Getting Creative

Since I've had a lot more free time lately (aka...I don't have to spend as much time studying now as I used to), I've decided to take on a couple craft projects.  I was able to do 2 in the last couple weeks, and I'm excited about how they turned out!

"Admit One"

My first was was the Admit One ticket box pictured below.  I saw this on Pinterest, and I just had to make it.  Thank goodness Kurt is so sentimental and kept tickets from all the things we've done since we started dating a little over 3 years ago {kidding}.

I bought everything at Hobby Lobby, which has become my new favorite store.  I'm obsessed.  The other day, I just walked up and down every aisle just to look at everything.  Kurt knows when I go to Hobby Lobby because I start talking about how I plan on decorating our first house haha!

Here's the final result! I absolutely love it.  I made Kurt hang it up as soon as he got home.  Looking at all of these tickets reminds me of so many fun times I've had with Kurt, family, and friends.  Here are a couple that I'll share with you:

Santa Barbara Sailing Center: This ticket is in the lower left hand corner.  It's the oldest ticket I have that holds a memory of something Kurt and I did together.  During the first summer we dated, he took me on a Sunset Cruise in Santa Barbara.  Believe it or not, but the captain said that our night out on the ocean was the only night that week that was cloudy; we did not see the sun set that night. We keep talking about how we need to go again.

San Diego Zoo: We honeymoon-ed in San Diego, and Kurt took me to the zoo. It was incredible!  We had so much fun.  We especially loved the polar bears and the pandas.

Imagin Dragons: This was the first concert we went to together.  It was 3 weeks after we got married.  We love music, so it's been fun to go to concerts together.  So far we've been to 3 (FUN. & Heart are the other two; our tickets to FUN. are in there somewhere!).

San Francisco MTA: Kurt and I went to San Francisco with my family for Christmas last year, and Kurt went on his first trolley/street car ride! It was so much fun, and I'm glad we kept something to remind us of that experience.

Other ones that didn't make it into the picture in time are: Disneyland, General Conference, & Belmont Park (to name a few).

Monogram Door Hanger

My next craft was a door hanger for our front door.  Dark brown front doors in an apartment complex can only be so exciting, so I wanted something that was a little more...us.  And here is what I came up with!

1. I bought a 13" wood "W" at Michaels.  They had them at Hobby Lobby too, but Michael's had one that was already painted white.  I knew I wanted the main color to be white, so it saved me from having to do an extra step.

2. LOVE Martha Stewart Crafts TM/MC Products, and her Gold paint was no exception. (from Michaels)

3. Martha Stewart Crafts TM/MC has done it again.  Their adhesive stencil pack was perfect.  I used the one on the left, but it included many other designs in the same pack. (from Michaels)

4. Love me some Chevron.  And on burlap, no less! I spent probably 15 minutes trying to pick out the perfect ribbon, and this one was definitely my favorite! (from Hobby Lobby)

I had so much fun making the ticket box and the monogram door hanger.  Anything that will make our cozy apartment feel more like a home, I'm all for it.  It took me over a year, but our apartment is finally getting a little more personality! I'm trying to figure out what my next craft is going to be, so if you have any suggestions send them my way!

Getting Creative

Since I've had a lot more free time lately (aka...I don't have to spend as much time studying now as I used to), I've decided to take on a couple craft projects.  I was able to do 2 in the last couple weeks, and I'm excited about how they turned out!

"Admit One"

My first was was the Admit One ticket box pictured below.  I saw this on Pinterest, and I just had to make it.  Thank goodness Kurt is so sentimental and kept tickets from all the things we've done since we started dating a little over 3 years ago {kidding}.

I bought everything at Hobby Lobby, which has become my new favorite store.  I'm obsessed.  The other day, I just walked up and down every aisle just to look at everything.  Kurt knows when I go to Hobby Lobby because I start talking about how I plan on decorating our first house haha!

Here's the final result! I absolutely love it.  I made Kurt hang it up as soon as he got home.  Looking at all of these tickets reminds me of so many fun times I've had with Kurt, family, and friends.  Here are a couple that I'll share with you:

Santa Barbara Sailing Center: This ticket is in the lower left hand corner.  It's the oldest ticket I have that holds a memory of something Kurt and I did together.  During the first summer we dated, he took me on a Sunset Cruise in Santa Barbara.  Believe it or not, but the captain said that our night out on the ocean was the only night that week that was cloudy; we did not see the sun set that night. We keep talking about how we need to go again.

San Diego Zoo: We honeymoon-ed in San Diego, and Kurt took me to the zoo. It was incredible!  We had so much fun.  We especially loved the polar bears and the pandas.

