LAST NIGHT I ALMOST FELL IN LOVE WITH A TIGER SHARK NAMED DELORIS

The rows of teeth. The menacing eyes. The small but very real chance I have of being hunted, maimed and/or killed while frolicking innocently in the ocean. The Discovery Channels 20th Anniversary must-see, Shark Week, started Sunday and it doesn't disappoint.
Sunday night I learned the ten most dangerous sharks {great white is no. 2 and the bull shark is no. 1 because it can swim in rivers as well as the ocean}.
Last night I watched, "Deadly Stripes: Tiger Sharks" which was fascinating. South African Mark Addison free dives {that means he isn't using oxygen, just a snorkel. p.s. he can dive for up to six minutes on one breath at a depth of 150 feet} with tiger sharks; trying to dispel the myth that they are man-hunters. It was mesmerizing as he interacted with one tiger shark he called Deloris. He petted her, held on to her dorsal fin like a sea world performer, and scariest of all, he fed her by hand.



Just when I was buying the idea that the shark could be friendly and beautiful, I saw the beginning of Top Five Eaten Alive reliving one girl's shark attack which resulted in her losing the bottom half of her leg. I had to turn it off because I knew I was going to have shark dreams for the next year {I TiVo'd it for watching in digestible segments throughout the week}.

If you love to hate sharks like me, you must tune in for what they are saying is the best year yet.

ODE TO AFRICA

May's issue of Domino has a great story about two painters, Phyllipa and David Marrian. They live in Kenya and if they aren't already living my dream by taking residence in such a lovely place, they also have a beautiful home that might be one of the most tranquil spaces I've seen. See for yourself {click on the image to make it bigger}.

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT

Nate and I have a conversation like this about every week and a half. Somehow I never end up with a cute name like cupcake. I'm usually "eyebrows" because of my expressive face-pulling habit, and Nate ends up "sugar lips" or "sum yung guy" {said with Japanese accent}.

Love Bites is a micro series that played on TBS earlier this year. The super short episodes are pretty cute and have some very real and relatable moments regarding relationships between men and women.

I WANT TO GO ON VACATION AND I WANT TO WEAR THESE...

All from Anthropologie, of course. {beech tree chemise, travel trousers and birds of paradise dress}.

AUSTENLAND: READ IT ON A RAINY DAY

I've had a crush on Shannon for almost ten years but after finishing her most recent book Austenland it's grown into love. Not, "I love these new suede flats love", but, "I think she's so talented and brilliant and genuinely gorgeous love". I'm so glad fate brought us together because she has made my life a better thing to behold.

A CLOSET FULL OF BAD DAYS

Amie is one of those girls you can talk to about anything. And what usually results from a conversation with her is a hair-brained idea or a theory about human behaviors. She is such a creative, intuitive and curious person; according to Amie, everything that happens is significant in some way.
We were having one of these conversations this afternoon about how we both react to bad days and boredom in a similar fashion. If we get a speeding ticket, or if our presentation bombs, or if our favorite jeans are suddenly too tight, we figure we deserve to go shopping and get something new. We are entitled to a new handbag, pair of shoes, sweater, lip gloss, etc. because our office bully, in true form, bullied us. What results is a slew of impulse buys and OCD items {mine used to be feminine tops with flowers, ruffles or special detailing. Now it's anything to treat my adult acne}.
Does anyone else have this problem? Why do we feel like a new purse on our shoulder or new lip gloss will brighten things up? We both have a closet full of bad days to reconcile.

ONCE UPON A TIME ON THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Once upon a time on the Mediterranean sea I fell in love with the tranquil seaside lifestyle, the pebbly beaches, my husband, and afternoons spent in the warmth of the sun; free from work, files and deadlines. These photos are from our lovely ten days in France November 2006.
This week Travelzoo is offering what sounds like a cruise to heaven and back.
Here are the details: Seven {7!} nights on the intimate Marco Polo cruise ship. The Marco Polo departs Barcelona on Oct. 10 and sails one-way to Athens with stops in France, Italy and Greece. Or, you can depart Venice on Oct. 31 {$250 per person more}. Sail one-way to Civitavecchia (near Rome) with stops in Croatia, Italy and Greece. I'm more interested in the second option since I've been to France twice but never Croatia.
I've always been slightly shy of cruises because they sound like 10 lbs just waiting to be gained. I mean, who doesn't want to eat themselves drunk with fresh shrimp and buttery lobster tail? Who? But, I'd be willing to face my fear of the cruise ship and the unlikely repeat of titanic if I could only find myself on the Marco Polo - bound, ultimately, for Greece. Somewhere out there, my destiny is waiting to take me to there.

