He truly is a very, very special person.  Not another like him.  He's athletic, smart, intuitive, kind, thoughtful and a wonderful friend and brother, oh, and a darn handsome fellow.  And to see him so excited about something was an incredible experience. And it's just the start. I'm so proud that he is willing to serve and worthy and humble in his desire to dedicate himself to the Lord's work. I have no doubt he'll have a tremendous mission.

  

He reports into the Provo MTC on September 7.  After he read that part of the letter he stopped.  He stopped and said, "that means I'll be spending all summer with you, Mom." That has to be one of the sweetest things she's ever heard.  My family is planning one last hurrah with a family reunion in Montana this summer at my parents'.  Looking forward to an unforgettable vacation.

Introducing : Hudson Michael

My twin sister Taryn and Mike welcomed their brand new baby into the world today.  I haven't heard all the details, but I know it was a relatively easy delivery (checked in this morning at 5:30 and delivered at 9 I think).  Baby weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and 19 3/4 inches long.  I think he's an absolute dreamboat. He actually looks like a little boy already even though he's only hours old!  What a sweetie.  I'm so happy for Taryn and Mike today.  I wish I could be there.  It hurts to miss life's most precious moments.  I know I'll get to meet him soon - I love him so much already.  Doesn't he just look perfect? Taryn said he slept for the first 15 hours of his life, hee hee.  And - the name Hudson Michael - love it.  What a beautiful and happy family.

Good Luck

Blair has been trying to say something all day - mouth open, very excited... and then I figured out what it was she wanted to say :

GO COUGARS!

If there's ever a day to catch a break, get lucky and get a W - it's St. Patty's Day. We're crossing our fingers for BYU tonight.

Lunch with Emma

Last week I met up with Emma and her darling daughter Kate for lunch.  Emma and I were neighbors in Provo during our college days and then ended up in the same ward in Park City - what luck!  It was really great to become better friends with her in PC (plus her kids and hubby are amazing).   We both moved at about the same time last summer - Emma south and me north.  We hadn't seen each other in months - neither of us had met the others baby!

For starters, Kate is a precious darling baby.  She just sat on Emma's lap the entire time without so much as a peep. What a perfect little sidekick.  Blair and I had a wonderful time with both of them.  Emma is great to be around.  Whenever I am with her I find myself wanting to be more like her! I hope it's not long before we see each other again.

Quick Family Weekend

My cousin got married last weekend and my parents came down to attend.  With only two days, we had a very quick visit.  Tessa also happened to be in town last week for the Omniture summit - yep, she's kind of a big deal. It's fun to live vicariously though her life in the executive world.  She was really busy all week but we had a chance to hang out like old times this weekend before she flew back to Cincy.  Ben kept the baby and Tess and I had a night on the town. It wasn't a crazy-fun time (sorry Tessa I'm pretty easily entertained these days) but considering my 95% of-the-time attachment to little Blair... I was super excited to have a semi-late night out while she was safe at home.

Dean was sweet enough to leave campus for a night to have a slumber party/movie night with us on Friday. He and Tessa make even a quiet night in a party - I love being around them.  Forgive the pictures taken from my phone - it seems they don't take so well in low light. (darned red eyes!)

I could get used to being the "Utah" sister. It seems family is always coming in and out of town for things - and I get to reap the rewards! 

Applesauce

I am in a daze. My husband is sitting next to me on the sofa.  It's 8:45 and he's just now having dinner.  It's applesauce - right out of the jar with a giant spoon. I feel like a great homemaker right now.  I think I offered to fix him something but it was a while ago and I can't really remember what his response was. Oh well. I had a busy day today - working, errands, trying to maintain baby's nap schedule...

Blair is asleep and has been since 6:15. She's a good little girl.  At least I fed her today, right?  Applesauce, actually. :)

I'm emailing, catching up on blogs, and furiously trying to get through some very old shows on my dvr that have piled up while I wasn't looking.  I have a love/hate relationship with the dvr.  I either have no shows to watch (boring!) or I have WAY too many that it's annoying. I need them when they're absent and when they've got me down to 8% remaining memory I either race through them so fast it's dizzying (and purposeless) or just delete them before giving them a chance.

On the upside, my fabulous neighbor delivered the most delicious loaf of homemade Focaccia bread this evening. (no wonder I didn't want dinner) AND, I found out that a HomeGoods is being built less than a mile from my front door.  I told Ben I could go every day and he laughed. He thinks I'm kidding.

Happy Baby

Studio 5 : Five Patterns You Won't Want to Pass Up On

GREAT segment today - I was so excited about this topic and hope the viewers were too! Check out the video below or click here to redirect to the Studio 5 website.  Many of the fabrics and items featured today are available through our showroom, if you're interested in pricing or cut yardage, let me know.  I LOVE the way that simple fabric applications can completely transform a room! I'm full of ideas!

Chevron - Hot, hot, hot!  We are seeing the zigzag motif all over the place. It is arguably the most popular current textile. Easily laid as an area rug, the chevron also has high impact when hung vertically in simple drapery panels or even as wallpaper on an accent wall, ceiling or contained space like an entryway or small bathroom.  This pattern is just as high-impact and energetic in large scale as in small scale.  Use in large application if you’ve got the guts; otherwise consider using the fabric for dinner napkins, throw pillows or as the seat fabric on a small accent chair.

 

 

Ikat – This pattern, pronounced “ee-cot”, refers to a particular type of printed fabric where the threads are tie-dyed before they’re woven. The finished fabric often takes on a tribal or more primitive motif.  The great appeal of ikat fabrics is the broad range of color combinations that add a lot of personality (as opposed to the other mentioned fabrics that often employ contrasting two-color palettes).  Ikat textiles make a great statement as wall art (framed, wrapped on a canvas, or even papered), as oversized throw pillows (think lumbar-sized) or even folded over the back of your sofa as a piece that looks like it was picked up while you were traveling somewhere far away.

Medallion - This idea refers to any textile that has a dominant centered pattern often surrounded by blank space giving it even more attention.  Often I’ll use a medallion pattern for a statement pillow – as it draws the eye right in.  If you don’t use the medallion fabric to single out each motif, try to choose a larger application such as a tablecloth, duvet cover or large, flat ottoman.  Too many seams or curves (on a chair or sofa) or too small an application will detract from the medallion’s statement-making appeal.

Quatrefoil – The quatrefoil dates back to the late 1300’s and refers to a shape with four points.  In today’s interiors, we see the use of quatrefoil patterns in more of a repetitive pattern, often reflecting a design that looks much like a lattice pattern.  This modern interpretation can be seen as very formal or very geometric depending on the scale and color combination.   I have used quatrefoil fabric on everything from large bedspreads to beautiful hand-tufted rugs and lovely accent pillows.  The pattern is very versatile. I have also seen this motif used in smaller applications like kitchen towels and table linens.

 

Nautical Stripe –  So hot right now!  Nautical stripes are so popular in fashion as well as home décor.  Wide stripes and narrow stripes alike, the key to nailing the look is a two-color palette and a pattern where the stripes are the same width all the way across.  My advice on this pattern : the larger the application, the larger the scale should be. This pattern is the most versatile of the five – get creative with it!  Use a piece to re-cover a neutral lampshade, make some dining chair cushions or a valance over your kitchen window.  Nautical striped textiles are something I’d consider an investment because it is an enduring idea… these stripes go great in high modern, transitional, eclectic/bohemian and even country-styled spaces!