young people in love

hair cut

2012-02-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

It was time for a change.

Still deciding how I feel about it.

(This was a good day.)

P.S.

Sponsorship spots are open for March!

Email youngpeoplelove@gmail.com to reserve your place!

mmm yes, please.

2012-02-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Kinda reeeeeally loving this for a diaper bag.

You can find it here

...and buy it for me.

Ok, thanks!

valorie clark photography

2012-02-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

How much do we all love that tree in the background of this shot?!

Meet Valorie Clark Photography.

Check out her blog and drool over her travel photos like I did!

Today, we have Valorie here to tell you all a little more about her work:

To me, photography is all about finding the beauty that already exists in any place and any moment, then highlighting it. It's about being real and having courage. Sessions with Valorie Clark Photography are about having fun, being genuine, and laughing. Laughing A LOT.

Real simple.

>>>

All that plus look how cute she is!

Give Valorie some blog love and have a happy Wednesday!

DIY birch tree forest mural

2012-02-21T07:00:00.001-07:00

So we have this big empty, unfinished basement.

There is one huge wall, spanning 30 feet long. It's concrete, lightly white washed, and super gross.

So we decided to do something about it!

We loved how this project turned out and documented the process so you can make your own magical birch tree forest mural, too! It would also look great on a small, accent wall or in two-tone colors.

First, we hit up Home Depot for some Frog Tape, brushes, rollers, masks (to protect little cryings), and paint. We scored a great gray all-in-one primer and paint by Behr in the "oops section." Only $15 for a gallon of high-quality paint!

We used the Frog Tape to create the edges of the trees, leaving the white-washed wall as the actual tree, using all those imperfections and holes in the concrete to our advantage. We also put tape up where we wanted branches.

With an exacto knife, we cut alongside down the edge of each tree, letting our hand wave slightly, and pulling off the excess tape. Because trees obviously aren't exactly straight up and down, this helped it look a little more realistic. Then, Chas did an amazing job of using the exacto knife to cut out the shape of each branch from the tape.

With all the tape in place, we ran our hands along the edges, pressing firmly into the concrete to help really seal the deal.

(Click here for pictures of just the wall and tape up.)

Next came the paint!

This is what the wall looked like after applying just one coat of our paint.

We didn't really know what to expect with a dirty, unprimed concrete surface but other than taking extra care to fill in all the little random holes, there was no problem!

The best part was peeling off all the tape. This was when we could really start to see our vision come together and it actually start to look like something!

The final step was adding the details to all the trees.

With a small paint brush, I carefully painted all the little horizontal line and knot hole details.

The whole wall looks like this:

(That's 18 trees total, folks.)

And, of course, we had to include this on one of the trees.

(Chas' idea.)

I can't tell you how much fun we had working on this mural.

It felt so invigorating and refreshing to have a big, creative project in process that we could both work on together. So, so much more fulfilling than watching a movie together or even, dare I say...eating cheeseburgers and onion rings at Hires?!

Yup. I went there.

We love how it turned out. Really love.

Now, instead of a basement, we "go down to the forest" to do our laundry.

And sometimes (every day since it's been finished), we go down just to stand and look in amazement at what we accomplished together. We're pretty proud of ourselves.

Eventually, we'll get a huge rug to put down there and create a big play room area for little cryings.

But for now, it's just our magical forest...

and occasionally ping-pong happens in the forest as well.

divorced? I want to talk to you!

2012-02-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

If you don't know, I've been attempting to write a book about being young and divorced.

Recently, I decided to play around with the book a bit more and see if I can't take it from being a mere memoir to more of a handbook, or how-to survival guide for others who have been unexpectedly affected by divorce.

My idea is to, through the book, try and create a kind of support group, a community of women where thoughts, experiences, and knowledge gained may be shared.

So this is where you come in.

I need your help.

If you have been through a divorce, I want to talk to you!

(Or if you know someone who has been through a divorce, I'd love to talk to them!)

I have some questions and I'd love to hear your answers.

I want to include more than just me and my perspective in this book.

I want to include you!

(All correspondence will be through email, kept strictly confidential, and may be as in-depth or minimal as you'd like.)

If interested, please email

youngpeoplelove@gmail.com

for more info.

THANK YOU!

DIY sneak peek!

2012-02-17T07:00:00.003-07:00

BEFORE...

DURING...

Welcome to our basement.

Only, it won't be "just an unfinished basement" for much longer.

Last weekend, we started an awesome project and will hopefully put on the finishing touches within the next few days!

We're almost done with the painting and it's looking killer.

Stay tuned...

I have come to an important decision.

2012-02-16T07:00:00.001-07:00

Little cryings will wear nothing but jammies for the first year of her life.

Might as well keep her soft, cuddly, and squishy for as long as possible.

The demin, ruffles, and accessories can wait.

P.S.

I'm not a lover of pink-everything for little girls.

Kinda dislike it, actually.

But in jammie form? I'll take it :)

cousins!

2012-02-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

On Tuesdays, in between my classes, I get to hang out with my nephew, Banks.

The Banker Man, as I like to call him.

He will be exactly a year older than little cryings and I can't wait to see all the naughty things he'll teach her.

On Chas' side of the family, baby Evelyn was born a few weeks ago on Chas' birthday and we just found out this morning that another baby girl is going to join the family in July!

That's three Kelly girls, all the same age, bashing around town.

Get ready, world.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T07:00:00.001-07:00

I'm working alllll day today so we had our own Vday celebration on Saturday.

Every year, we switch off who is "in charge" of Valentine's Day so one person can always sit back, relax, and get spoiled. This year, it was Chas' turn to be the planner and he did an excellent job!

There was breakfast in bed, a candy gram, cute card (with a puppy on the front, of course), trip to Target to buy baby girl jammies, dinner at Ruth's Diner, and a stop at Home Depot to grab paint, tape, and brushes for our big DIY project.

The night ended with us in our grubby "work" clothes taping of areas of a basement wall.

(We know how to get preeetty romantic around here.)

Total Vday success.

And let's not forget my dad.

He's the father of five girls.

When we lived at home, he would get us each a rose every Valentine's Day.

Now, he sends us an email, telling us all individual why he's proud of us and then attaches a picture of a rose to the email.

Never misses a year.

Let's just say I've got the best two Valentines.

The best.

sometimes...

2012-02-13T10:39:00.002-07:00

I can't stop myself from eating bowl after bowl of cereal for every and any meal.

I want to freeze frame mornings when Chas and I can sleep in extra late and snug to our hearts' content.

I find it mildly concerning when I realize the rate at which we're going through toilet paper, milk,...and cereal.

I want to soak up all of my friends' amazing talents.

I decide to take the plunge and tackle my first big DIY home project with Chas. (More on that later this week!)

It really hits me that we have just about three more months left before we're parents. Yay! Yikes!

I can't believe how lucky I am when Chas picks out the hot pink giraffe print jammies for little cryings at Target.

I feel like I never, never, ever want to move from our little duplex. I just fall in love with it all over again at least once a week.

I feel like a really good person when I try to eat healthy for little cryings and drink a green smoothie almost every day.

>>>

Hey, all!

Check it out! We have ourselves an official "sometimes..." series!

So make up your own endings to these sentences, grab an official button, and link up!
(Just copy and paste the HTML code in the box below!)

turn the radio up

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have a love/hate relationship with the radio.

Mostly hate.

But sometimes, just sometimes, the radio introduces me to an awesome new song.
And then I love the radio for it.

Been listening to this since Wednesday.

You're welcome.
Have a wonderful weekend!

"How are you feeling?"

2012-02-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

Before I got pregnant, I promised myself that I would try my hardest to not complain when pregnancy symptoms were difficult.

It was always a bit off-putting to me whenever I'd hear a pregnant women talk about about how hard it is to be pregnant. The nausea, vomiting, fatigue, aches and pains, multiple night-time potty breaks, difficulty sleeping. On and on.

Sometimes I wanted to just interrupt their little rant, grab them by the collar, and loudly (but lovingly) remind them that they were so lucky. They were pregnant! They were experiencing one of the greatest blessings and miracles ever! So all that other stuff that's hard??...Deal with it and be grateful you have the opportunity to deal with it!

(How thoughtful of me, right?)

Then I got pregnant.

Immediately, I started letting people know, whether they asked or not, that I was pretty tired that day, had a headache, or an upset stomach.

Thankfully, I soon realized what I was doing and that I was doing it largely just because I could.

It felt like a right of passage to be able to complain about pregnancy symptoms. Like it made the pregnancy experience more "real" or something.

There is a balance that's been important for me to try to find during this pregnancy.

I want to be genuine and grateful at the same time.

And I'm still working on it.

When people ask how I'm feeling, I don't want to be fake and say, "wonderful!" when that isn't the case.

At the same time, I don't want to jump on the fuss buss either. Because, when it really comes down to it, I am doing wonderfully, regardless of how I'm feeling physically.

How could seeing my tummy grow not be wonderful? How could getting to spend time with little cryings every day, just me and her, not be wonderful? How could feeling my little girl punch/kick back in response to my nudges not be wonderful? How could brainstorming names, decorating a nursery, and tiny baby jammies not be wonderful?

It is wonderful. So wonderful.

So there are hard days.

Days where walking from the living room to bedroom is so painful I just want to lay down and cry.

Or when putting on my shoes, or standing up from a chair, or rolling over in bed at night requires gritting my teeth and pushing through the pain every. single. time.

And then we have to cancel our much-anticipated trip to New York in March because of how hard it is for me to walk.

That hard stuff is all real, too.

But it's not what's most important.

What's most important is that it's worth it.

This morning, Chas taught me how to hock a loogie.

2012-02-08T10:25:00.001-07:00

I've been getting over a bad cold and am in desperate need of this skill in the morning.

Still in my jammies, I stood in front of the bathroom sink with Chas while he first demonstrated.

Try to breathe from the back of your throat.

Make your voice go really low.

Lower.

Now push it up and out.

I hocked.

And gagged.

And spit.

And spit again.
And had a coughing attack.

Chas laughed.

I'm still learning.

So this morning wasn't as darling as Monday's but that's ok.

Still special. In it's own gross way.

in which I tell you so much more than you ever wanted to know about my hair

2012-02-07T07:00:00.001-07:00

Since high school, I've been playing this game with my hair.

I grow it out long.

Love it.

Start getting bored with it.

Color it.

Love it again.

Start getting bored with it again.

Think about cutting it but remember how long it took for me to grow it out.