THANK YOU UNEXPECTED PERSON!

{photo from dominic_nwh photostream}
I have great friends. Some are really creative, some analytical, some practical offering a much needed voice of reason. With friends stretching across the spectrum of possibilities it's odd to think that I'd ever find myself in a situation where I didn't have someone to talk to; but it occasionally happens.
I haven't moved a lot in my life but I've moved some. In chronological order: Utah, New York, Utah, Missoula MT, Utah, Chicago, Missoula MT, Utah. And the situation usually plays out as follows. I walk into a new city and into a new job. My mind feels numb from all the drastic change all at once. I don't even have a favorite place to eat yet. And in that moment of feeling like a stranger I long for friends and familiar places. But it's not part of the package; I can't expect to move and start new adventures and keep the comfort of my old life tucked in my back pocket.
So I power through. I walk around the streets until I find a place I like, a place I'll bring my friends when they visit. I locate a good bookstore and recognize the corner where I'll sit and read on Saturday afternoons. Most importantly, I'll find somewhere outside where I can go and think and watch people and learn what it means to be a local.
In Montana I was a local if I got my CDs at Rockin' Rudy's, ate soup at Catalyst, and went to the Iron Horse to whet my whistle. I was a local if I loved the children's theater, patronized the local mom-and-pop shops, and proclaimed I was a Grizzly fan. In Chicago I was a local if I new what L train to catch to get home without looking at my map. I was a local if I could recommend the best deep dish pizza in the city and if the guy at the fruit stand knew my name. I was a local if I met my friends for dinner in out-of-the-way places in up-and-coming neighborhoods. Sometimes I felt like a local and sometimes I never really adjusted, but I always tried.
All of this is just a lead into what I've been thinking about this week. Because while this post is mostly talking to people I've met in my traveling, they are all around me. Everywhere. It's the unexpected people that waltz into my life and totally change it around - then usually they waltz right back out again. Sometimes the difference these people make is quite significant and I just know I'll be friends with them forever; sometimes that happens but usually it doesn't. How long we are friends or if I have their current address today isn't the point - it's not what's important. What is important is how they changed my life; brought me out of a bad routine or taught me how to swim and encouraged me to do a triathlon. It's how they said something {or a lot of things} that have forever impacted how I think about myself. It's how they made me laugh when I was feeling the worst. I think it's so important to acknowledge the little miracles that happen every day when we meet someone who is good for us. Someone who offers us exactly what we need.
For all of these things and more, I have to thank the unexpected people who have changed my life for the better. Wherever they are.

IF WE WERE SIMPSONS

If Nate and I were Simpsons, we'd look like this. Don't be jealous. If you are curious about what you'd look like simpsonized, click here. If you get errors, keep trying. The system is very busy.

Ferrets: The Pursuit of Excellence

If you watch movies, you've probably seen Best in Show. And if you are VERY lucky, you've seen Gates of Heaven. They all have one thing in common. The joy of quirky enthusiasts {real and fake} that are simply too enthusiastic to believe.
Well, here's another documentary to add to your library. Ferrets: The Pursuit of Excellence. You won't believe the devotion these people have for their weasely pets; when you hear the Ferret song you'll not believe your ears. If you get a chance to enjoy this on PBS, capture it on TiVo and share it with your friends; I guarantee you won't be disappointed. But you might be left slack jawed at the costumed ferrets wondering, "could this be real?"

HOORAY FOR BLAKE-Y

It's my brother-in-law Blake's birthday today {we were all apparently supposed to marry someone born on July 20 but only Ryan and Kathy obeyed the rule}. Happy Birthday Blake! We showed your landscape plans to the powers-that-be {we like to call him Hank Kennecott} and they were approved on-the-spot. You designed a masterpiece for us! Hope your day is not entirely spent at work!

