Before blogging was mainstream. Before Mark Zukerberg was at Harvard. Before I met Twitter and fell in love. Before I lost myself in Pinterest. I maybe sort of wanted to join the Peace Corps. No lie.

But, I was scared. So instead, I went on a short term medical mission to Africa – Ghana to be exact. I fell in love with the country, the people and the beautiful children (I also learned how to scrub in and suture, so I COULD be helpful in an emergency. Just sayin’.)

And how could you not love a face like this one?

So, when Amy and Heather shared their vision for a bloggy fundraiser benefiting Operation Smile I felt strongly about becoming involved.

Operation Smile is a charity organization healing children’s smiles, one operation at a time.

Operation Smile is more than a charity organization though. They are a mobilized force of medical professionals and caring hearts who provide safe, effective reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. Each operation costs approximately $240.

Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft — often unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. In some places these children are shunned and rejected. And in too many cases, their parents can’t afford to give them the surgeries they need to live a normal life.

To help, we’ve created “Swap A Smile” to raise funds to cover operations. Our goal is to be able to give at least 5 children new smiles and help them to live the life they were meant to live.

image source

Each of the bloggers involved in this project has agreed to auction off an item that they have made and shared with their readers recently on their individual websites.  Below you will see a list of all of the items that are being auctioned off.  You can access each item by clicking on the link or the image and you will be redirected to that persons site and the item that they are auctioning off.

I would love to be able to say I had a lovely objet d’art to donate to this worthwhile cause, but I find myself lacking. Luckily, Amy and Heather have graciously allowed me a little leeway. So rather than one of few and far between DIY projects, I am sharing a little something from my biggest bloggy project – one ticket to SNAP!

The auction begins now and will end on Friday, October 14 at 12:00 pm PST.  Each item has been assigned a shipping cost that will be added to the highest bidding price. The item will go to the highest bidder. You can bid on an item by leaving a comment on the individual’s post leaving us your name and the price you are bidding.

If you are not interested in bidding, but would still like to help out, we have also made it so that you can donate any amount to help us out with this great cause!  Every little bit helps!

We will be writing a follow up post and providing everyone with a screen shot of the PayPal account and keep you updated on our progress so you can be sure that your money is really going to support this cause.

image source

For more information regarding Operation Smile and their mission statement and goals you can read about them on their site OperationSmile.Org.

I am auctioning one ticket to full conference ticket to SNAP! (value $200). To bid on the ticket, please head over to SNAP! and comment on the Swap a Smile post.

Please place your bid in full dollar amounts (i.e. if the previous bid was $1 you have to bid $2, rather than $1.50).

And be sure you check out all of the other great sites participating:

The Idea Room
WhipperBerry
Tatertots & Jell-o
Crap I’ve Made
How Does She
House of Smiths
Ucreate
Less Cake More Frosting
Sew Dang Cute
The Crafting Chicks
Blue Cricket Design
Infarrantly Creative
Thirty Handmade Days
Skip to my Lou
Make and Takes
Vintage Revivals
No Biggie
Gussy Sews

Hi friends! I am sharing a tutorial for my new SPOOKY Halloween wreath over on the SNAP! site today.

I am really please with how it turned out and knowing me as you do now, you’ll understand that the best part was the wreath only took half hour!

It was also pretty inexpensive – I had everything except for the skulls already on hand. Even if I had to go purchase everything, I think this project could be completed for about $15!

So what are you waiting for. Head on over to SNAP! and see how I did it…

If you’ve been following along, you know that the final two competitors who walked out on stage for the Design Star Finale were not my favorite. What a difference one episode, a talented producer and great editing can make though. This week? Much better for me. You? Better, the same?

Although there was still something about Karl that was a bit awkward (nervous laugh, uncomfortable forced grin, buggy eyes. please tell me you’ve noticed), I enjoyed watching him sooo much more this week. I thought his pedicab introduction was spot on. I loved the short spot on the stairs too.

I had a nervous moment for Karl when the home owner said she liked Tuscan style (okay, more than a nervous moment). There are few styles I dislike more than Tuscan, but I thought Karl pulled off a nice space. His colors were pleasing (they always are) and I loved the white sofa. The ledge enhanced the walls height and made the room seem airy and big.

Though I appreciated the ledge and the photo placement, the images were too small to be seen from that height (did you notice, this?). It didn’t really look to scale. I was also a little disappointed in the toy storage – they looked hurriedly tossed into the baskets and containers. There are far more clever ways to store the toys in a more formal living space of this nature.

