Sweater Weather

It doesn’t happen often around here, but when the weather actually dips below 70? It’s hot cocoa and cuddles 24/7.

One of the many many photos I took of the food I ate during my beach vacation two weeks ago. It was seriously one of the best parts of the trip.

Chocolate Hazelnut gelato.

I felt like That Girl, strolling down the sidewalk, looking into gallery windows, eating my fancy Italian ice cream, wandering down to the beach and eating this creamy perfection with my toes in the sand. Seriously, a pleasure.

So You Think You Can Dance!!! I am so obsessed with this show. Man I wish I could do ANYTHING like these guys. Just amazing. I will have to be content to live vicariously through them while I eat my ice cream.

Today and tomorrow Bear is trapped in a big work conference in Laguna Beach where he has to sit in lectures and eat rubbery chicken while they all make stale nursing home jokes.

I, meanwhile, will be here. Or maybe poolside, or maybe just in my hotel room bed, reading an honest to goodness book.

Atti will get to spend a couple more days with Grandma and she promises him that she won’t feed him gross stuff like the hummus his mom tries to make him eat.

The past two weeks have been a couple hard ones. Multiple doctors visits, driving all over the county, a suddenly tantruming toddler, Bear at work until 7 or 8. When Bear reminded me that this was the week of the conference, and everything suddenly fell into place to free me up enough to get away, I broke down in tears.

One of my favorite people is studying in Laguna right now, so I might get to meet up with a beloved old friend, wander through galleries, sun myself on the beach…but I might just be too intoxicated with the quiet of an empty hotel room to ever bring myself to leave.

You guys? Two days! Alone! Can you even imagine the thrill?

I took the quickest picture ever before tearing into this package of fabric because I couldn’t resist the wrapping. It’s just simple as can be, but when the fabric I order online is usually wrapped in plastic bags, I found myself touched by the hand tied little bow. It’s very nearly a brown paper package tied up in string!

This great service came from this store. I’ve loved every exchange I’ve had with them.

I’m leaving in minutes to spend the rest of the week in Utah for this conference I keep talking about, but I’m most excited for it because I get to catch up with some of my most favorite people from around the internet.

The women of Feminist Mormon Housewives being charming and ridiculous and charmingly ridiculous.

The dearest Janet transfixing a cranky Atticus with the power of her mind.

Possibly the best picture ever. Trying to get a picture together while her Atticus and my Atticus kept trying to grab each others faces off.

As if the internet hasn’t brought me enough bounty in this life, it’s brought me just the greatest people to be my friends.

The teenagers I teach at church came over last week to hold a little cooking class. I work with the 16 and 17 year olds, and we’re always trying to think of something to do that will prepare them for life on their own while still being interesting for them now. When we started talking about doing a cooking unit, they were totally on board. (I love that my hand is blurred in this picture. If you’ve ever held a conversation with me, you know that my hand flailing to word count ratio is about even.)

We made a little rice pilaf and we went over knife skills and a mirepoix. It was just so darn much fun to see their enthusiasm. When I showed them how to microwave a lemon to get the most juice out, and then squeezed it onto the rice, I got a wave of literal oohs and aahs. I just adore this group of girls, they have it so together, so much talent and maturity. It’s like they’re all just waiting, with watches checked and toes tapping, until they’re old enough to strike out on their own and get on with what they’re capable of already.