Dear Easter Bunny

If you are reading this please take note of this beautiful copper bowl that I promise to love and cherish until death do us part. It's so gorgeous I can barely stand it. Happy Easter baking everyone!

Brownie Points

I happened to be married to a self-proclaimed Brownie Aficionado. Seriously, for a guy who couldn't find a cake pan in the kitchen if his life depended on it...he sure knows his brownies. It's pretty much guaranteed that BD is on the hunt for some homemade brownies about twice a week to satisfy a mysterious sweet tooth he claims doesn't exist. Riiiight. His cousin brought some brownies to a recent family gathering and well, they literally blew BD away. He asked about them for weeks. When I realized the pleading wasn't going to stop, I asked for the recipe. And I've been scoring brownie points (har har) with BD ever since. Thanks Bine!

MUST TRY. EASIEST. BEST. BROWNIES. EVER.

You'll need:
1 box of your favorite brownie mix-enough to make a 9x13 inch baking dish
3 large Symphony Toffee bars

Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions including eggs, water, and oil. Pour HALF the mixture into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Place the 3 candy bars directly on top of the brownie mixture. Pour the remaining HALF of the mixture right over the top and smooth to the edges. I told you it was easy. What is my finger doing in this picture? It's scared stiff thinking OMG I have chocolate goop on myself again...and OH NO! She's going to do it, she's going to stick me in that dark slobbery hole and lick me with her tongue.

Bake brownies as directed. For this batch, I kept mine in the oven for about 5 minutes longer until the edges were nice and crispy just to be sure the middle was cooked enough. But that might be my antique oven talking. Let them cool down completely, and then some more. You want to give them ample time to cool so the chocolate layer inside can semi-firm up again, otherwise you will have a huge gooey mess when you cut into them. Not that that's such a bad thing.

And...try not to attack your computer right now because of this close-up picture. But really, I wouldn't blame you, not even a little bit. Talk about being tranquilized...

This video is making me thristy

But then again, I've watched it 6 times in a row.
Please have a moment of Schweppervescence, on me.

And...you're welcome.

Pillow Talk

Some of our best conversations as a married couple seem to happen in those late night hours laying in bed, attempting to relax into sleep. However, this is also the time when BD's mind is fast at work conjuring up the wildest of ideas at which Wifey, played by me, affectionately puts down so she can get to sleep sooner. This is not effective. Many conversations open a flood gate of political filibuster, religious declamation, and he said/she said gossip. Inevitably, BD will get out of bed to Wiki something that Wifey may or may not be right or wrong about. For example, last night as I was finishing up a chapter in my current book, I came across a word I did not immediately recognize; pugnacious, used to describe a gentleman's facial demeanor. I inquired BD if he knew while reading to him the context of the word. He confidently responded, "it means your face looks like a pug, all squished up, like this" and he proceeded to squish his face up, like that. "No, it doesn't," I quipped back, immediately calling his bluff. BD conceded his defeat and was off to the computer to verify pugnacious with the all-knowing Gods of the Internets.A few moments later from the other room he bellows as if I'm three stories below "IT MEANS "FEELING OR DISPLAYING EAGERNESS TO FIGHT, SEE BELLIGERENT." Since then Wifey's face has been referred to as pugnacious at least a half dozen times, as well as various body parts of mine that I will not mention here. Most often our Pillow Talk conversations leave one of us, and sometimes both, in a state of inconsolable laughter. And when we finally realize that sleep has been completely taken off the table, we rally in the kitchen; a hot cup of chamomile for her and a heaping plate of nachos for him. I only wish I had started writing this all down sooner, you know, for posterity. And just to clarify, I do realize that we are the only ones who will think any of this is at all funny. I'm still debating how much I actually want to share here, as this is a "family" blog.

Unless otherwise noted, what I write is pretty much verbatim.

Concluding a brief discussion about diabetes and the imminent dangers that loom in both our genetic heritage:
BD: Kin, I don't want to get fat...
Wifey: You eat like at HORSE.
BD: I know that. Thanks, Captain Obvious.

Wifey (AKA Kin, AKA me) now answers only to pugnacious Capt'n O.

Guess what time of year it is?

Time to start stockpiling these.

Philly, Represent

Here's Dan teaching us how to keep it real in Philly South. We are such naturals. For a bunch of cracka's.

Marco!

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not one for loungin' around the pool all day, but this made me smile...

SLC Photo Tour

Spent the afternoon with Cole and Jessie fine tuning our photo skills in downtown. Great experience using rented lenses from Pictureline to see what we can do with different kinds of glass. We had lots of great shots but whittled it down to 10 of our favs. If anyone wants to come along next time, we learned a lot from each other.

Armed and Dangerous

Urban Cowboy

Installation ArtAn American InstitutionHello?Insert Actor Here:Hot, Hot HydrantWifey
A Moment
Boston Buildings

all that i heart - day 14

...and most of all I heart My Valentine!

