in honor of st. patty's.

benji playing in puddles | age two | idaho falls.

#growingupwaytoofast

what's the "pot of gold" at the end of your rainbow?

the first ski of the season / grand targhee

these photos of my boys skiing together completely warms my heart. it's no mystery that dan loves to ski. now four year old benji does too. for reals! they had a boy's ski trip to grand targhee this weekend. (i love the iphone 5, now i get a peek at all the fun my boys are having!) benji had his first official lesson. afterwards benji told dan–as he was getting on the magic carpet (by himself!!)–i'm good dad.. you keep skiing! ha! here is a look at benji skiing for the very first time in 2011.

they also got to visit some of our favorite idaho friends, including ronda and scott! dan came home raving about their hospitality (and ronda's sourdough pancakes!!) and more. idaho has such a special spot in our hearts since our first little spud was born there. we have happy memories of living there. ooh, the idaho clouds are my favorite. benji saved his letter to santa to deliver it to this special mailbox in downtown idaho falls. and i love that dan texted me a photo of the new carl's jr. we may have never moved.

p.s. thanks for the early christmas gift, babcocks. (our friends handcraft these curly dog roasting sticks! i'm excited; they are going to come in handy for all of our summer campfires.)

easter in sun valley

wearing winter gear on spring break is not so bad when you're in beautiful sun valley, idaho.

+ an easter egg round up (not so much of a hunt as they were all scattered in plain sight for the wee ones)! with so many kiddos, it was the quickest hunt i've ever seen. off to get a tattoo.

+ meeting the real easter bunny, in the fur.

+ the boys got in on some serious spring skiing. i love watching dan get benji all geared up: helmet, mittens and more. okay, thumbs go in the thumb pockets. admittedly, i am not much help on the slopes. however, i am in charge of packing the apres ski snacks. dried mangoes, sandwiches and trail mix.

+ iconoclast book store and cafe is our favorite place to browse books and sit awhile. oh so charming with its chalkboard-topped tables and an incredible stationery and hipster card selection. the toasted bagel and cream cheese is an excellent lunch for the famished.

+ the latest craze while being patient for a parent who is shopping is to find a little cozy spot to make a quick movie. no, no, no, mom. we start like this: you say, how old are you benji? and then i say, three. and we go from there. he's got the script down. and there is usually a knock knock joke involved. i can't wait to show the home movies to his fiance.

+ enjoying breakfast (and bears) at the kneadery. best breakfast in town. opens at eight.

read more about our trip here.

coming home from vacation. the list.

+ i packed all our darling easter spring clothes for our easter spring vacay. i forecasted sunshine and suntans. unfortunately the short sleeves remained packed. we wore turtlenecks and parkas the whole time. in fact, in a moment of motherly weakness, i let benji hunt for easter eggs in his camouflage sweat pants. (gasp.) he also got a temporary tiger tattoo that day. on his face. it still hasn't come off yet. i'm deeming myself as awesome mom. he was unbelievably happy and it was too chilly to make him wear his charming argyle vest and plaid shirt. and the way he says hello to tiger every morning in the mirror is pretty cute. i'm learning to let things go. and come to think of it, i'm totally fine without that perfect picture of him hunting for eggs in a catalogue-worthy outfit. small steps, people.

+ dan calls him a tiger on the slopes. so, it is a fitting symbol. as all tats should be.

+ one of the highlights was watching the skillful woman in the lobby put together the easter floral arrangement as i cozied up by the roaring fire. the fresh flowers smelled divine. and the assortment was taller and rounder than me (if at all possible). it was a huge assortment of lilies and hydrangeas and all kinds of colorful blooms somehow perfectly placed in symmetry. i also liked watching the delicate flowers balancing in the assistant boy's hand while she took her time creating the huge masterpiece. he was attempting to text someone and hold a garbage bag for the clippings at the same time. my favorite was the florist's professional method, as if she does a hundred of these arrangements in her sleep. she still  loves flowers but is no longer drunk off their scent. at the very end of her tango around the blooming arrangement, she took out her camera and snapped a quick shot (just one) of her incredible creation and turned away as quickly as she arrived. i liked seeing that teeny glimpse of pride in her work.

