California vacation anyone?

Great news: Wendy found our camera at her house! This means that at some point you WILL be getting a wonderful update with all of the many pictures on that camera. However, that day is not today. Today we are going to go on a trip to California.

Friday June 25, 2010; 9:58 am- David and I were talking about how nice it was that we didn't have any big plans for the weekend and that we didn't have to drive anywhere. (We have been doing a lot of traveling to see family the last couple of months.)

Friday June 25, 2010; 10:00 am- Received a phone call from Davids dad asking if we would be willing to fly to California on an all expense paid vacation.  However, there was one stipulation: we drive a moving truck home.

Friday June 25, 2010; 10:30 am- David books our tickets to Oakland California. I frantically start calling around trying to put things in order for the weekend. This included telling my boss and co-workers that I could only be at work for an hour and a half, canceling my visiting teachers(Sorry Shawnee!), and desperately trying to find someone to teach the Relief Society lesson for me on Sunday.

Friday June 25, 2010; 1:00 pm- After packing faster than we ever have before, and lighter than we ever knew was even possible, we were on the road out of Logan - headed to the airport.

Friday June 25, 2010; 3:30 pm (approximately)- We arrived at the airport and killed a couple of hours before our plane left at 5:00.

We took pictures. 

We Read. 

We made funny faces. (We did a lot of sitting, but kept ourselves quite entertained.) 

We posed. :) (Had to have proof that we were actually in an airport, right?)

Friday June 25, 2010; 6:00 pm- We had a two hour layover in Phoenix, where the temperature was 110 degrees. Luckily we only felt the extreme heat on our walk from the airplane through the tunnel to the airport. 

We did more of the same things that we did in the Salt Lake Airport. Took pictures, read, ate, laughed etc...
Friday June 25, 2010; 8:00 pm- Got on our airplane to Oakland. Unfortunately, David and I weren't able to sit by each other because our tickets had been booked last minute. As I was talking to the girls sitting by me, one of them asked if I was staying in Oakland that night. I laughed as I realized, and then told them, that I had no idea. I was just along for the ride.

Friday June 25, 2010; 10:30 pm (Exactly 12 hours after we booked our tickets)- We arrived at our final destination!

Welcome to Oakland!
Cal and his brother Brian picked us up at the airport and drove us to a little town called Sabastapol. I admired the beautiful outline of the palm trees against the night sky and then promptly fell asleep.

Saturday June 26, 2010; 1:00 am- We arrived at Aunt Carolyne's house.

Saturday June 26, 2010; 6:30 am- We were woken up by a loud barking noise, the door opening and a HUGE dog trying to jump on our bed. (Sorry, no pictures... we were too sleepy and desperately trying to protect ourselves from Molly.)

Saturday June 26, 2010; 7:00 am- We took a nice little walk around the neighborhood while we waited for everyone else to wake up.

Saturday June 26, 2010; 8:00 am- We went to breakfast at I-Hop with Cal and Brian.

Saturday June 26, 2010; 10:45 am- The last of the items got packed into the moving truck  and we started making our way back to Utah.

Saturday June 26, 2010; 1:00 pm - Stopped for lunch and fuel in a small town (we have no idea what it was called or exactly where it was) as we were driving through the Sierra Mountains.

Saturday June 26, 2010; 4:00 pm- Kept driving.

Saturday June 26, 2010; 6:00 pm- Arrived in Winnemucca, spent an hour and a half trying to find a hotel that was non-smoking, less than a million dollars, and had enough space to park two extremely large moving trucks.  Then ate dinner at a wonderful little pizza place before falling asleep while watching a movie in our hotel room.

Sunday June 27, 2010; 8:00 am- Woke up, ate breakfast and got back on the road. 

Sunday June 26, 2010; 5:00 pm- Arrived safely home in West Jordan, where we had a delicious dinner waiting for us. After a couple of hours of hanging out with the family, we headed back to Logan. 

What a weekend! We had a great time, and were glad that we were able to help out. However, I can honestly say that I hope we just get to stay home this next weekend!  

Hello, my name is Shantel and I have a problem...

Do you have a pair of favorite jeans? You know, that one pair that fits just right... that makes you feel like you look good while still being extremely comfortable? 

 

Come on, you know what I am talking about. 

Well, here is my confession: 

My name is Shantel and I have a problem. When I find a pair of jeans that I love, I can't help but wear them as often as possible without drawing attention to the fact that I wear the same pair of pants pretty much every day. I love my jeans to death. Literally. I wear them until they have ragged hems and gaping holes. (And sometimes even regardless of the ragged hems and gaping holes.) I can't help myself! I am a pretty picky person when it comes to jeans and shoes. I just like to be comfortable as well as look nice, so when I find something that fits my odd body size in a flattering way I jump on board with both feet. 