Get over that.

Start really hating it.

Chop it.

Love it.

Want long hair again.

Grow it out.

Repeat.

My hair is great because it grows pretty quickly.

I'm also not one of those people who are attached to their hair.

But I am one of those people who have thin hair and a square face which often limits what I can do and makes long hair easily stringy and gross-y.

I've done the pixie cut twice.

Loved it both times but hated growing it out.

I've done bangs but they make my face look even rounder.

And my hair won't let me do side swept bangs. It just falls in my face, straight down.

And then my artistic side just yearns sometimes to be expressed in my hair.

A wild color.

An unexpected but killer cut.

Hmmm...

You don't want my problems. ;)

Well.

Better get back to google images of hair cuts.

this is what I woke up to

2012-02-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm still resting in bed.

Chas is up and has gotten ready for the day.

And now he's standing at my bedside with little crying's bunny jammies.

He's holding the hanger under his chin.

He's humming a quiet tune and, with his two free hands, he's making the jammies dance along.

He told me he was just doing some practicing for when little cryings is in those jammies.

Who knew a Monday morning could be so wonderful?

busy bees

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy lately.

Last week, Chas' sweet, sweet grandma passed away.

It was good to see her go so peacefully (at 1am on her late husband's birthday) but we will miss our Red Lobster dinner dates with her.

The funeral this past weekend was lovely. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a funeral. The perfect party, just the way Nan would've had it.

Chas' birthday on Wednesday was swell.

It started off with the birth of a brand new niece, baby Evelyn!

For lunch, we had Hires cheeseburgers and onion rings with Chas' brother's family from New York (in town for the funeral).

The birthday boy came home from work to balloons, some birthday cards, and a special present.

I got him a sweet remote control helicopter which we'll be playing more with this weekend, including building an obstacle course.

The two of us had a special rotisserie chicken and homemade mashed potatoes for dinner and I did all the dishes while Chas played with his helicopter.

Then we went with some friends to see "The Artist." (If you haven't seen this movie, stop everything you're doing right this second and go, go, go!)

And now, as I'm writing this post, Chas is putting together our new rocker glider for little cryings...and I'm double fisting a huge bottle of Tropicana orange juice (yup- we're back to that).

February isn't going to slow down much.

But that's ok because once February is over, I'll be in my third trimester!

Holy crap.

How did that happen?

make believe

2012-02-02T07:00:00.001-07:00

There are times when I feel like everyone around us are real adults while Chas and I are just pretending.

Many of our friends are couples our age. But sometimes, it seems age is were the similarities end.

The husbands are getting MBA's, law degrees. They are working full-time jobs with benefits. They are planning internships to exotic and exciting places.

The wives are mothers to multiple children. They often play the role of a "single mother" while their husbands work long hours or are studying for the next final exam.

Then there's us.

I have a Master's degree. Chas doesn't.

We don't work long hours.

We're both artists.

We don't have kids. Not yet, at least.

We don't have health insurance or job security.

We'll probably live in good old Salt Lake City for a long time.

I don't mind the differences. Not at all.

We're just doing our own thing and we're very grateful that it's working for us.

I love the way our life is right now. Peaceful and happy. Very little stress.

Sometimes I feel nervous about crossing the divide and becoming a "real" adult. I worry that we'll get smacked in the face with the stressors of "real" life and we won't like it. I worry that we'll miss this time of "pretending."

And maybe we will miss it and maybe that will be ok.

Maybe we can miss aspects of our old life while still treasuring the new kind of peace and happiness that will be ours to enjoy.

I know having a child will change everything and I love that.

I'm ready for that.

birthday boy

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today Chas is 28.

Happy birthday, my love!

22 weeks

2012-01-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

I've come to an important realization:

I'm really bad at documenting the growth of my baby bump.

Here I am at 22 weeks and this is the third picture of taken of the tum tum.

Oops.

Anyways, look how great little cryings is doing at growing!

Such a good little girl.

She's also really great at moving around lots and gets especially active when I'm reeallly hungry.

She starts throwing the cutest little tantrum inside me. Kicking and punching, it's like she's saying, "Mom! Mommmm! I'm hungry!!!"

So naughty. So sweet.

Little cryings also likes to stay up late and get her groove on.

She's probably pretty popular and has a lot of late-night dance parties to attend in my uterus...by herself.

Don't feel bad if you aren't ever invited, I'm not either.

She's kinda exclusive that way.

sometimes...

2012-01-31T07:00:00.001-07:00

I just loved reading everyones' "sometimes" posts last week!

I'm actually thinking about starting an official "sometimes series" with a fancy button and everything. What do you think? Should we take this to the next level and get serious about our "sometimes?"

I get weirdly excited about watching the next episode of Downton Abbey. I finally don't have to dread Sunday evenings.

I feel overwhelmed with gratitude when my mom takes it upon herself to find me the perfect glider rocker for the best deal. (We're still on the hunt.)

I can't stop thinking about birth. What it will be like and whether I want to go natural or not. (More to come on this, I'm sure.)

I just want to eat warm, homemade rolls with homemade jam all day, every day.

I am kinda a bad person and purposely don't recycle. I figured living in Oregon for three years has checked the "recycle" box for me permanently. Good thing Chas is a better person than I am.

I wish I could dye my hair light, light cotton candy pink.

I just don't understand the allure of Pinterest. Am I the only person in the universe who's missed this boat?

I can't believe how close I am to paying off all my grad school loans. Our goal is to be totally out of debt by the time little cryings is here. Seriously can't believe that's even a possibility.

I strongly consider spending a lot of money on a sewing machine so I can learn how to make awesome baby girl clothes.

>>>

Now it's your turn!

Copy the bold part of the sentence, fill in the blanks in your own post, and link up!

Excited to see what everyone comes up with this time around!

two years

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today is our 2-year anniversary!

(pic from our engagement photo sesh.)

2 years?!

How did that happen? It seems like just yesterday Chas and I were salsa dancing partners at youth conference in Frost Valley.

I was fifteen, Chas was sixteen. I loved being his salsa dancing partner. Gave me butterflies.

I still get those same butterflies.

Only now, they flutter in my tummy when he helps me put my socks on because our baby is making my tummy a little big and a little awkward.

Not too long ago, in speaking about our upcoming anniversary together, Chas happily exclaimed:

"2 years!? That means I'll have almost been married longer to you than anyone's ever been married to you!"

Yup.

Can't wait for that milestone either.

Reasons #984-#986 why I love Chas

2012-01-25T22:27:00.001-07:00

Not only does Chas not complain when all I've wanted to eat for dinner for the last three weeks is pancakes

but he also...

makes sure my pancakes are happy to see me!

And then sometimes, the pancakes turn into a Ninja Turtle.

How did I get so lucky?

artsy (not fartsy)

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

My little sister, Hailey, is an amazing artist. She painted these portraits of sister (and her twin), Sarah and Sarah's husband, Michael.

They hang above baby Banks' crib.

Hailey also generously painted Chas' portrait for Christmas and we've commissioned her to do mine as well.

I can't wait to hang them together above little crying's crib! It will be my favorite part of her room.

Hailey is currently working on a website for her art so if you want one of these custom portraits for yourself, stay tuned!

On a similar note, I drew this little king pup a while ago and still don't know what to do with it.

Random.

Maybe I'll paint it for little cryings...

little almanac

2012-01-24T07:00:00.001-07:00

Ummm...hi. Most beautiful little family ever?!

Where's an empty Gap billboard when you need one?

Woah.

Kendra of Little Almanac is here today to introduce herself and her cutiest blog.

(Which I've been stalking for weeks now...shhh...)

>>>

Hello YPIL fans! I think it would be an understatement if I said I was ecstatic for this new adventure that Sam and Chas are embarking on called parenthood. I'm probably motherhood's most enthusiastic advocate. I hope that continues to be the feeling when I have a teenage daughter who thinks my jokes are un-cool.

I could introduce myself by stating my name and where I'm from, but that takes us back to the first day of junior high when I was so insecure about myself that those were the only two things I was sure of.

I have blossomed much since those days so here's a bit about me: I hate the crust on bread, I can eat a rittersport in about 1 minute, and if practicing patience maybe it'll last two. I'm self conscious of my hips, I'm an organizational nutcase, my favorite fast food is grilled cheese +tatertots+ cherry limeade from Sonic, I'm a Sprinkles Cupcakes fanatic. I studied abroad in London, I married my high school love and we have a secret language. I'm super frugal but don't like to sacrifice sophistication for tacky, and I am a mother to the most beautiful baby girl, Evelyn.

Over yonder at my blog, Little Almanac, I love to document my experiences as a new mother, family films, our travels far and wide, things I cook, things that I think make me artsy and a whole lot of in-between stuff.

Oh, and this year I am taking to heart the belief that "Laughter is the Best Medicine" and am attempting to cure the world by spreading joy every week on Funny Friday.

I would love to have you hop on over and say hello!

house of pillows

2012-01-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

I've recently discovered a wonderfully amazing etsy shop that I just have to share with you all!

House of Pillows.

Have you ever noticed how crazy expensive beautiful, high-quality, hand-made pillows are? Not only that, but most of the time, you only get the pillow case and then it's up to you to go buy a pillow insert.

Now there's fiiiinally a better option.

Elizabeth, of House of Pillows, has always loved home décor and knows how the right pillow can be a perfectly simple way to transform a space. She uses the best quality designer fabric and all pillows have an invisible zipper closure. She also does custom orders so you can work directly with her to create the exact pillow you want in any size or fabric.

And the best part? Each pillow comes with a high-quality down pillow insert.

Yessss!

We just got this pillow and I can't tell you how impressed I am with the quality. So professional. So perfect.

"Blown away"would be a good way to describe my experience opening the box and seeing my pillow for the first time.

(Too dramatic? Perhaps.

But it's the truth.)

We plan to use ours with our rocker for little cryings.

(Which you'll have to wait and see until we actually have a rocker...)

Add House of Pillows to your favorites on Etsy or like House of Pillows on Facebook!

a little perspective

2012-01-20T14:24:00.001-07:00

Not too long ago, Chas and I were lying in bed, chatting about random stuff. Our individual days, work, weekend plans (or lack thereof), and what we should make for dinner tomorrow night.

Then I suddenly felt sad inside and told Chas I needed to have a little cry. So I did. And that alone helped as it usually does.

