{ TMB Photo Shoot :: Courtney Brooke }

Have you seen all the pics from our TMB photo shoot with the uber talented Courtney Brooke Winnie? I'm LOVING them! Take a look HERE and you'll be LOVING them too!

{ Photo Credit :: Courtney Brooke Photography }

{ Basketball + Birthday + Boyfriend }

You know what I love? Basketball! Especially CLIPPERS basketball. But do you know what I love more than basketball? Birthdays!! Especially birthdays at basketball games! But do you know what I love more than birthdays at basketball games? My boyfriend!!! So imagine how happy I was last night when I got to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday with him watching from the 10th row as the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS totally dominated the New Orleans Hornets! Loved every minute of it!

Okay, so obviously that wasn't the real score, but at half time someone either goofed up or thought it would be funny to change the 55 to a 155 and the crowd absolutely loved it! Glad to have another win under our belt! GO CLIPPERS! And Happy Birthday my love!

{ Are YOU The Next MORMON BACHELOR? }

That's right! We're ready to get the ball rolling on Season 2 of TMB. Only this time it's going to be The Mormon Bachelor! Time to start getting excited ladies!

So if you or someone you know might be interested in participating in the next season of TMB, be sure to check out The Mormon Bachelorette blog by clicking HERE to find out more details on how to submit an application. Can't wait for the fun to begin!

{ Date Night :: Couples Yoga }

Monday night Matt came over for date night. I LOVE our date nights! We didn't really make any plans other than to have a nice meal together at home, and then we'd figure out something fun to do.

Lucky for us, after dinner "fun" walked right through the front door. Kiele and our friend Ryan were heading out to Yogurtland and invited us to tag along (that's not true...I invited us to tag along but they were happy to have us) so we enjoyed some fro-yo and then came back to the house. And that's when it all just happened. We started doing couples yoga!

To be honest, I don't even know how it happened really. I just remember Kiele grabbing a yoga book and the next thing I knew we were all on the floor being contorted into these crazy yoga positions. It was actually quite hilarious. And challenging! We took a few pics of our favorites as a keepsake of our Monday night date. And well, they were just too funny not to share. Have a good laugh on me!

{ I Wear My Sunglasses At Night }

The other day I was cleaning out my purse (something that doesn't happen near often enough, as clearly demonstrated by this post) and found FIVE, count them, FIVE pairs of sunglasses. (Why do they call them a "pair" when clearly they are one item? And pants too! Never understood that).

Anyway, sorry, FOCUS! I was seriously shocked when I found them all just swirling around in there. And kind of surprised that I'd collected so many. But I feel like there's an explanation as to why I need FIVE pairs, like "I need a pair for my beach bag, one for the car, one gold and one silver depending on the outfit, and one in my purse! I know, I know. It's an illness. I get it.

{ GOLDEN PEAR CAKE :: BOTTOMS UP! }

For some people, cooking just comes naturally. Well, not for me. I'm kind of a work in progress. Let's just say that if it weren't for Trader Joe's I'd be having cereal and milk for dinner every night.

But while I'm not that fabulous of a cook, I simply LOVE to bake! And when I saw a pretty picture of a Golden Pear Cake in a magazine, I just knew I had to bake my very own.

I think it turned out just like the original picture, which I was really excited about! Anyway, I had so much fun making it and eating it with with friends that I thought I would share the recipe so you can make a pretty cake of your own. Enjoy!

1. Arrange sliced pears in concentric circles over melted butter and brown sugar.

2. Spoon batter over pears and spread evenly to edge of pan. Bake 40 minutes.

3. Insert wooden pick into center of cake to test for doneness. Cool cake 5 min.

4. Use two hands and pot holders to carefully invert cake onto serving platter. Top with whipping cream. Enjoy!

GOLDEN PEAR CAKE

3/4 cup butter, softened (divided)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4-5 medium pears cored, peeled, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
Whipping Cream

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Place 1/4 cup butter in 9-inch cast-iron or other oven-proof skillet. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is melted and bubbly; remove from heat. Set aside; cool. (Or, make brown sugar-butter mixture in saucepan; pour into 9-inch round cake pan, spreading evenly, and allow to cool.) Arrange pear slices in skillet or pan.

In small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In large bowl beat remaining 1/2 cup butter with mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar until combined. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. (Batter may appear curdled.) Spread batter evenly over pears.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Loosen cake from pan; invert onto plate. Serve with whipping cream. Serves 8 to 10.

{ TMB :: Update!!! }

If you're looking for an update on The Mormon Bachelorette, might I suggest you click HERE! And stay tuned for more images from our photo shoot with local photographer, Courtney Brooke Winnie. I'm loving the gorgeous images she captured from our afternoon in HB. Here's a little sneak peak at what's to come...

