David + Natalie Fenn

Men

2012-01-27T05:21:00.000-08:00

I'm reading Mindy Kaling's book right now and I love the chapter about the ideal man. (It's actually titled "Men need almost nothing to be great.") It breaks down how to be a great guy. Here are some of my favorite points:

-Own several pairs of dark-wash straight leg jeans
-When you think a girl looks pretty, say it
-Avoid asking if someone needs help in a kitchen or at a party, just start helping
-Have one great cologne and wear very little of it, all the time
-Get a little jealous now and again, even if you're not strictly a jealous guy

Her explanations are funny and real. I love it. Here are some guys I think are great:

(a blogger's spouse. i love his style.)

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RDJ

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Paul

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Mr. Darcy.

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Overload.

2012-01-23T10:13:00.000-08:00

It's all yummy food. And I plan on making it all over the next few weeks. Pinterest rules!!

Shells with broccoli and mozzarella.

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Homemade whole wheat cheez-its!

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Creamsicle cookies!

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Vegetable fritters.

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German chocolate bars.

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The Good + the Bad

2012-01-13T05:47:00.000-08:00

We're working on New Years goals over here and preparing for school mode again. Basically we've been super lazy soaking up the last days before studying ensues when I'll have copious amounts of alone time. It's kind of funny, but I never thought I'd like being by myself again after I met David. I guess 6 1/2 years of being together and 5 years of marriage was the mark where I began to feel it was okay. :) I also can't get enough sleep right now. I've gone through a few weeks here and there since starting my job where no matter what I do I can't catch up on sleep. This week is one of them, and I am so excited that it's Friday!

Goods + Goals:
We made a plan to only eat out for dinner once a week and have stuck to it this week.
I got a new book and I plan on reading a lot more this semester (TV is my downfall)
We finally got our last piece of 'necessary' furniture, thanks to my bil. A dining set!
Disneyland has been super empty this week which means no long lines
Plus we made a res. for Blue Bayou the day before Valentines Day. We've never been!

Badnewsbears:
So tired.
Knowing mine + David's lazy lounging days are over for a few months
I've had a cold for almost two weeks, and David had one that went away but it's back again, and worse!

At least the good outweighs the bad :)

New Years at the beach.

2012-01-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas was awesome, but we barely took any pictures. We spent New Years weekend at Pismo with David's side of the family and we did get a lot more pictures...but mostly of the girls (as usual). We went to Solvang, San Luis Obispo + the mission, went ATVing at the dunes and had a ton of fun.

Me + Sadie at the Red Viking in Solvang

My doll house!

ATVing it up

Bubblegum wall in SLO

SLO Mission

Pismo Sunset

Finally a photo of all the girls + me

A new favorite photo. This needs to be blown up huge.

Party boy

Repeat the sounding joy.

2011-12-25T19:15:00.001-08:00

Christmas was fantastic. We spend Christmas eve and Christmas day with my family in Corona. We opened presents on Christmas eve (something we've never done before) and saved Christmas for church and talking to my brother who's on a mission in Nicaragua. Now that those festivities are winding down, we'll be heading up to a beach house this Thursday with David's family for a few days of fun. Oh, and the detox I'll be doing for the next few days after all the delicious Christmas goodies I've been eating all week. :)

Christmas Photoshoot

2011-12-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

I'm officially in love with shooting my friends. We're comfortable around each other and we just get each other. Plus I can make their babies smile! Love the Williams fam!

Christmas things I love.

2011-12-20T05:40:00.000-08:00

For the things I haven't gotten to this year, I'm already planning on for next year:

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Christmas Cookies

2011-12-12T04:53:00.000-08:00

I'm going to do some baking this week and want your best Christmas recipes! I love making a few different types of cookies and delivering them to friends for the holidays. What is your tried and true cookie recipe that everyone gushes over? I'm making my favorite orange-vanilla sugar cookies that are my 3 year old tradition. They have fresh orange zest in the dough AND the frosting. Seriously amazing. Give me your recipes and links here so I have some inspiration!

Dreamsicle Sugar Cookies adapted from The Luna Cafe

1 cups butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt (I use Kosher)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

zest of an entire orange (only the skin, not the white pith)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

I wish I had a photo of mine, but I haven't made them since Halloween. photo credit

Beat the butter and sugar for at least a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, salt and vanilla and mix until combined. Add zest and mix for a few seconds. Now add your baking powder and flour and mix JUST until all of the flour is absorbed. It seriously takes about 30 seconds. Wrap the dough in wax or parchment paper and let it rest in the fridge for a half hour so it's easier to roll out. Sometimes I shape it into a log and wrap it in wax paper, and then just slice rounds and bake them that way. When I'm feeling adventurous I roll the dough out and use my Christmas cookie cutters. Either way, they're amazing! Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. I don't like any brown on mine because we are a soft cookie family. Plus, they stay fresh longer when they are a little underdone.

For the frosting I do this:
Mix a stick of softened butter with 3 cups of powdered sugar until creamy and fluffy. Add in about 2 Tablespoons of fresh orange juice and the zest of half an orange as well as 2 teaspoons of vanilla (I LOVE lots of vanilla). Sometimes you have to adjust based on the texture you want. I like thick frosting so I barely add any liquid. Top your cooled cookies!

Only in Dreams

2011-12-07T04:50:00.001-08:00

Source: flickr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I'm one of those weird people who remember their dreams every night. They've been especially vivid and frequent since with my current job I have at least two times a day when I wake up and the space in between my sleep is at least 4 hours. I most commonly dream about nice things like babies or having a house. Sometimes I dream about slipping down stairs or tripping. I've had very in depth dreams that I thought meant something, but then the next night I'd dream about having to choose between David and my ex-boyfriend, and I feel like those voided anything the "meaningful" ones could have meant because others were so ridiculous.

My sister in law is assured her dreams mean something, and I find it so interesting. She's Korean, and it seems it's an important part of her culture. I love hearing about it. I once had a dream where my mom died and I woke up crying. I told my sister in law about it, and she assured me it meant that my mom would have a long life. Interesting, right? My mom didn't find out what the sex of any of her 4 children were, and she said she dreamed what each of us were and every time it was right.

What made me think of all of this was a dream I had this morning. It's one of the worst. I'm getting ready for school and I can't find my shoes or any of my school books. Then I realize I can't remember what classes I have that day, and I'm searching everywhere for my binder that has my schedule. I then also remember that I haven't been to my math class or done my math homework for over a month and wonder if I should even go to school. I have had the dream about being behind in my math class at LEAST 15 times. Why am I still dreaming about high school??

All I want for Christmas is...

2011-12-05T04:52:00.001-08:00

I love love love Christmas! This is definitely our favorite time of year. We spent Friday night picking out and decorating our tree. I even carried it up the stairs by myself! It's making the house smell wonderful.
Yes. I'm greedily posting things that I want for Christmas. If nothing else, maybe it will help some of you pick things out for friends, sisters, moms. I've been pouring over other bloggers lists for ideas and inspiration.
Really the only thing I want for Christmas is a new pair of glasses. That's David's only assignment. But, in a perfect world where he could read my mind (or read my blog more often than once a month), these would be under the tree as well:

I have wanted a glass citrus juicer for who knows how long:

Large metal lettering...maybe "EAT" for the kitchen?

