wall lake

We went camping in the Uintas last weekend with some friends.  We got a late start on the hike to Wall Lake but we set up camp fast, and sat around the fire laughing until it was too windy and too late.  All 6 of us slept in a 4 man tent :)  I could have sworn I heard a bear rummaging through our food outside our tent in the middle of the night...Brandon and I didn't get much sleep.  We woke with sore backs and good spirits and a determination to come back soon, on a day not so windy, so we can jump off the cliffs into the water.

fresh air a good friends can do a lot for the soul.
hoping to fit in a few more hikes this week before school starts up again.

the scenic route

Driving in the car with Brandon is one of my favorite things. Oh the topics we talk about! We decided to prolong our drive home from SF and take the scenic route. I saw Lake Tahoe for the first time (hopefully not the last!) and fell in love with an old cowboy town in Nevada called Virginia City. They have a board walk with all sorts of stuff like bathtubs full of plants and toy horses to ride. I think we'd like to spend our anniversary there next year :)

good eats SF {vegan}

There were so many vegan/vegetarian options in SF!   Ever since we've gone to a plant based diet, I've pretty much left the food prepping to Brandon.  Okay, so pretty much since we've been married, he's done the majority of the cooking.  But hey, He's a natural in the kitchen.  He's also the type that can eat kale and other gross tasting things like it's candy.  When I want candy, nothing else will suffice.  I don't have the will power to eat not good tasting stuff.  But everything we had in SF was sooo good!   It really opened my eyes to the possibilities, and gave me a bit of the cooking bug too.  I'm a huge fan of simple recipes made with just a few basic ingredients.  I took note of a few of my favorites from the trip and can't wait to try my own version of these vegan dishes at home!

Here's our favorite vegan restaurants in San Francisco

Ananda Fuara 

The loving hut

The Plant

House of Nanking

if you are ever in the city, give em' a try!

-Claire

*We've been on a plant-based diet since the beginning of the year.  Brandon is 100% vegan and I'm 80% vegan (I can't give up cheese....).  A lot of people have asked a lot of "why"s.  So far I haven't shared a whole lot about our decision (and it was a big one, believe me) but if you are curious let me know, maybe I'll do a little post about our "why".  Also, any fellow vegans/vegetarians/plant eaters?! I'd love any recommendations for recipe websites or blogs.  Thanks!

San Francisco Film

"If you're alive, you can't be bored in San Francisco.  If you're not alive, San Francisco will bring you to life."

-William Saroyan

first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes....

is it making more sense why I haven't had many photos of myself lately?

get ready for this blog to turn 100% baby friendly :)

*post edit*

I made it all official on facebook today...then i realized Brandon has a missionary reunion tonight....and I don't think I can keep my belly pushed out for that long. nor do I want to explain myself to everyone I meet....that would make some first impression....

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!

p.s. i've been dying to pull this prank for years, only now: married, have i been able to do it successfully.

p.p.s. that's no pillow under my shirt, just a bunch of food in my belly :)

p.p.p.s. i can't wait for the someday (which will be quite some time from now) when I won't be kidding

42 days

the 42 day challenge

today I had 10 and 1/2 hours of classes. with zero breaks

(since i don't count sprinting across campus to my next class as a "break")

....I about peed my pants.

and i must say i was a bad student today.

my mind refused to focus.

instead i'd day dream about

longer hair.

and lovely trousers

and scotty dogs

and thinking of ANY excuse to buy this:

and I finally came up with a good one! Brandon and I were talking about goal setting the other day. B doesn't like making new years resolutions cause he thinks any day is a good day to make a resolution. me thinks he's right. We both have an individual daily goal we'd like to make a habit so we decided that after 42 days (6 weeks) of hard work at our goals, we'd treat ourselves to that adorable mr. crosley above.

and I'd like you to join us in our 42 day challenge! lets be honest, you already broke 10 of your 100 goals, and the other 90 you forgot about.

so lets make TODAY the day to:

-start that project you've been dreaming of

-drop those few pesky ounces

-break that horrid habit

-write in your journal

-START A BLOG!

-learn a new skill

-be brave and woo that handsome devil you've been eyeing!

Goals turn into wishes if you don't write them down. Which is why I'm pledging on this here blog. and why you should comment your pledge as well! Tell us what your goal is {or if it's a secret, like mine, just say so} and for goodness sake, give yourself some motivation! Pick a treat of sorts as your prize and stick a photo of it on your mirror to remind yourself daily! And if you can't think of a good prize let me know....I'll make you cookies or send you a little sussy when the 42 days are up!

the 42 day challenge starts tomorrow!

READY

SET

GOal!

blah blah and 4 walls

I've noticed I've become a "blah" blogger lately.

You know what I'm talking about, they {we} are a dime a dozen. You may have fallen victim to it's dull ways yourself...

You can predict the posts before they pop up.

she's probably going to talk about "shoes" "boyfriend" "fashion" "finals" {fill in the blank}

{which by the way, none of these are bad blogging topics. In fact, they are some of my favs. But after the 3rd, 5th, TENTH post...they start to get old}

Lately, for me it's been the Sr. Photoshoots.

{any type of photo shoot really...}

I've never been busier with photography {a shoot every day this week?! Some days TWO!}

I really truly can't complain since it's what I love doing.

But I have to admit...I'm having a hard time with TIME MANAGEMENT.

Where are the weeks going?!

Doesn't "TIME" know I have:

a wedding to plan?!

seniors to shoot!? {don't freak...with my CAMERA...}

a new job to somehow fit in my hectic life!? {more on this excitement later}

and probably most {2nd} importantly: WALLS TO PAINT.

yes. you heard me. WALLS TO PAINT. but not just any walls.

the 4 walls that will encompass the 500 square foot {and I'm rounding up...} area B and I will call "home".