{ The Perfect Patio }

A few month back I was perusing through a favorite blog and snatched up these beautiful pics for my "inspiration file." As I was cleaning out my hard drive the other day, I re-discovered them and had to share.

Don't you just love the way the blue and white stripes accent this perfect little outdoor dining scene? And the way the tiny boxwood trees and potted plants bring the scene to life? And not to mention they included some maidenhair ferns. My FAVORITE! Oh the dinner parties we would have if this were my patio!




{Garden Party created by: Scot Meacham of The Adventures of a Tartan Scot. }

{ My Dream Kitchen }

I've always been a saver. Ok, not always. I actually really love shopping. And I like traveling too. A lot. But seriously, I promise I'm a saver!!! And for years I've kept it a secret what I've really been saving my money for. But I can't contain it any longer. I wanna blow all my money on my very own DREAM KITCHEN!

I know you're probably thinking, "What? But you don't even own a house yet!" I know, but one day I will, and when that day comes, I will use my "kitchen money" to design that dream kitchen I've always wanted!

So what does this dream kitchen of mine look like? Well, its quite simple really. It must have clean, boxy lines. The cabinets must be white. The hardware must be nickel. The appliances must be stainless. It must have a rectangular farmhouse sink. The countertops must be carrara marble. The backsplash must be staggered subway tile. And the island must be butcher block. Ok, I guess I can be flexible on the last one.

Who says I'm picky? I just know what I want. That's all. Take a look at some pictures I've collected over the years that helped inspire my design ideas. Oh how I dream of owning this lovely kitchen someday...

{ Halloween Dinner Party }

I just LOVE dinner parties with my girls and our boos. Saturday night we invited the boys over to enjoy some home cooked Halloween eats and treats. It was kind of an all day affair. Erin and I slaved away in the kitchen cooking everything on her carefully thought out menu. The girl is the next Martha Stewart!

We enjoyed a freshly tossed salad with apples, walnuts and gorgonzola, the most delicious butternut squash soup with homemade cornbread croutons, sweet and savory paninis, honey mustard brussel sprouts (Erin and i love these from our missions!), and the most mouthwatering pumpkin streusel to finish it off! Oh, and don't forget the sparkling cider with frozen pomegranates to toast to the most delectable Halloween dinner ever!

PS- Could my boyfriend be any cuter???

{ Halloween 2010 :: Bieber Fever }

While my costume this year was nothing to write home about (I found a sailor hat 2 minutes before we walked out the door and threw it on with a striped navy shirt...woop-di-doo!) my roommate Kiele on the other hand hit the jackpot with this one.

Seriously, how many girls do you know that could pull off JUSTIN BIEBER!!! I was so obsessed with her costume that on the way home from our neighborhood Halloween Party Saturday night I decided that he, I mean she (this is so confusing!) needed a photo shoot with the Benz. This one was my favorite of the night. I call it Bieber and the Benz. Beiber Fever anyone?

I'll probably post some more pictures later of the rest of the roomies and I, but I just thought this one deserved it's own post. HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!

{ Design By Aubrey :: Wedding Update }

Last weekend I designed some gorgeous wedding flowers for my dear friend Tiffany and her now husband, Brian. I absolutely LOVE the way these blooms came together to create a completely unique and organic look. Some of my favorite arrangements to date! To see more from this wedding click HERE!

{ Diary of a Designer :: Blog Lift }

The blog got a face lift! And if you're like me and read most of your friend's posts on Google Reader, you'll have to click on over to check it out. I did it all by myself. Isn't she pretty? I think I'll keep her for awhile.

{ The Mormon Bachelorette :: Season Finale }

The Mormon Bachelorette is over and I survived...barely! For the last 8 days I've been fighting off a sore throat, fever, headaches, and a nasty cough. Lucky for me it hasn't stopped my adorable boyfriend from spending as much time as possible together. Oh yeah, that's right, I have a boyfriend! Meet Matt Laidlaw in all his 6'6", blonde hair, green eyed glory. I swoon!

I truly feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have such a happy ending to this little adventure my friends and I began just 2 short months ago. If you would have asked me then if I saw this marvelously happy ending now, I would have been quite skeptical. But here I am, blissfully happy and ready to fall in "true Mormon love" with the cutest guy I've ever known...and he's blonde! Maybe that's where I went wrong all those years. ;)

I'm just so amazed at how great life is and how the Lord has his hand in everything we do. Am I saying the Lord had a hand in TMB? Yeah, I guess I am, because I can assure you that if He didn't, I would have quit weeks ago. Not only was it exhausting physically and mentally, but it really took a toll on my emotions!