The Linus Throw from CB2.

Cute little Folk Garden Calendars:

What are you asking for this Christmas?

Busy time

2011-12-02T09:57:00.001-08:00

I've been a bad blogger lately. With work, a photoshoot + editing, nannying and the holidays, I've had no energy to post. Now that David has entered finals time for school I have some alone time and can get back on track.

Above: the start of my frame collection for the couch wall.

David got the iphone 4s (it's mostly his christmas present) and I got his 4.

I was supposed to get one for my birthday so it's like a belated bday for me!

Getting ready for sleep!

I like this scripture.

Lunch! It's summery, I know.

Thanksgiving was fantastic. My mom outdid herself as usual and everyone had a great time. Crock pot mashed potatoes were the winner for sure! We got to stay for three days because our car was having major issues and we had to wait to get it fixed, but I didn't mind because we got some quality family hang time in :) I even got Thanksgiving day off of work, one of my two days off (not counting weekends) during the year. Since we came home Saturday night I've been planning on decorating for Christmas, but with David so busy studying we haven't gotten a tree yet. I'm hoping tonight or tomorrow if he can take a long enough break to pick one out! Yay! I love December.

If this doesn't make you want a baby...

2011-11-23T20:35:00.001-08:00

She is DARLING. Can't handle it. I had to post this because it's too cute to wait.

The last two weeks

2011-11-20T19:47:00.001-08:00

In the last few weeks we celebrated birthdays, went to Disneyland a bunch and visited Venice beach. Yeah, I'll never be going back there...I was expecting quirkiness and fun but all I got were hippies and smoke in my face (not cigarette). The beach was pretty, tho.

Halloween + Lilah's Bday

2011-11-10T20:17:00.001-08:00

We had a quiet halloween that involved yummy dinner, homemade caramel for caramel apples and yummy apple cider. I made some bats to decorate the wall a few hours before family and Cori came over. Oh, and the only one to dress up was Campbell who decided to be Steve Jobs.

Lilah had a Rapunzel party that turned out so cute. We got her the wig over two months ago and have been saving it for her birthday party. She liked it, except that it was kind of itchy :)

Attacking Uncle David.

Me + Sadie.

Such a pretty face, such a pretty smile, such a pretty dress.

2011-11-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

I took these over a year ago , but realized today that I never posted them. Mike + Maleah wanted to get some fun, pastoral photos taken in their wedding clothes after the big day. Such a fun, handsome couple. Maleah's been my buddy for a long time and I love seeing her so happy :)

Half-Pint

2011-11-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

I think we've established by now that I like old fashioned things. (I stole that phrase from Nancy Drew). Old houses, thrifted furniture and knick knacks, cooking and baking from scratch. Today I was thinking about people I look up to and admire, and one of the first people that always comes to mind is Laura Ingalls Wilder (what a perfect name, right? I love it.) I've always been a big reader and spent hours in my room in bed reading anything I could get my hands on, although I am a sucker for the classics. I started with the Little House on the Prairie series in 2nd grade and fell in love. I have read the series several times and reread all of them a few years ago when I bought the box set off of eBay to save for my future children. I cherish the stories of the Ingalls' struggles, humility and courage. Laura, whom her dad called 'Half Pint' was a little spitfire, but obedient and full of integrity, and honestly throughout my childhood I remembered 'lessons learned' from the Little House stories often. (By the way, I have tried to get a cool nickname like Half Pint for years. I tried to get David to call me Pee Wee and Freckles, to no avail. Haha.) I plan on giving the books as gifts to neices and close friend's children as they grow and hope that they love the sweet, timeless stories from the past as much as I have.

image source.

At some point I plan on traveling around the US and visiting any Laura Ingalls Wilder points of interest that might still be out there. I know there's at least one on the eastern side of South Dakota, which is where she lived for a large part of her life. I'm so happy that she recorded the amazing stories of her life when America was changing so much and things were so different.
I also love that my Dad loves Little House. He gave me a season of the show, which we both love, for Christmas a few years ago. My dad IS Charles Ingalls. He does everything for his family and always stands for truth. Maybe someday I can become more like Laura, just as my Dad has become like Pa.

Exploring Pasadena

2011-11-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Of course, 'exploring' means eating as many things as we can in about 4 hours. Cori + I ate lunch at a yummy tea house and had these good sandwiches, salad and herbal tea.

Then we went to Dots to get cupcakes. Cori went for an apple pie and I chose the chocolate mint, of course. You can see, I'm quite excited about it.

Then we did some shopping for kitchen gadgets and fun clothes and bought the exact same t-shirt.

Then we drove home in traffic and watched Coco before Chanel.

Life via Instagram

2011-10-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

Clem's bed head.

Just finished Julia Child's book. LOVED it.

The beginnings of homemade stock.

Carousel at Irvine Spectrum.

David's freehanded crow pumpkin.

Mexican hot chocolate.

Dland days with the Cor-ster.

San Clemente camping.

Camping view.

THE cutest picture, ever.

Ugly cookies that tasted AMAZING.

Haunted house and grim reaper.

Oak Glen.

She turned a table into a chair.

Yummiest bakery of all time!

Style Advice

2011-10-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

For the most part, I like how I dress and I feel like I know how to dress my body in a pretty flattering way. I do get into style ruts or sometimes choose things that I love over how they flatter my body, but for the most part I steer toward open necked tops, nothing too tight, high waisted pants or skirts to suck me in and hit me in the right spot on my waist. My issue this week is that we're getting pictures taken this week and I need advice with what to wear! In the past I've always worn jeans- because that's US and I want the photos to represent us. However, I want to do something fun, bright, different, but still us, this time. So, what are my options? I'll break them down for you, and I'd love any input, suggestions or inspiration.

Jeans: skinny darks or flared darks

Pants: black, high waisted skinnies

Skirts: Madewell chambray button down skirt, worn high waisted

I can't stop wearing this skirt

Tops: red-orange plaid collared button up, plaid wool collared button up (seen in this post), t-shirts, cardigans, belts...

Shoes: brown Frye motorcycle boots, red ankle strapped wooden open toed clogs, flats, white slight wedged Target slip ons...

the red clogs look similar to these

What do you think?

Stuff I love.

2011-10-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

Outfits I wish I wore daily. Outfits I wish I could convince David to dress in for church... I'll keep dreaming.

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Lilli + Bryan

2011-10-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

A little sneak peek of a shot from our engagement session we shot in Crestline last weekend. Awesome couple, pretty location, fun times!

Disneyland with the girls

2011-10-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I was planning to meet my sisters in law for a little Disneyland day trip. I had a dentist appointment that same day and thought it would be fast, but it turned out super long (and disappointing), so by the time I met them there we had just a little bit of time left to hang out. Seeing the girls' cute faces made my day much better :) I followed the two older ones around while hiding behind my camera. And I got Campbell to smile at me (it's not hard). I can't wait until I get to do this all the time! Also, I wish I had gotten a picture of the adults! Oh well.

