3 months in a nutshell

Well, here is even more proof that I am quite possibly THE WORST blogger ever, but I hopefully I can make up for the three months I've left you all in the dark about so let's get to it!

April showers bring May flowers, and the cutest baby girl! Shelby Carden Hall was born April 17th weighing in at 8 lb 10 oz. She was a chubby, alert little peanut & cute as can be!

She's only gotten infinitely cuter & already has poor Uncle Kellan wrapped around her chubby little fingers.

May brought us to our sixth month of wedded bliss & we celebrated with a quick trip up to Bridal Veil Falls and a picnic put together by yours truly. On the menu was roast beef sliders with creamy chipotle sauce & cupcakes with buttercream frosting which was the perfect chance for me to use my new icing tool. I think it turned out beautifully & the weather was just perfect.

May also brought a new calling for me. At the Mother's Day Activity for my Activity Day girls I was asked by the Primary President if I would be willing to work in the Nursery! For those of you who know me well, that's pretty much my dream calling & I was over the moon! The little peanuts in there are the cutest things ever & I'm absolutely in love with them all. 

Speaking of cute peanuts, Miss Shelby had her baby blessing June 2nd! It was so wonderful and baby Shelby looked darling in the blessing dress we all wore for our blessings. 

June also marked the beginning of summer for us & we hit it off with a trip to the CARNIVAL. 

We rode the Ferris Wheel & snacked on cotton candy & had our first funnel cake, to be the first of many I'm sure. All in all, it was a PERFECT date. 

This Saturday my thrifty sister got us all into a pre-screening of DESPICABLE ME 2 for free! It was HILARIOUS & so worth watching when it comes out. Even baby Shelby was enthralled by it and managed to stay awake for over half of it! If Shelby can stay awake for most of it, that means it's a definite must see. 

My sister, Shelby & I also hit up Old Navy for their flip flop sale before the movie & picked up some swim suits for our upcoming trip to Florida where we'll be roughing it on the sandy beaches of Destin for a week. Poor us. 

& that brings you up to speed with our last three months! Hopefully your's was as eventful & wonderful as ours. 

Arts & Crafts

I almost forgot to mention all the fun artsy things we did in February!

At the beginning of the month, as I was looking at Pinterest & Etsy (always the beginnings of my many interesting attempts) I kept seeing all this adorable metal stamped items and thought to myself, well that doesn't look so hard, I could totally do that! (& then my next thought was, I could have saved us so much money at Christmas, but that's too late now)

Anywho! So I looked up the tools and techniques and that same week went out and bought all the things I needed.  (I did my homework though and found all the stuff I wanted for a great price too, double score)

I then got some cute vintage looking spoons from the thrift store and kept searching for the perfect shaped frames in my perfect budget. I found some just big enough at Joann's and snatched them up! I painted them cute colors to match all my married siblings' homes or weddings and then the interesting part; the actually metal stamping.

I'd bought some extra spoons to practice on, but found it was much harder than I'd anticipated and had to wait for Kellan to get home and help me.  ... then it kind of turned into one of those projects were I just directed & helped hand things to him while he got it done for me. Metal stamping is tough my friends! But I'm quite thrilled with the results.

You can't quite see, with the flash & all but the spoons are stamped to say "I DO" & "ME TOO"

I also took my new sewing machine out for a spin in a big way. I made an unofficial New Year's resolution to sew something at least every month and so far so good.  In January I made this easy skirt that I'm really liking. I may just splurge on some nice fabric and make another. 

And in February I kept it up with some burp clothes for my sister. They're still not quite done just yet, I want to add some labels to them. 

This first one did NOT turn out like what I was envisioning in my mind. Partially because I couldn't find the fabric and ribbon I was dreaming of, and also because I had no idea what I was really doing; but I learned through trial and error for next time I try. 

Since I was quite a bit bummed about how the first one had turned out, I decided to try again, and this time with a much simpler idea and much more success. Also, I'm a little bit in love with the beautiful pink fleece houndstooth design. So cute!

And that's it for now. I'm currently working on my March sewing project of a cute (hopefully) peplum shirt.  Keep 'em crossed folks! 

The Month of February

So clearly I haven't been the best at keeping this a weekly thing...or even a monthly thing apparently, but I'm going to try to be so much better at this.  But for now we'll just try to catch you all up on most of January & ALL of February.

 But first, January in a few pictures:

Maybe a week after Kellan's birthday, as he came home from work on Tuesday (yes, I know it was a Tuesday because he works super late & it's dark when he gets back & I'm super sad by then) he found this little guy hanging out in our driveway in the cold. 

I felt so sorry for him because it was below freezing so we smuggled him inside even though we're not allowed to have dogs in and gave him some water.  He was only inside for about 5 minutes total and stayed in the foyer so I don't feel like we did anything wrong.  That's me justifying it. 

Anyways, Kellan made a makeshift leash for Doug as I called him and hit the streets and bitter cold to find Doug's home.  