Our first home.

the place we begin our lives together the place we will fight over what color to paint the clawfoot tub the place we will kiss each other's faces off the place we will begin our traditionsthe place we will fall even more in love the place we will tell each other soul secrets the place we take care of each other the place where we will be so crammed we wont have any choice but to snuggle constantly the place we will laugh and cry the place we will make love {hehe} the place we will stare up at our popcorn ceiling and wonder why anyone ever thought it was a good ideathe place the stove and I will finally become friends (maybs)the place where Brandon will serenade me to sleep the place where I'll demand he tucks me in like a mermaid just like my mom used to do. the place we will have many an adventuresthe place we will be humbled by when we freeze our toes off in the winter the place we will forever refer to as our first home.

Wait till you see the wonderful color Brando invented.

{that's right....too cool for paint swatches!}

I'm trying to do some good "before and after"s cause believe me...it'll be drastic. So I'm saving those pics for later. SUSPENSE! {bwhahahah!}

hopefully these will suffice for now:

oh and p.s. the overload of senior photos isn't likely to stop any time soon. they just keep....graduating! there's nothing i can do to stop it....it's madness.

Sorry About The Snow...

Easter Weekend

was THE (say it old english style) best ever!

I was in Southern Utah

with:

my Pops, brother, brother's fiance, and my fiance.

we had quite an adventure (more on that later).

listened to General Conference.

snuggled.

bliss.

please don't be mad...

but I'm afraid I brought the snowstorm back with me.

I'm very sorry...

Dear Mother Nature,

Although I had the most enjoyable time with you this weekend, I'd really appreciate it if you'd call it a winter and just leave us be. We love you when there are presents under trees, twinkle lights on houses, and cute coats to be bought. But there are no presents to be put under trees, the twinkle lights have been retired for the season, and there are many cute swimsuits to be bought (or in my case: to be dreamt of buying). So please, please, PLEASE, just give us a break?! I'd really like to have sunshine in my photoshoots this weekend. Not to mention, the longer you stay around the more worried I get about my outdoor wedding reception (please don't make me resort to the cultural hall!) And I'd like a little sun to clear up my sudden pizza face.

Thanks

xoxoxo

Kitty

when I grow up

I want to

own a furniture refurnishing business run an antique shop start a floral company master film photography restore old houses design a line of vintage gowns get a letterpress write children's books equivalent to "Betsy, Tacey, and Tib" become a wedding planner a food critique a mother

{I've unfortunately added a few more things to my Dreamer's List. There are way too many things I want to do, try, master. . . and barely any I can afford ($) to even take a shot at. And most of them so obscure I'm not even sure where I'd start?! But that's why it's called my Dreamer's List. It's the dream. And I can only hope that some of it comes true.}

*photo of me, 1 year ago, taken by my wonderful mother

(dancers, please don't judge...it's been a while...)

Funny Story

{I’m sure there will be more to come}

As you may know, I’m a sucker for a good deal. Like, I live for them. I’m a bargain shopper and I pride myself at it. I love looking like a million bucks but knowing I only spent $30 {maybe even less} head to toe. Being a true bargain shopper I often find myself browsing the ilse of Savers or DI looking for something to guiltlessly bust a few bucks on. And I often find something wonderful, amazing, original, unique, old, and most importantly: CHEAP!

Bargain shopping is an art.

And I’ve learned from a wonderful teacher: my mother.

A few tips to successful, anti-binge, bargain shopping:

1. 1. First things first: go directly to sales racks in the back of the store.
2. Have an open mind: be creative and innovative when looking at something. Don’t look at it for what it is but for what it could be!
3. Don’t go clearance crazy: just because something is cheap, does not mean it is worth your buck! Don’t buy something unless you really love it.

So last Saturday, I walked into the local DI with these helpful tips stored carefully in some pocket in my brain.

I found:

• The exact vases I want for my reception (50 cents a piece)
• beautiful glasses for B’s and my future home (75 cents a piece, but the guy only charged me 50 J)
• 2 wonderfully patterned vintage pillowcases (50 cents each)
• and a dress.

But not just any dress.

A wedding dress.

Now before you gag, start throwing up, gouge out your eyes and the thought of me wearing a dress from DI to my wedding, please keep in mine that I wasn’t sane in the moment.

No, not sane at all.

I had followed only 1 and 2 of my mothers well meant advice. Somehow my innovative/thrifty mind got the best of me and I totally overlooked the fact that this dress, although beautiful in it’s own way (c’mon, you really think I’d buy something ugly) was NOT the dress I wanted to get married in.

How could I forget rule 3? The most important of all the rules?!

IF YOU DON’T LOVE IT, DON’T BUY IT!

No matter how cheap it is, or how thrifty you think you are.

Needless to say I took the dress back. Only to find out that “clothing" returns can only be exchanged for “clothing”. {whatever} So I spent 15 minutes running through DI finding $50 worth of clothes to thrift and stitch.

I DID find some treasures, of which I’ll share with you as soon as I find time to pull out the old sewing machine and give them a little special touch.

Anyway, I hope you haven’t lost respect for me due to this almost disastrous dress incident. I mean, we all have embarrassing stories right?! And stories like these are priceless right?!

Oh wait…I guess mine cost me $50 bucks….

Here's some photos of recent thrifty finds:

{to prove I'm sometimes somewhat sane}

Baby Ben! love him. He's the perfect "tick-tock" -er

scraps of vintage fabric!

{what shall I make of them? Headbands? a coin purse?...?}

this fancy hanky! {this may or may be some inspiration for my wedding....}

more findings for headbands and such!

and....

This lovely vintage apron! It makes me feel like I should sing and dance and cook meatloaf.

{only minus the singing and cooking part...}