I explained how I had been feeling lately. Inadequate would be the word. Inadequate and maybe even lazy. I told him how I want to be better than I am. How there there seems to be so many things I could be doing right now that could help me become that better person. How I don't do a lot of those things. How it makes me feel bad about myself.

Then something not completely unusual but rather important happened.

Little cryings started kicking and punching up a storm.

Now, this wasn't unusual. Baby girl likes to stay up late with us and is most active at night.

But this time was a little different.

She was moving so much more than she usually does.

I immediately rolled over onto my back and pulled up my shirt a bit so Chas could feel and watch all the action.

Everything that I had been sad about melted away.

Watching my tummy, we were both smiling, laughing, and gasping in amazement.

Then a distinct thought came to me.

What if this was little crying's way of saying, "Hey, mom! Why so glum, chum? Remember how I'm here and growing and being such a good girl? Remember how every day you're making me grow? Remember how this is the most important thing you could be doing with your life right now?!"

As I was lying in bed this morning, on my day off, I started to feel dumb and lazy again (even after a long, busy work week!).

And, once again, that little cutie girl reminded me she was still there. And I remembered what was most important. I remembered to be kind to myself.

I smiled, closed my eyes, and allowed myself to keep sleeping in, guilt-free.

(Besides, my sleeping-in days are seriously numbered. Might as well enjoy them while I can!)

It's funny how right when the miracle of life is happening inside me, right when I'm doing the most special thing I could ever do with my life, that's when I start to feel like I should be doing more, should be better than I am now.

Me and my little cryings.

We are so much more than enough.

February is Chas' birth month aaannd a great month to be a sponsor!

2012-01-20T07:00:00.001-07:00

(Pola from last weekend's Thai food cook fest with friends. )

Upon seeing this pic, Chas said:

"Woah. I look kinda big in this photo!"

(Me: silence...)

"I mean, bigger than I normally look."

Silly skinny boy.
(But seriously...he does look bigger in this pic.)

Wanna join this polaroid and boost Chas' self-esteem even more???

Be a February sponsor!

click here for affordable rates
and email youngpeoplelove@gmail.com to reserve your place on this blog
(and in Chas' heart).

:)

sometimes...

2012-01-19T07:00:00.001-07:00

Sometimes...

It's hard for me to not look like a dorkus malorkus in pictures.

I'm reminded of how much I love my husband when he always leaves a trail of opened cupboards and drawers behind him.

I feel self-conscious when I walk to the front of the class that first day of the semester and all the students look a little confused.

I am mildly dishonest when I plan to use the coupon I found in the mail for the free birthday Starbucks drink addressed to a previous tenant of our apartment.

I can't imagine a world without baby anticipation.

I'm surprised that I still want to have a root beer float/chocolate milkshake/hot fudge sundae every stinkin' evening.

I get a little too easily wrapped up in trying to find the perfect baby girl name.

I indulge in guilty pleasures like watching the entire first season of NY Ink in two days.

I wish all things in life were as wonderful as a bowl of Cinnamon Life.

>>>

As I was writing these, I thought, I wonder how other people would end these sentences....

So I decided to make it into a little game!

To play, just copy and paste the first, bolded part of each sentence and then add your own, personal ending.

Play along, link up, and make sure to leave the link to your post in a comment so I can check out your "sometimes!"

snowy, McDonald's breakfasts, and teaching

2012-01-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

This is what we woke up to a few weekends ago.

And now there's a winter storm warning so maybe, just maybe, we'll get to watch the snow fall tonight and have a scene like this to greet us in the morning.

Chas snapped these pics after bringing home a yummy McDonald's breakfast.

He suggested we start a tradition of getting McDonald's for breakfast every first big snowfall of winter.

Ummm...

Yes, please.

In other news,

A new semester started this week and, with it, I started teaching.

This probably won't be the last time I say this but,

I just love teaching college and feel so lucky to be able to do so.

I'm happy.

my post-high school life

2012-01-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

It's strange how everyone is basically the same in high school.

But then graduation comes and we all scattered about to find our own separate, individual lives.

Five years after high school, my life went a little something like this:

Graduated with my BA degree from BYU in three years.

Got married.

Started selling my artwork on Etsy.

Lived in Idaho Falls, Washington D.C., and Oregon.

Started graduate school in Portland.

Got divorced.

And now, nine years after high school, I've:

Earned my MA in art therapy counseling.

Moved back to Utah.

Married the boy I had a crush on when I was 13 years-old.

Started teaching as an adjunct professor for the Public Health department at UVU.

Started working as an art therapist at the UofU's Neuropsychiatric Institute.

Got pregnant.

It's been an unexpected, sometimes bumpy, but exciting road.

I'm proud of where I've been, what I've chosen for myself, and where I'm going.

halfway there!

2012-01-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

We had our 20 week ultrasound this morning.

Little cryings posed perfectly and was movin' and groovin' the whole time!

How I love this little thumb-sucking girl!

If you need me, I'll be watching the DVD of our visit

...for the next 20 weeks of my life.

reality

2012-01-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Over Christmas break, we stayed at my family's cabin for about 10 days.

10 days without blogging or the blogging world.

And, can I tell you, it was a glorious 10 days.

During that time, I had a great discussion with my mom and sisters about blogs.

The essence of my convos and thoughts on blogs go a little something like this:

>>>

I blog because it can be something positive for me in many ways.

There are blogs out there who's authors appear to have it all. They are crazy beautiful, wear beautiful clothes non-stop, live in beautiful places, have beautiful families, and take beautiful vacations.

Is this a real, true-to-life portrayal of themselves or not?

Why is it that we can only see the good in some blogs and never any hints of life challenges?

Why do I look at these blogs regularly when it does nothing for me but make me feel ugly, boring, and inadequate?

Blogs like these blind me to all my many, many blessings.

But my response to those blogs is my own, my responsibility.

It's their blog. They can choose to post whatever they'd like. That's the great thing about blogging.

I don't get to have a say in what they do or don't post about.

So if a certain blog isn't giving me anything of value, learning, or insight, then I'm a dummy for spending time looking at it, no matter how briefly I scroll through the recent posts.

>>>

Then I decided to do something about all these thoughts.

I put them into action.

Since coming home from our cabin trip, I haven't used my time to look at any of those blogs. None.

If a blog makes me feel sad in any way, I'm not going there.

And, while I'm reducing blog time,

I've also cut my Twitter activity way down.

(My little sister deleted her Facebook account.)

Brava.

I can't tell you how refreshing it feels to actively choose to not be a mere bystander, watching other peoples' lives unfold and wishing mine could be more like theirs.

I'm too busy living and loving my own life, thankyouverymuch.

preeetty awesome

2012-01-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

I just love driving around after a big snow storm and seeing all the snowmen that have popped up in front yards.

Earlier this week, I passed by this guy on my way home from work.

I'm honestly not even sure what else to say in response to this besides, "Awwweeesome!!!"

I mean just check out the pelvic bones!

This guy is probably the snowman king. The evil snowman king.

And last night, our stroller came in the mail.

Look how beautiful it is.

We tore into the box, quickly assembled it, and exchanged a few little shrieks of joy and excitement.

Then Chas grabbed the handle bars and proceeded to take little cryings (the empty stroller) for a little ride around the house. Laughing, and trying to grab the handle bars so I could have a turn, I followed closely behind him. Together, we strolled around the living room, kitchen, hallway, and ended up in the baby's room.

That's where I just had to forcefully take the stroller and demand a turn pushing it.

Chas wasn't sharing.

This morning, I asked Chas if he thought the baby will love riding in the stroller as much as we love pushing it around.

"Ummm...Probably not" was his response.

And he's probably right.

he said, she said

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

When deciding what to watch on Netflix:

My choice: NY Ink and Man vs. Food

Chas' choice: Masterpiece Theater's Downton Abbey

Yup. Pretty much sums us up.

>>>

While getting ready for bed:

Me: "Guess what song is in my head right now."

Chas: "Ummm...The Club Can't Handle Me Right Now?"

He knows me too well.

>>>

Waking up to lots of snow Saturday morning:

Chas: "It's a winter miracle!"

Me: "Let's have a special breakfast!"

Chas: "McDonalds!?"

baby baby baby

2012-01-06T09:45:00.001-07:00

There were a bunch of little moments of baby happiness this week that deserve documentation.

I'm feeling this little girl move around more and more. In fact, right before falling asleep on New Year's Eve, I had my hand on my tum and felt the first little punch/kick from the outside. It was a great way to start the new year.

I just love being able to feel her. It's like a secret, just between us two. Sometimes, I'll let Chas in on the fun when he's home. But otherwise, it's just me and her.

I finally broke down and bought some maternity clothes.

I haven't wanted to spend money on clothes that I know I'll just grow out of very soon, but, at the same time, wearing the only pair of maternity jeans (hand-me-downs from my sis) every single day was kinda getting annoying.

My mom came with me and, turns out, the shopping angels were with us, too. We scored some awesome dresses at H&M and Motherhood. All were on sale! And we were able to leave the mall in just under two hours! Happy day.

While at H&M, I died over their baby girl clothes.

And it's good to know that they're still marking things down to $3. Love that.

One of my happiest moments this week. Looking through baby girl jammies and being able to actually buy some for my baby girl! The only thing I can compare it to in my mind is going to a pet store and being told you can look at all the puppies, pick your favorite, and then take it home with you that same day.

(Really, though. That exact scenario comparison may have run through my mind while deciding which jammies I should get for little cryings.)

And, last night, we brought home a changing table.

(For, might I add, a killer deal on KSL.)

We cleaned up her room a bit, vacuumed the rug, and got the changing table in position. Then we imagined where the crib will go and a glider rocker. We also both stood over the changing table and pretended we were changing her diaper.

You know, just your average over-the-top excitement/anticipatory role playing.

And then I had another quite restless night attempting to not sleep on my back.

I don't mind.

Sponsor Love {pens & a camera lens}

2012-01-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

Click here to visit Pens & A Camera Lens!

a christmas with my family & the cabin

2012-01-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

a very homemade Christmas

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

This Christmas, we drew names with my family for the gift exchange.

And we made a rule that your gift had to be homemade.

It was awesome.

Seriously the most excited we've ever been to open each other's presents and definitely the most memorable!

Even the process of making our gifts was fun.

Chas and I loved having our own separate project to work on in tandem on weekend nights while we listened to Christmas music.

Then, to top it all off, we had a little photo shoot and took pictures of everyone with their gift.

Like I said, we were all pretty excited about our gifts.

Here's the breakdown:

Rosie made me this amazing car seat cover!