They came right back after like 5 minutes because Doug had led Kellan to the wrong door. 

But Kellan tried again and this time found success.  Apparently Doug, aka Snoopy, often gets out and lives just down the street from us with a family in our ward. 

Later that week I made pulled BBQ, homemade hamburger buns & Jim N' Nick's Cheese Biscuits. That wasn't anything hugely significant about January but I was pretty pleased with myself & Kellan's tummy was pleased too so a win win! 

January also hosted our The Vow inspired date night.  We rented the movie and came back to our own vow setup.  We played Chocolate Russian Roulette (delicious), drank sparkling cider, cuddled up & had the option to write each other our own vows.  

I for one was super exciting about the vow writing part because we never exchanged vows, but Kellan thought it was pointless. He didn't use those words exactly, but that's what he meant.  

Those papers sat on our coffee table for days with nothing on them until I had a particularly rough day and Kellan surprised me by filling his out! It was just perfect...that coupled with the cute, unsolicited things he'd written about me in his journal when we were dating.    ...I was cleaning & found it laying around. 

But in my defense, he clearly knew I'd be reading it one day because he had a line in there that said something to the effect of "maybe one day I'll feel comfortable enough to let Michelia read this." 

We're married, that's as comfortable as you're gonna get! 

 In January I also became obsessed with making homemade thin mint cookies.  Not only are they SUPER delicious, they are so so much easier than trying to make homemade somoas.  Yet another reason why thin mints are superior.  We are currently a house divided, but I'll win over Kellan eventually.

 We ended January with a Hatian Night of food and fun.  My sister & brother-in-law came down for a Hatian extravaganza planned and prepared solely by Kellan.  It was delicious.  We had a bunch of stuff I can neither spell nor pronounce, but boy was it good.

Cue in February.

Our month of love began with a wedding. & not just any wedding, my older brother's wedding!

Here Micah is with his cutest Dollar Dance partner, our niece, or as Kellan likes to say, His niece.

It was beautiful & I got to help do the bride's makeup, & I don't mean to brag, but she was looking quite nice. Also, that weekend was the first time Kellan got to meet my oldest brother, his wife & their five children.  This meeting made Kellan an uncle for the very first time, & boy did he love it.

He couldn't get enough of all the kids and spent half the time trying to get the youngest one to say his name.  Lexi eventually did, but not till they had already arrived home & were looking at pictures haha.

Here's Uncle Kellan with both the girls & you can clearly see how they have him wrapped around their little fingers. They're not our nieces & nephews anymore, they're just His.

Valentine's Day! I had all these plans for fancy dinners & Kellan came home the night before and asked if we could just have pizza. Thankfully I was still able to at least put a cute spin on our simple dinner.

We bought a BEAUTIFUL garden stool that I was drooling over. Yippee!

We went ice skating in the snow for the very first together. It was beautiful & also very very cold. Kellan fell once and he says it was because I was spinning him, but I was really just trying to teach him how to skate backwards. After that it was smooth skating for the both of us.

& just this Saturday (just two days into March) we picked up the cutest little plates for Spring & I made us some adorable little mustache mugs. 

Ah Spring, Provo has warmed up this week to balmy temperatures of 50 degrees.  I'm getting excited!

...to bad this Saturday the forecast is snow. 

I'll just look at my cute plates & dream of warm sunshine.

Birthday Scavenger Hunt

Yesterday was Kellan's 23rd birthday, and it was the very first of his birthdays we have been together. Last year we said goodbye in California just days before his birthday; it was a sad day. So this year, I decided I had to do something extra special!

The day started off with class for both of us at 8 am sharp (not fun at all) and Kellan's day didn't end till 8 pm when he got off work. Yup, it was a sad way to spend his birthday, so it was my job to make it a fun day when he got home. 

We'd already gone out for dinner Friday night and I gave him his presents on Saturday night so we could enjoy them on our last weekend without homework. They were movies in case you were wondering. So I had only one option to make the night a birthday success. A scavenger hunt.

I foolishly decided it would be extra fun if the clues rhymed, and it was; but not while writing them. I also decided that because he was turning 23, I'd make 23 clues. Again, just made my job that much trickier, but I managed to get it done! Take a look!

Happy Birthday! It’s truly meant

23 clues lead to your present!

First go look somewhere nice and cold,

Where hopefully you’ll find no mold.

This was taped on the door when he walked in and led him straight to the fridge. 

Where we visit different lands and climes,

Most often during dinner time.

I didn't know what else to say and we know it's not the best, but we watch TV while we eat dinner. 

Where K meets M & W,

But not without a friend or two.

We have our GIANT moss W on the wall right next to our shelf with our K, M, ampersand sign, & two little birdies. I thought that one was kind of cute. 

Taken just over two months ago,

These show our newly married glow.

This led him to our wedding picture outside the temple where we are jumping for joy.