YIPPEE FOR RUTH THOMPSON

It's Ruth's Birthday today! Ruth is one of those girls who looks put together no matter how early in the morning or late at night. She is a wonderful wife to my brother Ryan and a fabulous mom to one of the cutest baby boys in existence. Love you Ruthie!

THANKS TO SUNDANCE

Thanks to Sundance Resort I've: seen some really cool independent movies {Little Miss Sunshine, Layer Cake, Matador, Once, Rocket Science, Napoleon Dynamite, Garden State, to name a few}, eaten the BEST steak of my life {bison steak at the Tree Room, if you please}, learned to snowboard {the instructor told me I had impeccable balance}, had fresh powder for snowshoeing, seen Robert "Bob" Redford {in person and within a few feet}, enjoyed the best fish tacos out on the patio at The Foundry Grill, supped a decadent brunch with girlfriends, and got engaged in a peaceful and romantic setting. Lucky for me, Nate loves it there, too. He was a part time ski instructor at Sundance when we met and had the hottest tan face!
If you live in Utah and have never visited the Sundance Resort, make haste. If you don't have the opportunity to visit, I pity you.
Here's Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova performing "Falling Slowly" up at Sundance early 2007 to promote the movie Once.

A DAY IN REVIEW

Who else's husband would secretly bake cupcakes, buy flowers and a very thoughtful gift and display it this way on the kitchen island to greet you in the morning? MINE!

Yesterday was a great day. I didn't work which may have been the best decision of the year. I tried to sleep in but couldn't and departed on a bike ride around 9am. It was so fun to be out and moving rather then stuck in traffic and cursing at other drivers.
Once I got home I took a cold shower, got dressed and drove to Provo for my appointment with Destiny. Literally, I had an appointment with my hair stylist and her name happens to be Destiny. She transformed me from a bitter 40 year old to a bouncing, nearly unrecognizable 36 year old that didn't look a day over 30! I walked out of that salon 2.5 hours later looking and feeling fabulous.
I stopped at my favorite boutique in Provo and drove home for a great lunch of fruit {apple, nectarine} and yogurt. Oh, and I had a few handfuls of Cool Ranch Doritos, too.
At home I treated all my flowers to a healthy dose of cold drink and miracle gro bloom booster. I'm telling you, it really works and you'll see a difference in your flowers in less then a week. It was so hot outside that I couldn't help running the cold water from the hose on my feet for an occasional cool-down. 102 degrees is just too hot.
I watched Oprah and painted my toenails RED.
Nate came home from work and we hung out for a little while before going to the Gallivan Center for Yo La Tengo. It seems that about 10,000 other people wanted to hear them, too. So it was crowded. We came to realize that a concert in the park can feel like listening to a CD in the park if you can't see the band. And listening to a CD in the park without comfortable seats and a cool breeze is nonsensical. Nate and I left about 9:10pm and planned to go straight home. But instead we {I} was lured to the Broadway Theater and as luck would have it, Once was playing at 9:20pm. It was a perfect way to end the day. The music was so pretty and the story wasn't, well, totally predictable. I really recommend it a long with Ali!

IT'S TAKEN ME 36 YEARS TO LEARN:

1. Waiting 12 weeks to have your hair done is a real zinger on your self esteem {especially if you have ANY gray}.
2. Adult acne is just as complicated and embarassing as the teenage prototype.
3. I've been blessed with funny, thoughtful, stylish and gorgeous friends.
4. You should only compare yourself to yourself.
5. Having a home to live in is one of the best feelings. EVER.
6. I feel sorry for every other girl because she doesn't know the joy of being married to Nate.
7. Drinking water should be the 11th commandment.
8. I need the mountains.
9. I was born with the opposite of a green thumb; I have an orange one.
10. If Drew Barrymore met me she would want to my best friend.
11. PMDD is real and terrible and living in my house!

ILUVIEW!

