Monday, September 28, 2015

Our Love Story: Part 4

"Here's the thing about this love story of ours. Its long. And drawn out. And mushy-gushy. And even a bit cheesy. But it's true. And I've decided to take my time writing it, capturing all the special details of those moments I never want to forget. So if mushy-gushy, cheesy love stories aren't your thing, I totally get that. Just know that I'm writing this as a gift - to my family, and my children, and their future children - and also, for [Parker] and me - so that on those days when the kids are screaming, the laundry is overflowing and the bills are rolling in...on those days when it all just seems so hard, we'll have this to remind us of those first moments when we fell in love. And if sappy, detail ridden love stories are your thing, well then you've come to the right place." -Ashley Stock

To read the beginning of our love story, click here.
***


It's taken me a long time to get this post up and running... actually I've had this post written for over a year now. I was really hoping that Parker would write his perspective of the first time we met because I know its funny (he thought I was a brat), but he doesn't share my enthusiasm of his thoughts being posted on the internet, which I get and respect. So we'll just pretend it was love at first sight on his end.. :)

***
Late August 2010

Friday, September 25, 2015

Heidi Swapp Memory Planner: August Recap

For my birthday this year, Camrie Clair got me THE CUTEST Memory Planner by Heidi Swapp. You all know that I loooooove all things cute and floral and polka dots and gold and life-documenting, so ya.. to say I was thrilled with this adorable gift is a huge understatement. It was also on major sale at Michael's, so bonus! There were a lot of little embellishments that could be bought separately, but that coordinate perfectly so Cam gave me some of those too which was so fun. The rest of the added things were pretty much stuff my mom had laying around her 'scrapbook room' that I snatched up before we moved! Go get a memory planner because they are cute AND functional. And here is our August, according to my planner!

August Recap

The adorable exterior. A Kate Spade kind of feel that I'm loving right now.

August Recap

Top: How cute is the gold polka dot interior? {Insert heart eye emoji here}. Every month has a beautiful title page/tab and August was no exception, obviously. 
Bottom left: Parker and I went to The Carriage House Theatre's play Mary Poppins and got a photo with the leads, who happened to be some of my good friends from BYU! So fun to have that documented right on the day that it happened! (Not pictured, the tickets from that even are attached as well). 
Bottom right: Just a cute piece of paper to fill some extra space, complete with gold, sparkly washi-tape. 

August Recap
I love the 'Photos Of The Month' page with the journalling sections and the metallic gold frames. And the photo page protectors too!

August Recap

Every month has the entire month laid out calendar style, along with a section devoted to quotes, goals, and that month's happenings. 

August Recap

We spent SO much time at Wally's this summer and it was SO much fun! I could lay in the sun on a beach all day every day and never tire of it. And yes, we are in a mud pit... that a lot of nasty little kids probably peed in... and who knows what else. I got pushed in. Anyway, as you can see I attached this picture with some more cute washi-tape!

August Recap

Top Left: Features the first time I skyped my family after we moved.. Lots of hearts (some of the embellishments that can be purchased to coordinate with the planner). 
Top right: Our iconic Harry Potter World/Universal Studios trip photo. Idk what it is about mini pictures but they are just extra cute!
Bottom: Every month there is also a place for you to write what you are thankful for, what was awesome, and what you probably should... It's the easiest journal writing ever! So many prompts! This extra page that has 'overall' thoughts on August was something I struggled with.. I couldn't figure out what to do with it but finally decided to do a journalling page here and I love the end result. 

August Recap
Top left: Left some 'white space' on the outside of this photo when cropping it so I could hole punch it and add it via the binder rings. Its such a fun little insert - then I added the description of the photo directly on the back!
Top right: The looooong drive out to Ohio had to be documented!
Bottom left: We won the family tournament at Heritage Days again this year!
Bottom right: While camping in Kalispell, we went to the matinee to see Antman. There is something more fun about going to the Kalispell movie theatre than there is going to other theatres....
August Recap

Had to include Matlin's birthday shout-out to me via Instagram next to my birthday!

I finished off the month with a photo collage featuring all of our favorite pictures from August! It's fun to have another 'recap' only without words!

Heidi Swapp's motto is #makeprettystuff, which is so fun to implement in my life and her products make it so easy. On her instagram page, she has been hinting at some new planner kits for 2015 that have everything included - an adorable planner similar to the one I have but not exactly the same, some embellishments, matching washi-tape, etc. I think everyone should get one (and no, this post is not sponsored by any means, I just really love this planner that much) and make your own pretty stuff! 