Imagin Dragons: This was the first concert we went to together.  It was 3 weeks after we got married.  We love music, so it's been fun to go to concerts together.  So far we've been to 3 (FUN. & Heart are the other two; our tickets to FUN. are in there somewhere!).

San Francisco MTA: Kurt and I went to San Francisco with my family for Christmas last year, and Kurt went on his first trolley/street car ride! It was so much fun, and I'm glad we kept something to remind us of that experience.

Other ones that didn't make it into the picture in time are: Disneyland, General Conference, & Belmont Park (to name a few).

Monogram Door Hanger

My next craft was a door hanger for our front door.  Dark brown front doors in an apartment complex can only be so exciting, so I wanted something that was a little more...us.  And here is what I came up with!

1. I bought a 13" wood "W" at Michaels.  They had them at Hobby Lobby too, but Michael's had one that was already painted white.  I knew I wanted the main color to be white, so it saved me from having to do an extra step.

2. LOVE Martha Stewart Crafts TM/MC Products, and her Gold paint was no exception. (from Michaels)

3. Martha Stewart Crafts TM/MC has done it again.  Their adhesive stencil pack was perfect.  I used the one on the left, but it included many other designs in the same pack. (from Michaels)

4. Love me some Chevron.  And on burlap, no less! I spent probably 15 minutes trying to pick out the perfect ribbon, and this one was definitely my favorite! (from Hobby Lobby)

I had so much fun making the ticket box and the monogram door hanger.  Anything that will make our cozy apartment feel more like a home, I'm all for it.  It took me over a year, but our apartment is finally getting a little more personality! I'm trying to figure out what my next craft is going to be, so if you have any suggestions send them my way!

Magic in a Rocket

My second favorite holiday is the 4th of July {my first is Christmas, in case you were wondering}.  I love the BBQs, fireworks, late nights, patriotic songs, anything RW&B, craft projects, creative food displays, you name it.  I love America.  I love the freedom that I have because I live in this beautiful place.  I love the people who make our country for what it is, especially those serving our country.

Shout out to my sister, Elise, right now.  Everyone, she's legit.  After graduating from Brigham Young Universiy in Biophysics (yeah...don't even know what that is), she took a year off and moved back to Santa Barbara and worked at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.  During that time, she applied to medical school and decided to go to Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.  "Uniformed Services?" you say? "YES!" is what I say, and yes that means my sister joined the military.  The United States Navy to be more specific {just like my dad}.  Guys, my sister is becoming a doctor AND serves your country.  So be proud, because I for one am the proudest little sis on this earth.  And take pride in the people who serve your country, because I am definitely proud of and grateful for my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, my dad, my cousins, my very own older sister, and thousands and thousdands of other people who have served and continue to serve our country.

Sorry for the not-so-great quality of the picture. It's the only one I could

find of my way legit totally awesome sister reppin' her sweet uniform.

We had the BEST 4th of July! It would've been slightly better if we watched the parade in Provo, but Kurt and I had the very rare opportunity of sleeping in, and so we took it.  Boy, was it nice.

We drove up to Ogden and had a BBQ at Ryan & Kaylynn's house {there I go again about BBQs}.  We ate lots of food, watched the kids play, ate more food, watched the kids play more, and just enjoyed everyone's company.  I love being with family on holidays. Family makes everything more special.

That night, we went and watched the Stadium of Fire fireworks. I love fireworks.  They're magic in a rocket...literally.  My favorite are the gold ones that shimmer and sparkle as they fade away.  Kurt's favorites are the ones that make the loudest booms. Haha, he's such a little kid.  Which is another reason why I love holidays in general because you kind of get to act like a kid again, and just enjoy the magic of the day.

Here's some pictures that capture our wonderful 4th.

Our nephew, Dallin. You can tell he just loves the water!

This is Alex. He just couldn't wait to go down that slide!

Here's Brett! A little hesitant at first to go down the slide, but you could tell that he definitely had the most fun.

4th of July family picture

Big Kurt and Little Dallin, who is becoming less little and more "Big" every time we see him.

We loved trying out this patriotic drink from Pinterest. I was in the Pinterest mood {let's be honest here...I am always in the Pinterest mood; it just gets more intense when holidays come along}, so we decided to try this one.  It tasted so yummy!

Here's what we used for the drinks. Note to drink maker: fill the ENTIRE glass with ice {if you don't, your Pinterest Perfection will be a "Nailed-it" creation}

Here's the link for where we found how to make the drinks. {Here's a pre-"you're welcome", because you will thank me later after tasting it's deliciousness}

http://www.inkatrinaskitchen.com/2012/06/july-4th-layered-drinks.html

Things that make me feel Patriotic

The Star Spangled Banner, our National Anthem, in all it's glory.