+ laundry. i dreamt about bountiful towers of folded laundry (and termites!) last night. termites that mutated into giant scary creatures. and something else called 'laundry cake' that supposedly smelled and tasted delicious, with a touch of downy. bizarre. i got the message; my laundry and cake-eating habits need to be attended to.

+ re-reading tina fey's bossy pants on the road. alas, mockingjay was not available at the local library (go figure). i was happy to share our easter vacay with tina. she's hilarious and self-deprecating, in a really likeable way.

+ the cold did not deter the fun of the vacation, of course. the boys skiied. we relaxed. and ate. i read every magazine on the rack at the glorious bookshop that has a mammoth assortment of legos for kids to play with while their moms get in on free relaxing and reading (not unlike a spa treatment). i shopped around town. and balked at a 300 dollar scarf. actually a whole wall of 300 dollar scarves. the lady working there came over to me and kindly handed me a plastic egg with a ten percent off easter coupon inside of it. guess how many scarves i bought. 

+ tiny silver earrings. i finally found some in a sweet gift shop. for under $300. i am happy. and will likely be wearing them for years to come.

+ cable tv and a swimming pool and endless supply of bubble bath. the little lovelies of hotel life.

+ introducing benji to strawberry sprinkle pop-tarts was another highlight of the trip.

+ not being able to fall asleep on the long drive home. rare treat indeed. while b slept the hours away, dan and i had a chance to catch up–just the two of us. plus i didn't miss passing all the gorgeous sunlit fields, tractors, and bugs splattering on the windshield.

pictures to come. / how was your weekend?

sweeping up and saying goodbye.

illustration print by remixed vintage etsy shop

today is friday
+ it's cleaning day.
+ there's a farewell party at the office.
+ one last load of laundry and removing nails from walls.
+ the final push (and manic box-up) until the real party begins.
+ tonight the giant truck will be in our parking lot.
+ tomorrow is the big day!

here are a few favorite shots of idaho. they will always help me remember benji's first few years. that special little nutshell of time wherein a family grows from two to three. so simple, so supreme. it was good for us to figure out family life all on our own. i took down my bulletin board piece by piece and unpinned dan's first official business card as an attorney. he started his career here and i became a mother here. so many firsts. oh idaho, i learned to love you and i'm going to miss you.

hope you have a happy memorial day weekend. we'll be moving in (temporarily) with the in-laws while we hunt for houses. luckily, his folks are totally awesome, so i'm not too worried. i want to make them really fun meals because they have a rad kitchen. i'd love your delicious dinner suggestions and links, especially since dan packed away my cookbooks! thank you! xo.

recent snapshots

feeding the horsies. all byself.


bottle feeding a three day old calf. (i love this shot. thank you, dan!)




moving sale pics. the best thing i did was drape cloths over moving boxes for tables.


taking this sticker to heart. benj and i take one last bite out of cocoa bean cupcakes. mmm.


playing merrily among the madness. he doesn't seem a bit jarred by all this, thank goodness.


we ordered chinese take-out the day we decided to take dan's new job offer in utah.

summer is on its way. and so are we.

so here's my big news. we are moving! we have the opportunity to return to utah! as life-changing events sometimes happen, this one is coming together rapid fast. we're moving in only two weeks! (it's hard to believe it's true. it's even harder to keep up with my to-do list!) we are looking forward to many good things, especially being near our families. we have made genuine, wonderful friends in idaho and i have mixed emotions; i know it will be tough to start all over again, say goodbye to benji's birthplace and all the things (and people) we love here in idaho. however we know that God is aware of us and this is an open door of opportunity for our little family. we are excited. and nervous. and excited. 

blogging will be on the back burner for awhile. i'm planning a mini moving sale next saturday. if you have any yard sale / moving tips, i'd love to hear them. i hope to have a few last hurrahs, a trip to my favorite bulk foods aisle and fly kites in our favorite park before we leave.