For example: just this summer I had to throw away this pair of capris. It was devastating. They were almost white from being washed so many times (except for the places that they had stains), were frayed along the bottom hems as well as the waist hem. However, this alone would not have stopped me. It wasn't until the fabric wore through on the thighs from rubbing together so much that I finally gave them their much needed burial. (Meaning David and I threw them away so I wouldn't be tempted to wear them anymore.) 

Me and my capris at Grand Central Station in New York. Two summers later (after having worn them faithfully at least 4 times a week) they have been retired. 

Here is another shot of the capris. If I could go back and buy 5 pairs of them, I would.

I have always been like this I think. My mom has been known to throw out clothes (and especially shoes) of mine that weren't fit to be worn anymore, but I would wear anyway because I loved them so much. I remember once when my mother threw away my favorite "Jelly Sandals." (Something like THIS but pink and glittery.) I was devastated. You will be proud to know that I have developed enough responsibility to do this for myself. Not only have I thrown away my favorite pair of capris this summer, but also my favorite black flats! (After wearing them practically every day for student teaching, they were sorry looking and carried a very unpleasant aroma. Don't you worry though, after prepping David several days in advance I purchased some new black flats that are even cuter than their predecessors.) 

You may be wondering why I am posting about this abnormal attachment that I have with my jeans. I will blame this post on the fact that we accidentally left our camera at the home of David's sister, Wendy. (At least I hope that is where it is, we can't find it.) That camera has all of the pictures of our first anniversary as well as a big family-sized sleepover that we had with David's family. I have a hard time posting about things out of order, because I am afraid that I will forget to post about the things I skipped. Therefore, I can not post any of our recent pictures until I post about our anniversary. 

So that is why  you get this post.

Well, that and the fact that today marks the day of retiring my favorite pair of jeans. I could just cry! I have worn these jeans for a good 2-3 years and they have treated me so well! Here are some pictures: 

Engagement Pictures

Aggie Basketball

Work party in Virginia. (These look a little lighter, but I can almost guarantee that they are the same pair.)

Meeting President Obama.

Carving pumpkins with my little sister Melissa, and missing my little sister Jenna.

The other day I noticed that there were parts of my jeans that were starting to get a little thin, but I continued to wear them. Today though, there is a full blown hole that is large enough to make these pants un-wearable. I'm devastated! I have no idea what I am going to wear when it is rainy outside. Life is hard when you only have one pair of pants that you like and then they go and wimp out on you. I have decided that from now on, as soon as I find a pair of jeans that I like I am going to immediately go back to the store and purchase several pairs so that I never have to worry about getting new pants again. 

If anyone would like to come over tonight, we will be having a funeral procession for my dearly beloved jeans.

(p.s. I'm sure that David would like me to add that he would buy more jeans for me if I would let him. He has encouraged me several times to go get some more pairs of jeans/capris that I like so that I don't have to wear the same pair over and over again. But what can I say, when I like one pair... I am just really attached! Call it the opposite of a commitment issue.) 

(p.p.s I have realized that I only have head shots of myself. My jeans don't make as many appearances in pictures as I thought that they would. This makes me feel slightly better, in that my posterity won't look through my pictures and know that I tend to wear the same pair of jeans so often. Until they read this post. Then they will know.)

I Do... Re-Done.

Oh my heck.

I don't know whether I should be appalled or in love.

Think about this concept: Taking scissors to your wedding dress to make random things around your house that you can use to decorate with and/wear.

It's called "I do... Re-done" over at the blog MaryJanes and Galoshes. (One of the many super creative ladies that I blog stalk.)

At first I didn't know how I felt about it. In fact... I still don't know how I feel about it. Her projects are cute... but to cut up a wedding dress to make a banner/bunting?

Check out some of her projects HERE, and HERE, and HERE.

It's not that I am against re-using wedding dresses. In fact, I am going to be making a blessing dress for a friend out of her wedding dress. I think that is very precious. I have thought a lot about doing that with my wedding dress, but i'm not sure.

As I was looking around the internet for blessing dress patterns and such, I came across this dress at the Refugee Crafter:

Isn't it beautiful? 

I seriously have fallen in love with it. 

Look at the detail! 

I love it. 

Okay, I know that I already said that I love it... but I do! I want so badly to go home right now and make it for some daughter that I will have some distant point in the future. My only dilemma is that if I make it right now... it won't fit when I someday have a baby girl who needs a blessing dress? 

What are your thoughts? 

Is the whole "I do... Re-done" a good idea?

Would you make a blessing dress out of your wedding dress? 

Should I go home right now and make this to die for blessing dress?