life is beautiful

pretty paper garland

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:58:00 +0000

I've had a major obsession with paper garland for awhile now. And with Valentines Day getting closer, I've been seeing a ton of cute paper garlands on pinterest. So when I got sick of cleaning the house yesterday I took a quick break and made my own.

Its so simple! Make one!
1. Find pretty papers that look good together.
2. Cut out a bunch of different sizes of circles (I used my mom's cricut).
3. Run them through a sewing machine!

It took about three minutes and now I have a cute festive decoration in my living room. They are pretty fun to make. Addicting, actually. I'll probably have another one made before the end of the night!

project life

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:59:00 +0000

So, I'm embarking on the Project Life journey this year. I was a little late getting started due to our move, but I'm caught up now and don't plan on getting behind again! I like Project Life because its like an interactive journal. A journal with photos, pretty paper, buttons and ribbons, in addition to words. A couple things that I have found helpful are my 365 project and the Momento app. They help to make sure I'm documenting something everyday. Both are highly recommended. As for printing photos, I'm in a rut and could use some help. My favorite place to print photos and develop film went out of business recently and I really, really dislike the print quality at Walmart and Walgreens so if anyone has a place that they LOVE with reasonable prices, please please please let me know! As of now, I'm printing my photos out on my home printer and I'm almost out of ink so I need to figure out a solution quick!
Anyway, I've really enjoyed Project Life thus far and hope to share my weekly layouts here.

To learn more about project life, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

as seen on pinterest: berry smoothies

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:46:00 +0000

Lately, I've become quite the pinterest addict. And I hate that guilty feeling that comes when I realize that, after browsing the site for hours, I've accomplished absolutely nothing. Can you relate? So I wanted to start this thing, or series, called, "As Seen On Pinterest." Its a challenge for me to get out there and do some of the things that I'm pinning. A challenge to get creative and be productive. Whether it be a recipe or a craft, I'm just going to do something, anything. Hopefully at least once a week.
To start us off, I've got berry smoothies. Easy, I know. So easy it really shouldn't count. But I don't make smoothies. Ever. So I think it can count.

berry smoothies from the shoebox kitchen

It made for a yummy, healthy snack for Andy and I late Monday night when I made him watch The Bachelor with me. It definitely has our stamp of approval!

hey snow! so nice of you to finally join us.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:59:00 +0000

Winter just hasn't been the same this time around. Temperatures have stayed mild. Roads haven't really been icy. And the snow has been almost nonexistent! And please don't think I'm complaining. I'd be content with it staying that way until spring rolls around. But today a small snowstorm hit and it made me grin from ear to ear. I'm sure the fact that I didn't have to go to work or drive around in it contributed to my happiness. When Andy got off work I begged him to go for a drive with me so I could take pictures. It was just so pretty, I had to get out. And he so kindly obliged.

oh hello.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:41:00 +0000

i'm sure you would've never guessed that a new years resolution of mine was to blog more. but it was. true story.
moving was a lot harder than i thought it would be. and we didn't even have that much to move! we are basically settled down now. the house is good. very good. andy, i'm sure, is getting sick of listening to random outbursts of ILOVEOURHOUSE throughout the day but i can't help it. we're getting used to everything. figuring out the finicky water faucet in the shower (move it one hair too far to the left and its too hot, one hair too far to the right and its too cold). figuring out what light switch turns what light on. figuring out the normal creaks and groans of the house late at night. and trying to figure out where i've put everything. andy is painting right now as i type this. just covering up the nicks and holes and the accent wall. good thing he likes to do that sort of stuff. we're making it our own. i plan on taking some pictures once everything is in order.

anyway, just wanted to pop in and say hello. you should be hearing more from me...if i remember my resolution that is.

ps my sister informed me that i need to switch my blog header. i know, i know, i'm working on it.

bits and pieces of our christmas

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:25:00 +0000

Christmas was great. It was filled with love, family, food, games and, of course, gifts. Andy and I kept our Christmas simple, knowing we were going to be closing on our house a few days later. We just bought each other a pair of TOMS which I thought was an appropriate gift for the season. We received lots of items that will be great in our new home from family members and my mom surprised me with a fuji instax mini (...I'd been wanting one for two years now)! We stayed up late, playing games with family and catching up with each other. And we ate and ate and ate and ate! I'm sad that its over. Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year.

life list #5: become a homeowner

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:42:00 +0000

We signed our lives away today.
Not really, but it sure felt like that.
Its a big step and we're excited.
I have a feeling that the next week or so will be very busy!

merry christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 20:30:00 +0000

the twelve dates of christmas.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:45:00 +0000