See Cori Jump

2011-10-10T12:20:00.001-07:00

I helped Cori do a maternity shoot last week for her friend and I decided to make Cori get in front of the camera for a bit and jump around in front of THE ugliest lake we've ever seen.

There's always money in the banana stand.

2011-10-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

For the Home

2011-09-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some new finds that I can't wait to decorate my home with. Some I will make or re-create, some I will just dream about :)

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Septiembre

2011-09-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Life has been pretty average around our household. A normal day consists of me working early in the morning, going back to sleep around the time David wakes up to get ready for class. He gets home in the afternoons, studies while I finish up work stuff or grocery shop. We've also been fitting in Disneyland a few times a week for 2 or 3 hours. It's our date night time together :)

Here's some random pictures from David's phone from the last month or so.

Clementine wearing Remy's clothes.

David on his first day of school.

Me + the girls the weekend of Campbell's Bday party.

My new favorite easy pie.

Disneyland 'date' in front of Big Thunder.

Thanks for taking a pic Cori!

(we ran into her on our way in)

Me + Sadie at Santino's bday party.

Chloe + Campbell

Fun Birthday Weekend

2011-09-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we moved into our new apartment, celebrated our nieces first birthday, our other nieces blessing + had family visiting from Utah. It was a whirlwind weekend, but so fun.

Calling all Mad Men Enthusiasts

2011-09-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

I guess if you're a Mad Men lover you are not necessarily a Joan lover. She's a little harsh. But I love her! I love her red hair, her amazing outfits and the fact that she is curvy and proud of it.

source source

I'm almost done watching the 4th season and I have been coveting Joan's pen necklace for weeks. I always think to myself how I really want the exact same thing but that I'd probably never find it. Well... I was wrong!
After googling 'Joan's necklace Mad Men' I found this amazing vintage inspired piece.

Now my only struggle is...would I wear it? I need to force myself, I think. (I'm not a huge jewelry person). Maybe it will inspire me to dress up more :) Do you watch Mad Men? Are you a Joan fan? Oh, and have you seen the new Banana Republic line/window displays? I LOVE them!

Loves

2011-09-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

Look at our cute nieces. Spending time with them is one of our most favorite things. And we have 4 to love on now. So wonderful!

Am I a Runner?

2011-08-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

Probably not. Running 2-3 times a week isn't really that legit, but I'm working my way up to it. I have hated running my entire life! I was the girl who barely passed PE. I don't like jogging around, getting sweaty, or ANY sports. The most I've ever run without stopping was 8th grade when we had to do the mile once a week and one time I did the entire thing in a slow jog. Since then I still haven't worked my way back. But I'm trying! My sister has been encouraging me to go running with her since I moved home. She just moved up to school last week, and I've surprised myself by still going, just alone. I can feel myself getting better and better and it getting easier and easier. I know everyone has told me that it gets easier, but for some reason I've never believed them.

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I want to run to get in good shape, to be healthy and happy, but also to accomplish something. I know I can keep it up and I look forward to accomplishing some goals with it. If anyone has any tips or stories of how they got to a point where they loved it, I'd love to hear them! (And yes, that is Kourtney Kardashian up there. I think she's cute).

Decor Plans

2011-08-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

We're moving in about a week to a little apartment nice and close to school. We can't wait to get settled in! I'm really looking forward to starting over and slowly finding pieces that we LOVE and show our style. I'm planning on thrifting every piece we purchase, so let the hunting begin! These pieces below are just inspiration and ideas for what I have planned. I'm sure I won't be able to find anything exact, but they kind of give an idea of what I'm looking for.

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I'll dig a tunnel from my window to yours.

2011-08-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Five years down. I love you to the moon and back.

Lovely Ladies

2011-08-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Some ladies or outfits that inspire me, starting with Emma Stone. I think I need a bathing cap.

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Her hair color and cut, sunglasses and outfit.

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Is there anyone prettier than Emily Blunt? And remember how she's married to Jim from the Office?

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I need more dresses.

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Maybe Baby

2011-08-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

We're enjoying our last week of 'freedom' before David starts school. We've been spending time in Fullerton looking for an apartment, hanging with my family and we even got to visit our sweet new niece Sadie. Of course, we love her as much as our other nieces and we're so excited for the new addition. I will never complain about new babies entering the family!

Sadie Elizabeth.

David bonding with his niece.

It's been a great week. We're looking forward to settling into our own place and our Disneyland passes being unblocked again! We've also been enjoying hanging out with long lost California friends. I need to take more pictures! Oh, and we had a great time shooting a lovely wedding last weekend. I love spending time at the LA temple.

Wish I

2011-08-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

We're coming up on our 5th wedding anniversary soon. I was talking with a friend recently, and she echoed my secret idea about having a 'new wedding' every 5 or so years. How fun would it be to be able to do the whole day again? It'd be much less stressful since you'd been through it before- and mighty romantic. I look at wedding ideas every day and swoon over the gorgeous things that are out there now. I wish Pinterest had been around when I was planning my wedding. For now, I'll save ideas for my little sister:)

I love this dress. It's simple, elegant, timeless.

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lemons + white flowers. one of my favorite combos.

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swirly simple cake.

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cornhole! wedding style. we underestimate the power of something FUN for guests to do during a wedding.

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pretty burlap + lace pennant.

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Beach Trip

2011-08-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

David and I hadn't been to the beach in California since were were dating. That's 6+ years ago, people! It was one of my little goals I wanted to accomplish before he started school, so we made a plan for last Saturday. We met Cori at the temple and did a session and then got lunch and headed out to Doheny.

Family met us a little while later and it was Campbell's first time at the beach. She didn't like the water or the wind...Her eyes are closed because there was a gust right when I took this picture. I just think its so funny.

I also got some cute new clog sandals that I can't stop wearing. Who knew I'd love a pair of wooden shoes so.

Our day in LA + 500 Days of Summer Tour

2011-07-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

Even though David + I have lived in southern california our entire lives, we've never explored LA together. We decided to have a day in LA with our good friends Greg + Cori. We started out with lunch at Philippe's. Yummy french dips!

Olvera Street.

Riding a tram up to see the park from 500 Days of Summer.

THE bench they sat on in the movie.

The building he goes to at the end of the movie for his interview. It's awesome!

Pershing Square.

We ate a yummy lunch, then 3 desserts, then made dinner at home + enjoyed treats and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Here we are at a fun macaron place.

Thanks for the awesome day in the city, Shaws!

Owen

2011-07-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have a few friends that I really clicked with right after moving to Utah, and Kristine was one of them. Our opinions about most things are very similar :) We love cooking + food, blogs, + babies. Working together allowed me to experience her pregnancy closely which sometimes even made me feel like I was the one who was pregnant! When she had insomnia, I had insomnia. Yeah, I'm weird. Her baby boy arrived on his due date like a good little boy.

I visited the new little family in the hospital a few hours after baby boy was born to capture the fresh newness. A week later we did a photoshoot at home. He was a good little model!

OC + the zoo

2011-07-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

We went on a few trips last week- Orange County and the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

We visited my favorite antique store, Country Roads at the Orange Circle.

Met Brian for lunch at Jalepenos.

Saturday we went and stayed at Brian + Moonsungs and ate the yummiest Peruvian food.

