saying goodbye to november.

11.30.2011

well it's been an eventful month with it's ups and it's downs, but now that it's all over, i can truly say that the ups certainly outweighed the downs.
The highlight of the month (and maybe the year) most definitely being at the sealing of my sweet niece, Coco. 
After two years of anxiously waiting and waiting for the adoption papers to be finalized, we can now finally call her OURS (read more about the adoption here)! 
It was so sweet to be in the temple with my family and hear the tender words of the sealer about families, our lives in heaven and our lives together here on earth, God has a plan for each of us and sometimes families come together in less conventional ways, but they always come together just right. I'm so grateful for family and the opportunity we have to make it forever.
To celebrate Coco's "Baby Wedding" as Reachel liked to call it, she threw the cutest carnival themed party I have ever seen. There were Italian sodas, cotton candy machines, homemade pretzels, caramel apples, live music, and a photo-booth. It was so much fun! I wish you all could have been there, truly!
I continued to celebrate my birthday until the VERY last day of the month, with my free birthday meal from Benihana, topped off with strawberry Haagen-Daz ice-cream,
 And a couples massage (a gift from Marcus) to wipe away the stress of the month. Can I please have one of these weekly? SO RELAXING!
We're still working like mad on the house and still spending more time than I ever thought possible at The Home Depot. I came home from a long day working Black Friday and all my brother in laws were tearing walls down in my kitchen. It was so nice of them!
 Bought a 1960s couch, found some treasures at a patio sell, and got a key made for the new place :)
Babysat this little dude a few times and fell in love all over again!
Can I have him please?
 Not only do they have adorable kids that I love to babysit, but their house is a piece of art!
Spent time with the Nielson in-laws and my horse shirt really liked Stephanie's mouse shirt, so we let them cuddle on the couch after thanksgiving dinner.
 Speaking of Thanksgiving Dinner, did you eat way too much like I did?
 Then go to your second families house immediately after and have to eat again?
If that's not a #firstworldpain, I don't know what is...
I hope your November was simply lovely, and I hope your December will be even better!
Can you tell me your November highlights?

check here to see if you won the PoshLocket giveaway!

getting things done.

11.29.2011

Sometimes you just have to yell to your husband to be a man and impress you and then suddenly he can lift really heavy furniture from your IKEA cart into your car and again all they way up the stairs into your bedroom. 
Then you kiss him real good and tell him how strong he is, and then everyone feels happy. 
YIPPEE!

real beds > inflatable mattresses*

p.s. last chance to enter this $35 giveaway!

an unwelcome dinner guest.

11.28.2011

We were all seated around the table, the whole family and few other guests, having a lovely time discussing things we learned at church, highlights of our week, and cats flying out of airplanes when suddenly i jumped from my chair, wiggling my head about in a raving manner.
The company was taken aback. I exclaimed that there must be a bug in my ear as i ran to the bathroom with my head atilt.
People whispered their personal doubts and Marcus finally was at my side looking in my ear, finding nothing and explaining to me that it was surely just an unruly hair, bent on reeking havoc on our dinner party. 
I spent some time trying to rinse out my ear with water while my sister, Leisel Googled what one does when experiencing such an atrocity. 
The first suggestion was to go in a dark room and hold a flashlight to your ear-- seemed to make sense, since most bugs are attracted to light, but nothing came of it.
At this point I actually began to believe that maybe it really was just a pesky hair and that I was just being paranoid. 
But as I walked about I kept feeling something was amiss.
The second remedy was warm oil. 
I was standing at the microwave waiting for the oil to cool a bit when suddenly things got more ticklish and uncomfortable than ever. I squealed and yelled for someone to take a gander when Leisel (the only one who actually believed me) came just in time to see an tiny ant crawling on out of its cozy, cushioned hide-away. She grabbed it with her spry little fingers and held it high for all to see.
I've never felt more justified in all my life.

Or more violated.
When it comes to bugs in strange places, always trust oneself.

23, if I did the math right.

11.26.2011

this week i celebrated my birthday by waking up at 5AM to go into work. i believe that breaks some law of conduct--working on your birthday, but none the less, that is indeed what i did. luckily starting so early also allowed me to get off rather early and I met up with my sister for my free birthday lunch at a favorite restaurant, Liberty Market (i'll never go there without thinking about this story). 
She then took my to Anthropologie and let me pick out three charms for a necklace from her, becky and doreen. it was lovely!
my bff jenny surprised me with a humungous and acclaimed cookbook so i can prepare for our many dinner parties in the future, but what i liked most was her hand painted and ever so sweet card!
oh, and this!
lizzy made me my favorite BTS Cake and i blew out ALL my candles in one blow!
i had to beat sister in law leone to it, evidently she has a natural reflex to blow out candles as soon as they're lit ;)
immediately after cake, marcus took me out to a restaurant i've been dying to try, because one, i love great pizza, but mostly because i heard they had dessert crepes.
why yes, i will eat a giant piece of BTS cake, then eat half a pizza, the devour my free dessert crepe without a second thought. that's what birthdays are for, no?
after dinner i came home opened a few presents from marcus, read my facebook wishes and was so grateful for good friends in my life. it was a wonderful birthday and i feel silly for worrying so much about it. 
Do you have any special birthday traditions you feel like sharing?
i love to hear about old family traditions!