mini mart shop notice / i'll be temporarily closing up my shop while we are in the process of moving. if you'd like to order a mini diary, i still have a good selection. please place your order by wednesday, may 18th. (let me know if you plan on giving it to your dad for father's day, i'll send a manly chocolate striped cover design!) thank you.

p.s. another product review is scheduled to post this week and in other (foodie) news, i designed a weekly menu planner for my favorite cooking sisters, the sisters cafe. click here to download it for free. thank you for your kindnesses; the best thing about blogging is that everything great about it (like you) is available even when my world has turned upside down. i can't wait to plug in my computer and introduce you to our new residence. wherever and whenever that turns out to be.

his very first ski day.

one of the very happiest days so far. it's all about nurturing the enthusiasm for the sport. luckily it worked for both he and me. i am already looking forward to more family ski days. dan could not be a better instructor / oh how i love my little fam. benji is becoming a little boy and times like these i'm excited to watch his growing-up-years unfold. it's not so sad to be losing my baby when i get to hang out with such a joyful happy kid. watching my boys ski together is something i'll never forget. dan was in heaven. and apres ski has never been more fun! thanks to ronda and scott for providing spiderman fruit snacks and good company.

figure eights for february eighth

idaho mountaineering.

i love photographic evidence of my husband in his element. i am rarely never in the hills of the snowy backcountry mountains, so getting a glimpse of dan's tele tracks on fresh powder is almost like being there. thanks to trevor ball for snapping these shots with his iphone 3GS. it's so beautiful! for a valentine's date night we're headed to our local banff mountain film festival. nothing says love like a ski flick and an audience of puffy patagonia coats and corduroys.

plus i already read the latest issue of Outside magazine to prepare myself. i know it may be a magazine for people who live in the city who want to seem like they're into the outdoors, but i seriously enjoy reading this magazine. i'm not just saying that. it's full of interesting articles–well beyond my scope, but completely compelling, like this one titled Rough Cut by Aron Ralston. i also dig their layout ideas and designer elements. if i had an ipad, i'd probably page through it there.


image via the banff centre

p.s. thank you for your thoughtful and fantastic comments from yesterday's post. cheers to finding (or, more accurately, creating) fresh content and blogging your heart out! i also added a blog try-out folder in my google reader, thanks to your suggestions. valentiney goodness coming soon.

slideshow > thanksgiving in sun valley

a peek at our picturesque, dreamy, food-filled thanksgiving weekend

currently playing in my house: Christmas for Cowboys / John Denver

it was the summer of...

2010 // it was the summer of..

splitting baskets of fresh fruit with friends.
free samples & fresh flowers at the farmer's market.
discovering that rainier cherries are better than bing.

the 'cars' movie and scattered wooden railroad tracks.
going to the zoo and going to zumba class.
hot griddle pancakes, saturday smoothies and reading The Help.

sunshine & thunderclouds, matching my own moods.
drive-by photo shoots, a new camera and favorite flip flops.
loads of good mail, keeping in touch with friends (old and new).

read the full version right here. i'm guest posting for lucinda today!
now go remember & jot down what your summer days were filled with.

family day.

saturday from dawn til dusk.
sleeping in. jam on toast. cartoons. cars lined up like a mini parking lot. morning yoga (am feeling weak as ever). farmer's market (snap peas and potatoes). long bike ride (dan is in training mode). lemonade & laundry. tidy up. meet up at splash park. benji and his happy meal sunglasses. a carousel ride. blue cotton candy (my fave). sudden thunderstorms. rolling rain clouds. chasing rainbows. visiting the falls. feeding the ducks. holding each other so close we won't blow away. sunsets & movies. tucking in & saying prayers. goodnight july.

the easter ten

our easter weekend was pretty perfect. and laid back. a homemade easter egg hunt, a funfetti cake, religious messages, a short drive into farmland, a few rounds of i spy a baby animal, indoor swimming, playtime and the return of spectacular spring cloud cover.