Here's Campbell in the car.

@ the wild animal park. I don't like having my picure taken by myself.

But I don't mind it if there's a baby in it, too.

Fun Stuff

2011-07-20T05:39:00.000-07:00

We've been soaking up all the time we can with our family + nieces before David starts school and I apparently won't see him ever again (according to every single person we met on his tour of campus).

Moonsung threw Chelsea a sweet baby shower at a yummy restaurant in Pasadena and Lilah sat by me :) My nieces give me hope for someday having chill children.

After we spent the rest of the day with Brian and Moonsung in Dana Point.

Later in the week we took some of our stuff up to a storage unit David's parents have in Crestline.

And visited a really cool house that we were always checking out when we lived up there that is STILL not finished being built!

Monday we made homemade empanadas for FHE in the park.

Saturday we went to the San Diego wild animal park.

Look at that face!

EmmaJane

2011-07-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

My gorgeous friend Kari had her baby girl at the very end of June and I'm so excited for her. We snuck in a little maternity session while I was down back in May and I did a few shots of her at about a week old. Kari is awesome- she has amazing style (I want everything in her house) and now she has an awesome baby to complete her family.

Kari made all of the crib bedding- it's amazing.

Fenns. It's never-ending.

2011-07-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

When I married into the Fenn family, I gained a LOT of cousins. I hope my future kids get to be as close with their cousins as he is with his because I really didn't get that opportunity of having family super close by.

I love getting a shot of just 'parents' together without kids. I think the chance to show their fun side sans kids is so important to never lose.

I love his eyelashes.

We're Passholders!

2011-07-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

We decided to buy passes for Disneyland now so we could use them on a day that would have normally been blocked out, since we buy the cheapest one. We are so excited to have passes again! Keith joined us for our trip.

David enjoyed his favorite part- a corn dog.

And I enjoyed mine- mint chocolate chip ice cream from Gibson Girl.

The boys in line for the new Star Tours.

Our 4th Adventure

2011-07-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

June 30th we headed out, leaving our little Orem apartment behind. It was the longest we'd stayed in one place (2 years) and even tho it was small and not fancy, we really enjoyed our time in our apartment.

We've been unpacking and organizing our stuff into a little bedroom in my parent's home. We've also been super busy visiting family and friends, and our favorite places we've missed. We spent July 3rd in Lake Arrowhead because they were doing their fireworks show that day instead of the 4th. We hung out at David's aunt + uncles and watched the fireworks over the lake. One of our favorite places to be on one of our favorite days. (below is waterman canyon)

(and crestline cutoff)

Thrifty's ice cream in Blue Jay

This is actually Lilah the day after the 4th. We stayed at Dustin + Chelsea's and then spent the day after the 4th with them. I had to take some pictures of Lilah's hair. These girls have the best hair- it's perfectly curly. But Lilah had this 80's over the eye curl going on and I couldn't stop laughing. Thats why theres 2 pictures.

Campbell ready for the fireworks!

Swimming + eating treats.

Cousins

We love our nieces. Like, LOVE. And we are so happy they love us!

A baby girl

2011-07-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

After all the baby boys being born lately my lovely friend Kari finally had a baby girl. She's tiny and perfect and I want one.

We Heart Fenns

2011-07-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

Pride and Prejudice: Which version?

2011-07-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

I want to hear: Which version can you not get enough of? Here's what I think.

The newest version is beautiful. Even David will watch it with me because the cinematography is to die for.

source
Favorite scenes: When Mr. Darcy helps Elizabeth into the carriage after she's been staying at Netherfield and it shows him stretching out his hand because it touched hers.
Also when she tells him off and walks away at a dance...I think it's the part where he asks what he should do to introduce affection and she says, "dancing, even if one's partner is barely tolerable".
I LOVE the scene when she's telling her father how much she loves Mr. Darcy and he's so confused because he thought she hated Mr. Darcy. Then after he gives her permission to marry, he tells her to send any others in to ask for permission to marry, and says "I'm quite at my leisure".
And of course him walking toward her at dawn. Dawn is my favorite time of day- so fresh and new. So quiet. And in this movie, so romantic.

As for the complaints: There are a few. I don't think Mr. Darcy is very attractive in this movie. He's ok, and his hair is kind of weird. He and Elizabeth talk SO fast. LIke they're in a play trying to get it done in a certain amount of time. The responses from them most of the time sound rehearsed and jumpy. It frustrates me every time.
Elizabeth's hair. It's all over the place most of the movie which I don't believe is very piece accurate (among other things but whatever...it's a modern version). The bangs bug.

The A + E Version: My fave.

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It's long and I love it. I love that mostly nothing is left out. I love Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy. I guess there's not as many specific things that I love about it, just mostly that it is what I think of when I think of P + P. Mrs. Bennett is perfectly annoying and Mr. Collins is perfectly disgusting. And Mary is perfectly plain. David hates listening to Mrs. Bennett complain about her poor nerves.
Just hearing that intro music makes me giddy.
PS. I can't find mine. Do you have it? I lent it to someone and I don't remember who. Never again...
What I don't like:
Jane is not cute. Jane is supposed to be the beauty of the fam and she's kind of weird.

I have to admit that I've never watched the BBC version. I watched the BBC version of Sense and Sensibility and I really did not enjoy it. Should I check it out? What other Jane Austen variations do you love?

Birthday Celebration

2011-06-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

My birthday was awesome! Saturday David and I had brunch with fam, went to Beck's first birthday party and then headed up to Salt Lake to shop + eat at our favorite Thai place. I got a new purse, which I was very excited about since the one I've been toting around I've had for about 6 years and it's falling apart. We also got to finally go to Les Madeleines which I've been dying to try for over a year. I tried my first macaron! I'm in love. Passionfruit was my fave. David got an eclair which was also very yummy. But the lavender lemonade was the best part.

Sunday we celebrated my birthday and also used it as an excuse for a little going away party at the park. I was so glad mostly everyone was able to make it; it meant a lot to us. We have some amazing friends here and we're sad to move away.

Thoughts on moving

2011-06-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Some things I've learned over the last week:

Don't do a newborn shoot unless you plan on having one yourself in the next little while. You will leave wishing you were taking him with you.
Don't plan 4 photoshoots within a 1 week period- the same week you are moving.
Don't plan a birthday party for yourself. And don't wait until 20 minutes before to find an open gazebo at the park.
Don't leave packing til the last minute and then stress about it for the 3 days before you move.

I will be glad when we are settled in California. I'm soooo looking forward to the 4th of July, sleeping in this weekend and seeing my nieces and family.
Oh, and if you are going to do 4 shoots in one week, make sure there are cute kids involved like the one above :)

Baby boy

2011-06-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

I just had to put these up. I took them (two of them) YESTERDAY. I couldn't stop looking at them so I thought I'd let everyone else enjoy too :) The before was taken 2 days before baby boy arrived. So sweet!

One more week

2011-06-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

We're counting down the days til we head out on our last road trip for a while between Utah + California. We've sold almost all of our furniture (we're just taking our bed, TV, my dresser and a chair). I've started boxing up stuff we won't need to use in the next week and I'm slowly deep cleaning the apartment. Is there anything worse than cleaning a place when you're moving OUT of it? I think not.