(Baby Banks was nice enough to let me use his car seat for the pic.)

I think little cryings will love it!

Chas painted a family portrait for Sarah!

He worked really hard on this and I'm so proud of him for sticking with such an ambitious present!

This is Sarah's husband, Michael. (Love him.)

Michael is a huge smarty-pants computer programmer.

So Lizzie made Michael his very own computer programming wizard cape!

Sarah made Lizzie this killer jacket and hand-bound book/diary!

I made Hailey a big, snuggly fleece blanket!

(Should be helpful in securing a suitor.)

Michael used his hands ("handmade") to pick out some college essentials for Rosie.

My favorite part about this was apparently he asked his wife, Sarah, "Do you think it would be ok if I got Rosie some pantiliners?"

Michael knows what's up.

And Hailey painted this ahhh-mazing portrait for Chas!

I'll have to scan the original so you can really see how glorious and perfect it is.

We're gonna commission her to paint one of me and then we can hang them both right above little crying's crib!

2011 was a good one

2012-01-02T11:54:00.001-07:00

A quick trip through last year's highlights!

January

Celebrated our first year of marriage happiness.

February

I win the trophy for best Valentine's Day planning and execution.

March

Sam & Chas photo shoot with Lissa.

April

First Scootie ride of the season.

May

Painting posters for missionary Rosie and

...Chas has a pony tail.

June

Trip to Oregon for my birthday!

We start eating frozen yogurt for dinners regularly.

July

Nephew Banks is born!

We get to be on the cover and inside spread of Simply the Sweet Life's summer issue.

August

Kelly family reunion fun times.

September

I host my cousin's baby shower.

Card family cabin trip.

October

PREGNANT!!!

November

We move into our new apartment and I feel most grateful for Chas on Thanksgiving.

December

Sister Card comes home from her mission in Mesa

and...

IT'S A GIRL!

>>>

We're so grateful for all 2011 blessed us with!

Now onto the main event:

2012!

until 2012...

2011-12-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a little bloggy hiatus next week for the holidays.

Time to step away from the internet while we spend time with family.

But never fear!

We'll be busy filming all the festivities for a Christmas 2011 music video.

Here's last year's edition with Chas' family:

Have a happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Loves.

Photo Booth Anonymous (PBA)

2011-12-23T07:00:00.008-07:00

Hi.

My name is Sam...

and I take Photo Booth pics of myself.

It's a multi-faceted issue.

There are silly Photo Booth pics and there are oh-hi-I'm-trying-to-be-a-model Photo Booth pics.

There are also Photo Booth pics with my husband, Chas.

All forms are equally weird. And equally awesome.

Why do I do this?

Mostly it's just because I'm bored, waiting for Chas to get home, or in the mood to waste some time.

But sometimes, yes sometimes...

it's purely because Photo Booth can make a no-hair, minimal makeup day look good.

Any other fellow PBA members?

The first step is recognition of your powerlessness over Photo Booth.

start the new year off on the right foot!

2011-12-22T07:00:00.003-07:00

BE A JANUARY SPONSOR!

Email youngpeoplelove@gmail.com

Click here for current ad options and affordable rates!

sixteen weeks

2011-12-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks for sharing in our happy little girl news yesterday!

We are beyond excited.

After finding out on Thursday, we celebrated with a Hires cheeseburger and onion rings lunch. Then we made a quick stop at Old Navy for some pink and white striped onesies.

We're also pretty sure that we've found the perfect name.

But that'll stay a secret until she's here :)

we're having a...

2011-12-20T01:39:00.001-07:00

Music: Tally Hall, "Be Born"

last week's highlights

2011-12-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

I almost can't believe how busy we were last week!

We made lots of homemade bread braids (Chas learned to braid!) for friends' Christmas presents.

My little sister came home from her mission.

We went to work Christmas parties and friend Christmas parties.

We had scones and hot chocolate at Chas' parent's house.

We found out the gender of little cryings (I promise the announcement is coming soon!).

We ate margherita pizzas and gelato for my mom's birthday.

All day Saturday, we got to film and interview people behind-the-scenes at the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert.

(I was this close to Jane Seymour!)

I dyed my hair.

Yesterday, we had a family party for Rosie's homecoming and a second Thanksgiving.

Last night, we had a yummy ham dinner with Chas' family, set up the nativity, read the Christmas story scriptures, and sang every single Christmas hymn (including one Chas' dad wrote himself!).

Fewf!

...I need a nap.

what made yesterday just perfect

2011-12-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a wonderful, wonderful day.

We found out the gender of little cryings!

But more on that later.

Chas and I want to make an extra special little post for the official announcement coming soon!

But, in the meantime, here's a little something that added to the wonderful-ness of yesterday.

(If I was a Mormon Fundamentalist, I would want you as my sister wife.)

Girls' Christmas Party!

There was hand-made matching red turtlenecks, yummy treats, fancy drinks, cute decorations, talking, laughing, talking, and more laughing.

And then there was the white elephant gift exchange.

I lovingly offered my first marriage's wedding announcement/invite...framed beautifully.

I went home with Heather's old nursing bra.

I just love these girls.

P.S.

Can we please have a moment of silence for Holly's Christmas tree and amazingly-wrapped presents?

At the very least, a slow clap is in order.

All those little details! Stunning.

homecoming: a picture story

2011-12-14T07:00:00.003-07:00

All together for the first time in three years!

home at last!

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

My little sister comes home from her mission today!

I can't believe it's been 18 months and I can't wait to see her meet nephew Banks for the first time!

We're picking her up at the airport this morning.

Lots of hugs and happy crying to ensue...

(Stayed tuned for pics, I'm sure!)

Giveaway! {little hank}

2011-12-12T14:34:00.001-07:00

Today's giveaway is brought to you by one of my good friends, Heather of Little Hank!

A mother of two girls, Heather finds herself making tiny ties for the little gentleman.

Each tie is up-cycled from vintage men's ties and will fit perfectly around that chubby baby boy neck you know and love!

And, just as a side-note, I gave one of these ties to a friend recently and, let me tell you, it was a total hit at her baby shower. Thanks to Little Hank, I definitely won cutest baby shower present contest, hands down. Not that giving presents is ever a competition, but who doesn't love the little pride that comes with knowing you scored a home-run in the giving department?

Today, Heather is giving one Little Hank tie of the winner's choosing!

To enter, must be a follower of Young People in Love.

Then, visit Little Hank and let me know which tie is your favorite and what little gentleman you'd love to give it to!

For an extra entry:

Follow Heather's blog here.

And, in case you want to just grab one and be done with it, Heather is giving all YPIL readers a special 15% off your purchase all month long. Just use code HOLIDAY15 at checkout.

Good luck!

>>>

And the winner of the Pics-O-Andrea giveaway is:

Congrats!

presently...

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

You couldn't really tell I was pregnant before last week.

Now I have a little star-bellied sneech tum. And I love it so much.

I've had a few people tell me it looks like I'm carrying pretty low and how that usually means there's a little boy inside.

Our appointment is next week and hopefully we'll find out if that's true!

I recently started doing prenatal yoga. I never ever, ever exercise so I'm hoping this will be good for both the health of me and little crying's and the delivery.

Chas and I are still praying every night that doors will be made open for us to be able to pay for little cryings on our own, without insurance.

We still feel confident that everything will work out somehow.

I've also been praying and trying to actively look for ways to serve others.

I really want to be able to step outside myself and my little life of comfort and make connections and help others. But sometimes I don't know where to start, especially when everyone else around me seems fine and dandy as well.

I'm still on the look out.

I had a really great, long convo with one of my sisters recently.

In a lot of ways, it felt like an answer to prayer.

We talked about lots of different things, but all of them were valuable, important topics.

I came away from that conversation grateful for a chance to really connect with my sister.

I had an increased resolve to set aside past hurts and exercise real forgiveness, compassion, and empathy for others.

And we talked about how it's so easy to get caught up in yourself: how you look, what you're doing with your life, what you love, how others might perceive you. And how when you're so focused on yourself, you simply don't have the time and energy to look outward and extend yourself towards others.

I want to be able to slowly free myself from all the "me, me, me" so I can stretch out a hand, offer a genuine smile, and give real love to the people around me.

Pregnancy is a funny thing.

2011-12-08T07:00:00.003-07:00

Aside from the morning sickness, one of the biggest things I've dealt with for the past few months is "preggo brain."

My mind will just go blank, without a moment's notice.

As you can imagine, this makes for some interesting times in my work as both a therapist and professor.

There has been a lot of, "Uhhh...Ok. I promise I had a thought just now...but now I don't." And that's on a good day- when I can actually string a full sentence together. Sometimes, when preggo brain strikes, I can't even put words together to make a sentence. My mind is totally blank.

It's awesome.

In fact, just last week in one of my classes, a student asked a question and this was my response,
"Umm...Ok. I'm not even going to pretend that I know the answer to that right now because I don't. Sorry."

Hehe.

Oh man.

A little off-shoot of preggo brain has been the way my "container" or ability to effectively hold and contain difficult emotions has diminished.

I've started to try to keep the content and themes of my therapy groups much more light and not so intense.

It's helping.

But, in my personal life, things can't always be kept so nice, light, and positive.

Things can and will get kind of intense and, normally, that's just fine.

But now, all of a sudden, my emotions are so much closer to the surface and I'm having a hard time expressing myself without becoming a blubbering weirdo.

I'm learning to be more forgiving and patient with myself and this new, much more emotional me.

But what I don't like, preggo or not, is allowing my emotions to get the best of me.

I recently had an opportunity to be confronted with frustration, hurt, and anger.

And, because of this, I also had the opportunity to confront myself and examine both what I did well in this situation and what I could have done better.

Sometimes I actually enjoy trying to figure myself out and get more self-awareness.

It's almost becomes a little game I play in my head.

I'll ask myself questions like,

"Now why is it exactly that this situation was so difficult for me? What's my deal? What part of it can I own for myself?"

"What aspect of my thinking around this situation is just self-serving and what part is really true?"

"Why is it that holding onto little bits of resentment feels almost good to me?"

"At what point do I need to stop venting and move into proactive, positive problem-solving?"

"What is within my power to address this issue in a way that is the most effective for both sides?"

I want to be better.

And this pregnancy is giving me a wonderful opportunity to be better than I was before.

I love you, little cryings.

just some thoughts on blogging and how I need a blog cleanse

2011-12-07T12:29:00.002-07:00

If you're a blogger, have you ever had the thought, "What the heck am I doing?!"

