yes you can: A GIVEAWAY!

have you seen "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown?" or more importantly have you heard Kristin Chenoweth preform "My New Philosophy" {go watch it NOW}. I like philosophies, mottos, catch phrases what have you. I like them. I write them in my planner or on little sticky notes I put up on mirrors. I have weekly mottos, monthly mottos, minute mottos. I'm a list maker and note taker. Something about writing things down makes them more real to me. oh, and it has to be in pen (no digital/techy notes for me!) I need the satisfaction of physically crossing things off as I accomplish them. Is it no surprise that I LOVE the new year? I love a fresh start, a time to reflect on the ups and downs of the previous year, a time to make goals and pick new philosophies.

my motto for 2012?

It's simple, maybe even cheesy. But it's just the motto I need. Way too often I underestimate myself (and I don't think I'm alone). I (we) have lots to offer but fear and doubt somehow always get in the way. Well not this year! No, not 2012! This year I don't hesitate. This year, every idea is a good idea and every goal worth running wild for. I'm all kinds of excited for 2012! And I hope you are too! Which is why I wanted to share this GIVEAWAY with you:

It's a hand-bound notebook made by yours truly ;) It's part of a collection that I'll be selling in my shop (to be opened in 2012!!) It's cover is recycled card-stock and includes 30 blank pages, perfect for writing all your goals for 2012! And to top it off: an embroidered "YES YOU CAN" to remind you of just that, that you really can do and be anything you want. This is our year!!!

k enough with my graduation speech.

here's how to enter:

{must be a follower}

1 entry: leave a comment below of a goal you have for 2012

2 entries: share/link this giveaway on facebook & leave a comment saying so/link

3 entires: post this giveaway on your blog & share a link in the comments

thats a total of 6 possible entries! Or I suppose more if you have like a bazillion blogs or something.....

giveaway closes Friday, January 6th @ midnight. a winner will be randomly chosen and announced Saturday.

good luck & have a happy new year!

Christmas 2011

B and I have worked too much to consider this past week a break (he worked Christmas eve & Christmas day, hospitals don't close on holidays.....) But we did get to spend some quality time with family, which is what it's all about anyway right? Because our parents both live 15 minutes away (and 6 houses apart) we usually spend the holidays hopping back and forth. The highlights?

-seeing the Muppets Movie, even though it wasn't as funny as hoped for
-watching my cousins put on their famous nativity scene
-cobwebbing for presents with the in-laws
-christmas pj's!
-last minute gift wrapping
-sleeping on the comfiest mattress christmas eve
-applesauce puffs christmas morning
-watching dad-in-law laugh so hard he cried
-exchanging gifts with siblings
-receiving Sundance film festival tickets -thanks Dane & Brit!
-dad pretending to be scrooge (and doing a poor job)
-listening to grandma's childhood stories
-mom's christmas dinner
-playing cards & eating too much pie


B and I are saving, so we had a small christmas. for him: soap making classes. for me: new (old) cameras to add to my collection. after exchanging gifts we smiled that smile that says "you know me too well".

how was your christmas? What was your favorite gift, or better yet, what was your favorite gift to give?

merry merry merry

*it should say {belated}
hope yours was nothing short of lovely

xo-claire

Jewelry Sale + giveaway!

PLEASE COME!
I've been making/selling jewelry since I was 12. I'm clearancing out my old inventory to make room for a new line (coming this spring!) prices are ridiculously low! (Most everything is between $1-$10.) I work in crystal, glass, silver, and semi-precious stones like jade and turquoise. In the spirit of Christmas & In honor of my Aunt Steph, a portion of all proceeds are going to The Care Center in Vegas to aid cancer patients!

there will be lovely music and delicious cookies too :)
see you saturday!

xo

claire

p.s.
GIVEAWAY!

don't live in utah? feel left out? DON'T! my friend Sarah is giving away the necklace (featured in the photos above) to one lucky reader! To enter, visit Sarah here (she styled the necklace so wonderfully!) and leave a comment saying who your hero is and why you'd like to give them this necklace. How fun & easy is that?!

22

my man brought this to me at 12:01 this morning.

