Harrison Hot Springs

I can't even begin to explain how wonderful Harrison Hot Springs is. It's a place you have to experience for yourself. But let me mention just a few of the reasons why I love it there:

1. It's only 1/2 an hour from my parents house so leaving our son with them overnight was so convenient.
2. Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa (http://www.harrisonresort.com/)
3. Harrison Lake and the surrounding luscious green areas - so beautiful.
4. The World Sandcastle Competitions (http://www.harrisand.org/)
5. The Black Forest Restaurant
6. Desert, Dancing and Live Entertainment at the Copper Room in the Resort.
7. The 98 degree pools and the enticing hot tub (pictured on their home page).
8. The Spa - ahhh.....
9. The free upgrade to a room on the top floor of the hotel with a breathtaking view of the lake. (Although I must admit a King size bed is almost daunting - it's huge!)
10. The hike to Bridal Veil Falls.

I honestly can't wait to go back to Harrison. It was the most enjoyable, relaxing weekend and I miss it there already. I was honestly concerned about spending that much money on a hotel. I didn't want to walk away feeling like we paid way more than it was worth. I'll admit in the end I still think it was a lot of money BUT I also feel like it was worth every penny.

(I know, I know - some of you are thinking: "She's actually posting pictures? What?" In my defense I just loaded 3 months {translate: 369 pictures} worth of pictures onto the computer. So maybe other pictures will actually be popping up soon too...)

Links...

OK - these sites are just a few sites I had up on my screen today....

http://www.etsy.com/ Handmade crafts anyone? I've seriously been considering selling my own crafts here. I wonder how much I should charge?

http://www.reallchic.com/ I really want to order the soaps and candles this company makes. I mean - when it looks so good you want to eat it - how can you resist?

http://www.inkandspindle.com/ Right now they only have the blog going - but here you will be able to order hand printed textiles. (I believe you will also be able to have your own design printed! How cool is that?)

http://www.cocomyles.com/ This company makes bridesmaids/formal dresses. You choose the top and the bottom style, the fabric, the color, and a few additional things. (They have 4 tops styles with sleeves!) The prices are amazing. This is perfect for weddings with several bridesmaids because you can reserve fabric bolts so the fabric for all the dresses matches perfectly. The other fun thing is all the bridesmaids could choose their own style of dress but match the fabric.

http://www.personalizationmall.com/ I love ordering things from this company. I have a canvas picture of my husband holding our son on his Blessing Day with a poem I wrote. Tons of people have asked where I got it - this is the site. It's a great way to personalize something.

Celebrating Forever with My Love!

Back before I had any idea of who or when I would marry I already knew where. It would be in an LDS Temple. I remember explaining to a friend of mine why it was so important for me to marry in the temple. Here's sort of how it went:

Friend: "What is the temple all about anyway? I mean, it's like a castle, so pretty, but what do you do there?"

Me: "Well, one of my favorite parts about the temple is that we perform marriages there. It's not like a normal civil marriage, the couple is married for eternity not just time. We believe that we live forever so it only makes sense to be married to the one you love for eternity."

Friend: "Oh, How Romantic!" (Now it's not just what she said but how she said it. Imagine her voice dripping in pure delight and slowly emphasizing each word.)

At this point her phone rang and the conversation ended (we were working at a call center).

I'll admit her reply had me surprised. Most people don't know how to respond when I tell them about temple marriage. They are shocked by the idea of being married forever. For them, just being married for this life is a long time. So when she thought it was romantic I was really intrigued as to why. I had never connected temple marriage and romance together. I'm not sure why - but she's right. It is romantic. When I married my husband August 20, 2005 in the Seattle Temple it was such a wonderful experience. What made it even better was knowing that he was going to be with me for eternity!

3 years have gone by - and quickly. I can't believe how fast it's gone. I'm so glad we have forever together or I'd seriously be panicking about not having enough time in this life. My husband is my best friend, he's my greatest support, and he is the most wonderful man I know. Not only that, but he is an awesome father too. Who could ask for more? Being married for eternity helps us to have a different perspective on our marriage. We don't want to get out, we want to make each other happy and we work hard to make our marriage better. So when 3 years have gone by and I can say I love my husband more than ever it makes me so happy! It sure helps to know he feels the same way.

