am a fan

am a fan of frosted cupcakes, all boxed up to go.
they were more valentiney than birthday, but nobody seemed to mind.
am a fan of red hot sugary hearts. since when did i turn twelve and get such a thing for candy?
am a fan of icy parking lots, if only to see the cars parked all wonky.
am not so much a fan of minus eighteen degree weather.
am a fan of staying in and watching the beverly hills' housewives hash it out.
am mostly a fan of andy cohen. 
am a fan of danni's darling business cards. she is so good at crafting unique designs.
am a fan of thinking about veganism; that oprah episode had me all gung-ho.
until i made ritzy poppyseed chicken for dinner.
am a fan of french birthday parties; ala stephmodo and darcie sanders.
am a fan of christie's diy artsy pottery barn-esque book flowers.
am a fan of fabric framed alphabet art by destri.
am a fan of lovely snuggly made-with-love quilts; here and here.
am a fan of angie and her fashionable website. (thank you, mom!)
get lost in her archives; like these casual outfit formulas for moms on the go.
am a fan of this sweet-as-pie children's custom board book. 
am a fan of benji's recent catch phrases; have fun, dad and sweet dreams, mom.
am a fan of hand-lettered type for a fancy schmancy amazing bookmark.
am a fan of this charming embroidery hoop wall display.
am a fan of buying books for a buck. yay for the time traveler's wife. never read it before.
am a fan of scheduling out my days by the hour, even if they don't go quite as i hoped.
am a fan of new-to-me blogs; what katie ate / simple lovely / old sweet song.
am a fan of alma and her book illustrator 101. loved chatting it up with her at ALT.
am a fan of chic bubblegum necklaces and party games (bravo to their constant creativity)!
am still a fan of sally hansen polish. february faves; shrimply devine and kook-a-mango (pictured).

am buckling down to get a few things done next week / blogging will be sporadic.
happy valentining to you. xoxo.

p.s. spring mini diaries arrive next season, sign up if you'd like to be the first to know.

photographer sign ups

next week my photography blog will make its big debut.

just kidding. i wish. really, i'm joking. i know very little about photography (although i love it more and more every day). all i really know is to turn your flash off for overall better pictures. and to snap a billion photos, you may find one among them that works. and to capture different angles, they might surprise you. in my opinion, if you've got a photography blog you should know something of the subject. which is why i'm hardly a candidate. but i'll tell you a secret, i dream of being a photographer.

i have a love of seeing scenes behind the scenes. (which is why i love those e true hollywood stories so much. i want to know the back back story. i want to know why they are who they are.) i suppose i love the type of photography that shows both sides to the story; all the hoopla and the bride and the shoes and the dancing and the swinging twinkle lights and the traditional darling shots. but i truly appreciate the stolen moments captured between people that are not for show. that are just for them, moments that you feel lucky to be apart of. pictures that say something about the people. pictures that speak volumes.

i love a fresh perspective and am delighted there are so so so many creative photographers snapping shots like these. so much color and charm, so many fun locations, such great still life scenes with spontaneous props, so many options, so many cameras and lenses and photoshop abilities. i don't know how you photographers keep it all straight. but let me say this, i admire you. keep up the good work. i have real respect for those with such a creative eye.

with so many blogs with an emphasis on professional photography, i wonder if there is some sort of club you are all in, an official photography blog roster of sorts. i inquire because every day i run into a new, up + coming photographer and think, wow, there must be hundreds more where this came from. so, i have an idea. humor me and do me a favor. if you are in the photography business (or know someone who is), please leave a comment with a link to your site and your locale. that way, we can have a nice little list of inspirational photographers from all over. have i mentioned i like lists? thank you, thank you. this will make it much easier next time i'm in wisconsin and need my 8x10 glossies done.


p.s. even more thoughts on photography. i usually like my photographs to look like what i saw through the lens. natural yet captivating. in a subtle sort of way. although i do love all the fun techniques that are massively available for photoshop use. i feel torn. sometimes i feel guilty doctoring my photos, yet other times i feel like hey, it's 2009. roll with the times, baby. a little digital botox is a good thing. however, like some obsessive botox users, are we getting carried away? is digital enhancement ethical? meaning, are our christmas cards really us anymore? are our memories rose colored because we switched on the Rose Colored Action in photoshop? are we doing ourselves a disservice or are we prettifying our world? this type of mindless banter is exactly why a photography blog would never really work for me. thank goodness i have this gig to keep me busy.

p.p.s. i made it through u be u week. a week of blogging without overwhelming you with a billion of links to bookmark or posting images that might lead to copyright infringement. yay, my lawyer husband would be proud. just narcissistically blogging about me and my ideas and a lot of wrapped up randomness. voice your opinion about my experiment in the poll found on my sidebar. thanks for not only reading, but for cheering me on. this was a refreshing little assignment, proving i have more in me than i thought. for now, i am headed on a weekend away with my boys (see above). hooray. happy friday everyone.