{Tunes} on Tuesday: going once, going twice...

11.22.2011

I wore it out for date night to the Auction. Have you ever been to one? They're so exciting and remind me of my childhood (my mom loved going!)
It was Marcus' first time and he loved it, I'm sure we'll be back! We got some really great treasures for our new place that i'm seriously giddy over.
He also loved my new dress, it's from this super cute Canadian shop called egocloset (you may remember them from here and here). 
The Breakdown:
Red Cardi: Target
Feather Earrings: Ireland
Vintage Slip: thrifted
Slip Extender: c/o a slip shop
Desert Boots: gift from Marcus via Target

I was singing this song the entire night and when I looked up the music video I didn't know what to do with myself...see for yourself:


A big thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday and for your thoughtful advice! It really helped!

a life update.

11.20.2011

It has been a crazy few weeks. I'm sure I've felt more stressed out at some point in my life (like when i was taking 30 credit-hours, planning a wedding long-distance, and freezing to death in Idaho), but if feels like this is the tops.
I've been working long hours, making endless house decisions, and trying to get our place done so we could move in before Thanksgiving because we will no longer have a bed at the in-laws. 
Leaving me feeling bummed that taking time out to celebrate my birthday like i would like to is just not going to happen this year. 
I even went so far as to beg Marcus to let me change my birthday to March 21st (first day of Spring and official day of the Unicorn) but he wouldn't budge. Apparently he thinks the day in which one enters the world is sort of a final and definite thing...Bah!
I can feel the stress lap over me in a fierce effort to drown out my carefree spirit. 
And frankly, I hate it. 
I know can't let it win, but I'm having a hard time fighting it when my hands are full of everything else. 
Is this what adulthood looks like?
Perhaps it's just something I will grow into and learn to handle better. 
Perhaps 23 is the age that you really do have to grow up and except that life isn't always smooth sailing. 
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps, i just need to take a little time to count my blessings...
I'm also open to any of your suggestions.

marcus sure does have a way with words...

11.17.2011

Marcus: "You look like the girl dog on Lady and The Tramp when they're on the date."
Me: "Uh......?" 
Marcus: "In a good way...She's sassy!"
Apparently my bangs are growing on Marcus, I'm pretty sure that's what he was getting at with the lady and the tramp reference...or perhaps i really did just look like a dog. Who really knows?
target cardi, jcrew factory t-shirst, LOFT cords, loafers c/o wanted, jcrew sale belt, necklace c/o poshlocket
***THE WINNER IS...Amanda Gladd (email me!)


Now for another giveaway(CLOSED)! 
Poshlocket is offering one of my readers a $35 credit to their shop! That's right, pick whatever your little heart loves most. Other than the necklace I'm wearing above, my favorites are these, this and these.
Here's how to enter (only open to google public followers of i believe in unicorns.):
1. visit their shop and tell me what you'd pick.
2. follow poshlocket on twitter or like their facebook.
extra:
3. blog/facebook/tweet about the giveaway (with link).

Also, they're having a pre-black friday promo with this code: BF11 50% off your order!

You can check out if you won the Stella & Dot one right here.

how about a giveaway while i'm away? $50 sound good? CLOSED

11.13.2011

I'm still on a short hiatus, but I decided to pop in and first off, say hello! I'm on the third book now and things are getting rather exciting. I dare say, I like the second book even more than the first and am too early into the third to make a judgement just yet!
But what i'm really here to do is announce this exciting giveaway I alluded to last week. It's from Stella & Dot, this gorgeous jewelry company that has some really great pieces that would make wonderful Christmas gifts!
I own their Aurora cocktail ring and Marcus is pretty sure it has magical powers...
Enter to win a $50 credit to use toward anything in their shop:
1. Go to Stella & Dot and let me know what you'd pick if you won.
Extras:
2. tweet/facebook/blog about the giveaway (provide a link)
3. tell me your favorite thing about the holidays

**Congratulations Cait Weingartner, email me within 72 hours to claim your gift certificate!
Thanks for sharing your favorite holiday events everyone! You all got me pumped about the season :)
© i believe in unicorns. Maira Gall.