Summer Dreamin'

I'm dreaming of a vacation with warm sandy beaches where we can frolic in the sun and bask in it's warmth all day. 

Instead, this has been my reality for the past couple of months.  Our temperature got as high as 30 degrees today, and would you believe today has been by far the warmest it has been in weeks?  We have been having highs in the single digits and lows dip all the way down to the NEGATIVE teens.  That kind of bitter cold physically hurts.  This has been going on since the beginning of January.  I'm done with looking at this out my window.  You can't even see my beloved mountains!  Don't get me wrong, I really do love where I live.  I wouldn't move for anything.  But these Utah winters can seem to go on forever.

I took this crappy picture of my backyard right before we hydroseeded for grass last summer, but it gives you kind of an idea of what my normal view is out my back door.  

Please send warm wishes my way.  Or a plane ticket to somewhere warm.  Either works :)

My Sunshine

You know when you fight with your siblings when you are a kid and your Mom scolds, "Someday when you are adults, you guys might be all each other's got, so get along!"  Well, I don't know if your Mom said that, but mine definitely did.

I was blessed with 3 sisters that I love very much and have a unique relationship with each of them.  Was it great when we were teenagers and sharing a bathroom or stealing each other's clothes? No.  Is it absolutely awesome that I have built-in best friends that know me inside and out and I can share everything with?  That would be a resounding yes!

One of the things I share with my sister Rebecca is a love for all things artsy and crafty.

  She has such a good eye for things so I am always asking for her opinion.  Whether it be clothes, makeup, or anything else.  She started her own kids boutique last year called Chubby Cheek Boutique and she has been super successful.  But one of her many talents is also photography, and she has been very passionate about it for a long time.  She has been taking most of our family's pictures for years, so she has a lot of practice.  Her pictures have feeling and heart and don't look forced which I think is difficult to do.

  She has finally decided that this is a good time in her life to take her photography to the next level and turn it also in to a business, so she is running a great deal right now to expand her portfolio.  

If you live in the Cache Valley, Utah area and are thinking of getting your pictures taken, now is a great time to get a great deal that won't last long!

Make sure to check out her blog at www.MySunshinePhoto.blogspot.com for more of a preview of her work and to contact her.

xoxo - Marissa

Made With Love

The best gifts in my opinion are home made.  The ones made from the heart so every time you look at that thing, it reminds you of the person who took the time to make it for you.

A couple Christmas' ago I was seeing little kid's kitchens made out of assortments of old furniture all over the internet.  I wanted to make one very bad for Kalista.  I talked to my Grandpa about it and he thought it would be a great gift and wanted to help.  My Grandpa is the handiest man ever so I was so grateful to get him on board!

One of my sisters gave up an old nightstand she had for the bones of this project.  Right away my Grandpa got to work and retreated to his basement workshop.  To my surprise, he worked tirelessly for three weeks on this sweet little kitchen for his Great-Granddaughter until it was finished.

I don't have the actual before picture of it being a nightstand because I didn't get the chance before he got to working on it. But here it is before and after. Oh, and please don't mind the crappy cell phone before pictures!

I love all of the little details he put into this, like the custom hutch on top with curly cue sides, the real turning knobs for the stove and faucet, the hand painted burners, and the fact that he made it into two separate pieces so it would be easier to move.  You would not believe how heavy this thing is!

It has a very vintage quality to it that I haven't seen in any other kid's kitchens I have seen built.  Which I love!  It's probably due to the fact that my 80+ year old Grandpa built it using odds and ends he had collected over the years.  It makes it just that much more unique.

Kalista was ecstatic to see this beautiful gift Christmas morning and loved hearing her Grandpa tell her the story about going up to the North Pole and helping Santa's elves build her little kitchen.  

This is why gifts made with love are the best.  Every time Kalista plays with her kitchen, she can see the love her Grandpa has for her by the time he took to make something so special for her.

xoxo - Marissa

Bed Confession

Sooo, I have a confession.  I don't know why, but it is pretty embarrassing.  So here it goes... For either lack of funds or just laziness I have slept on just a plain bed frame for the past eight years!  Ok, ok, so maybe it is not that embarrassing but it is little sad.

I dream of a big, beautiful, bed with a plush headboard that I'm excited to get my beauty rest in.  Or lack of sleep in most cases from a cranky baby, which seems to happen as of late! Makes sense why I have looked so homely lately ;) Oh well, anyways, I really have been thinking about getting a real big-girl-bed instead of my plain old metal frame. The plan is to build and upholster my own, with the help of my much handier hubby.  That is, if I can twist his arm hard enough to follow along with my plans!

So where is the best place to inspire my bed obsession? Pinterest of course!

I love the low profile and feminine curves of this beauty.  I also believe you can never go wrong with tufting.

Source: Pinned here

But then again I am sharing a bedroom with a man, and I'm sure he would appreciate something a bit more masculine.  I love the nail head trim on this one!

Source: Pinned here

This one would add visual height to the room which would be kinda nice with my regular 8 foot ceilings.  It is a bit more plain, but still beautiful.

Source: Pinned here

Then, there is always the option of creating a matching footboard.  

Source: Pinned here

This is just the beginning of my hunt for my perfect bed inspiration.  Not sure where I will exactly end up so if you have any suggestions or opinions please let me know!  In the meantime, you can find me spending too much time on Pinterest. haha 

xoxo - Marissa

Under Construction

I'm in the process of trying to overhaul my blog's look, so if things aren't working correctly I'm sorry!  I'm no computer genius so thanks for your patience!