We have a busy week ahead of us. More packing...it needs to be done by next Tuesday. We've had two shoots this week and we have two more to go. Saturday we're having brunch with family, a birthday party for sweet little Beck's 1st, and celebrating my birthday in Salt Lake with one last Sawadee dinner (and hopefully macarons @ Les Madeleines!). Sunday we're celebrating my birthday with friends + family and celebrating/mourning our move.

If anyone has any packing tips, or cleaning tips, or words of encouragement, they'd be appreciated :)

And here's some shots of Lola from the orchard/field shoot we did a few days ago. What a cutie.

1960's

2011-06-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Most days I wish we lived in a time where women wore dresses and men wore suits 99% of the time. Dresses are much more universally flattering, we wouldn't have to worry about seeing peoples unmentionables when they bend over...(I guess you shouldn't bend over in a dress anyway?)
I'm drawn to 60's styles. The rounded babydoll collar, the autumn colors and the pretty patterns. Plus, I LOVE long hair. I do think of Twiggy and her pixie cut when I think of this decade, but I also think of my mom who's hair was long enough to sit on most of her teenage years. Are these outfits not perfect? I pinned these to my Pinterest boards recently.

Source: google.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Source: None via Natalie on Pinterest

Nothing sweeter

2011-06-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

To me, there is nothing sweeter than a newborn babe. I've had the amazing opportunity of capturing the sweet little faces of the baby boys of my two closest friends while living here in Provo within hours of their birth. Christiana had her baby boy last June, and just 3 days ago Kristine gave birth to her sweet baby boy on his due date. I'm so happy I got to be here long enough to capture this wonderful time. Holding (and photographing) babies is my favorite.

Raw Melissa's Cooking Class + Jacob's Cove Heritage Farm

2011-06-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Dresden, I got the link to a cooking class for last Saturday that took place at a local farm literally 1/4 mile from my house. I signed up eagerly! Everything we made was so yummy, and my favorite part was that the teachers of the class picked the ingredients out back moments before they started cooking. I am a big fan of fresh, local produce and the less it's tampered with, the better. We made so many yummy things- Here's a picture of the kale coconut ice cream they made us (topped with a few raspberries).
Who knew kale was so good in a sweet dish?

My other faves were the fresh basil walnut pesto (which I'm making tonight) and the pea and lime hummus. I was not disappointed! Jen Johnson and Lindsey Johnson did a great job! I love food + cooking. Plus Kara's reactions to the amazing food made it that much better :)

Also, apparently Jacob's Cove Farm does a CSA (where they provide shares of their fruits/veggies for a certain amount of weeks to you if you sign up and pay in advance.) If I was staying here I'd for sure sign up for it.

I can't not

2011-06-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

I can't not post this so I get another entry to this AMAZING giveaway. Seriously. Best giveaway EVER. Jordan Ferney is the best, and her blog is so lovely.

WIN A TRIP FOR TWO TO PARIS!

Besides, you KNOW I'd love to redo this.

Birthday Wishes

2011-06-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

I'm always saying how I need to wear something other than jeans...but I just can't help swooning over these gorgeous outfits. I LOVE high waisted jeans right now and I'd love to rock them. I've always been a bit of a hippie at heart. Any of these things (or obviously copies of them since the leather bag is mucho dinero) would be accepted happily by me for my birthday. I can't wait! Last year was a bit of a bust because we shot a wedding all day. This year is going to be amazing!

Source: moonfaceon.blogspot.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Source: None via Natalie on Pinterest

put on your red shoes and dance the blues

2011-06-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

I love photographing peoples shoes during shoots. Shoes, for the most part, tell you a lot about people. They can be worn and loved, or new and perfect. Most of my shoes are worn from too much wearing (David goes through a pair of jacks faster than anyone I've ever met). I'm a flats or slight wedge wearer. I love heels but just don't feel comfortable in them for long periods of time. Remember how I wore those darling BCBG black heels of Christiana's to Brian + Moonsung's wedding? I paid for it later. Shoes are a window to the soul. Oh wait, or is it the eyes?

Buffet Dreams

2011-06-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

We're getting rid of practically everything we own for this move (which is less than 3 weeks away!! yikes!)so of course, I've already started looking into our future furniture options. We recently traded our obnoxiously huge TV for a more manageable sized flat screen that will look perfect above something like the options below. I plan on finding something thrifted and painting it either stark, clean white or something funkier...like grey, mustard yellow, or some kind of fun green. No more black Ikea furniture for me!

Source: houzz.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Source: plentyopretty.tumblr.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Source: decoclico.fr via Natalie on Pinterest

Source: nashville.craigslist.org via Natalie on Pinterest

Giveaway Winners: Grace + Joe

2011-06-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

Um, coolest couple ever? These fine people are getting married this August, and what a joy they were to shoot! They reminded me of a couple from an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel (but with a happy ending).

Rings

2011-06-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

(this is not my ring, but one of my bride's)

I really like funky, vintage jewelry and funky chunky pieces like necklaces that make a simple but bold statement, but I RARELY wear any. Right now the only jewelry I have on is my wedding ring. Most days that is the case. I see stuff I like in stores and on other people but when it's time to buy a piece for myself I always pass it up. Why is that? Maybe I'm just not a jewelry person.

One piece I was sure of was my engagement ring. Yes, I picked it out :) I actually originally found an estate piece in one of our favorite antique shops in the Orange Circle- it was from the 1920's but it was amazingly enough white gold (which is what we were looking for, but apparently pretty rare during that time because most were made of platinum). It was an Edwardian setting similar to my ring now, but it had little triangles of sapphire on either side of the gorgeous diamond. It did look quite huge on my abnormally small hands...but oh, I wanted it. The diamond in it was really bad quality and they wouldn't sell the setting alone to us, so we moved on. We ended up finding something I loved almost as much in LA for a much better price. I adore my ring. It's probably my favorite thing I own.

Six months ago I noticed the diamond made a noise if I pushed on it (don't ask me why I was pushing on it...I have no idea) so we took it in and got it reset. I was informed that sleeping with your ring on can make the diamond come loose. I had no idea! I NEVER took my ring off. I wasn't too worried about the diamond coming loose before either because my diamond is set into the setting and not above. Needless to say, I take my ring off before bed every single night now. The last thing I want to do is lose my diamond!

A lot of people get new rings after they've been married for 25 years or 30 years. I don't see myself EVER replacing this ring. It's timeless and perfect for me.

B + W or Color?

2011-06-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

I have this never ending dilemma...when I edit my photos I ALWAYS turn my favorite ones black and white. Usually when I give someone a disc of edited photos that I took, most will be in color and a few will be black and white- makes it easy to tell which ones I love the most :) Something about the simpleness of the black and white picture is what draws me to it, I think. I like that I don't have to depend on the color or editing to make me like the photo- it's bare and plain. Also, if you didn't already know, I like old fashioned things.

So what do you think? Color or black + white? (I'd choose b+w if I had to choose only one to use for the rest of my life).

Happy Birthday, Christiana!

2011-06-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to this pretty lady. I'm going to miss her so much!