Here's to us love, and our eternity together!

When your room feels like a Mexican Restaurant...

I studied color theory in my Interior Design class. I know how important color choice can be and how different colors can be influential. But I wasn't prepared for the difference a subtle cream undertone could make.
I chose our paint colors for our Master Bedroom. It took forever, perhaps because I'd already chosen colors for every other room in the house - so when I finally chose a cream with a red accent wall I was so relieved it was over. Unfortunately I didn't double check the cream color before I painted the whole room. I finished it and stood back and thought there was something off. Then I decided it was just that I didn't really like the red. The next day I decided it was definitely the red, the cream just didn't work with it. The cream looked too orange and it was making me feel like the room was a restaurant, not a romantic room.
So I decided I would rather repaint one wall. I grab my paint fan, pull out the green that was choice #2 and put it up to the cream. It didn't go either. How odd. I knew the cream was supposed to go with either one - in case we decided we didn't like the red. I was so confused. I whipped out the cream chip at that point. The cream on the wall seemed off, by just a little. Why? So I double checked the can. It was the wrong color. Argh. What do I do? We got the cream replaced with the correct color.
So today the room is cream (the brown based cream, not orange based) with a red accent wall. It looks fantastic - no longer a Mexican Restaurant. Hurray!
I just have to finish up the red accent wall. We're striping it with gloss/flat in the same color. I'll let you know how that goes.

More Free Patterns

So another one of my favorite fabric designers - Heather Bailey - has a new free pattern. I never thought I could drool over a pincushion pattern - and yet here I am drooling. Hope you all enjoy!

The sidebar on her blog has other free patterns and tutorials as well!

http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/

A little about me Mosaic Style

1. Maggie's, 2. Empanada!, 3. http://flickr.com/photos/robertlz/2408352447/, 4. Blue Color Bilbao Guggenheim Perspective, 5. I'm nobody..., 6. Italian Soda, 7. Cataratas del Iguazú 012 / Iguassu Falls 012, 8. Schokosoufflé mit Kirschen, Schokocrèpes und dulce de leche Eis, 9. { She's Happy ,,, 10. Family Portrait, 11. Friendly, 12. RENO

My friend posted this on her blog and challenged her readers to make their own. So I'm going to do the same. If you read this and have a blog you now have to do one yourself. Here's how:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker. Choose 3 columns with 4 rows.
The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. (kid version: favorite animal?)

Free Patterns

I know a few of my readers will appreciate this. So without further ado - here are some free Amy Butler Patterns. (Quilts, accessories, and more!) You can download them in PDF form from her website.

Happy Sewing!

http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/free_patterns.php

Time Savers (This ones for you Mom)

I recently learned about Google Reader. It's one of those great internet tools that I think I learned about a little later than others. Perhaps it's because I've just started reading blogs (that is, surfing through craft blogs for creative ideas). But I must confess I am grateful to my friend that showed me the light. I decided it was only fair to share my little time saver with everyone else.
If you don't already use it - here's how:

1. From Google or your google home page - press more in the top (very top left of google screen) menu and scroll down to Reader. From Gmail - press Reader in the top menu.
2. Sign in to Google Reader using your gmail account.
3. In the left hand column click Add subscription. (Big blue plus sign beside it.)
4. Enter the blog site (ie. cyberrenos.blogspot.com) and press add.
5. The blog will show up below there and will likely have several *new posts. You use this just like an email inbox. Right below the Add Subscription section are two links to show only the updated blogs or all of them. I prefer to use updated so I only have to see what is new to read. When the blog is first added all the entries for the last month are marked as new. Click on the blog and then in the right screen above all the entries click on Mark all as read.
6. If there are problems: try adding it again, it may not have worked. Also check if it's a private blog or not (if it's one you have been invited to and have to log in to - it doesn't have a published feed for Google Reader). Sometimes GR will come up with several sites and ask you which one you mean. Usually the best bet is the one you entered, if it's not there try the one with feed in it.
7. Lastly - it is possible to divide all your subcriptions up into sub-folders. To do that click on Settings in the upper right corner. Then click on Subscriptions. Beside each blog subscription you have the option to Change Folders. Click on that, select New Folder and type in the folder name you want to move it to. (I have mine divided between friends and craft stuff for right now.)

