A New Favorite

My friend, Jenni, just opened an Etsy shop a week or so ago and has filled it with GORGEOUS handmade jewelry. You simply must go take a look and then leave me a comment telling me which YOU like best. Or better yet, buy one! I personally respond to turquoise the most, but the stick pearls are also unique and incredibly chic. Here are a few of my favorites, although I have a hard time narrowing it down to just one or two.

Don't you think a nice piece of jewelry would be a lovely gift from a husband to a wife who had just delivered his fifth child? I do!:)

More Reasons to Adore My Husband

(Not that you should adore him. These are reasons for me to adore him.)

Saturday, I had the chance to go to San Francisco for the day with a few friends and sisters (my SIL, Lindsee was visiting from Salt Lake City) to have a Mom's Day Off. This trip was facilitated by my husband in two ways:

1. He kept the kids all day. (And cleaned the house, to boot!)
   
2. He convinced a friend who owns a limo service to take us at no charge. Hazatah!
   

We spent the day in the Union Square shopping district. We all bought a little, but no one went crazy. We had a great time being together, looking for the perfect purchase, soaking up the city and the great architecture (especially at Neiman Marcus and Williams-Sonoma), and enjoying fabulous food. Here are a few of the highlights, although I confess that the camera stayed in my purse for much of the day. It was a completely frivolous day, which feels good once in a while.

Chuck William's personal table, which was on the third floor of the four-story Williams-Sonoma flagship store. Or should I just call it paradise? What I should have captured with my camera was the long wall of linens. Breathtaking is not too strong a word.

The foyer of Neiman Marcus, which holds all the cosmetic counters. Although our group spent 45 minutes in this store, I never got past the Laura Mercier counter, where I got a little make-over. I splurged on the best tinted moisturizer I've ever found and a new lipstick. Happy birthday to me!:) Heard rumors that the others fell in love with a pair of $4,000 shoes. Yikes!


Here is the dome above the cosmetic counters. It came piece by piece from the Paris store.


We had lunch at Max's on the Square (the Max's near us closed it's doors two years ago and we've never forgotten how much we loved it); and dinner at Lupa, one of my favorite restaurants ever. Somehow I mostly got pictures of Isaac, our only male and baby, enjoying his food. He had the waiters at Lupa wrapped around his finger. At one point they even picked him up and showed him the cooking area!


A little girl's apron we loved in Anthropologie; there wasn't much we didn't love in that store. Unfortunately it was our last store of the day and didn't get the time it really deserved. (Confession-- we took a picture hoping that someone could duplicate this for less than the $24 price tag. That's so very Mormon of me:)

Other highlights which deserved a photo but didn't get one include: a group of women doing what can only be described as synchronized swimming on bars in the square; finding H&M, which is often featured on What Not to Wear--and discovering it to be very affordable; the two story Talbot's, with huge comfy chairs to take a quick break on; the lemon white chocolate tart at Lupa's; and not having to drive home when we were exhausted, full, and a bit drowsy.

Better yet, when I got home my house was spotless and my children fast asleep. I hope the other girls can say the same!

Thanks, honey! You're the best.

Who Needs It?

You remember from this post that one of my goals for 2008 is to be content with the blessings that I have been given, rather than always wishing and praying for more.
People who know me well know that I love beautiful things. Clothes, decor, STUFF FOR MY KITCHEN, etc. My wish list at Christmas and birthdays is legendary for it's length. My wish list for our house is even longer, and almost everything on it has a big price tag: a new backyard, kitchen, flooring, crown molding, etc. And let's not even get started on the trips we'd like to take.
I have always tried to live within my means, sometimes doing this better than others, but I always want more. I guess it's a part of human nature, but it's a part that I'd like to do away with.
Anyhow, I'm going to share some of the strategies that I am using to help me combat the materialistic thirst within. I really feel like they are working--although we are only a few weeks into January, so I guess it's too soon to declare a victory!

• I am really trying to ask myself before each purchase, "Is this a want or a need? If it's a want, can it wait? Will my life be richer because I have this?" You'd be surprised how often the answer is that it wouldn't make any difference at all in our lives. I took back several Christmas gifts that I'd purchased for the kids (I took them back the week before Christmas, not after we gave them to them!) because we just decided that they didn't need that much. And I don't believe that we missed them in the slightest on Christmas Day.
  