I have.
Lots, actually.

Let's be honest. Blogging can be weird in many ways.
I write about my life and strangers read it.
I take pictures of random things, of Chas, of the food we make, of my shoes with leaves around them.
I ask Chas to take pictures of me.
Yup, it's weird.

My first reaction, when I meet someone who reads my blog or overhear someone telling another about my blog, is embarrassment. I worry about what people must think or will think of me when they know that I do all those things with my blog.

But here's what I've recently decided:

If you're gonna blog, then just do it. And be proud that you do it.

Be able to see the blogging thing clearly for what it is- strange in some ways but also really great in some ways, too. Just accept all aspects of the blogging package and, most importantly, be proud that you're someone who wants to take a healthy risk to put some good out into the world.
And if people think you're weird/dumb/annoying/embarrassing for doing so, then that's their deal. Let them worry about their own reaction. You don't have to.

So next time, instead of feeling embarrassed of my blog, I want to be able to say something like,
"Yup! I have a blog! My husband and I take pictures of each other, I write about our life together, and it's pretty crazy. Check it out if you want!"

Aware. Confident. End of story.

>>>

On a similar note, I've been feeling pretty burnt out on the whole blogging thing.
I started this blog when Chas and I got married and I decided I wanted a way to honor the happiness that we had together, a happiness in marriage that I'd never thought possible before.

But, lately, I've kinda wondered if there was a way I could just burn it all to the ground.

It's honestly real work to think of something fun and new to post five days a week. I think a lot of the pressure I feel has to do with the pictures. I'm pretty picky about the images I put on this blog and it can get tiring trying to make sure that every post has a great picture to accompany the text.

Staying true to what I want this blog to be versus what I think others want it to be can be a tricky business.

I feel like I need to just get back to the basics with this.
I need to just write.
I need to just externalize my thoughts without having to worry about a darling picture to match or whether or not people will love the post. I need to put me first for a bit.

So that's what's going to happen around here for a little while. Just my thoughts. Simple and straight-forward.
The pictures will definitely return, I'm just not sure when exactly. We'll just see what happens, I suppose.

I hope you'll stick around and want to keep reading.
But if you're bored with my thoughts and/or are here mainly for the photos, that's cool too.
Again, I just need to do this for me.

A little blog cleanse, if you will.

Thanks for listening.

Hue&Hum

2011-12-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to introduce you to our friends and neighbors (for real- they live two blocks down from us)!

I also went to high school with both these guys.

Perfect match made in the cutest artsy heaven.

Hue is here today to tell you more and share an early Christmas present with you!

Let me introduce myself, my husband, and our blog to you. I'm an artist, Hum's a guitarist. I met (and fell for) Hum when we were awkward teenagers in high school way back before I knew I wanted to be a hue and before he knew he wanted to be a hum. We got married a couple years after that, and now that we're grown-ups (well, not really) we create art and music for a living. I (Hue) am the pen and brush (literally) behind the Hue & Hum blog. I paint for a living and am an aspiring artist. Hum plays the electric guitar like nobody's business. He plays in the band Fictionist who, believe it or not, recently got signed to Atlantic Records!... and yes, we were very excited.

A couple of months ago Hum and I were playing a Christmas carol called, "Were You There On that Christmas Night?", ever heard of it? It's one of our favorites. We were working on it for a different project, but we had so much fun we thought, "Heck. We should record our own christmas album!". And so we did.

Hum oversaw the production of the album. He recorded guitars in our tiny bathroom at home, layered effects, and made sure everything sounded extra groovy. I oversaw the album art and production, and it would be easy to argue that I had a little too much fun. I felt like I was in 3rd grade again, I built a little diorama-like set up with fabric, cardboard, and ugly little plastic glittery snowflakes. Here is a music video showing the in-process album artwork with the third track from the album, "Angels We Have Heard on High". Enjoy.

>> You can pick up Hue & Hum Christmas via Hue's etsy shop.

Guess what!? Here's a giveaway you can all win!

>> Follow Hue & Hum on facebook for a free christmas download!

...

Aren't they the coolest?

They are also just genuinely kind, great people.

And hard, hard workers.

Can't beat that.

And seriously, friends, this is a really fun album.

Hue dropped a copy off at our place and I've been listening to it all day.

Good Christmas stuff!

cutest

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Chas casually handed me this drawing and said, "Oh, it's just a quick little sketch of little cryings at 8 weeks."

There are a few things you should notice about this:

The growing placenta attached to the tummy.

The fact that he signed it.

And, as Chas pointed out,

"If you look closely, you can see the little toe buds coming in nicely."

But why choose to draw little cryings at 8 weeks when I'm almost 14 weeks now?

I'll tell you why.

In one of our pregnancy books, it has big illustrations of what the baby looks like each week.

The drawing in that book of the baby at 8 weeks is probably the cutest thing I've ever seen. It looks like a sweet little marshmallow pup.

I flip back to that page often and just love to look at it.

(I'm weird.)

But Chas' interpretation is even better.

And is now the wallpaper image on my phone.

Life is good.

it's an iPhone life

2011-12-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

These two pics are the only photographic evidence of our Thanksgiving. And now I'm realizing that they were just some treats we got two days after Thanksgiving. So they probably don't count but boy, were those treats tasty.

I was gonna document our Thanksgiving fun times but ultimately decided that nah, I'd rather just focus on one thing: eating.

So consider the fact that there aren't any pictures, proof that we were too busy eating and being happy.

Speaking of eating and being happy,

I surprised Chas earlier this week with a special dinner:

fresh, baked king salmon burgers.

All I had to do was splurge a little at the grocery store and get a fresh cut fillet.

When I pulled it out of our fridge later that night, we both felt pretty fancy pants unwrapping it from the butcher's paper.

Then I just seasoned it with olive oil, salt and pepper, basil, rosemary, and parsely, wrapped it in tin foil and cooked it for about 45 minutes.

So. Good.

"Special" was said a lot before, during, and after dinner.

And last we have something else that's pretty special.

Chas decided to participate in Movember.

It was a very special 24 hours indeed.

'tis the season!

2011-11-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty into the Christmas spirit this year which is surprising because normally, for whatever reason, I just feel kinda "meh" about the whole season.

I love it but I don't luuuuuhhh-ove it, ya know?

Last night, however, I couldn't get enough of my Christmas Pandora stations.

I even scouted the outside of our duplex for an exterior outlet so we could put up some lights.

And when we couldn't find an outlet, I felt genuinely disappointed.

Making hot chocolate and seeing this little guy in the living room made me feel a little better, though.

We've yet to spend Christmas at home so we haven't crossed the buying-our-own-real-tree-and-ornaments bridge.

But, for now, this little cutie works just fine.

Young People Style: oh hey, 2nd trimester!

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

top: F21, dress: Gap, socks: Juicy Couture, combat boots: Nordstrom (early Christmas present from mom), necklace: Charlotte Russe

This week, I'm officially in my second trimester.

Hooray!!!

I keep hearing that the next three months are the best part of pregnancy.

Morning sickness will subside, I'll feel little cryings move for the first time, I'll have more energy, and not be as moody.

Yes, pahhh-leeeze!

To all of the above.

Our next appointment and ultrasound is in just three short weeks.
Hopefully, if little cryings cooperates, we'll get to see the gender!

The best early Christmas present since the combat boots from my mom.

Giveaway! {pics-o-andrea}

2011-11-28T07:00:00.004-07:00

Another lovely giveaway for everyone today!

Andrea of Pics-O-Andrea is giving away one of her hand-made pillowcase covers. There are plenty more cutie covers to choose from in her shop as well!

Wouldn't one of those pillows be the perfect little pop of color in your living room or bedroom?

Yes. Yes it would.

Andrea is also offering all readers a special 25% discount off anything else you'd like in her shop.

Just use promo code YOUNGLOVE at checkout.

I don't know about you, but I'm seriously tempted to get one of these rad custom fox portraits for ~~myself~~ someone for Christmas. You just can't beat that price!

To enter, must be a follower of Young People in Love.

Then, just visit Andrea's shop and let me know what item you'd like for Christmas.

For extra entries:

Follow Pics-O-Andrea's blog.

Like Pics-O-Andrea on facebook.

>>>

And the winner of last week's See Kate Sew giveaway is:

Congrats!

be a December sponsor!

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

YPIL is now accepting December sponsors!

Click here to check out current stats, affordable rates, and testimonials.

Email youngpeoplelove@gmail.com to reserve your spot and schedule a giveaway!

thanks

2011-11-24T14:11:00.004-07:00

Dear little cryings,

I wonder who you'll resemble more and what your personality will be like.

I really hope you get your daddy's dark, long lashes and tall skinniness.

For your sake.

Trust me on this one.

But even if the curse of my blondy lashes and baby-face knees befalls you, I hope there will be lots of Chas' personality deep inside you.

Because that's what I'm most thankful for this Thanksgiving.

I hope, little cryings, you'll be gentle, meek, and patient like him.

I hope you'll show your love by easily serving others and always seeing the good before criticizing.

I hope you'll be confident in yourself with nothing to prove.

And when others around you are struggling, you'll be able to listen well and then know just what to say like he always does.

Thanks for giving us both so much to look forward to this coming year, little cryings.

Love.

Young People Style: why we'll never rent from Redbox again

2011-11-23T14:06:00.001-07:00

coat: Target, top: sister hand-me-down, black skinnies: Ross, boots: Cathy Jean, clutch: c/o See Kate Sew

Chas and I hardly ever watch T.V. and even though Chas is a film guy, I can only take a max of 1 movie a week before my brain starts to become mush and I feel disconnected from my husband.

And because we stream Netflix through our DVD player, we hardly ever hit up the local Rebox for a movie.

Also...

We have serious problems when it comes to actually returning a Redbox movie.

So Saturday night, on a whim, we picked up a Redbox movie and the whole time we're promising each other that this time we'll return it the next day.

Fast forward to Tuesday night.

It's late and I'm picking up Chas from his long work day.

We remember that the movie is still sitting at home and notice we have exactly 10 minutes to return it before we get charged for another day.

The race is on.

The deadline for returns is 9pm.

We return the movie at 9:03pm.

Fail blog but

"A" for effort.

Then we realize the car is almost out of gas so we stop by the gas station to fill up.

As we pull out of the gas station, we get a flat.

Chas bundles up and starts the process of changing the tire.

