Summerness

This summer would usually be all about a big trip with my family off sailing somewhere fabulously exotic. But life doesn't always turn out as planned (newsflash! sponsored by me), so we're rolling with it. We've been pouring our pennies into other adventures equally exciting and scary but not nearly as scenic or relaxing. Even though we're sticking close to home I haven't given up on summer fun completely. My bucket list is growing fast; time to put the Go/Make/Try/Learn/Do of summerness into action.* It already feels like the warm days are fleeting, doesn't it? I figure if I check off even 1/4 of these things come September it will have been the most fantastic summer ever. 

Summerness 2011

• Try a new flavor of shaved ice/beyond coconut/really, you can do it!
• Take a day off of work, and do nothing
• Make homemade strawberry ice cream
• Sit and relax by the pool at least three times/don't be intimidated by bikini bodies
• Enjoy a campfire up the canyon
• Roast marshmallows and of course make s'mores
• Play bocce ball/win
• H-Rock walks every mornin
• Take a day trip to Eden, visit the Trappist Monastery
• Host a Sunday Brunch
• Take a cooking class
• Spend an entire weekend in Park City
• Try a new restaurant, or five
• Eat outside as much as possible
• Make homemade salsa/eat the whole bowl
• Paint the bedrooms/or hire someone to do it for you
• Eat squeaky cheese
• Get a little tiny bit tan/but never sun burned
• Try wearing hats more?
• Learn two new pieces on the piano/practice the piano
• Perfect the Swiss-meringue buttercream
• Write postcards from Salt Lake to friends who live elsewhere
• Take a drive to Oakley and stop for onion rings at the Road Island Diner
• Jump in a mountain lake/clothing optional
• Go on a long bike ride with BD
• Have a Sunday picnic in the park
• Wear skirts to work
• Read/listen to Water for Elephants 
• Splurge on good sushi
• Drive out to the Spiral Jetty
  
• Walk to church
• Throw a frisbee 
• Go to an outdoor concert or play
• Make 600 mini wedding cupcakes with Brook
• Play tennis/make Coach proud!
• See the movie "Super 8" in a theater
• Shop at the farmers market
• Go camping or backpacking/don't forget Advil PM
• Go hiking in Big Cottonwood Canyon
• Bake chocolate chip cookies/eat cookie dough
• Organize your recipe collection into three-ringed binders
• Sleep with the windows open
• Always have berries in your fridge
• Or watermelon
• Host a BBQ on the patio/eat a cheeseburger without guilt
• Find the most comfy pair of flip-flops and buy them
• Watch "Friday Night Lights" on Saturday mornings

 *I'm happy to report that since I started this list several weeks ago I've nibbled off at least eight chunks of summerness already. Life is beautiful. Especially when bullet-pointed.

San Diego & BD's New/Old Benz

BD has been on the hunt for a cheap commuter car that can get him to work and back a few times per week. You know, for those days when cycling 45 miles to the office just isn't convenient. I knew he had found the one when I received a g-chat that simply read:
"we need to talk"
 {long pause}
 "it's about a car"
A few days later we were in San Diago and ready to drive it home! And well, since it was in San Diego, CA and not Nowheresville, USA I tagged along for some weekend adventure. Meet Bruce.

1984 Mercedez-Benz 190d ("d" stands for diesel and for duh! that is all BD will drive)

You see that? That is the face of a happy boy with a new toy. That is also the face of an embarrassed man whose wife is standing smack in the middle of a busy road taking a picture of him leaning against an old car. Wait, would I get more blog-cred if I used the word "vintage" instead? Bruce is nearly as vintage as we are and surprisingly needs minimal work, but has enough small projects to keep BD thoroughly occupied and happily tinkering.
Once the car was officially ours it became clear after just a few hours that this vehicle was, for sure, a male. You just know. We threw around some names, but Bruce has ultimately stuck. (runner up: Run-DMC). Why Bruce? Let me break it down:

• Bruce is a classy name; fit only for classy guys (my Uncle Bruce!) or in this case, a classy car.
• Bruce was kindofabigdeal in 1984! Not unlike a certain Bruce Springsteen.
• If Bruce could he would be sporting a knit square-end tie and wayfarers (both items I believe BD should incorporate into his wardrobe asap) to coordinate with those tan pleather seats.
• Bruce's personality is clearly laid-back and practical, which is easy to be when your automatic sunroof still works and you squeeze an impressive 40 mpg. Nicely done Bruce, nicely done.