This is a view of our lake. Oquirrh {pronounced O-ker} Lake. Beyond it you can see the Oquirrh mountain range and, of course, Kennecott copper mine. Kennecott owns the land on which our home and the community of Daybreak is built; they make many of the decisions including that to keep our community energy efficient and planned effectively. Whenever Nate and I refer to this unknown, unseen decision maker, we call him Hank. Hank Kennecott. Sometimes we like Hank and sometimes we despise him.
Nate and I took a nice motorcycle ride through Yellow Fork Canyon on Friday night. I needed to decompress. I love the mountains and always feel like I can breath better when I'm in the trees, smelling foliage or a camp fire. I feel the stress getting sucked right out of my lungs every time I exhale. Such a nice feeling to know that reprieve is just 30 minutes away.

NOT BRAVE ENOUGH FOR WALLPAPER

That's right. I think it's fabulous when done right but I'm just too scared that I'll do it wrong. I'll pick the wrong paper or the wrong wall and begin a saga of bad wallpaper layers that will endure the test of time. And somewhere down the line in say, 2030, the current owner of my cute bungalow will curse me for ever covering up the cool fresco texture on my walls and ask the ageless question, "why do people use wallpaper anyway?" Because by then wallpaper will be out of fashion again.
Just because I'm a coward to try it myself doesn't mean I don't admire it when done right or done interesting. The current issue of Blueprint has a fun wallpaper story on page 96 called "The Cutting Room" and I was drawn to this photo. I like the idea of adding low hooks to hang handbags and smaller objects. Unfortunately, the lower hooks would likely end up displaying less attractive items on our walls like a frisbee, an orphaned sock or my security badge. It just wouldn't look the same. It's sad that life rarely imitates the art we are drawn to. We try, and may achieve it for a moment, but then you dribble raspberry lemonade on your crisp white blouse or a child sticks a finger right in the middle of your frosted cake and shazam! it's right back to reality.

I love the way the doors look with wallpaper applied in sections.

















And this wall with the settee looks perfectly feminine!

HELLO, AND WELCOME TO OUR HOME

I decided to take some curb-side photos of our home. I spent the better part of July 4th planting the flowers in the pots, spraying off and scrubbing our front porch and making it a place I wanted to hang out. It paid off; I've spent more time out on the porch reading, chatting with friends and hanging with Nate. For our West facing porch, 8:30 pm {see: fabulous sunsets} or any time in the morning are the best porching hours.




































On a side note: Nate and I saw this fabulously crazy clip of a circa 1980 Brenda Dixon {that's the old Jill Abbott from Y&R if you're a fan} and now we can't help but mimic her when we welcome someone into our home. Thanks Talk Soup!

SHOW OFF WITH DIOR SHOW

It's truly one of the best mascaras I've ever used. I only ventured from it because I like to try new things. But I've already decided that when my Lancome Hypnose is gone I'm going back to Dior Show. I don't believe what they say about Mabelline making the best mascara. I've tried it and wasn't that impressed.

GUARD YOUR CARNAL TREASURE!

I know I'm a little too old to be making references to Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, but I think it applies. If you've seen it, remember the moment when Kate Bosworth's character is going out with Josh Duhamel {aka Tad Hamilton} and Topher Grace yells out a final warning to "Guard your carnal treasure"?









Well, imagine I'm Topher, you're Kate headed out the door with Josh and I'm calling out a warning to "guard your treasure". Only instead of referencing your virginity, I'm referencing that ever-so-valuable self esteem that is often challenged by people and things in the world.
Nate showed me an article on Digg.com offering "Ten quick tips to improve your self esteem." I think it's worth sharing. I know I typically forget to protect myself and I doubt I'm rare. Read these ten tips and think about how many of them you might be offending currently.

1. Do what you love.
Everyone loves to do something, when you indulge yourself in your love you improve the way you feel about yourself. You improve your self esteem.

2. Help others out.
Nothing makes you feel a warm glow than when you unselfishly help others. of course you can argue that this in itself is selfish, but if you take that line of thought you must think that existence is selfish. Forget that. Just do a good deed, help someone out, doesn’t have to be big and it doesn’t have to cost any money.

3. Acknowledge your strengths.
There is no one who has no strengths. Everyone is good at something, know what your good at and give yourself a pat on the back. Do things that bring this quality out into the open. Excercise it, make it stronger.

4. Don’t put up with crap.
There is no reason you should tolerate other people being mean to you. Even if they say they are doing it with love. Make sure people know they should be nice to you and if they refuse, walk away from them.