...2 hours later (and after help from the Barber Shop guys across the street), the tire is changed and we're ready to drive the 8 blocks home.

But the car won't start.

Apparently I hadn't turned the engine all the way off and so the battery had been running the whole time and was now dead.

Love it.

I call to enlist my friend's husband.

Aaron comes and saves the day with his car and jumper cables.

And then we finally drive home.

And that, my friends, is why we will never rent from Redbox again.

(And the movie was dumb.)

necessities

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, in my stress management class, a group presented on the topic of Healthy Lifestyles.

A requirement for group presentations is providing some kind of handout for each student.

And because I'm the professor, creativity is strongly encouraged.

This group passed out a balloon to each student with the phrase, "Don't let life weigh you down. Fly high with healthy lifestyles!" attached to each balloon.

Even I got one.

Standing in front of my class and seeing rows of colorful, floating balloons above each desk was one of my favorite moments of the semester.

So cute.

I just love teaching that class.

It makes me happy and has become a real necessity in my life.

You know what else I've decided is a must?

Whipped cream.

The kind that sprays out of the can.

Suddenly a bowl of strawberries or a steaming cup of hot chocolate seems super fancy.

Everyone needs a little extra fancy in their life, don't you think?

Giveaway! {see kate sew}

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

This giveaway just makes me so happy.

I still haven't figured out why exactly, but it just does.

It might have something to do with that happy hedgehog like the one above and these ones here.

Yup!

Nailed it.

Today, See Kate Sew is giving away $20 credit to anything in her darling shop!

That's almost TWO happy hedgehogs!

(I may need to just break down and buy one for little crying's crib.)

To enter, must be a follower of Young People in Love.

Then follow the See Kate Sew blog and let me know you did!

For extra entries:

Follow See Kate Sew on twitter.

Like See Kate Sew on facebook.

See Kate Sew is also offering all YPIL readers a special 15% off with code YPIL15 at checkout!

Happy Monday!

>>>

And the winner of last week's Life of a Passeri shopping spree giveaway is:

Congrats!

turning that frown upside down

2011-11-19T17:17:00.001-07:00

This past week was hard for me.

I got hit with a wave of sadness and apathy.

On Thursday night, I had a little breakdown and cried a lot of the depression out.

Starting Friday night, I've felt much better.

It helps to have a husband who will bring you tissues and still love you when your nose is red, your eyes are puffy, and snot seems to be everywhere.

Wet chicken isn't a great look for me.

But enough about that.

What I want focus on are some of the things that made this past week not so hard:

First, and foremost, we got to hear little crying's heart beat for the first time! Apparently there's a galloping little pony inside me! Cutest sound ever.

In the mornings, Chas brings me breakfast before I even have to get out of bed.

This week, it's been healthy smoothies.

Raspberry yogurt, strawberries, orange juice, and spinach.

Together, we sit in bed and sip away the goodness.

It snowed this weekend.

At about midnight last night, we pulled up the blinds, snugged in bed, and just stared out the bedroom windows at the blankets of snow and pink glow of the sky.

Have I told you how much I love not living in a basement anymore?

Utah winters are so much more enjoyable when you can actually watch the snow fall.

I have the greatest friends and am getting ever-more excited to finally be able to join the mommy club with the rest of them!

This week, I loved being an art therapist.

And I love the other therapists I work with. Truly some of my favorite people in the universe.

Just being at work this week made my mood instantly lift.

And last, but not least, knowing that Thanksgiving is less than a week away is enough to chase away all the tears.

It's my favorite holiday!

A whole day dedicated to eating, family, and being grateful.

Love it.

Mercedes Macarons

2011-11-18T07:00:00.001-07:00

Mmmm...yes, please?

Making real-deal French macarons can be tricky business.

But never fear!

Mercedes has gotten the tricky part already figured out for you!

Mercedes Macarons sells pre-made French macaron mixes in both vanilla and chocolate (vanilla forms the base for any other flavor).

Each package includes all of the dry ingredients necessary, a piping bag, and parchment paper. All the ingredients are precisely measured according to Mercedes' own tried and true recipe.

So, if you have a kitchen, you can make your very own macarons!
And guess what.
Mercedes also offers private macaron-makin' classes at your own home.
So you don't even have to read a recipe on your own.

Sweet.

Or, if you're cool like me, you can be even one step lazier and just stop by Mercedes Macarons at the Bijou Market this weekend in Provo, UT and buy some.

Yum in the tum!

Click here to check out Mercedes Macarons!

aaand action!

2011-11-17T09:55:00.002-07:00

See the cutie with the basketball and blue beanie?

That's my sis-in-law, Betta, and she's just totally directing a movie.

Betta's capstone film, Dante's Hamlet, is in full production swing. Shooting started last weekend in downtown Salt Lake so Chas and I got to check it out, VIP style.

At one point, someone approached me and asked if I had "signed in."

"Ummm I'm related to the director," and then I waved him away.

Like I said.

V.I.P.

But seriously, we were so proud of Bette.

It was amazing to see so many people on the crew and how real it all was. I don't know what I was expecting but it felt like there was a real-life little Hollywood set in good ol' SLC!

All of a sudden, our little Betta is all grown up.

Making movies and directing drive-by shootings...

Sniff. Sniff.

let's talk about insurance, baby

2011-11-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Many of you offered such thoughtful and helpful comments after yesterday's post. Lots of the comments centered on the insurance issue. There were questions and great advice. I also received some wonderful emails on the topic.

Thank you.

I thought a little follow-up post about the insurance issue was in order for today.

I believe that one of the reasons Chas and I were blessed with such peace on the subject was because we do have a plan.

I hope I didn't lead you to believe that we're just gonna wing it and hope that everything comes together somehow. That would be silly and irresponsible.

There have actually been multiple plans drafted ever since we started wanting a little cryings.

Plan A was praying our hearts out (for a long time) that Chas could get a full-time job that offered benefits.

Turns out, that hasn't been in the cards for us. At least, not yet.

We both feel like a job with benefits will eventually happen for our family. We're just not sure when.

Plan B was to go ahead and just start trying for a little cryings, regardless of not having benefits.

Heather told us how there is great financial assistance offered through a local hospital.

(I wrote a post about that story here.)

The first part of Plan B (the most important part) eventually worked out great.

I'm making a little cryings!

But, as I explained in yesterday's post, we apparently don't qualify for the hospital's financial assistance.

So here's Plan C:

In meeting with the financial aid counselor, we got a lot of good information and helpful specifics.

We're using an awesome nurse midwife at the hospital and the total cost of all the visits with our midwife, the actual delivery, and post-natal care is a chunk of change that we can definitely work with.

Adding hospital bills and a possible epidural, is still something we can afford.**

If, heaven forbid, there are complications which shoot our medical bills through the roof, we will be in a much better place to qualify for financial assistance through the hospital after the birth because we'll owe tons of money and have a dependent we can claim.

In fact, the counselor we spoke with was very certain that we'd be covered if this were the case.

So that's basically what we're using as our "insurance policy" right now.

We used to just pay for a policy with a super high deductible but have since cancelled it. The hospital's financial aid program is basically taking the place of that policy except we don't have to pay a monthly premium!

The hospital also automatically deducts 20% from our bills because we don't carry insurance.

Win win.

If Chas doesn't have a job with benefits after little cryings is born and we pass the time when the baby is no longer covered under the "post-natal care," we'll look into CHIP or something similar so we can be sure that our child will get the proper medical care it needs.

** Ever since we got married two years ago, Chas and I have been working very hard and very diligently to make paying off my graduate school loans a top priority.

If all goes as planned, we're hoping to have it almost alllll paid off by the time little cryings is here.

Even though putting money towards my loans every month feels like we're just giving money away, an unexpected blessing has come.

We both have a different, renewed perspective on large quantities of money, our ability to live frugally enough to save, and our ability to put money towards something super important.

It's a mixture of confidence in ourselves and faith that the Lord will provide if we sacrifice and do what's right.

Blessings come when we do all we can on our own and then have faith in Heavenly Father being aware of our situation and his ability to open doors for us.

some little thoughts

2011-11-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

Just a few things I'm thinking about lately...

The last four days have been pretty rough. I had to cancel my class on Saturday and didn't leave the house at all yesterday. My morning sickness is the grossest nausea. The kind where you're just praying you'll throw up so maybe your tummy will stop burning and that sick lump in your throat will subside. Bleeeeeh!

The whole thing can make me rather grumpy.

But Chas always takes care of me so well. Especially when I'm grumpy.

Thank goodness for my Chas.

>>>

We have another ultrasound appointment on Friday.

Can't wait to see our little lime!

>>>

Because we both do contract work (starving artists), we don't have health insurance.

We recently met with our hospital's financial aid counselor and were told we don't qualify for their assistance.

We don't qualify for Medicaid, either.

Looks like we're going to be paying for little cryings all by ourselves.

And we both feel surprisingly peaceful and calm about it.

No panic. No anxiety.

I just love when Heavenly Father blesses us with peace and I'm brave enough to accept that peace and choose not to worry. It's a lovely thing.

>>>

We'll be spending this Christmas at my family's cabin. So excited.

I had the idea for everyone to make something homemade for family presents.

But then I remembered I'm not good at homemade.

Any ideas on a gift I could put together for my 24 year-old little sister?

>>>

I really need to dye my hair.

Really.

I'm thinking dark, chocolate brown.

Giveaway! {life of a passeri shop}

2011-11-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have a really fun giveaway today!

Heather has a little shop where she sells super cute clothes for super low prices.

Most of the stuff has never been worn and, believe me, if my tummy wasn't getting increasingly chubs these days, I'd be alllll over those pencil skirts!

Today Heather is giving away a $35 shopping credit to be used towards anything in her shop!

To enter, must be a follower of Young People in Love.

Then just follow Heather's blog, Life of a Passeri, and let me know you did!

For extra entries:

Like Life of a Passeri on Facebook.

Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and comment with the link.

Happy shopping!

>>>

And the winner of last week's Shabby Apple giveaway is:

Congrats!

model missionary

2011-11-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

My little sister, Rosemary, was a high-fashion model.

But that's old news.

She's spent the last 18 months of her life serving others in Arizona on a mission for our church.

Now she's a month away from coming home!

We can't wait to see her and introduce her to nephew Banks!

Rosie is spending her last month in Arizona serving at the Mesa Temple visitor's center.

So if you happen to be checking out the Christmas lights at the Mesa Temple, keep your eyes peeled for the cutest and tallest sister missionary around.

