Currently

Loving: The piano. It feels so good to be practicing regularly again. The piano is such a big part of me. I know that, whether or not I realize it at the time, I'm not myself when I'm not a practicing pianist. The really great thing is that finding an hour or two each day isn't as difficult as I'd anticipated. I usually practice in the evening while Colt and Harper are hanging out. Luckily, we have a Clavinova, which means I can turn the volume down and practice without bothering them.

Watching: Nothing really. Now that I'm done with Downton Season 3, I want to find something good to watch while I wait for Mad Men to begin again (hurry up, April 7th!). I am thinking of hopping on the Dr. Who train. I'm also interested in the BBC's Sherlock Holmes series. Do any of you watch either of these? If so, what do you think?

Reading: I just finished up with Great Expectations. I loved it yet again. I was perusing some of the reviews for it on Amazon a few days ago and got really sad/mad at some of the ignorant comments. It seems like less and less people appreciate (there is a big difference between liking something and appreciating it) the classics and that more and more people are becoming too stupid to even understand them. It's the same with classical music. I know only a handful of people who really enjoy it anymore. Isn't that sad?

Anyway, my next read will be East of Eden.

Thinking about: Harper and how I can be a better parent for her. I've been focusing on the list of promises that I made to her before she was even born (see that list here). I've been trying to keep them on a daily basis. I've been trying to be more patient with her (that Harper girl puts my patience to test like no other) and to spend quality time with her. There is nothing I love more that laughing/snuggling/coloring/playing/dancing with Harper. She is so fun and so sweet. Lately, she has started telling us that she loves us without us saying it first. Nothing has ever been so heart melting than that.

Working on: Cooking more. When I'm busy, I let dinnertime slide. Frozen pizza and quick-fix meals make it easy for me to avoid making real food. The somewhat hidden truth is, however, that I really enjoy cooking. I've been pulling recipes from Pinterest and making actual meals for us and it's been great.

(Spicy Chipotle Pasta and Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken reciped can be found on Pinterest.)

Looking forward to: A little trip to St. George in March... We (Colt, me, Calli, Kenzie, Whitney, and some other fun people) are going for the weekend to see Macklemore perform. I'm super excited because I have a total musical crush on him.

Weekend Wrap Up

We had a pretty fun weekend, despite some grey and gloomy Utah weather. Harper and I went to ballet class on Saturday morning. Then we met up with Colt for some lunch at The Training Table (definitely a family favorite). After that, I did some much needed meal planning and grocery shopping. I also ran some other errands and picked up some necessities. Harper tried out her new (old) Spiderman costume by "shooting webs" all over the house.

Colt had ice fishing plans for very early Sunday morning so we spent Saturday night at home. On Sunday, Harper and I saw Wreck-It Ralph, which was super cute. I'm not normally into kid movies (confession: when Harper and I go to movies, we always sit in the top corner of the theater so that I can read on my Kindle without bothering anyone) but I really enjoyed this one and even found myself crying at the end (WTF!!??). I did some online shopping (can't wait to get my new Hello Apparel sweatshirts!) and took a most delightful afternoon nap with Harper.

When we woke up, we broke in her new coloring books (some of the necessities we picked up earlier in the day). If you saw the pile of pictures Harper has colored over the past week or so, you wouldn't believe it. She pumped out at least 25 over the weekend alone. The girl loves. to. color.

I did a lot of reading over the weekend and spent a solid amount of time at the piano.

I realized that my Franz Metronome of over twenty years is dying on me. It's running through batteries like crazy, the paint is wearing off in a lot of spots, and the battery cover no longer wants to stay on. I'm pretty bummed because I love my metronome. The tick it makes is at the perfect pitch and it's big and retro looking. I have had it since I was a little girl. It has been through recitals, competitions (local and out of state), countless students, pageants, and concert tours to Japan, China, Russia, and western Europe (safe to say it was worth the $75 that I insisted my parents pay for it). It has moved with me over ten times and I can't imagine how many times it must have ticked for me over the years. The total must be in the millions considering that for over a decade, I put in 5 hours a day at the piano (a pianist has their metronome on at least 90% of the time). I'm pretty sad to see it go (not literally- I'll keep it forever for nostalgic reasons) and am not excited to purchase one of the smaller, and more annoying, metronomes. It's too bad that Franz went out of business several years ago.