6.11.11 Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA

The name fits, doesn't it? We spent our weekend in San Diego getting to know Bruce and sourcing out the best fish tacos. When in Rome, right? We also went running along the Sunset Cliffs, watched a paddle-surfing competition, devoured banana bread french toast, played a bit of tennis, and utilized all the free stuff our hotel could offer. The trip home was interesting without A/C. I assure you that chocolate milkshake from In-n-Out was for my survival only. Nothing like a drive through the desert with the windows down to remind you of just how high-maintenance you really are.

My New Favorite Thing?

Custom-created trail-mix! Thanks to Sunflower Markets for having a huge array of bulk goodies to choose from. Perfect for a quick gift that you can customize to someone's personal tastes. Start with your basic nut and/or fruit blend, then add those specialty items you know they'll die for. Chocolate cinnamon bears for her, peanut butter pretzels for him, chocolate cherry sours for you, yogurt chips for everyone! Mix it up, bag it up, and then give it away. Because as it turns out this stuff is not low cal.

Sweet Exchange

This morning a friend and fellow orchid lover sent me a picture with simple text: thinking of you. Three words embedded with a thousand more considering the bittersweet history of our connection. We've exchanged love stories of our potted plants before, how they brighten our soul and so forth. I replied with a picture. We do this every bloom. It was such a sweet gesture and took the sting out of Monday.

J's Orchid

G's Orchid

Yes, totally obsessing with Instagram at the moment. Really fun. Really addicting. Really. Really. Really.

Her life in iPhone pics

5.4.11 Street Tacos are back

5.4.11 Spring lunch time walks

5.7.11 Midway Family Bonner Home (for sale)

5.13.11 barefoot on green grass

5.26.11 Afternoon at the theater-marvelous!

5.30.11 Specs

6.2.11 Pool's open! Waiting for sunshine

6.4.11 First snow cones of the season

His life in Android (traitor) pics

4.9.11 The Fiat in the US!

5.2.11 Jetta hit 200k miles

5.6.11 Rover Land

5.11.11 Vintage Benz

5.19.11 Deuce and a half

5.21.11 Glitretind, mmmm

5.22.11 Hotel hopping

6.4.11 Boys love trains

Refreshing: Janelle Monáe

This is a brief pause from our regularly scheduled programming. As a rule, I don't use this site for pimping out anyone (besides me! duh) or any thing but now and again something comes along that requires it some pimping. Like her.

photo

I'm totally loving on Janelle Monáe. Her sound is smart and the content is original; it's about something. Her style is all her own. And the girl can mooooove. This video is my favorite. Please watch it; 5 million other people have. I tried some of those moves this afternoon. in my office. with the door closed. but with my chunky Frye heels on the tightrope didn't work out so smooth. Yeah, we all know it wasn't just the shoes, but...it was worth a shot. I'll stick to shuffling paper around my desk for now.

I'm typically a day late keeping up with the what-y-whats and who-de-whos (cue Jen!) in the world of HIP* and I know she's been around. You might remember her (or the hair) from the Grammy's. But she's new to me! And if she's new to you too, dive in my friend. By that I mean download.

*It's probably totally un-hip to even use the word hip. Like, if you're HIP you wouldn't demean the image by saying it because to be effectively un-hip is really to be decidedly hip? It's so confusing to be cool! If anyone knows, fill me in.