How do you document your life? I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below! Also, if you want to stay caught up on how the rest of this planner goes, be sure to subscribe ----> so you never miss a post! Thanks for reading <3

xoxo, Chelan

Monday, September 21, 2015

The Yellow Bowl

When Parker and I were packing up to move across the country, my mom was pretty concerned that we didn't have everything that we needed, especially kitchen supplies. One day she went into the kitchen and emerged with the yellow bowl and said, "Here. Take this with you. I want you to have it." Or something of that nature anyway. I almost cried. Because to me, this bowl is something much more than just a bowl. It represents SO much.
The yellow bowl represents countless family get togethers where yummy salads were shared.
The yellow bowl represents the numerous game and movie nights at our house where regular popcorn or caramel popcorn was consumed.
The yellow bowl represents the Christmas Crack that my mom and I would devour at Christmastime.
The yellow bowl represents the kitchen counter covered in sugar cookies in preparation for Valentine's Day.
The yellow bowl represents all the milestones in our family -- birthdays, baptisms, farewells and homecomings, sports team parties, graduation dinners, etc. -- that required food for celebration.
The yellow bowl represents all the times we snuck some cookie dough when mom wasn't looking or begged to lick the spoon.
The yellow bowl represents the delicious muffins that my mom would make fresh for breakfast.
The yellow bowl represents my mom attempting to teach me how to cook, bless her heart.
The yellow bowl represents the secret family recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that would be gone almost as soon as they came out of the oven.
And as silly as it sounds, the yellow bowl represents my love for my family and how much I cherish the time I get to spend with them.
I was so touched by this simple gesture from my mother. I am so grateful that now I have the yellow bowl and that it will be a part of my family's get togethers and important moments. It probably seems pretty stupid to be so excited and touched by a bowl, but to give you an idea of how important it is to me and my family... Matlin, who cooks less than me, was actually pretty jealous that my mom chose to give it to me hahah. #favoritechild. just kidding.
So, yesterday, the bowl was a part of something in our little home for the first time! I made the secret family recipe of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dessert for the missionaries and let me tell you that I have never made them so well! They tasted just like my mom's and that is a miracle. I blame the bowl. 
I didn't get a photo of the finished cookies because we ate them too fast. They were that good! Thanks mom for the special gift!!

Do you have something similar to this that brings your family together? I would love to hear about it! Thanks for reading!

xoxo, Chelan

Friday, September 18, 2015

Current Beauty Favorites

I'm not one to go around advertising my hair and make up routine, but having not found a job out here yet, I've had a lot of time to play around with different styles, looks, and products. Today I thought it would be fun to share my current favorite beauty products with you!



1. Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2 in 1 Lash Boosting Eyliner + Serum
You guys. I have been using this for a few years now and it is the absolute best! Not only is it the best eyeliner EVER, but it helps your lashes grow. So ya... no brainer. Having never used liquid liner before, I was really hesitant to try it but this stuff is the easiest thing to apply. It's great for thin and thick amounts so it'll suit everyone's needs and it lasts forever (like the tube lasts forever and the makeup on your face lasts forever)! I bought a three pack of brown, gray, and black. Besides dance, I had only ever used brown so I started with that and loved it. About a year later when I ran out of the brown, I transitioned to the gray... That one just ran out a few months ago and I've moved onto the black and I was surprised at how much I loved the bold look of the black! It's decently priced, but even if it wasn't, I would pay big bucks for this stuff. It's worth it!

2. Purple Shampoo (for my blonde friends)
I have been dying my hair since grade 4. I just wish I was blonde, always. And in those many years of dying my hair and having it go from pretty blonde to brassy yellow, not once did a hairdresser say, buy some purple shampoo or come back so we can put some toner in it. Not until this year and it has changed my life! Gone are the days of yellow, brassy locks, and say hello to silvery goodness! I got the biggest and cheapest bottle I could find at Sally Beauty Supply and I'm thrilled with it! If you are blonde, you need this.

3. Tanwise Wash-Off Bronzing Mousse
This is my go-to self-tanner for those long winter months. It comes in different levels... I use the medium. It gives you that extra glow, without permanently turning you orange because it washes right off! No orange hands or streaky faces to give away your flawless tan secrets! This one can also be found at Sally Beauty Supply.

4. Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm with SPF 20
I looooove a good lip chap (chap stick for you little Americans) and this stuff is top notch. It gives you the best combination of moisturizer and tint. The grape vine and cherry me are my favorite colors. This product can be found everywhere. Ulta, Target, Walmart, you name it!