And give her a hug from her big sister, Sam!

little cryings Q&A

2011-11-10T07:00:00.002-07:00

Why do you always call it a "little cryings?"

Here's the story behind the term "little cryings."
One night, before I was pregnant, I asked Chas to tell me a story about what a morning at our house would be like with a baby.
During the story, he said something along the lines of, "...and it's early in the morning and we start to hear little cryings coming from the second bedroom..."
And, just like that, "little cryings" was born. (pun?)

When is the official due date?

I'm due June 2nd.
Exactly one week before my birthday.

Will you guys find out the sex of the baby?

Although I really love the idea of waiting and having the sex of the baby be a surprise, there is no way I could have the patience for that. No way.
We actually plan on paying a little extra to find out the sex in less than 4 weeks (eek!) at a special ultrasound place that does 3D ultrasounds.

How did you find out?

I had just gotten home from work. I realized it had been over 4 hours since I last peed and, even though Chas wasn't home, I just went for it.
So the first person to find out was me, and only me. Even though I wish Chas could have been there so I could run into the other room, screaming, waving the stick in his face,
it was actually a fun little moment that I got to have just with myself. Like suddenly there was this most wonderful secret that only I knew.

How did you tell Chas?

After the first test was positive, I quickly took another test (of a different brand), just to be sure.
Then I layed two positive tests next to each other on the bathroom counter and texted Chas the picture.
No words.
Just the picture.
He called right away and said, "Ummm...whaaaat is that??!!..."

You say "cryings" (plural)...is there more than one?

Nope. Just one.
But I'm sure there will be lots and lots of cryings once it gets here!

Did you feel any different before you found out for sure? Some people just "know."

I actually did have a little experience that happened a few days before I found out.
But I think I'll leave it at that because it was a pretty special moment that I'd like to keep just between Chas and I.

What was your first pregnancy symptom?

Before I knew for sure I was pregnant, I was getting up to use the bathroom at night much more than usual.

What was your first thought when you found out?

"Holy crap."

How long did you keep it a secret that just the two of you knew?

Probably one full minute.
As soon as I got off the phone with Chas, I called my mom.
I wanted to shout it from the rooftops and telling my family and hearing their reactions was too fun to wait for.

Do you guys have names picked out?

We've got a few that we like but we'll probably keep them a secret for now.

Who was the first person you told?

Chas.

I know you all had been trying for awhile. What, if anything, did you do differently the cycle you got pregnant?

I don't know if we did anything differently during that magical cycle.
I do think that I had started to feel more calm and faithful about trusting in Heavenly Father's timetable for us and being ok with however long it took.
Just an overall feeling of reassurance and peace.

And I will say this:
If you're trying for your own little cryings, look into Preseed.
I highly recommend it.
And that's all I'm gonna say about that.
:)

And now here's my question for you:

Have you noticed the little poll on the right?
Check one!
We wanna know what your guess is!

New Painting! baby abby

2011-11-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

A custom portrait for the winner of The Wiegand's giveaway.

Loving those cheeks!

Speaking of...
I've got your little cyings Q &A post coming tomorrow!

oh hey, muffin

2011-11-08T07:00:00.001-07:00

Rewind to early last week:

Our new apartment is a maze of unorganized piles of books, cleaning supplies, clothes hangers, and random stuff that we're still trying to find a place for. Basically, it's hard to walk around the place freely.
We've both been working all day and

have just gotten back from a huge grocery store trip.

It's 11pm.

We're so tired.

It was the perfect time to make some banana pecan bread and muffins!

Of course!

Or, as we like to call them,

BONANZA bread and muff-tins!

Sounds like a party, huh?

Here's our favorite recipe:

BONANZA BREAD

Ingredients:

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups flour

Instructions:

With a hand mixer, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda, salt, and crushed pecans over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last and mix. Pour batter into a buttered 4x8in loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour at 350F.

Remove from pan, let cool on rack, slice, and enjoy!

(For muffins, cook for 30 mins.)

Giveaway! {shabby apple}

2011-11-07T07:00:00.001-07:00

Shabby Apple is one of the hippest vintage-inspired clothing boutiques in the universe.

If you haven't checked them out, you must!

Their dresses are so, so beautiful.

Today, Shabby Apple is giving away this Light As A Feather necklace.

(A $50 value!)

Can't you imagine yourself totally rockin' that little feather this winter?

To enter, must be a follower of Young People in Love.

Then, just "like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and let me know you did so!

For extra entries:

Follow Shabby Apple on twitter.

Follow the Shabby Apple blog.

*Giveaway open to U.S. readers only.*

>>>

And the winner of the Circle Prints giveaway is:

Congrats!

aaaand we're back!

2011-11-05T19:52:00.000-06:00

Just some iPhone preview shots of our new apartment.

Hey, guys.

Sorry to be so blog MIA.

After a whole week, we finally got the internet service working at our new place.

At first, it was really weird not having internet access on our home computer.

But then something unexpected happened.

I was totally fine and even happy without internet.

Honestly, it was a real breath of fresh air to be temporarily disconnected from the virtual world.

With no internet, we've had plenty of time to focus on unpacking, organizing, eating breakfast and dinner in bed, telling each other how much we love our new place, snugging, and watching the snow fall outside our bedroom window for an hour this morning.

Mmmm. Hmmm.

And now...

I'm writing this blog post while Chas is watching football and Facebooking on his phone at the same time.

Yup.

We're back.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

2011-11-02T09:00:00.001-06:00

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? from Lilly McDowell on Vimeo.

I normally don't post videos on here- especially two in a row.

But just watch this and you'll see why I had to show you all!

I'm mildly obsessed.

My good friend, Holly, put together this short film with her kids for her husband's 30th bday.

She schemed up the whole thing.

Every little perfect detail is 100% Holly.

Pretty darling and beautiful.

I recommend watching it at least once a day.

grateful

2011-11-01T14:35:00.000-06:00

Currently diggin' this song and the snowy sentiment.

Today is the first of November and someone turned on the winter-time switch.

We woke up to snow.

But when you can turn up the thermostat and take an extra long hot, cozy shower, a little snow on the ground is just fine with me.

Wanna know what else is just fine with me?

YOU ALL.

I can't tell you how much Chas and I appreciated the outpouring of love, enthusiasm, and support for yesterday's happy news.

Reading the comments together, we just looked at each other kinda dumb-founded.

"Oh. My. Gosh. People are SO nice!"

And this definitely wasn't the first time we've been so grateful for all your goodness and thoughtfulness.

THANK YOU.

So here's some of the deets on little cryings:

I'm almost 10 weeks.

At first, I was super nauseous, grumpy, and a little depressed.

But the last few weeks have been much better.

As long as I'm always eating (every hour), the nausea isn't so bad. Or it could just be that I'm getting more and more used to the constant underlying gaggy feeling. Either way, I feel really lucky that I haven't been "driving the white bus," as my dear father would say.

You would think that having to never stop eating would be a dream come true.

And when I go to grab that donut or second bagel for the day, it is.

But it's also kind of annoying.

Having to stop and find something to eat every hour can be quite the hassle!

But then again, satisfying a pregnancy craving is one of the most glorious feelings in the world, I'm discovering.

So...

Yeah. It IS a dream come true. Basically.

Lately, little cryings has been LOVING orange juice.

I downed almost an entire large jug of Tropicana by myself in 24 hours.

I've never even liked orange juice.

But this orange juice had some crack cocaine mixed in.

Probably.

If you have any little cryings questions about the last 10 weeks, don't hesitate to comment and ask!

Maybe I could dedicate a whole post to answering your questions.
Might be fun. :)

I've never really liked dressing up for Halloween...

2011-10-31T07:00:00.008-06:00

...until now.

Happy Halloween!

speaking of which...

2011-10-28T17:38:00.000-06:00

THIS baby bear nephew is killing me.

I just want to cuddle him and squeeeeeze him.

Happy weekend, friends.

We'll be busy moving apartments and getting all settled into our new place.
I can't wait to start organizing things and hanging pictures!
There's something so exciting and satisfying about setting up a new house.
Definitely makes the hassle of moving totally worth it in the end.

Hooray for cozy babies and new beginnings!

Is there any better time to be a kid than on Halloween?

2011-10-28T07:00:00.002-06:00

H and K threw an awesome Halloween party on Monday.

Remember how all our friends have basically two children?

We love our friends, their kids, and can't wait until we can add our own little cryings to the chaos.

I've also decided that children 4 years-old and younger should just always wear costumes.

Always.

Who's with me?

spooky sneak peek

2011-10-27T07:00:00.002-06:00

We went to our first Halloween party on Monday night.

Chas acts like getting dressed up for Halloween is a bother but then, once he starts making his costume, he quickly changes his mind.

The spirit of Halloween (the spirit of crafting) quickly overcomes him and he loves it.

Here he was, Sunday night.

Carefully cutting and hot gluing his costume together.

He was sooo focused and I fell in love with him all over again.

The finished product is pretty great but you'll have to wait until Halloween to see it.

Mwhahahaha!

(evil Halloween laugh)

Sponsor Love {an eclectic heap}

2011-10-26T15:30:00.000-06:00

Confession:

I just spent waaaaay too much time scrolling through Rae's daily outfits section.

Holy cow.

So. Much. Cuteness.

I want all her clothes.
And her hair cut.

(And I shudder to think what my outfits looked like on a daily basis when I was 19.)

You guys have got to check this cutie out!

Click here to visit An Eclectic Heap!

Sponsor Love {b is for becky}

2011-10-26T07:00:00.001-06:00

Becky enjoys sleeping in.

She sings old school Kelly Clarkson at the top of her lungs.

Rocks the red lipstick.

Appreciates reeeally good butternut squash soup.

Just appreciates food in general.

And is writing a dissertation.

Becky is my kind of girl.

Click here to visit B is for Becky!

Giveaway! {circle prints}

2011-10-24T07:00:00.001-06:00

It's Monday!

And because Mondays have apparently gotten much better around here, I have another great giveaway for my bloggy friends!

Suze of Circle Prints is giving away a $25 gift certificate for anything in her shop! (excluding shipping)

To enter, must be a follower of Young People in Love.

Then just visit Circle Prints and let me know what print is your favorite!

For extra entries:

Follow Suze's Afternoon Darling blog.

Follow Suze on Twitter.

Follow Suze on Pinterest.

Circle Prints is also offering all readers 40% off all purchased gift certificates from now until November 30th with coupon code YPILBLOG.