Anyway, enough metronome rambling...  Overall, we had a great weekend. It was equal parts relaxation, productivity, and fun, which is just how I like weekends to be.

Scenes from Ballet Class

We tried ballet class with Harper last September, right before she turned three. It didn't work. She never wanted to go and had a hard time staying in class. She would always want to come out and sit on my lap. She also wondered where the "blocks" were. I think that a year of jumping into a giant pit of foam blocks and calling it gymnastics gave Harper a somewhat misconstrued idea of what a "class" is. She just wasn't ready yet so we put her shoes away and gave her a little more time to mature.

Harper started ballet class again at the beginning of the year and it's amazing to me how much difference a few months made. This time around, Harps loves (times a million) her class. She is crazy about her uniform (pink tights with a pink leotard) as well as her teacher. She is taking a combination class and is enjoying every minute of it and truthfully, so am I. I take my Kindle each week with the intent of reading while I wait but never even turn it on because I can't stop watching the cuteness that is Harper at dance class.

Harper's class is on Saturday mornings at 10:45, which is perfect for us. It's not too early, giving Harper time to get up and eat breakfast and chill for a bit (Harper is not a morning person and definitely needs a good hour of sofa time before she can readily face the day) and it's not on a weeknight (I'm usually exhausted after work). Today was an extra special day because the girls got to see a photo of their recital costume. Harper quite nearly died when she saw it (thank heaven for the spy windows) and couldn't wait to tell me all about her "sparky pink costume!!!!!" when she got out of class. Her recital will be in June and I will mostly likely cry like a baby- a proud and happy baby, that is.

I took a few instagrams today and thought that I'd let you see what ballet Saturday looks like for us...

See what I mean about cuteness?

If only Harper would just. stop. growing.

Weekend Wrap Up

After a week at home with strep throat, Harper and I were both more than ready to get out of the house over the weekend. After ballet class on Saturday morning, she and I took off for a fun day of shopping, eating, errands, and haircuts.

We had lunch at Red Butte Cafe and then did some shopping in Foothill Village (two of the boutiques there, Haroon's and Four and Twenty Sailors, carry some of my favorite labels). After that, we ran a few errands and picked up some Great Harvest goodies. We did a little more shopping at Cotton Blossom Boutique. Then we stopped by Salon Lydia for fresh haircuts (heaven bless you, Whitney, for making me look presentable again) and headed home to finish off the day with a dance party in my bedroom.

We had such a great time together. Harper really is my favorite person to spend time with and I'm so glad that she is feeling better. Our house wasn't the same while she was sick.

Hooray for haircuts! Harper and I are both looking a little more respectable now.

We spent the majority of yesterday at my in-laws' house, watching football (for Colt, who is a very happy 49ers fan today) and cooking (for me). My sisters-in-law, our friend Roxy, and I have been getting together on Sunday afternoons to try pinterest-inspired recipes together. We meet up, choose what we want to make, hit the grocery store, and then go back to my in-laws' to cook, drink, and laugh together. It's always really fun and I love that we are all committed to making "Wine and Dine" regular thing.

Yesterday, we decided to make appetizers. I chose to do black bean egg rolls, which turned out to be super tasty. The wine mix Calli made was also delightful. So were Kenzie and Roxy's homemade wantons.

Harper was done for after hours of running around Grandma's house.

Currently

Loving: Harper (she has been sick with Strep for several days and has needed more than her usual quota of snuggles... thanks to our doctor and some antibiotics, she is starting to feel a bit better today) and Colt (it was our second anniversary yesterday... go us!). 

(wedding lunch at Porcupine)

Watching: The Wedding Band. Is anyone else loving this show (Saturday nights on TBS)?   

Reading: Great Expectations. A Tale of Two Cities left me wanting more Dickens. 