So I thought this (and this!) was the cutest idea ever. I decided to do it last minute so we are still in the process of planning our dates but here is our first one. Monday night we went shopping down in Salt Lake and then went to Temple Square to see the lights. Its tradition. We finished our fifth date of Christmas on Friday night but this weekend has kinda thrown us off due to work and Andy being out of town. So we still have seven more days of Christmasy fun!
Wait...seven more days til Christmas?!! I can't believe it!!

we're a little late getting into the christmas spirit

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:54:00 +0000

...but we're making up for it tonight. I thought it would make for a nice sunday night activity. The Christmas tree has been up for awhile but it looked rather lame without any ornaments. Today we brought in the Christmas boxes from the storage shed. And we made brownies. Andy informed me that we really can't decorate without having a treat. So its official...we're ready for Christmas!

now this is my idea of a turkey bowl

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:59:00 +0000

I LOVE Thanksgiving weekend. Even though I worked through the weekend, I still managed to have lots of fun and eat lots of food. The actual Thanksgiving day was split between work, Andy's family, and my family. And then Friday we went bowling. Andy even got a turkey! How appropriate!
And now that it's all over, it's time to start decorating for Christmas!! Yay!

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:34:00 +0000

I pulled my dad's old SLR out a few months ago, dusted it off, and bought a new battery. My dad has had this camera for a long time. He took it to Illinois when he went on his mission years ago. I was so excited when he let me borrow it! I just recently got this roll of film developed. The pictures are from the first week in October...grape-picking at Andy's house.

Jess and I were talking about cameras and photography at one of our husbands' flag football games awhile ago and she mentioned something about how her favorite photos from her husband's mission are the photos that he took with a film camera. I couldn't agree more. There is just something about film. It's so raw and real and beautiful. The photos are full of tangible memories.
I'm kinda in love with how they turned out. I think I'll be a film lover forever.

bidding farewell to autumn once again

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:31:00 +0000

It snowed last night. The flakes were very big, clumped together, and very wet. I think autumn is over for the year. And its okay because, after all, Thanksgiving is next week. And what are the holidays without a little snow?

just another little update.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:23:00 +0000

I'm sitting here in sweats, counting down the minutes until I leave for work. I've opened the curtains to let the sunlight stream through, in hopes of warming our cold apartment. I can't bring myself to clean. Or to study. Or to turn the heat up. You know, electric heat isn't so kind on our pocketbook.
We've been looking for houses the past two weeks. It is emotionally draining. Trying to figure out what we want to spend, what we can spend without tying ourselves down, what we like, and what we don't like. It is so stressful. And all of those papers. Papers filled with big words jumbled together that don't make any sense. And it scares me really. It is another big step towards growing up and anyone that knows me knows that that is the last thing I want to do.
Our laptop screen went out last week. It is now in the repair shop getting fixed. Thank goodness it was still under warranty. But its slowed me down a bit, which is good. I spend too much time on the internet anyway. I'm on our desktop now, which is really just used for photoshop since it only catches the wireless signal from our living room occasionally.
Andy has been busy with school. He supposedly only has one more semester after this one. I say supposedly because Utah State keeps changing their mind and not offering classes that they told him they would. Nothing too surprising since its been happening for the past year or so. He only needs two more classes. TWO. If he can't finish up this spring, I just might have to scream. And punch something. Utah State has given us nothing but problems.
And me? Well I have just been studying for my test and working. I can't emphasize enough how glad I am that I switched up my work schedule and cut back on hours. Life is so much more managable now. And it has been moving right along. I can't believe it is the middle of November. Where has the time gone? Next week is Thanksgiving. And then it will be Christmas. Time is moving too fast. I hope it slows down. Just a little bit. I love the holidays.

yes, i'm an animal lover.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:35:00 +0000

I met this cute pitbull at my grandma's house last week. She wandered over, tail wagging, from the neighbor's yard. She had soft, dreamy green eyes. Makes me very anxious for a day when Andy and I can get a dog. I want a great dane and he wants a mastiff. Maybe we'll have to get a mix.

better late than never.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:58:00 +0000

It's always hard for me to say goodbye to October. It is one of my most favorite months. We went to the corn maze, went to a few Halloween parties, made caramel apples (until I about burnt my finger off), watched scary movies, and went for lots and lots of drives. I wish I had taken more pictures, especially at the parties...we had such a fun month.