• I automatically delete the emails that I get from my favorite stores, offering a sneak peak at their new spring line or their upcoming sale. If I don't know what's being offered, I'm not tempted to buy it, nor do I really wish we had it. I find that this saves me lots of time as well, since I used to spend lots of time looking at Baby Gap, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, and other pretty websites, window shopping and otherwise. (Is it called window shopping when you are online?)
• Along the same lines, I have stopped flipping through all the catalogues we get. What I intend to do (and haven't gotten around to yet) is to cancel those catalogues, since I have access to the same things over the internet, and can save some trees as well (not to mention trips to the recycling center.)
• Jared & I have always been full tithe payers, giving ten percent to the Lord without questioning or feeling like it's rightfully ours. We have also always prayed that the Lord would, as promised, "Open the windows of heaven and pour [us] out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10) Now that's all well and good, but we have changed our prayers recently, to ask Heavenly Father to help us be wise stewards with the things He has given us, so that it will be enough to meet our needs. We know that His promises are sure, but perhaps we need to be content with less before there cannot be room enough to receive it, rather than just having our perceived needs grow along with our income.
• I'm also striving to spend more time thanking than asking in my personal prayers. Expressing gratitude for the gifts I have been given in my life helps me realize how blessed I am with the things that matter most.
  
• I found this blog, which I am enjoying, and am hoping that she posts regularly throughout the year, as I appreciate her perspective. And it's nice to feel like you are doing these things by choice rather than being forced into it by tight finances.

Check back soon for my 100th post. It's one I've been planning for a while.

Only 121 Shopping Days Left!

Those of you who know me well know that I am notorious for compiling my birthday wish list in April (two and a half months before my husband starts shopping,) and as soon as my birthday is over, I begin planning for Christmas. The grown up version of me does start planning the gifts I'm giving as well as the ones I'd like to get from early on--when you have a large extended family to buy for, you can't put it off until after Thanksgiving.
If you are like me and are starting your Christmas shopping now, I am about to offer some help with my gift (since I'm quite sure that all of my loyal readers will be sending me an extravagant gift this year) : a list of things that I definitely do not want. I was inspired to compile such a list after receiving a holiday gift catalogue in the mail. It claimed to be full of things perfect for "everyone on your list" and I found a lot of ridiculous items that I never want to receive, let alone find a place for in my home. Perhaps you will laugh as hard as I did (and cringe) at the thought of giving or receiving of the following gifts on Christmas Day. On the other hand, if you are looking for the perfect white elephant gift, you might check out the link to this catalogue.


#1. Please don't get me a visor clip with hokey flowers and trite phrases reminding me to drive safely. I'll drive the way I drive with or without one of these babies. For the record, I've never had a ticket. Do you think I could be jinxing myself?
#2. Whatever you do, please don't get me this Animal Accent Lamp. I am not interested in the horse, the bear, or the eagle's head lamp, even if it can be used for a nightlight. I can think of better ways to "bring a touch of nature indoors."
#3. I don't need the Precious Moments Doll-of-the-Month either. Or any other Precious Moments doll.

#4. I have plenty of socks to meet my needs. And I will never need John Deere socks. I can see, perhaps, buying them for the three year old who is nuts about tractors, but WHY do they have these in Ladies' sizes??
#5. Why would you give this as anything other than a gag gift? Check out this novelty dog and cat bowl:
#6. This might be a great gift for the hunter in your life, but please think of his wife before buying this for him. Would you really want it on your mantle?
#7. Please please please do not get me this bedding. Yes, my kids would think it was cool, but when they have their own houses they are welcome to fill them with dolphin blankets and tiger pillow shams. I know, I'm a party pooper.#8. Who buys this stuff??
So, put away your wallets, folks. I've decided that I don't need anything this year. That is, unless you're looking through the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book instead of this one! The 2007 edition is released in September and will surely have something even better than last year's offering of a charter flight to space for $1.7 million and change.