Thinking about: Lots of things- human nature vs. love, adoption, extended family, and how amazing my dad is, just to name a few.

Working on: My bucket list. I'm at the piano consistently and it's wonderful. I can feel dormant skills growing strong again and it's proving to be an excellent stress reliever. Harper and I have plans to visit The Natural History Museum this weekend. I'm reading and when the weather is a bit warmer, I'll be running, too. 2013, I love you.

Looking forward to: The upcoming weekend. With Harper being so sick, last weekend was sort of a bust. Hopefully we are all healthy enough for some big fun once Friday rolls around.

Instagraming:

A sick baby and a recent watercolor (now hanging on my office wall).

Scout at the doctor's office and some "get well soon" Spiderman treats for Harper.

It's interesting that Harper's obsession with Ariel has never been able to trump her love for Scout. Sometimes he gets brushed aside but when she is tired or sick, it's her Scout that Harper wants near her.

Snowy Day Coloring Pages

I'm most grateful for the fact that my job doesn't require me to leave my house on mornings when there are ten inches of fresh snow out front. We have been having some snowy day fun around here, doing puzzles, coloring, and watching movies. Here are some of our favorite snowy day coloring pages...

Confessions: Coconut Oil

A new Beauty Aisle post is ready for you over on my other blog, Confessions of a Beauty Aisle Addict. It's about the many uses for coconut oil. Check it out here.

Birthday Grinch

Hazelnut, the cutest little shih tzu that ever lived, is five today. We have been spoiling her with treats and hugs. She got two new toys, some spray on conditioner from Paul Mitchell, and a birthday bone.

Happy Birthday, little Grinch!

About Us

It was recently brought to my attention that the links in the About Us section weren't working. Apparently, when I changed the URL, I forgot to change the links. They are now fixed and you are free to read about Harper's birth, my job, or to see my favorite posts.

Much love, friends.

Ariel Coloring Pages

Harper colored two pictures for her new Ariel room. We framed them (these frames are temporary- I plan on picking up some new ones or at least painting these ones over the weekend) and put them on her bookshelf.

Harps is quite proud of these and so am I. I think that, for her age, she does a pretty good job (just look at that Flounder!). Harper loves to color and craft (where that came from, I'll never know) and keeps me busy searching for pages to color. Her favorite subject is, of course, Ariel. She also likes the princesses and Spiderman.

I posted Harper's artwork on instagram and had a couple of people ask about the pages that we colored. Here they are, along with some other favorites.

If I could, I'd tell you where I found these. The truth is, however, that I don't remember. I saved them on my computer and didn't bookmark or pin any of the original sites. Sorry. 

Currently

Loving: The thought of new furniture. We have ordered new sofas and a new dining set and I can't wait for them to arrive.

Watching: Downton Abbey, Season 3. I finished the Christmas Special last night and I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything that happened. I won't say anything because I don't want to ruin it for any other Downton fans but this season was really good. 

Reading: A Tale of Two Cities. It's a long time favorite. 

Thinking about: My 2013 bucket list. I'm super excited about it and quite determined to cross off every single item. I'm also thinking about my nails. It's been over a week since my last nibble. I've got to stick to it this time. No self-respecting 30-year-old should have nubby nails. Plus, I have far too many cute nail polishes that should not go to waste (pictured below is Off with Her Red by OPI).

Working on: Drinking less diet pop and more water. It's not easy.

I'm also working on a little project that involves Harper and her best friend Paityn. I have so many cute photos of them together and I'm trying to get them sorted and organized. I think that this friendship has been one of the best things in Harper's life. She loves Paityn and talks about her every single day and wants to include her in everything that we do. When we were putting her Ariel room together, Harper kept saying, "Paityn is going to love this!" I am obsessed with these two. They are absolutely adorable when they are together.

Looking forward to: Dinner tonight- we are getting together with Colt's family to celebrate Kenzie's graduation (she just finished up at the U!). I'm also super excited for our trip to Disneyland in February. My mom finalized all of the booking just this morning and I can barely wait. An airplane ride, three days at Disneyland, breakfast with the princesses... Harper is going to be in heaven.