Awwwww

That's right...its official, eight years. Who knew it would fly by just like that. In order to avoid too much cheese, I will make it short and sweet. At the time, that was the happiest day of my life. I had waited and planned and prepared to marry someone not only worthy but worthy of me (no not vain, but a girl has to have standards)...finally it was here. I could not have been any happier then that day...

And then followed innumerable happiest moments, innumerable happiest days. Yes at the time, August 25, 2001 at 8:20 am (yes AM!) was the happiest day of my life. However, now it is one of the happiest memories of my life and to that has been added an abundance of happiest memories over these past eight years.

Here is to eight years of happiest days.

Eight of My Favorite Memories of 8.25.01

in no particular order

1.getting ready in a cold bath because I had no hot water

2.the long drive to Salt Lake City just waiting to see you

3.the Salt Lake City Temple

4.having friends and family there

5.you grabbing my toukus while we were taking pictures

6.getting lost trying to find a grocery store before honeymoon

7. baowm chick-a-wah-wah

MOST FAVORITE

8. marrying you

Recipe Thursdays

I am getting rid of my "recipe box" here in the blog. I was super ambitious when I thought I could keep up on three recipe blogs. Seriously, what was I thinking. So they are gone. In their place is Recipe Thursdays. I know you are probably jumping up and down with excitement.

First installment is an easy and sinful one. A couple months ago I came across the idea of doing a cookie dough cupcake (yes I drooled a little bit the first time I heard it too). As Spencer and I were deciding what event we could use as an excuse to make these, he piped up, "hey don't you think it would be better if it were cookie dough in a brownie instead?" Bells went off, the heavens sang, and it was reaffirmed why I married this man. Brownies and cookie dough...PERFECT!

So here is an easy pretty much recipe free sweet treat. Enjoy.

Cookie Dough Meet Brownie

1 batch of your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe
1 box mix of your favorite ooey gooey brownie (Use 2 mixes if you want to use all of your cookie dough for this)
Prepared cream cheese frosting (store or yours)
Chocolate chips
1. Make cookie dough. Roll into small balls and then freeze. Let freeze for several hours. You will need the dough really frozen in order to still have dough consistency in brownie. If you do not let it freeze enough you will have a dry cookie center instead of lucious gooeyness.
2. When dough has been frozen long enough, prepare brownie mix. Spray a cupcake tin generously. You could use liners, but it is prettier with out. Fill each cupcake mold about a third. Take out cookie dough balls and put them in the center of each cupcake. Use the rest of the batter to cover up each cookie dough ball. The ball shape will still be visible. Just play with it so that it is as covered up as you can get it.
3. Bake at recommended temperature for brownies. Since you are cooking brownie cupcakes and not bar brownies, the cooking time will vary from the instructions. Use the smallest time suggestion...but watch them. If you over bake your brownie...well first you have an over baked brownie and who wants that...second you have a dry cookie center. Nobody wants that.
4. Let cool. Feel free to add to the sugary delight with a cream cheese frosting garnish with some whole or shaved milk chocolate chips.
5. Put the kids to bed, find a happy place, and fell no shame as you devour 1...okay maybe 2 of these delightful babies.

Dumpster Diving AND In the Works

Every day I wake up and make up lists of the things I need to get done and then the list of the the fun things I would like to get done.

Every night I go to bed with the list of things I need to get done only half-way done and the list of fun things I would like to get done sadly tossed aside waiting for yet another day.

I am in the works of trying to put together my first tutorial...I know we'll see if it happens.

I am in the works of finishing up some really cute projects to share.

I am in the works of editing some photos that I took of my kids in an I-wanna-be-a-photographer-moment.

"In the works" for me is turning into... "remember that fun thing you were going to do 2 months ago.."

BUT a time and a season. So while I wait for time to finish all my fun projects I will just be glad that the house is clean (sort of) the boys are happy (most of the time) and I am showered!

On the "boys are happy" note I will let you know that I have done something I have never done before...I took something from a recycling dumpster. Nothing antique-y or kitchy...but something that sure added to that "boys are happy" business.

I found this:

Reaction to my trash treasure (yes he is in his underwear):

Can I Be Like You When I Grow Up?

I love the blogging world for many reason. I love that I can have an online journal. I love that I can keep in the know with my friends. I love that I can share/get great ideas. I love seeing how really creative women spend their time.

I might also envy quite a few of these awesome individuals...which leads me to a little bit of blog stalking.

Here are three new sites that I pretty much adore.

Sensibly Styled - A site that puts together some really cute modest outfits AND then tells you where you can buy them.

Made - super cute sewing site

My Food Storage Deals - pretty self explanatory

I am only 20% jealous that these woman have managed to put together a blog that is is so useful and allows them to share their talents. Some day I too will grow up and get my creative blog on to get a main stream following and become a guru in something...how to look good in your pjs all day maybe?

YW Projects and Posts

I know I have a couple of friends in the Young Women's program. Sometimes it seems impossible to come up with new fun, yet meaningful, activities. This is the third ward I have been in YW's. I absolutely love it. I always want to make sure I am offering creative and thoughtful lessons, activities, handouts, etc.

WELL I have decided that a couple times a month I am going to post some YW ideas, whether they be something I have done or something I have come across that I want to do. There are tons of really fun ideas out there and some really awesome/creative women who come up with them. So let's start spreading the love.

For this post I am going to share two projects and one idea.

First, a bracelet that was made out of washers. This projects has moved rapidly around the blogging universe. In fact, I can't even remember which site I originally got it from. However, it was really easy. Here are the basics (and someday I will plan ahead enough in advance to show pics like a real grown up tutorial)--

Supplies:

washers (I used 1/4 inch washers, they make them in all sizes)

hemp cord

jewelry fasteners

scrap paper

wooden beads

diamond glaze (find it at craft stores)

jewelry glue

spray adhesive or mod podge

1. Trace out pattern of washer on the backside of paper (so pencil lines don't show up on pretty side). Cut it out.

2. Use spray adhesive on washer then place paper on it pretty side up. Let it set for a little bit.

3. Apply diamond glaze. Outlining edges first and then carefully filling in (yes here is where a picture would have been helpful).

HARD PART- Your project has to sit still for 3 days fully allowing diamond glaze to set up.

4. Measure ankle/wrist, be generous, then triple. Cut the length in half. Fold each half in half and then loop on each side of washer. Then string on a bead on each side.

5. Attach your fasteners to end of hemp.

How you attach will vary on the fasteners you bought. Also, your method of attaching them might be different than mine. I tied on, trimmed and then glued the ends to make sure they stayed.

There is your pretty bracelet.

On to the second thing for the week. I had five Laurels leaving us and going to college (boo hoo). We decided to have a class bbq for them to say good bye. I also wanted to give them a little going away present. I decided to make them little half aprons. There is no how-to for this one. First because I always kind of fly by the seat of my pants. Two because most of you sew better than I do.

All I will say is this...you can totally do something like this with out a pattern. Just buy a yard of something cute and grab a little bit of some coordinating fabrics. Mess around with how you want it to look and then just sew the sucker together.

So here is my lovely little half apron.

On a side note, we played a funny game at the bbq. It was called a wet t-shirt contest...no I am not that kind of leader. It was called that because you take big t-shirts get them wet, fold them up and then freeze them. The contest is who can pull theirs a part and put it on the fastest. It was pretty stinking funny.
There are some of my YW project/activities for the last month. I hope that these ideas helped someone in the blogosphere. I also hope that any marvelous YW ideas you have come my way too.
PS In September we are doing a month of activities geared towards learning about and gaining a testimony of Joseph Smith. Please feel free to let me know of any ideas you might have.