OK Happy time saving and good luck!

Our exciting news...

Ha ha ha ha. You all go ahead and think what you will. I'm not pregnant. You can trust me on that one. (This stems from the fact that two of my friends have blogged their exciting pregnancy news this week! That and the flu attack I had this weekend while visiting family raised a few questions among sibblings. Yeah - I know you were all wondering.)
The real news is that our laminate flooring is completely installed! I want to give a huge round of applause to my dad, my husband, and our wonderful friends (names not mentioned for sake of anonymity - but we truly appreciate each one of you...) for all their hard work. I'll confess I myself got into the ordeal and clicked in a few planks myself. It's not rocket science - but it is HARD work. (Standing Ovation for all above mentioned here.)
OK I will post pictures quickly. What I actually plan to do is post before and afters for everyone. Then you can fully appreciate how wonderful this is for us! Seriously - our carpets were nasty and getting nastier by the minute. Now we have to replace the carpet in the hall/stairs and master bedroom and we will hopefully have no more carpet beetles. I know. Gross.
Interestingly enough - along with the change in flooring our little guys mysterious rash has also disappeared. It made a short reappearance last night - but it does gross me out to think it might have been the carpet causing the rash all along.
I'd love to say we are all healthier - but this weekend we came down with the flu. Yes it was nasty. You don't want details. I'll just say - little one and I are doing better. My wonderful husband on the other hand, I think taking care of us about did him in. He's in the first stages of recovery and I'm hoping and praying all will be better tomorrow.

Craft Haven

Lately I've been so dissapointed with all the craft stores I have been visiting. Jo-Anns and Michaels just don't cut it anymore. I mean, I walk in and it's the same old. I've seen the stuff before, there doesn't seem to be much new - unless you stroll over to the seasonal section, and that's just not why I go there in the first place. So - needless to say I was very excited to take a trip to Ben Franklin with my Mom and few weeks ago. I got even more excited when we arrived and discovered a side-walk sale! Let's just say it was like Heaven opened for a minute and I could hear singing. At this point I'd normally be calling myself back to reality - but honestly, I'd rather revel in the few moments I have to remember the store. Ahh...
So it was fantastic. It had so much of what I've been looking for, new modern things, fabric to enjoy, vinyl lettering (that you can purchase and order) a bead section that actually made me want to start back up, and so much more. Why is it that it can't be in my town. Oh well - I'll be making excursions there as often as I can. (Which, I confess, this week I plan to go.) It was so purely delightful to go to a craft store that actually had stuff to inspire me. Thank you Ben Franklin for fulfilling this crafters needs!

Teach a kid to go up the stairs...

And it will feel like a lifetime of telling him - no, get off the table! I swear it feels like every second I am turning around and catching him standing on the table. Of course - it has helped to remove all tempting (that means everything) objects from the table - but I still have this motherly fear that drives me to insanity when I catch him up there. I guess it's my husbands fault for nick-naming him Monkey. Can't help but have the climbing instict with that kind of name.

Family Photos

We got our family photos taken yesterday. Kali did a fabulous job. I'm so grateful to her for taking the time to do this for us. Aside from our grad pictures (which although OK were nothing fun to admire) we hadn't had family pictures since we were married. Ouch. That's almost 3 years ago now!
I must admit it was stressful picking out the clothing. I think we did well though. I was going for casual but still good-looking. After going through closets and going shopping for co-ordinating things I am pleased that I only bought one piece of clothing (my top). The rest we all had! (We even all had nice brown sandals!)
It was a kind of cloudy day and then an hour or two before we took off the sun came out and it got really warm. We were so hot wandering around Gas Works Park in Seattle. Worst of all the little one did not want to look at the camera. But in the end we got some great pictures. Check out Kali's blog to see some of them.