This World Cup commercial is the best!

Food -- Something about red, white, & blue food just gets me in the big time USA pride mood.

Fireworks. Lots and lots of fireworks.

This video is appearing everywhere. This is exactly the kind of magic that I'm talking about.

Video of Stadium of Fire fireworks.  Like I said, the gold ones that shimmer and sparkle before and as they fade away are my favorite!

Overall, our July 4th celebration was wonderful, magical, family-filled, and perfect {& sparkly!}.  Only 172 days until my first favorite holiday! 

Magic in a Rocket

My second favorite holiday is the 4th of July {my first is Christmas, in case you were wondering}.  I love the BBQs, fireworks, late nights, patriotic songs, anything RW&B, craft projects, creative food displays, you name it.  I love America.  I love the freedom that I have because I live in this beautiful place.  I love the people who make our country for what it is, especially those serving our country.

Shout out to my sister, Elise, right now.  Everyone, she's legit.  After graduating from Brigham Young Universiy in Biophysics (yeah...don't even know what that is), she took a year off and moved back to Santa Barbara and worked at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.  During that time, she applied to medical school and decided to go to Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.  "Uniformed Services?" you say? "YES!" is what I say, and yes that means my sister joined the military.  The United States Navy to be more specific {just like my dad}.  Guys, my sister is becoming a doctor AND serves your country.  So be proud, because I for one am the proudest little sis on this earth.  And take pride in the people who serve your country, because I am definitely proud of and grateful for my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, my dad, my cousins, my very own older sister, and thousands and thousdands of other people who have served and continue to serve our country.

Sorry for the not-so-great quality of the picture. It's the only one I could

find of my way legit totally awesome sister reppin' her sweet uniform.

We had the BEST 4th of July! It would've been slightly better if we watched the parade in Provo, but Kurt and I had the very rare opportunity of sleeping in, and so we took it.  Boy, was it nice.

We drove up to Ogden and had a BBQ at Ryan & Kaylynn's house {there I go again about BBQs}.  We ate lots of food, watched the kids play, ate more food, watched the kids play more, and just enjoyed everyone's company.  I love being with family on holidays. Family makes everything more special.

That night, we went and watched the Stadium of Fire fireworks. I love fireworks.  They're magic in a rocket...literally.  My favorite are the gold ones that shimmer and sparkle as they fade away.  Kurt's favorites are the ones that make the loudest booms. Haha, he's such a little kid.  Which is another reason why I love holidays in general because you kind of get to act like a kid again, and just enjoy the magic of the day.

Here's some pictures that capture our wonderful 4th.

Our nephew, Dallin. You can tell he just loves the water!

This is Alex. He just couldn't wait to go down that slide!

Here's Brett! A little hesitant at first to go down the slide, but you could tell that he definitely had the most fun.

4th of July family picture

Big Kurt and Little Dallin, who is becoming less little and more "Big" every time we see him.

We loved trying out this patriotic drink from Pinterest. I was in the Pinterest mood {let's be honest here...I am always in the Pinterest mood; it just gets more intense when holidays come along}, so we decided to try this one.  It tasted so yummy!

Here's what we used for the drinks. Note to drink maker: fill the ENTIRE glass with ice {if you don't, your Pinterest Perfection will be a "Nailed-it" creation}

Here's the link for where we found how to make the drinks. {Here's a pre-"you're welcome", because you will thank me later after tasting it's deliciousness}

http://www.inkatrinaskitchen.com/2012/06/july-4th-layered-drinks.html

Things that make me feel Patriotic

The Star Spangled Banner, our National Anthem, in all it's glory.

This World Cup commercial is the best!

Food -- Something about red, white, & blue food just gets me in the big time USA pride mood.

Fireworks. Lots and lots of fireworks.

This video is appearing everywhere. This is exactly the kind of magic that I'm talking about.

Video of Stadium of Fire fireworks.  Like I said, the gold ones that shimmer and sparkle before and as they fade away are my favorite!

Overall, our July 4th celebration was wonderful, magical, family-filled, and perfect {& sparkly!}.  Only 172 days until my first favorite holiday! 

JUNE.