5. Drop your negative friends.
Hang out with people who are positive and support you. It may be fun to bitch and moan but if you hang out with these types of people you will eventually become one of them. You may have noticed that people who bitch and moan are never happy.

6. Do your research.
A lof of self help books are a waste of time in the sense that the only person who can change you is you. Reading even this blog post will not change you unless you get emotionally involved with the information. Which is really hard as it’s really dry and boring. Go read biographies of people you respect, people who do positvive things and attain huge success. Learn from the master not the self help guru who is always in debt.

7. Learn to accept compliments.
It’s hard to accept a compliment and not to dismiss it as being ridiculous. Someone has an opinion and it should be respected, even if you do not argree with it. If people think good about you then maybe you should too.

8. Include positivity in your life.
I’m not talking an airy fairy chant in the mirror whilst naked. I mean take a positive slant on everything automatically. The meat pie you just bit in to may contain maggots, but maggots contain a lot of protien. OK that’s a bit extreme but you get the point.

9. Compare yourself against yourself.
If you look at how you were yesterday and how you are today and there is an improvement then that is great. If there is no improvement then you know you need to improve your efforts. Don’t start comparing your self to other people. Saying you are poor compared to D. Trump is just going to make you miserable.

10. There is no need for you to put yourself down.
y seeing yourself in a negative light you are only reinforcing your low self esteem. If you want to improve your self esteem. Ask yourself, how can I improve my self esteem. The answer will always be, find one positive thing about yourself and that will do it.

OFFICE BULLIES; WHO NEEDS THEM?

I'm not sure what motivates the office bully. It doesn't gain them more respect, acceptance or a harder working team. I've met personalities in regular life who get what they want out of intimidation, abrasiveness or, worst of all: passive aggressive behavior . So, I guess, on the surface they may seem, and consider themselves, successful. But I also know what people say about them. How they are REALLY thought of; not well! And I also see the quality of their life and it's not so appealing to me. I have to think that if someone is intimidating me and using that wicked passive aggressive behavior, imagine what they do to their family. Yuck.

Robert I. Sutton published a book this year with Warner Books entitled: The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't. Please forgive some of the language in this review from Publishers Weekly, but, quite frankly, if we think it why can't/don't we say it?























"This meticulously researched book, which grew from a much buzzed-about article in the Harvard Business Review, puts into plain language an undeniable fact: the modern workplace is beset with assholes. Sutton (Weird Ideas that Work), a professor of management science at Stanford University, argues that assholes—those who deliberately make co-workers feel bad about themselves and who focus their aggression on the less powerful—poison the work environment, decrease productivity, induce qualified employees to quit and therefore are detrimental to businesses, regardless of their individual effectiveness. He also makes the solution plain: they have to go. Direct and punchy, Sutton uses accessible language and a bevy of examples to make his case, providing tests to determine if you are an asshole (and if so, advice for how to self-correct), a how-to guide to surviving environments where assholes freely roam and a carefully calibrated measure, the "Total Cost of Assholes," by which corporations can assess the damage. Although occasionally campy and glib, Sutton's work is sure to generate discussions at watercoolers around the country and deserves influence in corporate hiring and firing strategies."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kai Ryssdal interviews the author of No Asshole so listen here. I especially like the description of the "kiss up, kick down" mentality. Boy, don't we all know someone like that? I know a few.

Anyway, this is a post to offer support and empathy to all those who may be in the middle of their worst day ever...or something like that. Chin up.

PAISLEY SAGE RICKS: WELCOME!

See! Look how cute she is. I spoke to Brandi this afternoon and she reported her nine hour labor as "not too bad". Brandi, Tim and Paisley are all healthy and adapting well! Here are Paisley's credentials: weight: {one of the last times she'll ever want it broadcast on cyberspace} 7lbs 1oz., length: 19" {despite my prediction that she'd be 25" at birth}, hair: YES, cute: Definitely! Congratulations Tim and Brandi! Sorry I trumped your baby's birth on my blog but I figured you'd be too busy.