One thing that I have enjoyed about Meg is that she does seem very natural with both her clients and the other designers. She’s never been snippy or awkward (even when Cathy blamed her for the total wedding fail).

Meg’s shots were a little cliche and goofy at times, but she had her moments – one of my favorites was when she shot her camera piece into the mirror…

The best moment of the evening for me, was Meg’s reveal. Her room was beautiful (though perhaps a little safe). It was a space I would love to replicate in my own home (I am a bit traditional and safe myself).

(Confession: I also loved that they showed Meg walking into Pottery Barn. Usually the designers only shop in boutique stores that have super expensive, abstract stuff. Anyone else with me on this one?)

I was so happy to see the sophisticated look Meg put out after all of the Palm Beach kitsch and sometimes sloppy work (remember the table that fell apart and the sparsely furnished landing) she’s put out this year.

Although I loved Meg’s reveal, I was a bit nervous for her after watching her pilot. Karl has come so far, his camera work was great (this week) and he’s pretty consistently delivered good work (even when he had to work with Kathy in the kitchen challenge). Of the two, he really seemed to be more of an artist.

Honestly? I am not sure Meg will have a long run on HGTV. Time will tell.

What do you think? Did the judges make the right decision?

And, can we just comment on David’s gold jacket? What the??

(FYI, don’t Google “David Bromstad gold jacket” unless what you’re really looking for how gay men feel about David’s wardrobe in general. And if that is what you’re looking for? Hey, I am not judging. Just warning )

Realizing I am totally going to date myself here, I can remember when NO ONE had a cell phone. Like pagers were still in style. And, well, it WASN’T THAAAT LONG AGO!

Today, 83% of Americans have a cell phone and one third of all American adults have a smartphone. We’re using our phones to do much more than chat. We’re taking photos, using social media, banking, you name it.

I love my phone (for the record it’s an iPhone 4, but I must admit to being tempted by the Droid lately). It’s always with me. Why do I love it? I can pretty much do everything with it…

So today I thought I would share my top 10 favorite phone apps:

Hootsuite (FREE) - This app is the perfect compliment to my online Hootsuite account. It is my go to application for updating Twitter, scheduling social media updates and checking social analytics (yes, I know how many of you are clicking on my links).

Boxcar (FREE) – Since I handle social media for a living, push notifications are an absolute must! Boxcar provides me with notice of a Tweet/Facebook post sometimes before the update even hits the internet. I use this service in conjunction with Hootsuite.

WordPress (FREE) – I’ve yet to get to a point where I am creating an entire post on my phone, but I love that I could if I needed to (hotels with no WiFi). I do however really enjoy using the app for checking and responding to comments. Has anyone else tried this?

Instagr.am (FREE) – Ok. So I have gushed about this one before, but honestly it is one of my very favorite apps! The filters provided can take almost any photo from cell phone shot, to amazing. Don’t believe me? check out some of the InstaFriday posts over on Life Rearranged every Friday. Want to follow? @tauni

Photoshop Express (FREE) – Not looking to share your photos via Instagram? Check out Photoshop Express. With this app you can straighten, crop, brighten…just about anything. It also has some cool filters if you’re so inclined

Pinterest (FREE) – Not gonna lie. I continue to gush over the virtues of Pinterest. I’ve wasted more time on this virtual pin board site in the last few months than I should have…Most of the time? I’ve been surfing via my phone. Anyone with me on this one? Want to follow along?

Red Laser (FREE) – I love this bar code scanning tool. Here’s why. I want a good deal and I am a sucker for clearance and sale signs, but sometimes those items are not that great of a deal. I just scan the bar code and Red Laser tells me what the price is online and at nearby locations! LOVE.

Epicurious (FREE) – I am always scrambling for dinner these days…Epicurious is a virtual cookbook, but the real draw? You can type in the ingredients you know you have on hand and this app will spit out the rescipe for you (now if only it could cook…)!

Dropbox (FREE) – Moving between home, work, travel I was always emailing documents to myself or purchasing flash drives. This app uses cloud computing to allow you to have your docs and photos with you wherever you go!

Doodle Jump (.99) – I blame Ashley for the one and only game/paid app on my list. When I met her she was semi-obsessed with this game and I was semi-obsessed with her. You know I went right home and downloaded it!