It was quick little party and then back to finals...
normally I'd be a baby about my birthday (just ask my family about last year....) It falls at a very busy time, I'm usually nose deep in finals, and family and friends are busy too so celebrations get postponed (sometimes till January!). This day was no different, busy busy busy. I pulled another almost all-nighter (I did get two hours of shut eye) had a scheduled final at 7 am came home and slept. I woke up to Denny's country fried steak (my favorite) and snuggled with my man for a good hour before he left for work. I just finished my 4th out of 5 finals! And am now going to finish watching Breakfast at Tiffany's and eat more ice cream "with my by myself" ;) . not a very birthday-ish day but somehow I'm ok with it all. I think 21 year old me grew up a lot. I'm ok with myself, I'm just happier. even if that means being alone on my birthday, It just feels good to be alive ya know? To look back and see I've survived 22 years on this crazy earth and that I might have accomplished some things and become a bit of a better person too is just a bonus!

Thank you to everyone whose made me feel so special! I'm happy to have phone calls/texts from friends and family who are equally busy with life, just to wish me an extra special day. Happy for dinner with my besties last night and counting down the seconds till 12 this morning with Brandon. happy for my date with brandon tomorrow and dinner with family on friday. I'm even happy for silly facebook birthday wishes. yup.

happy happy happy

hey 22 year old me! I have a feeling this year is going to be big :)

hey you!

you are invited to:

and yes that would be this saturday because I believe in living on the edge.
{finals+birthday+jewelry sale}
yes, I'm wild.

I'll share more info on the whys and whats later + a chance to win a loverly necklace!!

mark your calendars and check back soon!

xo
claire

I was running around to and fro gathering supplies and working on final projects when I found myself pulling up to a tree lot. within 5 minutes I had found/paid/and packed the perfect little tree into my car and had forgotten any notions of being productive.

1. on our front door // 2. the perfect tree // 3. colored lights // 4. memory, 2 years ago // 5. we didn't have a star, or an angel // 6. apple cider // 7. pink vintage poms // 8. tree skirt // 9. all packed up in a little suitcase

I made I gif. And when I say "I", I mean Brandon. Brandon and I are opposites in many ways, but we are alike in that we are both artists. A lot of people ask me how that is, "an artist married to an artist" sometimes it can be a challenge, like agreeing on a paint color, but during finals week it's a straight up blessing. I just say "here's a bunch of photos I'd like made into a gif" and voila! presto-magic-husband makes my wildest dreams come true! I could tell you that this gif is actually art and you may not believe me. So right now I'll just say it is what it is. Maybe someday I'll tell you more.

Isn't it kinda cool though? maybe? or maybe I'm just overly excited that I (husband) made my first gif and it's blinding me from the reality of the un-coolness of it.

my words are all a jumble.
meh.
it's finals week.

Warby Parker

My eyes are getting worse, and it's time to bid these lovely beauts adieu. I heard about Warby Parker from a number of blogs and thought I'd try out there "home try-ons" aka: coolest deal ever! They send you 5 pairs (I had 5 sent to me and 5 sent to B cause I couldn't narrow it down) and you play dress up for 5 days! Then you send them back. easy peasy lemon squeezey. I may be having too much fun with these bad boys, I wear a few pairs a day. I may have even used them in a photo shoot! But alas, it's time to send them back. now which pair to pick....I have a few favorites, one of which is the harry potter pair in the bottom right. I got them as a joke at first, turns out I LOVE them! Do you have a favorite? I will hold your opinions at the highest esteem :)

**oh and something neat: for every pair of frames Warby Parker sells, they give a pair away to someone in need. Watch the video here.

"Back to School" Photo shoot part I

My family is getting real "family photos" for the first time since little sis was 2.....ha....with me always behind the lens lets just say....it's hard to catch us all in the same frame. We are getting them done by Kristina Curtis Photography, the same photographer who did this fun "back to school" shoot a while back. She was so great to work with and I love how the photos turned out! If you are looking for a photographer for any event, I highly recommend her :) you can check out her site here.

what we wore

his: shirt/gap jeans/deisel via Downeast Outfitters boots/texas (?)

her: blouse/gap skirt/made by yours truly tights/gap shoes/nordstrom rack glasses/urban outfitters

**also I had my hair cut & dyed by my talented friend Jordan McKell at Amara Salon just the day before. Don't you love the color?! Stay tuned for a fun hair giveaway coming soon!