5. A curling rod
First of all, if you haven't got one of these.. its time. Just do it because you need one. For years I used my sister, Matlin's, curling rod. It was a 1-inch rod and worked like a charm! But it resulted in fights when I would bring it home with me when I visited because she tries to steal it back and then I'd sneak it back into my luggage when she wasn't looking... So my mom gave me my own curling rod for my birthday this year! It's Le Angelique brand in 32mm size. It's a little bigger than Matlin's but I LOVE it! The bigger curls are perfect for my long hair and they last for so long! I don't wash my hair very often.... so sue me.... so I love that these curls can last a while and I don't have to use hot tools on my hair every day! My mom found this one at Winners (for American readers, Winners is similar to Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Ross type stores) for a fraction of the price of some of the more well-known brands like NuMe.

6. Johnson's Baby Powder
How is this a beauty product? Well it works even better than dry shampoo for me. I'm sure everyone already knows this trick but if you didn't.... now you do! If you don't have time to wash your hair or don't want to wash it everyday, just sprinkle a little baby powder through the greasy parts and you are good to go! It absorbs all the grease and leaves your hair looking and feeling fresh! Parker always makes fun of me for this one...

7. Johnson's Baby Shampoo
I know, I know another baby product. You moms who already use these baby products on your littles with be thanking me. Johnson's Baby Shampoo works as the best eye make up remover ever! No scrubbing and rubbing your eyes raw to get your make up off anymore. Instead get a dime sized bit of baby shampoo on your fingers and gently rub it on your eyelids. It cleans off every last speck of mascara and eyeliner and it's 'no tears formula' works like a charm! My friend, Tessa, taught me this trick and I've never looked back since.

8. Pantene Pro-V Overnight Miracle
This is a 'repair serum' that I don't just apply overnight but after every shower. I think it's the trick to what has helped me keep my hair healthy! For a while, I had hair that was thick all the way to the ends. But after more color and more heat was applied to my hair, it just died. The ends were broken and whispy and it had lost its thickness. Once I noticed how bad it was, I was on a mission to get my healthy hair back. This repair serum has really done the trick! I thought my hair had 'stopped growing' as so many people say theirs does when it reaches a certain length, but it has grown well past the length that I thought it would stop at thanks to this little miracle! I will also add that I took a break from dyeing my hair for a long time (a year or so), nor did I style it very often. Give that a try too! Challenge yourself to try some cool braids or a cute top knot to give your locks a break from the heat! This product can also be found just about anywhere. *Update as of 8/15/17 this is only $5 at Walgreens!

9. NYX Butter Lipstick
Michelle Money did the CUTEST lipstick combination on her blog once with this stuff and I was convinced that I must have it. I picked mine up at Ulta in the Little Susie color and I've loved it. It was such a fun color to have over the summer. Bright pink lips were all the rage! This fall I'm hoping to pick up a pretty berry colored butter lipstick because this stuff just feels SO good on the lips! ULTA Beauty has an awesome selection of this brand for a decent price!

10. Clean & Clear Oil-Free Dual Action Moisturizer
This product is one that I've been using for years. Its my favorite. I have really sensitive skin and for a while, I could hardly put anything on my face without it literally burning my skin. That's when I discovered this stuff. It leaves my face feeling so clean and fresh and it has a cooling effect that I love. I put it on after every shower and before I do my make up. I love that it's not only a moisturizer but it also works to prevent acne! Score! This can also be found just about anywhere.

So there you have it! My 10 current beauty favorites! Also, I just dropped my blush brush in the toilet so I'm in search of a new one.. any suggestions? Any beauty products that you absolutely love and think I need to know about? Share your beauty secrets with me!

xoxo, Chelan

Friday, September 11, 2015

Senior Project

I finally got access to my senior project video and thought it would be fun to share on my blog because it was something that I, not to mention my beautiful dancers, put a LOT of time and effort into! Going into this project I was over the moon nervous about it. I had never choreographed anything so long or significant and I usually hated any sort of choreography that I ever came up with. But I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the whole thing was! I'll be honest, if I hadn't had the dancers that I did, it would have been a lot harder. The creative process has never been so fun for me. The way that we created this piece went something like this...

I would come to rehearsal prepared with about 16 counts of choreography and I would start out by teaching the dancers the movement. I would then just play some music and have them improvise with the sequence they had just learned. It was a guided improvisational activity because while they were playing with the movement, I would ask questions to prompt them to explore different ways they could change the sequence. Some of the questions I would ask include: Can you change up the speed of the movement by going really fast or really slow? Try facing a different direction or changing directions while moving. Could you try to do the movement upside down? Or with a different body part? Freeze! And reverse what you just did (this was one of my favorites because it always brought about such interesting results!). While the dancers were improvising, I would take note of things that they did that I liked or looked good. Often I would yell out, "Tessa, I liked what you just did! Remember that!" haha! Then a lot of rehearsal time was spent with me piecing together 'the puzzle.' We had a lot of movement and a lot of improvisationally (is that even a word?) generated material and I would basically stand on a chair at the front of the studio and point to the dancers and say, "Callie, go over there and start with this sequence. And then Danielle, you go over there and try to make this part of the other sequence happen at the same time that Callie is doing this part of her sequence." Confusing right? Ya. That's why I'm SO grateful for my talented dancers. They were always patient with me and willing to voice their opinions and give me ideas to help me make my senior project something to be proud of.
Me with my favorite dancers ever. Bless their hearts for going on such a crazy adventure with me!