JUNE has brought us so many things:
>> S U M M E R : the pool, tanning, swimsuits, the heat - I absolutely love it.
>> FIFA World Cup (need I say more?)
>> School
>> Boards Exams
>> Baptisms
>> New Employment (whaaaaaaaaaat?)
>> Lots of BBQs
>> Family Time

We've had a wonderful start to the summer.  We love the warm weather and the fact that it doesn't get dark until 9:30 pm.  Kurt and I love being outside, especially during the summer.  This is our 4th summer together {dated summer of 2011 & 2012, married for summer of 2013 & 2014} and our second summer in Utah.  Summertime is definitely our favorite season.

We started the month off with a busy weekend for me.  On June 6th, I was able to volunteer at the Utah Summer Special Olympics in Herriman, UT.  It was so much fun helping with Healthy Athletes and the dental exams that they provide.  The many volunteer opportunities over the past year have helped me gain more appreciation for the people I will be working with and for the dental/dental hygiene profession. Plus, it's so much fun to volunteer with my friends!

The next day {June 7th}, I took my first boards exam! I was a nervous wreck, and I had Kurt drive me so I would have a shoulder to cry on when I came out of the test.  Needless to say, I didn't cry after the test, but it was so great having Kurt there to support me after such a stressful and important time.  From there, we drove up to Ogden to meet our newest nephew, Michael! He is such a sweet little guy, and we love watching the families around us grow.

On June 8th, we went to Eagle Mountain to visit more family! I took family pictures for Kurt's sister's family.  Guys, I might be biased, but we have the cutest niece and nephews ever.  We always have fun with Alex, Brett & Rachel.

From June 10th-12th, Kurt was in Oregon with his dad to watch his brother, Jason, run the 10,000 M at the NCAA Division 1 Men's Outdoor Track & Field National Championship.  Jason placed 12th and was Second Team All American.  Kurt had a blast having a little "guys" trip, and we are really proud of Jason!

We went to 2 baptisms this past month: one on the 14th and one on the 21st.  We love attending baptisms and being reminded of the wonderful covenants we made when we were baptized.  Kurt had the opportunity to conduct the baptism program on the 14th, and I was able to give a talk on the Holy Ghost on the 21st.  So not only do we love attending baptisms, we have come to love participating in the programs as well.

Kurt loves BBQs.  I love BBQs.  We are a BBQ lovin' family.  Therefore, we like to go to BBQs.  We had one at our place on the 13th with our neighbors and Kurt's sister, Amy.  We went to one on the 20th at Jason & Faith's place, and then another one on the 21st after the baptism.  I think I've had enough hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and sausage to last me a lifetime!

As many of you know, Kurt and I go to the temple every month.  We went on our Ward Temple Night to the Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork, UT.  We love living so close to so many temples, and going every month is so important to us.  We feel so blessed to have the temple as such a big part of our lives.

We've spent a lot of time with family, and absolutely love it.  One afternoon, we went and walked around Bridal Veil Falls in the Provo Canyon with Amy.  Being there reminded us that we live in such a beatiful place!  I can't get enough of Utah, which is why I am so glad we are staying here instead of moving back to California {"Whaaaaaaaat?!" you say? Keep reading for the details!}

Now for the biggest news of the month - Kurt got a new job! {Sorry to those who clicked on the link on facebook thinking I was going to announce an addition to our family; this news isn't as exciting, but is still pretty great!} Kurt started working for the company, Crio Brü.  He no longer works from home, and now goes to work in Lindon, UT. What does this mean for us? It means we will be staying in Utah rather than moving back to Santa Barbara! Yes, it is bitter-sweet, but we are so excited for the adventures we are going to have living in Utah more long term.  We are obsessed with their products, and drink Crio Brü every day.  Thankfully it's healthy!

We've come to receive many blessings this past month.  Our lives have completely changed now that we know we will be in Utah for several more years.  We look forward to being close to Kurt's family and enjoying all the wonderful things Utah has to offer. 

June Favorites

Food: Art City Donuts (follow their truck on Instagram!)

Drink: Crio Brü (Cavalla is our favorite)

Snack: Crio Beans

Favorite Date: Going out to Red Robin and walking around the mall (We've come to enjoy the small, simple things in life.  Even an hour and a half away from school and work can bring us so much happiness!)

Movie: World War Z (We've already seen it, but Jason was talking about it one day and we were in the mood to watch it again)

TV Show: The Bachelorette & Castle; and FIFA World Cup!

Countdown:

40 days until I graduate

50 days until I'll be done with Boards

It's the day after July 4th, and we had the best time celebrating the 238th birthday of our country! Here's a sneak peek to our incredible day {blogpost will follow shortly}!

JUNE.