home again

ooh la la. am feeling much refreshed and encouraged and happy. we are home from vacation. all in one piece. but shh.. am not telling anyone yet. to have one more day of vacation to unpack, do laundry, listen to voicemail, answer emails, stock up on groceries, and let my boy play wildly among the luggage is essential in this house.

but i couldn't not tell you. i had to log on to say hello, i missed you and of course, to announce the winner of the mini chalkboards. classy drifter, you are my lucky random number. her mini goals: find the perfect summer skirt, read three more books, make a beautiful 3 layer cake. amen. i would love to make a beautiful 3 layer cake myself, benji boy is turning one in one month + five days. can hardly believe it.

am glad to be back. i think my heart grew fonder. i have lists to list and tales to tell. and more photos too (thought you might like this li'l peek). plus i unexpectedly met some fabulous blogland friends too. sun valley, idaho is magic. it was awesome. dreamy, in fact. more persuasive speeches later.

quiet scenes of salt lake city

i took my babe on a stroll to buy a bagel last saturday morning when he woke up too early to do anything else. i was happy to have my camera, a smiling little chum and plenty of pretty scenes i wouldn't have noticed otherwise. it's good to wake up before the city does and attempt to take it's portrait.

chocolate milk, the tetons and sunshine

our trip to jackson was a complete success. and yes i was singing johnny cash the whole time. the tetons were gorgeous. i kept telling dan to pull over; at every turn it was an amazing picture perfect view. he smiled and said, you're seeing the vision, mart. i love that mountain man. we started peace like a river on the way home. i already love it, two chapters in. i felt like my mom, reading aloud on the long car ride. when i was a kid, she always read chapter books to us once we were packed tight in our big suburban. i always dozed off after she'd read chapter one, but i loved it all the same. there is something about falling asleep to the sound of your mother's voice. on the other hand, my li'l boy loves to babble his benji speak whenever he hears me talk. we cruise along and he jabbers his heart out. and pulls at his socks. which we think, is basically the cutest thing ever.

m. back

hello. hello. this memorial day weekend was practically perfect in every way. all thanks to the delightful family folk who made every day a party.

prepare yourselves for a serious outpouring of pictures. and i didn't even get a photo of everybody. mostly the iphoto upload is 90% of my child posing with another member of the family. this is what it comes down to when you become a parent. it's cliche. and i'm completely okay with it. i hope you had a nice weekend too. i have so much catching up to do; unpacking and uploading and breadbaking and bedmaking. lets get this weekend wrap up rolling.


this is a dorky self portrait. i can't help but be cheesy in front of a camera. it's a skill i am trying to undo. i never have any shots of myself at the end of our excursions, so i figured i may as well document the fact that i was really there. this is a very happy me at the anthropologie sale. i am trying on one of those cute floral hip headbands. it sadly did not end up in my shopping cart. what do we think? can i pull it off? frankly, when i shop for anything these days i think practical, pretty and price tag. and in the back of my mind is this question; could this retain it's shape if benji mauled it?


sweet baby sandals. i love that dan bought them for him without any sort of influence from me. it's moments like these when i am over the moon in love with my boys. our babe has obviously stolen dan's heart; the two went in to REI and made a purchase of baby tevas over camping gear, ski gear and/or bike gear. hooray for flipflops. benj, you are officially a part of the family. he wore them all of ten seconds. but still.


my mom and i are night owls. my dad and benj are morning friends. therefore, i get the best of both worlds. we woke up to a bit of my dad's version of crunchy granola suite. mmm. mmm.


i was so glad to visit the cemetary with my mom by my side. i love that she said, i don't need to come here to remember them. i remember them every day of my life.

more photos coming. a lot more.
the winner of last week's giveaway is ALFIE.
woohoo. congrats and enjoy your postcards.

i heart cow country

sunday afternoon we followed a favorite farm road into the hills, only to find that this herd had the same idea. holy cow! the cowgirls made way for our vehicle. we were like 3 city mice touring the open lands of idaho, taking it all in (we now have approximately 213 photos of these cows and their babies). they were mooovin' along their route, slow and steady. we safely passed the herd and drove up the hills to the summit for a beautiful view of idaho.

it was all fresh air and happiness. i didn't know strolling with cattle could be so much fun. we were like little kids on the roller coaster, let's do it again! so down the hill we went with the wind in our hair and the camera out the window. to top it off, we met two cowboys waiting for their happy herd. starstruck, we stopped to say hello. dan said, my wife wants to take a photo of some real cowboys. little did they know they're our new american idols. i think i'm gonna enlarge that photo and put it over our bed.





some days i get homesick for utah. other days i tell dan, it was a seriously good idaho day. i was delighted to share my first mother's day with all the mamas chewing their cud.

this weekend

was pure goodness.
details to remember.

happy visitors. homemade bread, victory. grilled cheese on said bread. mmm. one hundred and two jpegs of the holy land. shopping & dining. movies & red vines. lots of benji love. binding & boxing up diaries. sunshine. and wind. clean sheets. limeaids with cucumber. lounging. asking my father-in-law (a very patient retired pediatrician) all my new mama questions. cooking in the kitchen with dan. listening to general conference together. benj doing high fives. playing hair stylist. she asked for an inch off. and i got a little scissor happy (see last photo). my mother-in-law is brave. and so nice. she sweetly replied, well this is just what i needed, a short new 'do for the summer!

thanks for coming.