DUMPSTER DIVING: KEEPING IT REAL

I have an abusive relationship with our garbage. You'll remember the traumatic time I had a while ago just taking it out to the curb on trash day. Well, this morning may have been more traumatic from an olfactory perspective. And definitely one of those things that, while it's happening, I find myself saying, "really? Is this how things are gonna be today?"
Let me explain. Over the last few weeks Nate and I have had lots of house guests {yay, that's one of the reasons I wanted a house in the first place}. Our guests have included diaper wearin' babies, and meals have typically generated a lot of table scraps, from the younger kids especially. Sidenote: did I really only take a few bits of food a day when I was six? And if so, where did I get the mentality lately that my plate must be licked clean?
Anyway, with all the extra trash we filled up the regular can provided by the city and had to over-flow into our "recycled trash only" can. Since we couldn't take this can out to the curb containing un-recyclable trash, it had to sit in our garage {for two weeks. And it's been over 100 degrees several days in a row} getting raunchier and raunchier.
This morning I knew what had to be done. And I had to psych myself up for it. I dragged the normal everyday trash can into the garage and had to dumpster dive into the recycle can to fish out all the trash bags full of parishable items {food, diapers, need i say more?}. The smell I was exposed to this morning might have been of nuclear strength. I can still smell it because it somehow got trapped in my nostrils. I've never been the kind of girl who can't get dirty or has expensive acrylic nails but I am a girl who will retain a particularly offensive smell or taste in memory for decades {read: chorizo at iHOP}
All this because Nate conveniently travelings on Wednesdays. One word to describe todays dumpster dive. "EW", and with that I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

ANTICIPATING GOD-MOTHERHOOD

Tim and Brandi are going in for a scheduled induction tomorrow. Little Paisley Sage will be making her debut into the world on July 11. I expect her to be about 25" long. Good luck Tim and Brandi! Nate and I love you!

{This photo is from the Sasquatch music festival. You can't tell, but Brandi is about 8 months pregnant.}

UP EARLY

This morning my alarm sounded at a very early 4:50am. Nate's brother Ryan, his wife Holly and their two cute girls Lydia {4) and Violet {1} stayed at our house lastnight in order to catch an early flight out of Salt Lake City. Nate and I are just a 30 minute drive to the airport. It was a lot of fun to have them stay and hang out a bit; Although we were limited on hang-out time by the understanding that 5:00am comes painfully early.
We left the house around 5:30am and I got to see a whole new side of our neighborhood and the world. I haven't been up that early since I trained for the marathon I never ran. The sunrise was pretty although smokey from the enormous fire in Southern Utah. The lake seemed peaceful and our neighborhood was so quiet with just the sprinklers breaking the silence.
I guess what I'm saying is, though life is pretty good right now, I think it would improve if I could get up a little earlier in the mornings. It was nice to muck around the house this morning, water the flowers and eat a sit-down breakfast {yogurt, fresh berries, and wheat toast}. Maybe I'll try it again tomorrow. Though I think 6am is sufficient. Let's not get too carried away!
{Image from Getty.}

FOR BODY AND BOUNCE

This commercial actually made me laugh outloud. I'm glad they've come up with some new ideas. I was growing tired of the moaning and "oh, yeses".

GREAT BLOG: GREAT PHOTOS

Charlotte owns the blog Anknel and Burblets {her childhood fairy friends}. The photos she takes are beautiful. BEAUTIFUL! Charlotte, a web designer, photographer, writer and aromatherapist, just started Lovely NZ, "a magazine style series of directories bringing you stories and photos on the interesting and lovely in New Zealand."
I dare you to visit and not come out craving a New Zealand sausage or some good cheese. All these pretty photos are Charlottes. Enjoy!

NEW SEVEN WONDERS OF THE MODERN WORLD

PYRAMID AT CHICHEN ITZA, MEXICO
This step-pyramid surmounted by a temple survives from a sacred site that was part of one of the greatest Mayan centers of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Built according to the solar calendar, it is placed so that shadows cast at the fall and spring equinoxes are said to look like a snake crawling down the steps, similar to the carved serpent at the top.

CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE, BRAZIL
The 125-foot-tall statue of Christ the Redeemer with outstretched arms overlooks Rio de Janeiro from atop Mt. Corcovado. The statue, which weighs more than 1,000 tons, was built by Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski in pieces in France starting in 1926, then shipped to Brazil. The pieces were carried by cogwheel railway up the mountain for assembly. The statue was inaugurated in 1931.