It's Official

2011-06-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Welp, it's official. We have our move date: June 30. That is the day we will be driving to California. I'm excited and nervous and happy and sad all at the same time.
Excited that we'll be close to our family again- parents, siblings. We've missed them and our nieces like crazy.
Nervous that we're starting over. We're getting rid of most everything we own. David's starting school over again.
Happy to be in warm weather, close to Disneyland and just plain back in our home state. Sometimes I wonder why we ever left.
Sad that we'll be leaving cousins + close friends that have meant SO much to us.

I'm grateful for this new adventure and happy that we have had such amazing opportunities. California, here we come!

Moab

2011-05-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

Last minute we decided to head out to Moab and do some camping + hiking. Seeing as it was Memorial day weekend we couldn't get a 'true' camp site, but we found a place to put our tents down for the night and headed out the next day for hiking in Arches National Park. Most of the hikes were easy, but I'm not gonna lie...the hike to the delicate arch (the most famous one thats on Utah license plates) was really hard for me. I'm so out of shape :)
David was in heaven- and that was the best part of the trip. Seeing how excited he was about everything we saw and experienced.

You had my heart inside your hand

2011-05-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

What a weekend. I started a new schedule at work where I either start at 4AM or 6AM depending on the day, so by the time Saturday came I was more than excited to sleep in. I've been so stressed about waking up early that I haven't even been sleeping well- which in the end makes me more tired (on Friday I fell asleep around 2AM and my alarm went off at 4...I was a zombie all day).

Saturday I got to spend part of the day at a charity event for my boss' organization that supports families with children with special needs. I took some pictures and hung out with friends from work. It was a really neat experience and I got emotional a few times. Those kids are really special and they have an amazing spirit around them :)

Sunday we hung out with our oldest Provo friends Justin + Christiana (and Beck, pictured above). They moved up north a bit recently and it's been hard getting used to them being more than 5 minutes away. All in all it was a fun, relaxing weekend. But I think I'm looking forward to this Saturday even more...

PS. sometimes it turns out that the best picture out of the bunch is the one where the baby WONT sit still and crawls toward your camera instead of staying put in the spot you placed him in.

Fun Finds

2011-05-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

Pretty invitations. I love the striped and bow ones.

A cute way to respond to email found here.

A beautiful beach bachelorette party. I would love to do this for a baby shower.

I can't wait until my hair is long enough to do fun braids.

Cheers

2011-05-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

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I think I like TV a little too much. We don't have cable, so I tend to get into shows later than the normal TV junkie- but when I find a good one, I watch it til the end. It all started with Freaks + Geeks in high school. Then I fell in love with The Office. Then LOST (which, in my opinion, was the best show EVER on television). Right now I love Parks + Rec. BUT every once in a while I find an old show on Netflix that I just can't get enough of. That's right- I'm planning on watching all ELEVEN seasons of Cheers. I'm on episode 50-something right now and I love every minute of it. Plus, Ted Danson- what a hunk. haha.

But also, CHEERS to our giveaway winner who won a totally awesome photography session with us!
GRACIE!
Shoot us an email, Gracie, and we'll set up a time + place for your shoot. (iris.natalie@gmail.com)
Thanks to all who entered :)

California + Cori

2011-05-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

My trip to California this past weekend was mainly planned for me to be able to attend an old friend's baby shower. I was able to sneak in a trip out to Torrance to visit CoriShaw. I like to say it like one word. I love her and I loved her cute little apartment. We chilled at the pier and she introduced me to boba (yum). Then we went for a nature walk and practiced shooting each other. It was a good afternoon. Oh, and the fish tacos? Beyond yummy.

Away

2011-05-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

I really just wanted an excuse to share this GORGEOUS photo of my dear friend Kari. This weekend away from home + my husband was special because of her. She showed me around town and we had an amazing time. She's seriously everything I hope to become and her husband + future baby girl are SO lucky. I'm so excited to live closer to her!!

Photo Session Giveaway!

2011-05-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

We've done one before and we're doing it again! This time is a little different. Instead of entering and us randomly choosing a winner I've decided to let YOU tell us why you want + deserve the photo session! All you have to do is leave your response in the comments of this post.

Here are the rules:
Session must be redeemed before June 26, 2011
Session is for couples or immediate families only
The location for the shoot will be in Utah County
The giveaway ends at midnight May 18.

Any other questions feel free to email me! natalie@fennphotography.com

Weekend Photos

2011-05-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

The weather was fantastic on saturday so we headed up the canyon for a picnic at the park.

no, i did not take this picture of myself even though my arm is stretched in front of me...it was in a chip bag. i swear.

making clem balance a carrot (her favorite food) on her nose.

we went to riverwoods for some pizza and found that they had nehi peach, my supposed favorite soda, at the toy store. unfortunately it was NOT as good as i remembered. david's sasparilla was WAY better.

The Graduate

2011-05-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

He did it! He keeps saying "and just a shade OVER a decade!" And even though it took longer than we expected we've had fun along the way. I'm proud of David for finishing school when it wasn't the easiest choice to make.

The Invite

2011-05-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

Here's the amazing invite Dresden whipped up for me for my parent's anniversary party. I love it, and my parents loved it even more! She's amazing. Go here to see the other invites she's created.

Mama's Day

2011-05-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say happy mother's day do our amazing moms. They've done everything for us.

25 Years

2011-05-07T18:27:00.001-07:00

This post is a little late, but I wanted to document the other reason we went down to California in March. My parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, so the kids decided to throw them a party. My sister + I made tres leches cupcakes, chocolate dipped strawberries and we ate yummy mexican food. Plus, I found an excuse to make the apple tea lights I pinned so long ago. It was really fun, and great to celebrate two people's love that has lasted so long- especially in a world where marriage is taken so lightly. Looking forward to many more celebrations!

Oh, and the invitation we sent out for the party is DARLING. Dresden made it- I'll post that soon. It turned out amazing.

Recently

2011-05-04T17:03:00.001-07:00

We randomly happened to be at Cafe Rio the same time as David's cousin and his wife + babe. Maddox was getting his dinner fed to him and had it all over his face. I had to take a pic.

Christiana recently moved up north a bit, so I watched her baby boy Beck while she got some things done.

We went for a walk on our favorite river trail with the pups. It's one of my favorite warm evening activities.

My tomboy outfit

David decided to walk for graduation since he never had before (he graduated early from high school)

David sent me this picture last week of Clementine balancing a hot dog on her nose. I love how her ears go back when she's excited.

weekend

2011-05-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend with David's graduation from school (yay!) and family in town. The weather was horrible and kept us inside most of the time but we still had fun with family and appreciate their time with us. My mom took me to get a massage yesterday morning at the Aveda salon in the mall and it was amazing. I'm slowly realizing how much I love oils and their benefits. I have a sensitive nose and I think I'm very affected by smells.
I've had a "rice bag" for more than 6 years now (I call it a rice bag but I think there's just wheat in it). It's one of those bags you buy from the kiosk in the mall that you heat up in the microwave and put on your back to relieve pain. Mine has multiple holes so I think it's time for a new one. I've heard using dried corn is the best way to go- so I just need to find some of that and sew it up in a piece of fabric. It's my lifesaver for all the fun back pain I have.
PS. I love dogs. I'm sure you know that based on how I talk about Clem, but seriously- I want to have a farm someday with a million dogs. Schnauzers are probably my favorite breed, but I really want a Westie next. David's cousin got a pup a few weeks ago and he + Clementine are slowly getting used to each other. That's him up above.

a through z.

