HOORAY FOR ABIGAIL

Abby is my very first ever niece. We've shared many beauty regimes, shopping excursions, and a love for triathlons {although she keeps doing them and I'm sadly out of shape}. Hope you have a great time in Orlando with your family Ab. Good luck with the jump roap competition.























{abby is the one looking at the camera}

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN

Happy Birthday to my brother Ryan. I still remember him reinacting the He-Man intro wearing underoos and his plastic, glow-in-the-dark sword. "...by the power of grey skull..."
Love you RJ, hope you had a splendid birthday even though you are far away from family. We'll celebrate {hopefully sometime this year} when neither of us is traveling.

CASABLANCA IN DECEMBER

If you get a little blue when the weather turns cold, consider hitting the cruise line and visiting bazaars in places like St. Cruz and Casablanca in December. This cruise, advertised on TravelZoo, seems particulary romantic; and "doesn't it seem like the beginning of a beautiful friendship?..."

AUGUST 9: ULCER

I'm planning to ride ~70 miles to participate in ULCER {Utah Lake Century Epic Ride} on August 9; I'll be part of "team cricut". I'm starting to train now because I really must represent the ladies to the fullest. A secondary motivation, one that always motivates, the dreaded cycling shorts. I've got to rock the shorts.
I'm also trying to get Nate to do this ride on July 4. I stopped by Infinite Cycles on the way home and learned how to change a tire and patch a leaky tube. Look at me, I'm all grown up. These guys had awesome service and helped me get my much loved Croix de Fer all ready to start training. Don't judge me if my legs get bulky. It's all muscle.

I KNOW THE PERFECT PLACE FOR THESE

I love these small seating options from Pottery Barn. I have the perfect place for the first one and the last one. Now if only I could come into a lot of unexpected money. That much anticipated Economic Stimulus Package ended up adding a whopping $75 to our bank account. Enough to buy an accent pillow. Yay us.

Blanca Settee


























Marcel Mini Sofa

























Olivia Soffette {great word right? Soffette}

A-Z: D

D {pronounced "dee"}

Dapple: I've always liked the word dapple.

Decide: This word means everything to me.

Dark: I love my bedroom to be really really dark. Cold and dark. But in the morning, I like to be woken up with soft sunlight and warmth. Oh, and I also like foot massages and compliments upon waking.

Dood: Nate and I use the word dude a lot. Except when we use it, it's spelled dood. Can't you hear the difference?

FAMILY REUNION IDEAS

The second ever Thompson family reunion is coming up in August and this year Nate and I are hosting the gang at Chateau Conger. I have a brother in a wheelchair so picking a place that is friendly to his needs is a bit tricky but altogether worth it.

Activities offered by our neighborhood include:
+ lots of walking paths perfect for pushing wheelchairs right down to the lake
+ family fishing at the lake {just one block away}
+ swimming pool opens next week {yay}
+ splash pool perfect for little ones to splash in
+ plenty of basketball courts to reserve for friendly family game of HORSE
+ Wii competition
+Cricut card making and scrapbooking

I am looking for fun games and activities to add to the agenda. If you have any favorites from some of your own family gatherings, please share. I'd really like to make this a special family experience and create a few new traditions along the way.






















{we did this tie dying last year at Ruth's family cabin}

PARALLEL UNIVERSE

I know there is another world happening out there - one where women are spending $2,500 for a handbag made of supple calfskin and fancy metal clasps. In my universe, though, I buy copies of these expensive bags from China and pretend I'm one of these dillusionally wealthy women. Here are two of the knock-offs I got in Shenzhen.

Jimmy Choo Riki {mine is metalic}



















Balenciaga Motocycle Le Dix {in seafoam thanks!}





















Add in a couple of Dolce Gabbanas and another couple of Bottega Venetas and I'm all set for...I don't know...a lifetime. I have a pretend idea of what it's like to be Nicole Richie now.

REMEMBER ME? A-Z: C

It's been a while. I've been so busy. I got home from China on Thursday lastweek and have been in a haze of sleeplessness and sleepiness all at the same time. It seems that when I should be sleeping I can't, and when I'm driving to work I get really drowsy.
Plus, Nate left Sunday for Houston and won't get back until Thursday night.
























C: {pronounced "see""}

Creosote: Twice while I was growing up we had chimney fires. Finally we had a reputable wood burning stove expert come and check out the stove and chimney. He told us the stove was too big for the chimney space resulting in a lot of creosote which translated into fire. My parents still use the stove and now we just all accept the idea of the occasional ember.

Clementine: I was on a short hike about ten years ago in Montana. Half way through the hike this cute little curly haired girl came racing down the trail all by herself. She was probably about three but totally independent and full of energy. From behind me on the trail I heard a woman say, "Clementine, slow down and wait for mama." It was at the moment that I knew if I ever had a baby girl, I'd want to name her Clementine after this little girl I only saw once but fell in love with and still think about ten years later. I bet if I met Clementine today, she'd be a funky little thirteen year old in skinny jeans, chuck tailors and bright blue "anime" style hair. She probably smokes and makes out with her boyfriend in public.

Camping: One of my favorite things to do in life is camp. I'm not talking about pulling up to a designated stall in my Jetta and setting up camp at site #12 in some campground called "wood glen" or "silver lake". I'm talking about loading up the backpack, hiking in a few miles and picking the perfect little meadow next to a stream. The thing I love the most is snuggling into my down sleeping bag inside my ultra perfect two-man tent and gazing up at the night sky. Nate has to be with me of course.