COLOSSEUM, ITALY
The giant amphitheater in Rome was inaugurated in A.D. 80 by the Emperor Titus in a ceremony of games lasting 100 days. The 50,000-seat Colosseum, which has influenced the design of modern sports stadiums, was an arena where thousands of gladiators dueled to the death and Christians were fed to the lions.

GREAT WALL OF CHINA
The 4,160-mile barricade running from east to west in northern China is the longest man-made structure in the world. The fortification, which largely dates from the 7th through the 4th century B.C., was built to protect the dynasties from invasion by the Huns, Mongols, Turks and other nomadic tribes.

MACHU PICCHU, PERU
Built by the Incan Empire in the 15th century, the giant walls, palaces, temples and dwellings of the Machu Picchu sanctuary are perched in the clouds at 8,000 feet above sea level in the Andes mountains. It remains a mystery how the huge stones were moved into place for the construction of the remote city.

PETRA, JORDAN
The ancient city of Petra in southwestern Jordan, built on a terrace around the Wadi Musa or Valley of Moses, was the capital of the Arab kingdom of the Nabateans. It also flourished under Roman rule after the Nabateans were defeated in A.D. 106. The city is famous for its water tunnels and numerous stone structures carved in rock, the most impressive of which is probably Ad-Dayr, an uncompleted tomb facade that served as a church during Byzantine times.

TAJ MAHAL, INDIA
The white marble-domed mausoleum in Agra was built by Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1654 for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The complex - an example of Mughal architecture combining Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles - houses the graves of the emperor and his wife, as well as those of lesser royalty.

{I added two for balance. Not sure why the colors went all funky.}

BABIES, EARTH
They just don't get cuter then this.

MARRIED TWO YEARS, AUGUST 27, 2007
Nate and I will celebrate our second anniversary soon. I can't believe it's been two years already. It's kind of sad because I don't think anyone considers you a "newly wed" after two years. We've enjoyed the excuses that come with being "a newly wed".

GREAT COMMERCIAL!

To think I was one of those people that hated him. Especially just after I put on lip gloss!

RYAN ADAMS: JULY 31

Nate and I have tickets to see Ryan Adams at Red Butte Gardens on July 31. This song is from his new album Easy Tiger, entitled "Two". Enjoy an interview with Ryan on NPR here.

INSPIRED BY NATURAL THINGS

Lately I've been craving natural elements for our house. This Bill Sofield twig occasional table designed for Baker combines some interesting materials and creates a very earthy and whimsical feel.























And then there is this noble stag head carved in wood. This would look fabulous hanging above the fireplace but I have yet to convince Nate that our home won't look like a hunting lodge. Something about horns is warm, unusual and inspiring; they remind me of the years I spent in Missoula, Montana and the weekends I've spent in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.























I'm still looking for a good resource for resin or ceramic coral {preferably white or pink} but here are a few accessories that add a bit of the organic to any room. Courtesy of Roost, The Curiosity Shop, Pottery Barn and Well Dressed Home.

THE COUCH I KNEW IN HEAVEN

Nate swears this couch is my soul mate. It came on Thursday, just hours before we left for Bear Lake. I haven't yet decided where it looks best in our rectangular great room, and I'm a terrible art director so forgive me the quality of the photo...but it's luxurious and extremely comfortable. I wish everyone could have a sit.

TIME TO RELAX

Nate and I are headed to Bear Lake for some sun and relaxation with his family at a family lake house {not the one pictured...i wish}. One thing I've been dreaming about since the last time we went is the double headed shower. It's the little luxuries like two shower heads that make something feel exceptionally decadant.

JULY 4TH ROUNDUP

Nate and I woke pretty early by holiday standards. We showered and went to a 10:30am showing of Transformers. I must admit, I enjoyed this movie tons more then I thought I would. And I haven't been able to get the old-time theme song out of my head since. When I was in highschool, my two youngest brothers used to watch the Transformer cartoon. With only one TV in the house this really imposed on my Days of our Lives addiction. My disdain with the Transformers did not, however, prevent me from memorizing the theme song and secretly singing along while I shot dagger looks at my doe-eyed brothers {who were probably wearing Transformers underoos at the time}. Why didn't they ever make Days of our Lives underwear? I would have worn them!