It was almost excruciating to endure the ridicule that came at me daily. And not only from complete strangers, but from my very own friends, and even ward members. Initially I was shocked, but I guess I need to realize that not everyone is going to support such a radical idea. Lucky for me, it all worked out in the end. And while the haters continue to hate, I'm too busy falling head over heels for my man, Matt, to even notice!

{ The Wedding Day :: Paul & Brittany }

{ MORMON BACHELORETTE UPDATE: The dates are going great! I've never been happier and more exhausted in my ENTIRE life! The 2nd dates start Friday night so be sure to cast your vote this Thursday for your favorite Bachelor to continue onto the second round. We now resume to our scheduled posting.... }

Back in August I had the rare privilege of helping my dear High School friend Brittany prepare for the most important day of her life. No, not the day she finally discovered makeup (although I was there for that day too!) but her wedding day to the love of her life, Paul Jepson. It was my pleasure to help make the beauty of her day come alive as one of her day-of coordinators and bring the vision they had so carefully and creatively designed, come to life!

Everything you see was all beautifully hand painted, hand sewn, and hand sculpted by the bride and her loving mother and sister, and then I lovingly spend the day putting everything together at the venue. While the hours were long, they were filled with so much visual stimulation and excitement for Brittany to come in and discover the most beautiful garden wedding wonderland. It really was a perfect day! I'm so grateful I could be even a small part of it. Congratulations again Paul & Brittany. I love you both with all my heart and can't wait to plan my trip to Denmark next year. Hope you like house guests! :)

Take a moment to check out some gorgeous photos of their wedding day featured on the blog 100 Layer Cake. I love everything about it! So fun, whimsical, and so Brittany!

{ MB Mocktail Kick Off Party }

What better way to set this things in motion than with a Mocktail Party with all your closest friends! Last night was such a blast.

Before the festivities began, the Staffers and I were pampered with hair and makeup from the girls at Lake Forest Beauty School. it was seriously such a treat. It was so fun getting reading with all my besties. I never went to any of my High School Proms but I imagine that this is what it would've felt like. So fun!

The guests arrived around 8pm and enjoyed "mocktails" and hors d'oeuvres while mingling around the fireside. So classy! I love any excuse to get all dolled up!

The rest of the night was filled with meeting some of the bachelors, impromptu toasts, and dancing with friends! It was an absolutely fabulous evening and now more than ever, I think we're ready to get on with the dates! Speaking of...I better run. Date #1 will be knocking at my door in 2 hours! While I'm out, check out our Mocktail Party video on the blog by clicking HERE. Ok, I'm off. Wish me luck!

{ Summer Vacation :: North Shore, Oahu }

Alooooha!!! We're home! And I probably should've blogged about how wonderful and relaxing this trip was before I exhausted myself with the preparations for The Mormon Bachelorette. Starts tonight people!!! But we'll save that for another post...

Our Hawaiian vacation was absolutely perfect! The whole fam was there, we stayed in an absolutely gorgeous private condo in Turtle Bay, the little sis and I went running every morning so we could pig out on Ted's famous Chocolate Haupia pies every night, swam with sea turtles (twice!), ate way to much Shave Ice, basked in the sun til we were golden brown, enjoyed the most delicious Thai food, tried a SUP for the first time, did a little surfing, made sand castles with Little D, helped my bro buy the essentials for school: a surfboard and a scooter, and LOVED every minute of it!









This was just a sampling of how much fun we had on the North Shore. The rest of the pics are up on Facebook if you care to see more. It really was the most wonderful family vacation. I hope we get to go back to "pick him up" before he leaves for a mission sometime next spring!

{ Brigham Young University - Hawaii }

This morning I'm hopping on a flight with the rest of my fam to drop my baby brother Scott off at college...in Hawaii! He's seriously gonna love it there!!!

I had the awesome opportunity to attend BYU-Hawaii after my freshman year of college and loved every minute of it! I still remember riding my longboard to school each morning, stopping by the local fruit stand for some fresh pineapple, then heading home to the A-Frame at the end of Pounders to study, surf a few sets, and fall asleep in the sand.

Oh to be 18 again! My little brother's gonna have such a blast! And so are we. See you all in a week!!! Then "D-Day" begins. Oh boy.

{ Lake Mohave :: Amphibious Car }

Have you ever seen such a thing? The style. The grace. I think I'm in love.



Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all enjoy your day off. I know I will.

{ Photoshoot :: Baby Max }

Okay, I know this is going to make my little nephew Dallen so jealous, but I just can't help myself. How cute is this baby? My roommate's adorable nephew Max came to town this weekend and she asked if I would take a few pictures of him. Here are a few of my favorite shots. Look at that little snaggle tooth. So cute!