Capeesh: When I've really made my point in a friendly argument and I can finish it off with "capeesh?" It sounds so very Godfather.

Clipboard: There is atleast one time a day when I wish I had a clipboard.

CANYON WORDS OF WISDOM

Nate and I took the motorcycle out for a spin this afternoon. We decided to go up Butterfield Canyon which is part of the Oquirrh Mountain range. Compared to some of the canyons I've been lucky enough to experience, this one is underwhelming. But I'll do just about anything to smell fresh pine and the faint scent of campfire; love that!
There's quite a bit of graffiti in the canyon and these are the words of wisdom I learned today.

1. Embrace freedom. Stay high. {obvious plug for maryjane}
2. This mountain is mine! {a message left by Hank Butterfield, fictitious owner of the canyon}
3. We own the subs! {looks like there is a gang problem in the Herriman suburbs}

LEATHER TOPPERS

I like cute little feminine shoes; I also love some rockin' cool high tops. These are at Urban Outfitters.

A-Z in 26 DAYS: B

B {pronounced "bee"}

Bounce: One of my favorite smells is the glorious bounce dryer sheet. When my robe and bedding are fresh and clean and smell like bounce, I'm completely content.

Bebe: I probably call Nate Bebe about 50 times a day.

Before/Behind: One thing I'm learning more and more in life is to pay less attention to what is before or behind me and just focus on the moment.

Blush: I know I wear too much blush sometimes. But it's my guilty cosmetic pleasure. Deal with it.

I'M SO CORPORATE IT'S SICKENING

Yeah, that's right. I'm totally corporate with my new job and trips to China. And then I see this in front of company headquarters today. Still jealous?

CHEAP DESIGNER HANDBAGS AND DIM SUM

I'm headed to China on Tuesday. So much work to do. I'll be researching recycled packaging material on top of many, many other things. BTW, if anyone does have any resources for recycled packaging...please send. I want to be well educated.
And any information you want to share about China; I'm always open to suggestions.

A-Z IN 26 DAYS

Kym gifted me a copy of An Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life to enjoy on my trip to China {I leave Tuesday if all goes well}. Anyway, I took a two day detour to Arkansas this week and started reading it on the plane. Love it. It's funny and clever; completely uneventful but voyeuristic. Just my type of book.
I've decided to replicate this concept here on the Blog. For 26 days I'll highlight a topic (s) starting with the appropriate letter in the alphabet.

A {pronounced "ay"}

Addicted: My life has been pretty busy lately. Lot's to do; no time to do it. Stress. Worry. Hunker down and get it done. I'm not sure if it's as a result of the higher stress level {sometimes work stress is not a bad thing} but I'm requiring more and more caffeine as the days progress. I happen to drink a lot of the RockStar zero carb drink {read two a day}. While I don't notice any big gapping holes in my stomach lining as a result, I do see my nervous ticks exploding off the charts. You thought I was particular before.

Apple: I eat them often. I prefer the Gala.

Authentic: What I vowed I would be from now on. With work. With life. In my marriage and friendships. Everyday; all day long.

HOORAY FOR ADELIA

Adelia turned one on Saturday. Nate and I were lucky enough to have Andrew, LaShel and Adelia stop by on Friday before they went to the airport so it was almost like we saw her on her birthday. While her parents played guitar hero, Adelia and I hung out on the floor. She is a great dancer and loves to boogie to classic rock.
Also, this just in, Andrew and LaShel shared some super secret exclusive news on Friday that I had to wait to share. Now that all family is in the know, Adelia will be a big sister later this year. Double Hooray!

MOVE OVER MARTHA

A while ago I posted about wanting to learn a thing or two about hostessing from Martha Stewart. I loved the idea of providing postcards and stationary in the guest rooms {although when we have visitors, they rarely have need to send handwritten letters or send postcards from our neck of the woods}. But now...NOW. Kathryn M. Ireland, interior designer, has really piqued my interest in the ways of hostessing. She's relaxed and inclusive. Here's an excerpt from an article in this month's Domino magazine {can you tell I just read it from cover to cover?}
"One of my earliest and most enduring memories is of my mother at her Aga range, stirring a large pot of Bolognese for a cottage full of houseguests. Immediately inclusive, she had a way of making everyone feel comfortable and, most of all, wanted. She allowed a wide margin of error and communicated that anything could be fixed...All this made a big impression on my little soul and laid the foundation form my future as a mother-of-three, Bolognese-stirring houseguest-junkie. I have extra rooms in two homes on two continents and, taking after my mother, my motto is, "fill 'em up!""
This is the kind of hostess I want to be. And it seems that if I were this relaxed, comfortable, spontaneous, and real, Martha couldn't hold a candle to me.

KATIE LEE JOEL'S HOME

Domino features the beautiful home of Katie Lee and Billy Joel. She's lovely. The home is soft, warm and faded. This was a project taken on by architect Ahmad Sardar-Afkhami and decorator Nate Berkus {Oprah's lap dog}. If I could completely knock-off a home this would be it. It's the kind of house I could live in while brilliantly writing a novel that would claim it's place in history. Unfortunately, Nate and I don't make as much money as Billy Joel. Nor do we make as much as Billy Joel's personal assistant. So we'll settle for whatever I can impersonate on our budget.