JUNE has brought us so many things:
>> S U M M E R : the pool, tanning, swimsuits, the heat - I absolutely love it.
>> FIFA World Cup (need I say more?)
>> School
>> Boards Exams
>> Baptisms
>> New Employment (whaaaaaaaaaat?)
>> Lots of BBQs
>> Family Time

We've had a wonderful start to the summer.  We love the warm weather and the fact that it doesn't get dark until 9:30 pm.  Kurt and I love being outside, especially during the summer.  This is our 4th summer together {dated summer of 2011 & 2012, married for summer of 2013 & 2014} and our second summer in Utah.  Summertime is definitely our favorite season.

We started the month off with a busy weekend for me.  On June 6th, I was able to volunteer at the Utah Summer Special Olympics in Herriman, UT.  It was so much fun helping with Healthy Athletes and the dental exams that they provide.  The many volunteer opportunities over the past year have helped me gain more appreciation for the people I will be working with and for the dental/dental hygiene profession. Plus, it's so much fun to volunteer with my friends!

The next day {June 7th}, I took my first boards exam! I was a nervous wreck, and I had Kurt drive me so I would have a shoulder to cry on when I came out of the test.  Needless to say, I didn't cry after the test, but it was so great having Kurt there to support me after such a stressful and important time.  From there, we drove up to Ogden to meet our newest nephew, Michael! He is such a sweet little guy, and we love watching the families around us grow.

On June 8th, we went to Eagle Mountain to visit more family! I took family pictures for Kurt's sister's family.  Guys, I might be biased, but we have the cutest niece and nephews ever.  We always have fun with Alex, Brett & Rachel.

From June 10th-12th, Kurt was in Oregon with his dad to watch his brother, Jason, run the 10,000 M at the NCAA Division 1 Men's Outdoor Track & Field National Championship.  Jason placed 12th and was Second Team All American.  Kurt had a blast having a little "guys" trip, and we are really proud of Jason!

We went to 2 baptisms this past month: one on the 14th and one on the 21st.  We love attending baptisms and being reminded of the wonderful covenants we made when we were baptized.  Kurt had the opportunity to conduct the baptism program on the 14th, and I was able to give a talk on the Holy Ghost on the 21st.  So not only do we love attending baptisms, we have come to love participating in the programs as well.

Kurt loves BBQs.  I love BBQs.  We are a BBQ lovin' family.  Therefore, we like to go to BBQs.  We had one at our place on the 13th with our neighbors and Kurt's sister, Amy.  We went to one on the 20th at Jason & Faith's place, and then another one on the 21st after the baptism.  I think I've had enough hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and sausage to last me a lifetime!

As many of you know, Kurt and I go to the temple every month.  We went on our Ward Temple Night to the Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork, UT.  We love living so close to so many temples, and going every month is so important to us.  We feel so blessed to have the temple as such a big part of our lives.

We've spent a lot of time with family, and absolutely love it.  One afternoon, we went and walked around Bridal Veil Falls in the Provo Canyon with Amy.  Being there reminded us that we live in such a beatiful place!  I can't get enough of Utah, which is why I am so glad we are staying here instead of moving back to California {"Whaaaaaaaat?!" you say? Keep reading for the details!}

Now for the biggest news of the month - Kurt got a new job! {Sorry to those who clicked on the link on facebook thinking I was going to announce an addition to our family; this news isn't as exciting, but is still pretty great!} Kurt started working for the company, Crio Brü.  He no longer works from home, and now goes to work in Lindon, UT. What does this mean for us? It means we will be staying in Utah rather than moving back to Santa Barbara! Yes, it is bitter-sweet, but we are so excited for the adventures we are going to have living in Utah more long term.  We are obsessed with their products, and drink Crio Brü every day.  Thankfully it's healthy!

We've come to receive many blessings this past month.  Our lives have completely changed now that we know we will be in Utah for several more years.  We look forward to being close to Kurt's family and enjoying all the wonderful things Utah has to offer. 

June Favorites

Food: Art City Donuts (follow their truck on Instagram!)

Drink: Crio Brü (Cavalla is our favorite)

Snack: Crio Beans

Favorite Date: Going out to Red Robin and walking around the mall (We've come to enjoy the small, simple things in life.  Even an hour and a half away from school and work can bring us so much happiness!)

Movie: World War Z (We've already seen it, but Jason was talking about it one day and we were in the mood to watch it again)

TV Show: The Bachelorette & Castle; and FIFA World Cup!

Countdown:

40 days until I graduate

50 days until I'll be done with Boards

It's the day after July 4th, and we had the best time celebrating the 238th birthday of our country! Here's a sneak peek to our incredible day {blogpost will follow shortly}!