Oh boy. I called the outcome of tonight’s episode as soon as the tiny house challenge was revealed. I felt like the challenge to design a small 100 square foot home was almost built for Meg…

With her “Vintage Palm Beach” aesthetic, Meg excels at the kitschy, campy cool style perfect for something like an itty bitty novelty house (Really, who lives in these houses? They look like kiddie clubhouses). I just wish Meg’s style was a little bit more Lilly Pulitzer prep and a little less pink flamingo annoying.

I enjoyed the green framed windows and the fabric on the back bench. I wish the bench would have been positioned a touch higher off the ground so that storage baskets could have been incorporated underneath.

Karl. You know he has goofy in him. I hated the color he used in his space. It was awful.

While the judged feel Karl has improved and his on-camera work has improved, he still leaves me feeling uncomfortable. I could never watch his show. Geeky nervousness or something.

I am so very sad to see Mark go. Though I don’t appreciate his design style, I do appreciate his styling. His attention to detail really makes it all come together.

I thought his kitchen looked fantastic. I loved the little herb garden and did you notice the colorful food storage and mini clock on the right over the sink area? I also liked the layers and texture he implemented in the space.

I agreed with the judges – Mark’s “artwork” and the paint did nothing for the space (and, did anyone else notice the remaining pencil lines on the walls?). I wish he would have painted the walls a nice soft neutral, rather than leave the pine. It was so cabin-like.

Lingering thoughts…

Where do people that live in tiny houses shower? After checking out the Tiny House Blog very quickly, I still don’t know. I do however know that you can buy plans for a tiny house of your own for less than $50.

Why were all of the participants wearing those ridiculous rain boots? The looked absolutely silly.

Why wasn’t there more of an emphasis placed on drawing the eye upward with architecture or lighting? What about mirrors to open the space up? Seemed a little odd.

It’s been a long week and this InstaFriday is cherished mostly because…well, because it’s Friday!

Here’s how my week started:The Pie has the VERY best pizza in town. In the State of Utah. Perhaps anywhere. You would think that it would signal a great week ahead, but…I sort of drove to, ordered and picked up a rather large pizza in a daze and then took it home. To an empty house. Where I ate three huge slices. Bad idea!

It had like eight slices so I also had pizza for lunch and dinner the next day. Yeah. Please tell me you’ve done this too?

We did a little back to school shopping this week as well. It turns out that when you’re in middle school you’re more interested in a $50 jersey than a $5 t-shirt.

Luckily, you also recognize $50 is a lot of money and you put the t-shirt back on the rack. I think that alone may signal you deserve the jersey as a surprise my man…

Who’s got experience with this middle school business? I am totally and completely unprepared.

As little as 15 seconds before this photo was taken there was some serious rumbling going on…Boys have sooo much energy and yet, they can be so peaceful at times.

Working on a Halloween project that involves this thrifted wedding candelabra.

Also, using these…

Yes. I’ve been talking about this project for a week. I am going to finish it up this weekend. Promise. Hoping that it looks as good in real life as it does in my head.

So according to our very supportive community, it’s never to early to start on holiday decorating. So have you started on anything for Halloween (or maybe you’re really ahead and you’re already working on Christmas)?The University of Utah held it’s first football game as a part of the PAC12 last night. The football was great, but one of the most impressive sights were all of the fans getting off the trains and moving up to the stadium. Impressive.

Before you get all excited and think I live a life of luxury with fancy box seats, let me add that I was working the game and though I can appreciate a football game played by nearly any team, the Utes are *my team’s* rival. Woot!

Lots of work going on behind the scenes to get ready for SNAP! It’s eight months away, but there is soooo much to do!

Right now, we are diving into the rather large pile of speaker applications we’ve received. It’s going to be difficult, but we’re determined to develop an incredible schedule.

In the meantime, we’ve shared a couple of fun posts including a recap of Queen Bee Market, the launch of a new tech column and Ways to Get More from Google Analytics.

If you follow me on Facebook, you might know that I’ve been working on a project that involves this semi-horrible, thrifted, two foot wedding candelabra:

You might also know that this project is part of a series of things I’ve been working on for Halloween…Yes, you heard me right, Halloween. I’ve actually been collecting things (like my candelabra) since late July.

I felt really good about it all until someone questioned my dedication to a holiday that’s still two months away.  I’ve been stewing over the issue all week.