Now for a little background on what my dance was about. At this point in my college career I was SO sick of trying to figure out the meaning behind every last movement, every flick of the hand, every step, every breath, etc. So I wanted my project to be something simple. Something where the dancers just danced because it felt good to move and to perform, and where the audience just got to watch it because it was beautiful to watch. Also, it's a little long (8 minutes... I would have been ok with it being like 4, but rules are rules). You've been warned. So, without further ado...... Here is my piece, "For Movement's Sake."

Just copy and paste this link into your browser. I couldn't upload the video here because Blogger said my file was too large.. that's what I get for finally having a good quality video to share! After you've finished watching, I would LOVE to hear what you thought about it so come back and leave a comment. Enjoy!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xyiqgx6ko1krf8r/For%20Movement%27s%20Sake.mp4?dl=0

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Thank you's & awards

Thank you, thank you to Clarissa Falco from Mrs. Med School for nominating me for the Brotherhood of the World Blogger's Award. Claire's blog is absolutely adorable and is all about med school wifery, DIY, motherhood, and life in Texas! Go check it out! 

Quick story about how Claire and I met in the blogisphere.. My sister-in-law, Dani, kept telling me that I should go look up this med school wife blog that she loved. I told her I would and then kinda forgot about it for a while... Then one day when I was looking for some new blogs to follow I stumbled up on Claire's blog and I was so excited! Turns out that Claire was in my very first class at BYU ever -- a contemporary dance class. She was SO fun to take class with! Anyway, I'm thrilled that we've found each other in the blogging world so we can stay caught up on eachother's lives, not to mention that her blog has been so great to read in preparation for becoming a medical school wife myself.



Here is how the nomination works:

  • Thank and link the blogger who nominated you
  • List the rules and display the badges on your blog
  • Answer the questions sent to you
  • Nominate other bloggers and notify them
  • Create questions for your nominees

1. Why do you blog? I blog to document my life for myself and Parker, my future kiddos, my mom, and my nana. It's a place where I can spew my thoughts, share my adventures and my accomplishments, and express my creativity. 

2. If you were given an extra $200 how would you want to spend it? I would either spend it on clothes, crafting supplies, or home decor :)

3. What is your favorite food? Potatoes in EVERY FORM! I can't get enough!

4. Where do you see your blog in five years? Realistically, in the same place its at now... In my dreams I've found my blogging niche - if you haven't noticed I'm kind of all over the place by posting about scrapbooking and crafts, sometimes hairstyles, random blabbering. But with that being said, it wouldn't be a lifestyle blog if I didn't share my everyday life right? I would love to experiment with fashion blogging someday. 

5. What lessons have you learned through your blogging experience? I've learned that I blog mostly for me. I love documenting my life with photos and videos, being able to write things down. Its a good collective place for me to store all my thoughts. I've also learned that I love sharing my life with others! 

6. What are your current three favorite blogs? Love Taza (those kids!!), Barefoot Blonde (those braids!!), and Jordan Cidelle (she's kind of been on a blogging hiatus but I loved whenever she would post). 

7. What secret skills do you have? I can lick my nose, I have been practicing my calligraphy, and I can handle the burn of the first drink of a diet pepsi better than anyone (is that even a skill?!!). 
8. If you could live anywhere for a year where would it be? This is an excellent question. Hawaii, Bald Head Island, New York City, maybe somewhere in Europe.... I'll admit that my first thought was Cardston though ;)

9. What goals do you currently have? To find a job, get in better shape, learn to cook! I actually made progress on all three this week!

10. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas and birthdays! I LOVE BIRTHDAYS! 

I nominate:

My questions for you:
1. What is your dream vacation?
2. What is your dream job?
3. What goals do you currently have?
4. What is your favorite thing about yourself?
5. You just won a one way ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
6. Favorite thing about your spouse?
7. What is your guilty pleasure?
8. Why did you start blogging in the first place?
9. What is your favorite scent?
10. If you were a mermaid, what would be your mermaid name? 

Thanks for reading! 
xoxo, Chelan