We read these nearly every night,

But not your weird Creole type.

Kellan served his mission speaking Haitian Creole and still has his Creole set of scriptures. I'm sure if I let him he'd love to read them to me, but I prefer to read our English ones before bed. 

After breakfast, lunch, dinner and all times in between,

You commonly go to get those pearly whites squeaky clean.

Anyone who knows Kellan knows he LOVES to brush his teeth. He can't leave the house without brushing them, which is great, but he seriously can't do anything unless his teeth are brushed. 

Kellan looking for his clues

I use it to press flat my seams,

You hate using it on your collars for it has no steam.

Led him to our iron. 

Since I can keep nothing alive and green,

I love that these, left on their own, stay so serene. 

Oh succulents, how I love you. These are my plants that thrive though my neglect. 

It spells out our duties as husband and wife,

Given to the world in this time of strife. 

I didn't know what else to say, and rhyming was getting hard. But this led him to our framed copy of The Family, A Proclamation to the World. 

It holds so much it’s quite a feat,

Finely ground and bolted meal of wheat. 

Our HUGE flour jar with my decal that says the definition of flour. 

Mini size and citrus glaze,

You ate it as a snack when you left me in a daze. 

I made mini lemon loaves the other day and he ate one as he ran out the door for work leaving me sad and alone. 

Coats and jackets, heels and boots,

Duffels and other unknown loot. 

Spare closet with my shoes. 

Ah-hah you’re clever, your next clue you’ll reap,

Just look under the place where we oft’ go to sleep. 

When you want to look dapper, and you need an assist,

Turn to the bottle shaped like a fist. 

Last Christmas I gave him cologne and the bottle is shaped like a fist. 

When you want to have a good laugh with your Great-Great-Great…Aunt,

Look into the drawer that’s sure to enchant. 

The Great-Great-Great...Aunt is a quote from one of his favorite movies, The Emperor's New Groove, and it led him straight to our movie drawer. 

It’s not too hard on your eardrum,

But still has a big pendulum. 

His sisters and mom gave us a Cinderella clock along with the movie, and it has a pendulum. That one was pretty easy. 

Our two loud twins that spin and spin,

Be careful opening the one, or you might hit your shin. 

Washer and dryer. 

A picture of us as we lay in the grass,

The joy that we felt, no one can surpass.

Our engagement picture on a picnic blanket I made in the grass. 

Here I store what I sew, shorter than a dress,

Though right now, it’s mostly just a mess. 

I'm making a skirt and my sewing basket is a complete mess. 

You ate this for lunch because I forgot to cook,

It’s found in our cold little nook. 

Ramen noodles found in our pantry. 

Before we make pizza, a mess we must clean,

I know you’ll do it for me because I’m your queen. 

(Just kidding I’ll help you)

A few days ago we made pizza and made a mess in the oven. I forgot I had to bake his cake though, so the oven was too hot to put the clue inside. That and the fact that he'd forgotten about the mess made this one really hard for him, so I had to help him out. 

Underneath our welcome mat,

This whole time a clue has sat.

I loved this one! I shut the door as soon as he walked out and ran and hid!

Where did I go? Where could I be?

Stop playing games and come find me!

And that was it! Kellan had a blast going through it all and after, we made pizza and had cake. Yum!

Home Sweet Home Kitchen Tour

We've been gone from our house for about half our married time what with all the holidays, events and whatnot, so being back at home and knowing we'll stay here without wandering away (till February) feels so good!

Christmas break in California was just the vacation I needed and after we got back I got in full gear cleaning and decorating, mostly decorating, the house and finishing up those projects I had set on the back burner. I figured now, while the house is clean for pictures, would be the perfect opportunity to show you all!

Let's start with the kitchen because that's what has suffered the most of my DIY project mania.

The dining area.
Those boxes have since been unpacked & put away. No tripping hazards now.

The W K M ampersand sign & birds were all from or originally for our wedding!

But what I'm most excited to share is the newest addition to the floating shelf family.

Can you find it??

The water jar I picked up yesterday from a thrift store. One dollar plus some decal magic and I have me a beautiful French typography jar; score!

Though the water jar is my latest decal victim, it was not my first.  I found this on a blog and just had to recreate it, so after one failed attempt and another that I just didn't love, I got it right.

I just love them & they're the perfect size because we bake so much.

After that the kitchen just sort of revolves around our KitchenAid, especially in it's color scheme. So I fashioned up some small memo boards with cork, canvas, and fabric to match.

Yup, I sneaked in another photo of the jars. Can you tell I really like them?

Here they are all hung up and pretty. I think I'm going to add a row of wine corks to the bottom of the red boards for more pinning space.

Well, that's the gist of my kitchen project revamp for now. Our next big priority is finding a movable cart with a butcher block top to put where the trashcan is now for some added counter space, and at some future point I'm considering trading in our wicker seat bottoms for some padded cushion seats...we'll see if that last one ever happens.