BD,Love, wifey

all that i heart - day 13

I heart Friends! "What do we live for if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?" - George Eliot. This is the role of friendship. I've been so lucky to have the greatest friends in the world. You hear that? In the world. My closest friends I've had for over a decade, and some even since elementary school. They know me inside and out and for better or for worse, we're still friends after all this time.
I was going to send you all on a trip (for free!) down memory lane and post a bunch of pictures from High School and Jr. High, but I forgot to get those pictures from my mom's house over the weekend. Now don't get your panties in a twist, because I realize that some BFF's are missing from my wedding picture and, no, this doesn't mean that I haven't forgiven you for not being there, it just means that I don't have a picture of you. These girls have been my saving rock time and time again. And they let me kiss and slobber all over their little babies which I am eternally grateful for.Along the yellow brick road of my life I've picked up more friends, or bosom buddies, as I refer to them. Roommates, BYU friends (or friend, because really I had just 1), work friends, Salt Lake friends, you get the point. A new friendship is better than anything because it's one more person in the world who you can share your life with. Because let's face it, if I sent BD this link he would be like "what? is that cool or something?" And I would roll my eyes and think "ugh. you are such a boy." Which is why I need my BFF's. And if we were all together at this very moment, this is the point where I would request we all do the wave. OK, I'll start...
So, here's to you, friends of mine, (and you know who you are) I salute you. And I heart you all!
P.S. I wish I had a picture of us doing fun hilarious girl things, but I don't, so just pretend I do. Kisses.

all that i heart - day 12

I heart Making! By no means am I Martha you-know-who, but I do love making things with my hands because it gives me a small sense of pride to create something special and have fun while doing it. Ahem, we won't mention all those unfinished disaster projects lurking under my bed. I'm trying to forget about those in hopes that they'll just disappear and I won't feel guilty about the wasted money. Right. Tonight I made these yummy little Valentine's for some friends in my neighborhood. (Don't you wish you were in my neighborhood? I do.) This Valentine's craft was fast, easy, and cheap and therefore fit snuggly with my schedule, ability, and budget.
Here's what you'll need:

• Candy (yum!) of your liking
  
• 3 x 3 x 3 inch clear plastic boxes. I found these at Xpedx for .75 cents each.
  
• Ribbon
• A Valentine note. I printed mine on sticker paper just because I had some handy and because sticker paper is the best ever.
  
• Glue dots to secure your ribbon. Have you ever used glue dots? I'm totally obsessed! They are my new favorite thing in my craft corner.
  
• Scissors

It's so fun to make and especially fun to receive a special homemade Valentine. Happy Valentine Making!

all that i heart - day 11

I heart Chocolate! Honestly, I was really really trying hard to avoid posting about chocolate. I think I've made it perfectly clear over the last few days that I'm overly and unfortunately passionate about all the wrong foods. This is why I need therapy. Lots and lots of expensive therapy.It's a girl thing, chocolate. Case in point: I bite into a slice of something dark and sinfully decadent and a noise comes out of my throat that immediately brings shame upon my family. I come to, just in time to find a look of pure bewilderment sweeping across BD's face. So I put down the fork and touch his leg trying to rescue the situation by ESP-ing "no babe, I love you more" with my eyes. I'm not complaining. BD is a perfectly amazing husband who, after I have torn every last item out of the kitchen cupboards and still have found no worthy chocolate, will oblige me by driving nearly 20 miles to Dairy Queen in Centerville for a dipped cone because they have a drive-through and I'm refusing to wear shoes at the moment.

Today I witnessed dear friends bury their first-born infant son. So much sorrow. So much heartbreak. So much I don't know what to say. I wanted to hug them both forever to let them know how much I care. And how much I desperately want to know the right things to say. And how I know I never will. And through all my blubbering and tears while Alex held my hand I thought if I only had some chocolate to give her, then she'd know, and I then wouldn't have to say what I can't seem to say at all.

all that i heart - day 10

I heart my Grandmothers! Indeed, I have a special place in my heart for both of my grandmothers. Two amazing women who in retrospect taught me more about life than I dare to comprehend. Both led amazing lives riddled with hard ships and happiness just like the rest of us. But I think there is something about grandmothers that makes them the most important people you will ever care to know. I was lucky to spend ample time with both grandmothers as a child. My mother worked, so when we were out of school for the summer my brother and I were farmed out to the grandma's. I have such fond memories of these times. And I'm trying desperately not to forget them as I get older (gulp).Grandma Muir (left) - swimming at the pool, fudge pops on the patio, scrabble-just the two of us, watching her put on her artificial leg, feeling her soft white skin, chocolate licorice, watching her crochet, ping pong, her charm and her unbelievable way of making me feel like the most loved person in the world.
Grandma Richman (right) - picking raspberries, working in her yard, playing in the canal, Oreos, making real mud pies, taking the bus to ZCMI in downtown Salt Lake, her cooking, her rose garden, her aprons and house shoes, her big blue car, her wit and always pushing me to do better because she believed I could.

all that i heart - day 9

I heart a low-key weekend

long week
drained
Friday night take-out
finally
home together
stretched out on the couch
no plans
just us
dishing about life
laughing at re-runs
pajamas a must
no socks
holding hands
quick
look, the sun is fading
watching a movie
don't let me fall asleep
trying not to fall asleep
falling asleep
no alarm
peaceful quiet night
new day
recharged
thank heavens

all that i heart - day 8

I heart Cake Pedestals! Because everything looks better on a pedestal (yes, even me). I'm a lucky girl to have received a couple plates for birthday gifts and I've managed to purchase a few irresistibles myself, shocking I know. My little collection of cake pedestals began imposing on what little storage space we have here...so I started trying to hide them into my decor. Now I've become so attached to my cake plates that my decor revolves around them. My new thing is seeking out vintage cake pedestals from antique shops and thrift stores. It's super fun to be on the hunt for something I'm sure to heart for years to come.

***Giveaway***

Leave me a comment by midnight on Sunday and you'll be entered to win this kee-ute new Easter-green Ruffle Cake Pedestal from Pottery Barn. I found this darling pedestal today and thought it was a must-have for Easter, which is just around the corner. Perfect for displaying along with your favorite Easter decor or for serving your best White Chocolate Easter Cake.

Good luck!