2011-04-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Some facts about me, just because it's Friday. Yay! That means I get to sleep in and relax. Here's a pic of Clementine when she was a pup. I don't think I've ever posted it on this blog and since her name is mentioned in this post I thought I'd include her.

Source: natalie-david.blogspot.com via Natalie on Pinterest

A. Age: 24

B. Bed size: queen. (best bed ever- simmons beautyrest)

C. Chore you hate: dishes. i'd rather clean toilets.

D. Dogs: Yes, please! clementine the schnauzer.

F. Favorite color: grey. its sophisticated, right?

G. Gold or silver: silver

H. Height: 5’6"

I. Instruments: absolutely none. i'd like to learn the autoharp, tho.

J. Job title: nah

K. Kids: eventually, see previous posts.

L. Live: provo soon to be socal.

M. Mom’s name: Kelly

N. Nicknames: none, really

O. Overnight hospital stays: never

P. Pet peeve: the word 'pet peeve'. it sounds gross.

Q. Quote from a movie: "In vain I have struggled, it will not do. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

R. Right or left handed: Right

S. Siblings: tres

T. Time you wake up: weekdays: 6:12 am

U. Underwear: white

V. Vegetables you dislike: can't think of a single one

W. What makes you run late: snooze

X. X-Rays you’ve had: teeth + stomach

Y. Yummy food you make: everything. i think about food all day long

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: i like the giraffes + elephants.

With The Beatles

2011-04-21T06:40:00.000-07:00

source

I was born in the wrong decade, and grew up in the wrong decade. Have I ever mentioned that before? I like old fashioned things. Music, movies, clothes...I like getting back to the basics. Homemade cleaning products and cloth diapers.

We're going to talk about the music part today.
What's your favorite band? I have a ton. A TON. My favorite? Always the Beatles.

I've been listening to them my entire life. Thanks to my parents (mostly my Dad) they've been in our home forever. The other day some friends were all talking about bands we liked when we were younger, and someone said, "Come on, you can't tell me you listened to Simon and Garfunkel when you were in middle school." Actually yes, yes I did. Along with the Beatles. And all oldies...and all rock from the 60's and 70's and 80's. And ska. and punk.

Don't get me wrong- I like a lot of modern music too. The Shins are in my top ten favorite bands ever for sure, if not THE best band of recent.

But the Beatles will always have a special place in my heart. Especially George. (Remember how I have a Beatles calendar up on my desk at work and some totally awesome new kid asked me "oh, do you like the Beatles?" I say yes. He says "can you name them all?" i didn't respond. worst. question. ever.) I remember when George died. I was in 10th grade and my seminary teacher happened to also be a lover of the Beatles (Brother Child). We mourned together. Anyway, I love anything Beatles related. When we went to London we HAD to go to Abbey Road. It was amazing! I'll never forget it.

Now that I think about it, I wish I had had a Beatles themed wedding. 1960's style. I'll just have to remember that when someone I know gets married who feels the same way I do about the band, and try to convince them to use all of my ideas...

I guess I should be thankful that I live now. I can pick and choose what I like out of all of the past years.

The Sabbath

2011-04-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday is a special day- a day of relaxation, learning + listening, spending time with family. It's a quiet time. I am not a fan of 'breaking' the sabbath. I like the term 'breaking' because the day is like a clean slate, and if I do something I'm not supposed to, I really picture the slate breaking. There are certain things that I REALLY care about, and this is one of them.

Growing up, my parents were VERY strict about Sunday rules. They became active again in the church when I was about 4 years old, and I think with that activity came true devoutness. What were we allowed to do on Sunday?
Go to church. We were allowed to watch TV- but we couldn't go outside and play with friends. Sometimes we'd go for drives or visit grandparents. It was basically a quiet, relaxing day. (It makes me think of this scripture, one of my faves. Alma 57:21 "Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them."

Once I was a teenager I usually took a nap in the afternoon after church, depending on the time our church was. But I always spent the day with my family- that was my favorite part.

The reason I'm writing this? Moving to Utah has done something to us. We have become relaxed. And I hate it. Everyone struggles with different things. Some people are really good about keeping the sabbath holy, or reading their scriptures, or doing service. Some people have a hard time being modest or keeping their language clean. I used to be so great at so many things, and I feel like those things have faded. So this is me admitting that I need to be better.

"Try a little harder to be a little better." Gordon B. Hinkley

Headboard

2011-04-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

We decided to do something new with our old headboard to give our room a little redo. Our old headboard was actually this one here, but it was covered in fabric- two different kinds. It was originally a red toile with red and white gingham on the edges at first, then we recovered it with a very modern ikea zig zag fabric. Our style has changed a lot....haha.

My friend Amber told me about the idea of painting over letters and revealing the wood thru the lettering. Thanks to the Silhouette, we cut out our lettering using premium vinyl and painted three coats of grey paint over it. David hung it on the wall using these hooks that hold 75 pounds each- so it's pretty secure. (We didn't want it falling off on our heads in the middle of the night). It was an easy, simple product and resulted in a nice, simple headboard.

As for the lyrics- it only took me like 4 months to decide what I wanted. The lyrics shown here are from the Mason Jennings song "If You Need a Reason". The whole song is great, and the block of lyrics that include what we chose is my favorite part of the song. It was kind of long so I just picked the end verses. Here's what it says:

Lovely, lovely quiet lake
how could this be a mistake
too dark now to see your face
your hair is blowing all over the place
the moon is caught in a frozen glass
it could not let this moment pass
the sun is waiting far away
until i have a chance to say
all that's missing, all thats lost
every hope at any cost
every dream too good to come true
floods my heart when i'm with you

Time for the Truth

2011-04-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not pregnant. I won't be within the next 6 months.

I've had ideas and ambitions most of my life. You know in school how they ask what you want to be when you grow up? I would say librarian a lot (and I still want to be that) but secretly in my head all I wanted to be was a mom. and wife. It's one of the few things I've ever been sure about.

When we first got married I was baby hungry. I couldn't get my mind on anything else. I was barely 20 and we were so unsettled it was just out of the question. Welp, nearly 5 years down the line here we are- in the same position as before. Still SO unsettled. My three closest friends are pregnant. My other friends are trying to get pregnant.

Don't think this is me whining or being bitter- I'm not. I got past that a LONG time ago. What I'm trying to say is I don't know what happened. People bug us about why we haven't had a baby yet constantly. It doesn't bother me I guess, it's just weird. Out of everyone I know I would have thought that I'd be the one to not put this off.

So let's just say I'm hoping this is in the cards for us soon enough. I spend hours every day discussing pregnancy/baby stuff with these friends. What crib? what stroller? What bedding? Planning showers. Discussing names. Fearing labor. haha.
I spend hours researching my weirdo things like cloth diapers + the benefits of breastfeeding solely for 6 months. (Maybe that's why I have so many breastfeeding dreams?)