Even though I'm sad this month is over, it only means that the holidays are getting closer!

and so i used up the last of my polaroid film.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:47:00 +0000

Andy and I went for a drive last Sunday, hoping to catch the autumn colors at their peak one last time this year. I'm sure glad he likes driving since I could go for drives every week! The canyon was beautiful and besides feeling a little sad after shooting up the last of my polaroid film, we had a wonderful time...sipping on our diet pepsi with vanilla and eating chocolate chip cookies and reeses peanut butter pumpkins!

sisters.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:08:00 +0000

My sisters were both in town this last weekend and I love love love when we're here together. Whenever they're here, I whip my camera out and force them to be my subjects while I practice my photography skills!
For those of you that don't know, these are my sisters. Kelli only lives about 40 minutes away and goes to school at Utah State. Fortunately, I get to see her at least once a week. Sarah, on the other hand, lives in St. George. We hardly ever get to see her. I'm trying to convince her (and Alex) to move closer. I'm hoping we'll all get to be together again during Thanksgiving!

a day off.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:11:00 +0000

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that there was going to be a change in my work schedule. This week was the first week that those changes took place. Its only Wednesday and I can already feel a huge difference.
I was working somewhere around 50-60 hours per week and sometimes that didn't even include my call shifts. Basically, it got to be too much and I realized that sometimes money just isn't worth it. Something finally hit me and I realized I should be enjoying my life right now and not be working myself to death. I'll be taking a pay cut because I'm cutting back on hours but I'll be saving gas money and driving time. I think its a good trade-off.

In fact, I had a day off today.
It was a rainy day and I love being able to spend these kinda days cuddled up at home.
I've got dinner cooking.
And my apartment is clean.
I could get used to this.

ps My sister Sarah is on her way home right this very minute. I can't wait to see her! eek!

hello october!

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:20:00 +0000

This is one of my most favorite weekends of the entire year. Its a weekend full of family, food, and conference. Of colors, cool air and drives. Of crocheting, scrapbooking, fall decor, and relaxing. My mom and I got up early today and went to pick out pumpkins while Andy and my dad went golfing. Perfect way to start the weekend!

another sunday afternoon jeep ride.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:17:00 +0000

The leaves have started changing around here so of course Andy and I went for a jeep ride on Sunday. The colors were so pretty and the cool air felt and smelled so good. I love going for drives. Especially in the jeep. Perfect way to spend my day!

introducing mr and mrs ruf!

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:26:00 +0000

My friend Jacki got married last week and it was a beautiful, beautiful day. She looked gorgeous and was so happy. I was able to take some of the pictures for her special day. I was a little nervous so Andy borrowed his dad's camera and between the two of us, I think we were able to get some decent shots. Congratulations Jacki and Mike!

lately.

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 02:23:00 +0000

its been quiet around here and i really don't have an excuse. i've just been lazy.
andy started school. and flag football.
i started studying for my ob/gyn boards.
we got a new niece and a new nephew.
andy and i went to "the help." loved it.
we celebrated peach days with our friends and some peach cobbler.
i kinda made a big change with work. and i hope it was the right decision.
we're sleeping with the windows open and i swear there is nothing better.
life is good. and we're happy.

day two // the subway

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:12:00 +0000

So, before we began our Orderville Canyon hike, Sarah and I decided to try our luck at getting tickets for the Subway for the next day. I had been wanting to hike the Subway for years. Since they sold out quick the day Sarah went early, I was pretty sure there wouldn't be any left. But surprisingly, there were a few tickets left. Andy and Alex weren't too thrilled about going on another lengthy hike, but they were good sports about it. As bad as the professor wanted to go, he said he'd better not or he'd probably be hiring a divorce attorney, so some of Sarah and Alex's friends came instead.
This hike was beautiful and, by far, my favorite of the two. There were lots of frogs, lots of swimming, dinosaur prints, waterfalls, a baby rattlesnake, and beautiful red rocks. The pictures don't do this place justice. I want to go back again.

the subway from Kristen Davis on Vimeo.

day one // orderville canyon

noreply@blogger.com (kristen) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:29:00 +0000

I've been amused and intrigued by slot canyons for as long as I can remember. When Sarah told me that Alex was going to be working on a research project with his professor all summer long which required him to hike through the canyons in Zion National Park swabbing frogs, I knew this was my chance. I finally had a guide!
This trip, which occurred a week ago, was kind of spontaneous. Only so many tickets are allotted for each day and they start selling them at 7am the day before. Sarah's job was to get there early Friday morning and then if she got tickets for Saturday, Andy and I would leave after work. If not, well, then we wouldn't. Sarah got up there around 5am Friday morning, only to realize that 20+ people beat her. She figured we probably wouldn't get tickets. When she got to the counter, many hikes were sold out, but she was able to snag five tickets for Orderville Canyon. One for me, one for Andy, one for her, one for Alex and one for Alex's professor (he looooves hiking and jumped at the chance to go). We got off work, packed, got stuck in Provo traffic and arrived in St. George around 2am.
The 11-mile hike, which included some swimming and rappelling, was beautiful despite the muddy water from a rainstorm the night before. The huge towering rock walls make a person feel so small and insignificant. There were so many little pools full of tadpoles. Frogs covered the rocks. And we didn't even see a single person until the canyon met up with the Narrows.