{the d&m ranch. where we continue to offer high caloric treats and cold beverages with bendy straws. we recently added a bouncing smiley mascot to the staff. now offering baby high fives & free haircuts.}

week in review 02

my favorite photo of the week.

after church last sunday we walked around beautiful temple square in downtown salt lake city. we took benji to the top floor to get a bird's eye view of the city i love so much. the great thing about having offspring is introducing them to the important things in life. the things that matter. the small and big things that you have loved your whole life. and here is a brand new someone to share it with.

co-pilot

every sunny saturday it seems, we go on an adventure. since saturdays are no longer for sleeping in, we get an early start on the day and go for a drive. benj is a dream baby when it comes to travel. he is so congenial, cheerful and mellow. dan has mastered the art of the mini road trip. here are some of the best shots. dan says i'm the co-pilot. but since he's more the map guy i mainly focus on the photography aspect. that and the divvying up of the road trip treats.

cow country

it's calving season here in idaho. and chewing cud never looked so cute. i mean seriously, baby animals are the best. dan and i always pull over to take photos. as if we don't have enough baby photos taking up our hard drive already.

now that we live in the country dan has been learning more about cows. perhaps this is the first official step in becoming a true cowboy. i was on a mad search to find him a good book about cows, but to no avail. the book shops always have volumes upon volumes about ponies and horses but no books about cows. i found it quite discriminating. those poor cows. they can't catch a break. so when christmas came about, i put my mom on the hunt. she found the perfect cow book for someone like dan.


this little guy was tearing grass right out of his mama's mouth. in a herd of all black and brown cows, this mama is going to easily spot her little white faced calf. it's like cows just know how to create an irresistible photo op.



i loved this itty bitty brown cow (in the middle). every li'l baby thing i see reminds me of my own baby thing, benji which of course makes me very happy.

after dan reported that this herd of cows were beef cows, i told him i was taking a stand. i told him i was not going to make sloppy joes for dinner. then dan pointed out that the meat was already in our fridge. oh yeah. okay next week, chicken only. come easter, when the chicks come out, i'll be eating tuna fish.

a picture show

we had a pretty picture perfect president's weekend.







thank you dan for the perfect weekend. it is oh so nice having someone who knows that romance is not only making a fancy london broil but folding the laundry and doing the dishes too. thanks to little whit for mailing me you've got mail. it arrived just in time. as we all know, it's the perfect chick flick for valentine's. and it's one of dan's all time favorites, hee hee. and p.s. your sugar cookies were still soft and dreamy. thank you mom for sending john adams for dan's birthday. i especially enjoyed the part when george washington takes the presidential oath; a perfect episode for celebrating president's day. the two hour episode of bachelor was just a bonus. and thank you miss abby, you are the quilting queen. the map quilt turned out so beautiful, better than i imagined. thank you for sewing the perfect valentine gift for me to give to my map man. i loved watching him bounce benji from japan to africa and back again. benji discovered the arctic ocean before bedtime.

xo.

cran razz

am feeling back to my ol' self again.
and am back to my ol' friend again.
am writing lists. typing words. revising my work.
am trying to check off my must-do's
so i can get to my want to's.

happy new year

wishing you & yours a happy new year.
cheers to you, my favorite online friends.

cheers to perhaps the best year of my life. we were blessed with memorable experiences that made me a stronger person... a healthy pregnancy, enjoying a trip to nyc, dan graduating law school, making a difficult decision to move, saying goodbye to friends, family & our hometown, moving to idaho, dan starting his new career, having our first baby, a surprise c-section for me, a short stay in the nicu for benji, creating a loving home for our healthy happy boy, becoming a mama, welcoming visitors, designing my website, selling diaries, discovering new places, making new friends, purchasing a washer & dryer... we have led a charmed life.

i am excited for the possibilities around the bend.
i have a few ideas up my sleeve for 09.
and as always, thanks for reading.

will be listening to auld lang syne by mairi campbell & dave francis tonight (a perfect song for after the ball drops) and to get the party started, will be dancing to fergie's labels or love. will be enjoying a fiesta of goodness, eating chicken tortilla soup with green chiles & cilantro (my new addiction, thanks to meg). and ringing in the new year with the boys.

celebrate the new year with pretty polaroids.

party curl

sunday stars

image by dan.
outside of arco, idaho
just after passing through national monument, Craters of the Moon.

novemberness.

you know your husband loves you when he runs back into the house after leaving for work just to tell you not to miss this sweet sunrise.

sunday scenes of swan valley

yesterday we went for a drive to swan valley,
one of the prettiest places i've ever seen.
the leaves are changing,
the river is streaming bright blue,
the sunshine grazes the corn fields,
and it is the home of square scooped ice cream.

it was another perfect family roadtrip.
our li'l boy blue slept through the whole thing.