Then I thought, if I can leave my Fourth of July wreath up through the end of August, surely I can plan for Halloween in August too…

I am also justifying my madness with the knowledge that Utahns spend more money on Halloween than any other state in the nation. Additionally, I saw Christmas decor in Hobby Lobby over a month ago. What can I say, I am a product of my surroundings?!?

Then, I had this conversation on Twitter with my friends Amy and Jen:

Our conversation progressed and basically I came to the conclusion that if Amy and Jen can put up Halloween, then it’s totally okay for me to be thinking about it, right? RIGHT?

I am not going to name names here, but about 15 min. after this conversation, I saw two other girls talking Christmas.

I am comfortable with my decision to create, not display Halloween decor for now, but I am wondering how early is too early to start planning for holidays? Do you decorate for Halloween? When do you start thinking about Christmas?

Before this episode of Design Star even started I was pretty excited. I am sooo glad that we’re back to completely individual challenges. I like them so much more than the group projects. AND…Who doesn’t love Nate Berkus?!?

I was also a little nervous…See, I’d seen some of the promo shots earlier in the week and the discomfort of the previewed moments were down right uncomfortable.

Mark. His room was incomplete with that big blank wall, but I still loved the overall look and feel. I feel like Mark really has a unique eye and I love his styling! Anyone else notice the shoes under the table and the red rain boots?

Biggest drawback with Mark? He has so much trouble getting everything done. EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. He’s scurrying around suggesting that he may not finish on time.

Meg. Wow. She’s gone from one of my least favorites all the way to the top. I love the quirky personality she has…The girl made up an imaginary friend (client) for heaven’s sake. A girl who loves big baskets that could have been purchased in Africa (I liked) and striped (I also like).

Having said that, I just don’t personally enjoy Meg’s design aesthetic. I can’t put a finger on it…it just isn’t my fav.

Oh my goodness, Karl was giving me the giggles this episode. Though he was able to describe the challenge – compared it to inexpensive shorts paired with the expensive shirt – he clearly cannot identify well with getting the “look for less.” I did enjoy the bookshelves he came up with, but they weren’t very practical.

Although Karl was far more comfortable this episode, just watching him on the show is a little painful for me. Still.

Oh Kellie. How the mighty have fallen. From the beginning I loved Kellie. I had hoped that last week was just a bad week for her (remember the awful bed?). Unfortunately, the downward spiral continued.

I didn’t like Kellie’s room and I thought her presentation on the Nate Berkus show was AWFUL. I hate to say it, but it was definitely time for her to go…

Finally, why is it that I think it is totally acceptable for girls to wear shoes without socks, but when I see a dude (read Nate Berkus) wearing mocs without socks I am sorta grossed out???

So what do you think? Do you have a favorite at this point?

All photos via HGTV.

If you live in Utah, there is a fantastic Labor Day weekend promotion going that you don’t want to miss! The Broadway musical Mary Poppins is playing at Salt Lake City’s Capitol Theater and you can get tickets 2 for the price of 1 – bargain!

The discount is limited to tickets purchased for the following shows:

Thursday, September 1st matinee
Original price $62.50 = with offer $31.25
$42.50 = $21.25

Saturday, September 3rd evening
$85 = $42.50
$65 = $32.50

Sunday, September 4th matinee
$85=$42.50
$65 = $32.50

Sunday, September 4th evening
$75=$37.50
$55= $27.50

Just hope over to ArtTix and use the coupon code utahmama.

The recommended age for this show is six and older (although I am sneaking in the little man, who’s five). If you happen to be there Friday night, come find us and say hi!

Ahhh. InstaFriday. It’s been a while. How I have missed you…

It’s been a busy week around here. To celebrate the last few school free days we went up to Snowbird.

Snowbird is just 15 minutes away from the house. We’re sooo lucky to live near such a gorg get away spot. Up at the top of the tram? There’s still snow due to the late summer.Crazy.

Thoroughly enjoyed our little picnic.

So did the squirrel. Apparently he is a fan of fallen Goldfish. I was a little nervous he was going to enjoy my toes too!

The great start to the week was over shadowed by a flood that collapsed the ceiling and two walls. I now know exactly how much it costs to rent the larger blower fans and how long it takes to try soaked carpet…I would rather not.

Cleaning it also took a good part of the week and sort of squelched any fun photos.

Most of the rest of my time was spent at work, helping the people of Utah navigate their way to and fro.

Really looking forward to the weekend. We’re going to be working on the house (wish it were fun work) and getting the final purchases to go back to school Monday

TGIF!

Linking up with Jeanette for InstaFriday