At least I'll be prepared when the time comes?

Arcade Fire

2011-04-12T09:47:00.001-07:00

Last night we headed over to UVU to see Arcade Fire after months of waiting (we bought our tickets quite a while ago). It was amazing. I love when bands sound just as good live. And when they switch up their instruments. Very talented.

Things I want

2011-04-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Pinterest is spoiling me- I have a billion things I want, or want to make.

Like this succulent wreath- its ALIVE.

Source: prudentbaby.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I've been saving the link to this vanilla milk with chocolate ice cubes for about 3 years...I should probably make it soon. I have a serious thing for chocolate milk.

Source: sandrakavital.blogspot.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I love VW's. I even had a bug in high school. (It's gone now that my brother forgot to put oil in it and it caught on fire). This onesie is WAY too cute.

Source: ittikid.com via Natalie on Pinterest

S'mores are my favorite part of camping.

Source: notsohumblepie.blogspot.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I have these gap jeans, but they're not as flared as this. I want these so bad! I found Kendi's website this week and her outfits are amazing. Now I need an entire new wardrobe!

Source: kendieveryday.blogspot.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I brought you flours

2011-04-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

One of our faves. I love that he brings her flours. And I love that he just says "I want you". I like when guys get flabbergasted when they're overcome with love- especially since most are very sensible. :)

Have you seen Stranger Than Fiction? If not, you should. It's David's favorite.

Finds this week

2011-04-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

I was up at sunrise this morning hanging out down at Utah Lake taking my sister's senior pictures. I made her do a profile shot (cause I love them) even though she didn't want me to. We Faughts are blessed with interesting noses. I guess it's time to embrace them. :) Luckily she doesn't read my blog so she'll never know! But seriously, I think it's gorgeous. Very Barbra Streisand. Whom I love. Some people don't. And I don't care.

Here are some of my favorite blog posts I happened upon this week:

On Design Sponge they featured a sweet little succulent party. I have been wanting to do terrariums for a while! They also showed how to make yummy compound butters.

Easter ideas are popping up and I love this paint chip easter egg garland.

Do you read Jorge Garcia's blog (you know, Hurley from LOST!) I love his blog. This week he showed us how he makes is OWN almond milk. It's pretty neat.

A gorgeous LDS Las Vegas wedding

And a Florida engagement session. Look at those colors!

dessert

2011-03-31T07:28:00.001-07:00

Our dessert last night was an almond cake atop a bed of lavender creme anglaise with sesame brittle. so yum.

From Pizzeria 712, one of our fave restaurants in Utah County.

Hi

2011-03-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

Our new thing? Sitting in the hot tub while its raining or snowing. This means I run from our apartment to the pool as fast as I can, wrapped in my fluffy robe and use my towel as a scarf. I think it's going to be our new before bedtime ritual. This means I still smell like chlorine.

Luckily I found my new favorite body wash...it should help.

Sealing Day

2011-03-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

Chloe + Lilah singing

2011-03-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

Our weekend via the iphone

2011-03-24T21:10:00.001-07:00

I love the hipstamatic app for iphone, obviously. Here's our long weekend in sunny CA via the iphone.
I have a billion more pics I took with the 5d and I'll upload those eventually.

The reason we went to California? Brian + Moonsung were sealed in the Newport Beach Temple along with their sweet daughter Campbell. The whole family was together and it was wonderful. I also got to throw my parents a 25th anniversary party. The days were busy but we loved it.

Remy attacking David's breakfast burrito

Amanda + Lilah
David + crazy Lilah
We stayed the night on Wed night at the trailer park in littlefield, az.
Me attempting to calm Campbell down

Me + mom at burger basket
Dad + Nana
The girls entertaining Campbell
Lilah on uncle Davids shoulders
Us at the temple
the newly sealed fam

the girls with the dolls nana jean made them
chloe drawing in sacrament meeting
Me + the Cam-meister

Our 'Other' Niece + Nephew

2011-03-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Our three nieces (and one more on the way which we find out the sex of this week) all live in Southern California and we only get to see them every few months. Luckily to tide me over we have some cousin's kids that live in Utah county to love on. It's so fun.

Spring, spring, spring

2011-03-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

You're supposed to sing the title of this post like in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. If you know that movie. And if you don't you should probably watch it. It's my favorite.

Things are JUST starting to get warm here (I plan on more snow days of course) so I'm taking in all the sunshine I can. I'm home sick with a cold today but thinking about future warm days and what I want to plan.

I need some easy simple skirts and dresses for warmer weather, like this:

Source: bodenusa.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I also can't wait to plan dinner parties with strung lights. So pretty.

Source: tumblr.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I miss California fruit, ESPECIALLY strawberries. but spring and summer fruit are just around the corner. Let's see what you've got, Utah!

Source: via Natalie on Pinterest

Happy Sunday

2011-03-06T07:54:00.001-08:00

It's Sunday again, and I love Sundays. We recently started a new tradition with David's 4 cousins where we switch off making dinner every Sunday. It's WONDERFUL. I make dinner and then the next 4 Sundays I don't have to think about it.

On Sundays I also love watching classic movies after church...like The Sound of Music.

Wasn't Julie Andrews lovely?

Source: merelyloveher.tumblr.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Happy Birthday, David (via the iphone)

2011-03-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

I love that you are 31 years old today.
I also love:

That you are adventurous.

and hilarious.

and loving.

and mine.

Pretty scarves on Etsy

2011-02-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

My lovely sister in law Amanda is an awesome knitter (is that a word?) and just started an Etsy shop. She asked me to take some photos for it and they turned out great.

Favorite Things

2011-02-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

From my "lovely ladies" pinboard on pinterest. Do you have one?

Source: Uploaded by user via Natalie on Pinterest

I think this is Alexa Chung for Madewell but I can't find the actual link.

Source: vi.sualize.us via Natalie on Pinterest

Source: tabletonic.blogspot.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Martin's Cove

2011-02-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

From James E. Faust's "A Priceless Hertiage"
"You who are among the descendants of these noble pioneers have a priceless heritage of faith and courage. If there are any of you who do not enjoy fellowship with us in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we invite you to seek to know what instilled such great faith in your ancestors and what motivated them to willingly pay such a terrible price for their membership in this church. To those who have been offended or lost interest, or who have turned away for any reason, we invite all of you to join in full fellowship again with us."

photo taken by David of Martin's Cove + the Sweetwater River on Christmas Day night with a long exposure

Campbell

2011-02-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

We have three sweet neices. Most recently born to David's oldest brother is Campbell. I love this image we took of her back in November.

2011-02-03T07:59:00.001-08:00

I can't stop talking about Pinterest. It's a site that lets me keep track of all of the images and links to those images online, so I can access them anywhere. It's so refreshing and easy. I also now get to follow all my friends pins they post on their boards.

Now I can easily reference back to my favorite things:

like this UP party

Source: creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com via Natalie on Pinterest

these ridiculously cute moccasins

Source: hellolucky.com via Natalie on Pinterest

and this sweet + simple baby's room

Source: youaremyfave.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Let me know if you join so I can follow your pins! It's too fun.