Get a jump on those Christmas presents!

>>>

And the winner of last week's Meggie's Love giveaway is:

Congrats!

Sponsor Love {see kate sew}

2011-10-21T16:00:00.001-06:00

I feel so lucky to have the wonderful Kate as a sponsor!

You probably already know about See Kate Sew but, if you don't, allow me to make your Friday even better!

Do you love sewing tutorials?

Do you dream about DIY crafts?

Haven't got a clue what a seam ripper or bobbin is?

Then this is the blog for you.

Check it out. You won't be sorry.

Click here to visit See Kate Sew!

new painting and a new place to live

2011-10-21T11:07:00.000-06:00

A little couple's portrait for The Daybook giveaway winner.

Loved painting all their awesome freckles!

Over the course of about 10 days, we basically decided to move, have found a new place, and will be packing up and moving in the next two weeks.

So things are getting a little crazy around here.

But we love it.

We are super excited about our new place.

It...

is in pretty much the same neighborhood (which we adore).

is a cute, red brick duplex (no more basement living!).

has brand new refinished, beautiful hardwood floors throughout and fresh paint.

has lots of huge windows.

has a clean tub (do you know how hard it is to rent a place with a decent tub!?).

has tons of storage space.
has a separate garage that's all ours (Scootie will love that).

has a great price tag.

We can't wait to move in and start setting things up!

In light of this new development and some other things,

today I am feeling overwhelmed with gratitude for all that my Heavenly Father has blessed us with.

It's always amazing to see how everything falls into place at exactly the right time.

My faith in His specific plan for Sam and Chas is growing.

Hi, friends.

2011-10-20T07:00:00.002-06:00

"Young People in Love was the first blog I ever sponsored and I'm so glad I did. I saw an immediate increase in both views and followers as soon as my button appeared on Sam and Chas's page. To date, YPIL is one of my top sources for traffic. Sam has been amazing to work with and has made the process quick and easy. I would recommend sponsorship of YPIL to any blogger or shop; it's been one of the best decisions of my blogging "career" and I know you will not regret it!"
-Caitlin of To Make Love Stay

Click here for current stats, ad options, and rates.

Email youngpeoplelove@gmail.com to reserve your spot!

Sponsor Love {traveling triplets}

2011-10-19T14:24:00.000-06:00

FOR REAL?!

For real.

Three gorgeous, identical triplets traveling the world and sharing their amazing photos, stories, and recipes.

No fair.

Click here to visit Traveling Triplets!

roar.

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

Do you ever get weirdly excited when you wear something new?

crocheted lioness hat: c/o Meggie's Love

I do.

Clearly.

Dante's Hamlet

2011-10-18T10:49:00.000-06:00

I wasn't kidding when I told you all 8 of Chas' siblings do film stuff.

Currently, three of Chas' little sisters are in BYU's film department.

We're super excited for Betta's senior capstone film, Dante's Hamlet!

(Ok. And I know this doesn't have anything to do with the film, but look at how cute my sisters-in-law are!)

Fun fact:

Chas and I met when my family moved out to New York when I was a teenager.

I spotted myself and two of my little sisters in those photos of kids in New York!

If you'd like to learn more about this project and/or support the film, click here!

Giveaway! {meggie's love}

2011-10-17T07:00:00.001-06:00

Remember how I have this watch in red and I get compliments on it all the time?

I've personally never been a huge watch fan.

But then these watches changed my mind

...and my life. (Too much?)

Megan, one of The Traveling Triplets and owner of Meggie's Love, is giving away one of her sweet watches in the color and style of your choice!

To enter, must be a follower of Young People in Love.

Then, just visit Meggie's Love and tell me what watch you'd love to have tied around your wrist.

For extra entries:

Like Meggie's Love on Facebook.

Follow The Traveling Triplets blog.

Meggie's Love is also offering all readers a special 15% off with the code ypil15!

>>>

And the winner of last week's Peace Republic Clothing giveaway is:

Congrats!

Sponsor Love {shannon*bear}

2011-10-14T14:07:00.000-06:00

Question:

If you were deserted in a magical, mossy forrest, who would you want with you?

Correct answer:

Shannon*bear

This chica is the cutest little woodland-loving, craft-making, photo-taking blogger ever!
Reading her blog makes my heart ache for Oregon.

And if this post on how to make a liquid truffle doesn't convince you of her awesomeness, then you may be a lost cause.

(But we can still be friends.)

Click here to visit Shannon*bear!

my favorite part of the week

2011-10-14T07:00:00.002-06:00

is, ironically, Sunday night.

I actually also dislike Sunday night because it means the next time I wake up, it'll be Monday morning. Boo.

But let me tell you why I mostly love Sunday night.

On Sunday evening, after we've brushed our teeth, read our scriptures, said our prayers, and are all tucked in bed, this happens:

Chas writes in his journal.

When he's finished, he hands it over to me, and I get to read what he's written about the past week of our life together.

It's always such a fun little peek into how Chas views things and what stands out to him as being important that week.

And the way he expresses himself in his writing just cracks me up. Silly boy.

As nice as change can be, it's also good to have some consistency, some regular routines that you can always count on. It feels comforting.

That's what Chas' Sunday night journaling is for me.

Side note:

Just as I was finishing up this post, Chas came to get me from the computer and led me into the bedroom while covering my eyes.

"Ta-Da! It's a Halloween-time Jack-o-Lantern bed! Look at his toothy grin!"

Lest you thought changing the bed sheets was just an ordinary chore.

"I make a mean bed. And by "mean" I mean quite happy."

Oh how I love that husband of mine.

Sponsor Love {my songbook}

2011-10-13T15:00:00.000-06:00

What I love most about this blog is the driving force behind it:

personal growth and stepping outside of comfort zones.

(Ok, ok. And that baby face is freakin' adorable.)

Tani is a pretty amazing example of the power and freedom that comes from constantly trying to do something that scares you.

I want to be more like that.

(Read more about why Tani blogs here.)

Click here to visit My Songbook!

change

2011-10-13T07:00:00.002-06:00

(Photos taken by Chas.)

I've gotten a few sweet comments and questions about the new look around these parts so I thought I'd fill you all in on the changes.

First.

Are we luuuuving the new bloggy design as much as I am?!

Second.

The master behind this blog design is my most favorite design wizard, Christa Jae.

She's fast. She's affordable. She knows exactly what I want without me having to spell it out for her.

Third.

I like change.

Always have, always will.

Just like moving into a new apartment, dying my hair, or the Fall colors, change feels refreshing and rejuvenating.

Same goes for this blog.

Although...

I'm probably already super attached to this look.

I'm ok with that, too.

Sponsor Love {after nine to five}

2011-10-12T15:31:00.000-06:00

After Nine To Five is like the renaissance blog: it's basically good at everything.

It's got a totally legit accessories shop,

tutorials,

crafts,

design work,

recipes,

photography,

style posts,

e-courses....

No matter what you're into, Ashley's got ya covered.

Think of it as the one-stop-shop for all your bloggy needs.

Click here to visit After Nine To Five!

pumpkin pie

2011-10-12T07:00:00.002-06:00

A few nights ago, we (I) decided that we (I) had to have some pumpkin pie and hot chocolate.

And because eating desserts is always better in pajamas, we changed out of our clothes, into pajamas, and headed for the nearest Village Inn.

At 11pm.

The pumpkin pie was actually pretty dang good.

Apparently Village Inn is full of surprises.

You know who else is full of surpises?

Chas.

Early the next morning (9am), I was awakened to this:

"Sam. Hey, Sam. I just thought of a really great name for a pie shop in Salt Lake City.

This Is The Pie Place."

I gave a groggy but encouraging, "Uhh...That's awesome..."

But before I'd finished, he had already rolled over and gone back to sleep.

Moral of the story?

You never know when pumpkin pie cravings, pajamas, and pure genius will strike.

Be prepared.

Young People Style: ......

2011-10-11T11:12:00.002-06:00

Sam:
top: Target, cardigan: BCBG, skirt: handmade, boots: Soda, socks: F21 cuff: gift, cowl: c/o yarnplusyarn

Chas:
shirt: Banana Republic, cords: Gap, shoes: Italy

Yesterday at work, my good friend/co-therapist asked if I was doing ok. She said I seemed a little "off."

I told her how I've honestly been feeling kinda bleh lately.

Not super inspired and a little apathetic.

Basically, my brain feels like mush.

I actually liked that she could sense my "off-ness."

I never want to feel like I have to fake a happy face.

If I'm feeling bleh, I can accept the "bleh-ness" and keep moving forward.

Feelings like apathy aren't the end of the world and I know it'll eventually pass.

But all this still makes thinking up post content feel more forced and like a chore than I want it to be.

I don't ever want to force anything with my writing on this blog.

There's no point in doing something if it's not genuine.

So, for now, "bleh" is where we'll leave it.

Also.

As I look at our weirdy style pics together, I can't help think about much I love Chas.

The end.

Giveaway! {peace republic clothing}

2011-10-10T07:00:00.003-06:00

Hey, friends!

I've got another killer giveaway to kick off your week!

Candace of Lovely Little Rants and Peace Republic Clothing is giving away this darling necklace.

Are we all luuuuving the mustard yellow!?

Oh, and your fall wardrobe called. It needs this.

To enter must be a follower of Young People in Love.

Then, just follow Lovely Little Rants and let me know!

For extra entries:

Follow the Peace Republic Clothing blog

Like Peace Republic Clothing on Etsy

Like Peace Republic Clothing on Facebook

Follow Peace Republic Clothing on Twitter

Peace Republic Clothing is also offering all readers 15% off with the code giveaway15!

>>>

And the winner of last week's Yarn Plus Yarn giveaway is:

Congrats!

it's an iPhone life

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

This is a close-up of a painting I did for my little sister, Rosie.

She's currently serving a mission for our church in Arizona.

The original painting was done on a huge poster board.

If we can mail poster boards, I'm wondering why I can't just mail myself to her.

I miss that girl.

Kinda like I miss my parents living nearby.

This was taken in their old house a few weeks before they moved.

Isn't that rug killer?

This is original graffiti art done by our favorite street artist, Banksy.

And this is Chas.

Keepin' it real.

Good thing I married him.

This was our dinner a few days ago.

It was glorious.

I mean, just look at those animal cookies and cookie dough chunks.

But clearly we're also sensible and included plenty of fruit with our meal as well.

A few hours later, we ordered a pizza.

Or was it Arby's?

The details escape me.