After the movie, Nate and I went to Rumbi's Island Grill for lunch on the patio. I inadvertantly put a zipfizz in a full cup of carbonated water and created a very impressive volcano, but the BBQ salad was really yummy.

After a quick stop at Lowe's for some geraniums, petunias and orange merigolds, Nate and I headed back to our house where he got our road bikes all ready for riding, hung our skiis and worked on the servers down in our basement {yup, we have a server room in the basement} and I potted the flowers {four big planters for the front steps}, swept out the garage, cleaned up the flower beds and scrubbed down the front porch.

After the work was done, Nate came out on the porch and we sat in our rockers and admired our great curb appeal and welcomed the break in Utah's near 100 degree weather. At 9pm we grabbed our camp chairs {and Nate's fishing pole} and headed over to the lake. It was the perfect time of day. The east mountains were gorgeous and pink and the lake was glass. I relaxed in my chair and watched all the fish jumping to get flies and Nate did a little fishing. Because we are up on a ledge in our community, we could see several fireworks shows happening in the valley.

At home again we put in Modigliani {one of my favorite artists}, starring Andy Garcia, and made it about half way through before we both got too tired. It's so nice to finally get into bed after a day like that. So absolutely comfortable and so absolutely deserved!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Hope you are off doing something fun today! BBQ, day at the lake, fireworks, movie...whatever it is, make the most of it! Here are some American flag tips courtesy of Martha Stewart.

HOORAY FOR MY MOM!

Just a few months after graduating, my mom received a fabulous promotion at work. Congratulations mom; I'm very proud of you!

IRELAND: IT'S TIME!

If I weren't just getting used to paying a mortgage I'd jump on this deal and spend Thanksgiving or Christmas in Ireland! Six nights including air and car rental {imagine all those intoxicating drives through the lush countryside} for a mere $499 per person. Travelzoo claims that if you tried to put this package together yourself you'd be spending over $1000 per person!
Visit Dublin, Clare and Mayo, both coasts and popular sites lik the Cliffs of Mohr.

SOMEONE'S GETTING RICH OFF MY IDEA!

I've blogged a few times before {here and here} about wanting to use celebrity mug shots as artwork. Well, look what I found lurking in the window of Russeck Gallery in San Francisco.

SHOOTING FOR MEDIOCRITY

At 35 I'm still learning valuable lessons about how to live a happier more liberated life. From an early age I have been afraid of being mediocre. I don't know why this became a worry for me but it did and has charted a course through life that is, at times, too deliberate.
The world is quite full already of passionless, milquetoast individuals just floating along; waiting for something better or just content to "get by". With so much beige contribution to the world, the last thing I've ever wanted was to offer anything less then vibrant and unique. When I was a little girl I just knew I would do something significant and fabulous and leave the world changed forever.
This probably sounds like a pretty good life-plan but it has actually created a lot of barriers and limits to what I try and stick with. The standards by which I measure myself are impossibly high; if I try something new and don't excel immediately I tend to quit for fear of being mediocre. As you can imagine, I've tried a lot of things just looking for whatever it is that I'm supposed to be doing - that one thing I was meant for. I guess I assumed that what I was meant for would come easily and with such miraculous and natural talent that it would be impossible for me to ignore or deny. Just days before my 36th birthday I am learning to accept that this concept is simply not true.
There are many things worth doing; even if you don't do them all perfectly, the attempt still has value. Maybe I don't make the best pancakes or play an extremely competitive ultimate frisbee game but I'm not convinced I should give up on these things for good. I think there are a lot of experiences in life where I can find satisfaction in the doing and not in the end-product; with these I should shoot for mediocrity and accept the joy that can come from it.
And for the one or two things I do very well - where I hit way above the mark - I can feel proud of myself and grateful for the satisfaction that in those areas I am a beautiful pair of red shoes in a beige world.

Addendum: Tim and Brandi included this link in their comment and I thought it was so spot on with my post that I wanted to include it for everyone to see.

{image from leahmac's photostream}