Random bits of Lovely

It's been a while since I linked to Cindy at Romantic Homes, and every time I do it challenges me to find something pretty to look at- not that my glamour shot below isn't absolutely gorgeous, but still...... I want to play in this link up, so here are a few little bits of lovely.

What is about dolls, vintage toys, and babies? This little bit has all three, how can you go wrong? A charm for a friend made in blog land, with a handmade envelope and label to greet her. It is nice to send something off to someone you know will appreciate it.
A photo of my charm, with a cool little charm necklace my husband bought home for me from Korea.


And finally, a quick home Do-It-Yourself tip that any girl can handle.

How to replace the hole in your poor, tattered, cottage's wall that your son made by practicing his throw against it Start by measuring the hole. This is very important, as you will see here.

You need to make sure it is covered

by the star on sale at your local decor store.

See, now doesn't that look better?

Glamour Shot Confession

If you came to read about my cruise- scroll down and read below (just pretend you are interested).

If you came to see me humiliated in the glamour shot closet confessions carnival hosted by Kristina P.- look no further. RamSam glamour girl, Circa 1991
The worst part of this whole scenario is the fact that I had the audacity to buy a LARGE POSTER of this shot and give it to my boyfriend, it was his Christmas present, and I was beside myself with love when I got these photos- and gave them to him.

I am sure his parents were completely creeped out by it. He did return it when we broke up, later. I believe I threw it away when I moved out.

Maybe someday I will grace you with my Olan Mills senior photos. Maybe.......

I had forgotten about this photo, until Kristina's post came along.

To see more glamour hotties follow the link on her blog!

Cruising through Life

I am now officially jealous of anyone going on a (warm) cruise. We returned last Sunday from our week of indulgence, and it still feels like a beautiful dream.
Now, I am not going to go through a play by play of the week, because it would take too long and I am pretty sure you really aren't interested. Instead let me hit you with a few highlights and the best and worst of the trip.
A few unexpected pleasures:
Waking at 5:00 am because I wanted to see a sunrise. No alarm, no plan, just a childish excitement to see the sun rise over Mexico. My hubby joined me on the front deck and we had the sunrise all to ourselves.
Seeing my hubby in flip flops and beach shorts. Cutest thing. Ever. He is a self-proclaimed flip-flop hater, so this was new for me.
How fun it would be to dance with Alexander, our waiter from Croatia, as he forced himself to dance through the dinner entertainment. He hated it, but after one night of me and my sisters dancing like maniacs by his side (how do you just sit for "Apple Bottom jeans...Boots with the Fur...") he waved us to his side after that. "Jai Ho" has never been so fun.
How great it would feel to be rocked to sleep by waves. Mmmm. Best sleep I have ever had without medication.
How blissful no cell phone could possibly be. No kids. No work calls. No e-mails or texts dinging. Just me and him...... and lots of food and sunshine. Paradise.

Small disappointments:
I did not swim as planned. The pools on the boat were cold. The hot tubs were not near hot enough for my liking, and while the sun was there for me, I was sad I couldn't frolic in the pool like I had hoped to.
The cruise photos were a rip off. From the Photos by Deb instructions, to the glossy Olan Mills prints, the photos on this cruise were pathetic. The lighting was horrible, and most of the ones I thought I would break down and buy for 20 bucks- were hideous. Good thing we took a lot on our own.
My sea legs were unbearable. I was swaying for 5 days after we got off the boat. It got worse on day 2 and 3, so bad I couldn't run one day. I had to stop and walk because I felt like the road was moving. I am so glad it has stopped! There were a lot of fabulous moments. From dinner with my sisters and parents (above), to what felt like endless shopping (both on the ship and the port), card games, Karaoke, delicious food, amazing chocolate cake, room service, dancing until 1 in the morning, giggling with my sisters, sightseeing in Mexico, zip lines and rock walls, holding hands and laying in the sun....there is just too much to say.


If you need a vacation let me just say this- for us, the cruise did not disappoint.

Gather round for Conference

For my fellow Latter Day Saint families I have wanted to share a little tradition our family does for conference, we have been doing it for several years now.

Each Conference season we pick a new puzzle for our family to work on. Over the years we have gotten quite efficient, cracking the puzzle on Saturday morning and setting a goal to finish it by Sunday night. I clear the living room and move our dining table in front of the TV, complete with goodies and munchies galore- free for the taking, IF you are helping with the puzzle.

As you can see we are still in jammies, hair undone and sodas already cracked. From the looks of the photo, this was Sunday afternoon, with the puzzle almost finished.

My kids are always excited to see what puzzle I pick out for us. (this was a Walter Wick puzzle, one of the displays we saw at an art museum)

Okay, turn your head to look at the puzzle. I have uploaded it 5 times and it keeps flipping it, regardless of the fact it is normal on my computer. *

The family loved this puzzle, plus it had a few "I SPY" elements or hidden goodies to find. Sometimes we will do a place we have been or a place we want to go. We get competitive, too, complete with a 'tap' of a piece, to let others know you are having success at your corner.

I will be the first to say it isn't perfect.

There may be bickering over which section of the puzzle someone gets to sit by, or who gets to finish the edge.....

But I have been amazed how this has changed our conference weekend. I have seen my kids get into the talks, commenting and talking about it with me as we work quietly. I have felt like we are growing closer and making memories, instead of 'shushing' each-other form across the the room. Most important, we all stay awake, eager to finish what we have started- and while there around the table together, gentle lessons are learned and vital conversations had.

I love our puzzle weekend, and just wanted to take a minute to write about how great it has been for our family.

This year I am boarding a cruise on conference weekend, hoping I get time to catch up with my DVR and the spiritual messages shared when I get back in town. I was surprised at how disappointed my kids were that we would miss our puzzle weekend. We may just have to make it up another Saturday, soon. It is satisfying as a mom to think they even care.