Camping in the Great Outdoors

Pat and I decided to take a "last minute trip" trip to Utah a few weeks ago. We moved to the city last May and have not been able to take a vacation since. Recently, the city started to feel a bit suffocating, and we really wanted a little taste of "normal" life and visit our beautiful state of Utah.

When we lived in Utah we never appreciated all that this state has to offer. With its enormous mountains, dry summer heat, and family, this week we are trying to take advantage of all its beauty and adventure.

My sister, Jodi, and her family, residence of Utah, planned an adventure packed week for Pat and I. Jodi, knowing that Pat and I were being suffocated by our concrete jungle, has been amazing in giving us the polar opposite of what we experience in Utah, and we have only just been here for a few days!

On Saturday, Pat and I woke up at 4:30am in order to catch our 6:40 flight. During our two hour layover in Dallas, Pat and I walked all over the airport eating two days worth of food. We definitely were in vacation mode from the moment we left our apartment, but a layover has never been more fun.

Once arriving in Utah, we went straight to our first adventure...camping. For those that know me, you know I am not much of a camper. My idea of camping is rolling the window down in the car. However, NYC has changed me—I crave nature and being at one with it.

We spent Saturday night and all of Sunday enjoying dry heat, boat riding, tubing, wake boarding, sun bathing, star gazing, and gourmet cast iron meals.

Jodi's friends have a boat and were nice enough to take us out all day. Most of us really enjoyed being pulled around in a tube and being freaked out of our minds. I say most of us because I don't like that kind of thing. I am such a party pooper. Call me crazy, but I just don't get what is so fun about getting thrashed around on a freezing lake and having to hang on for dear life because you think you are going to die. Yet, of course my family peer pressured me into doing it a couple times, and once again it was solidified that tubing is just not my thing. I am so lame.

However, Pat loves all this stuff. He really enjoyed wake boarding (which I am always really impressed at how good he at it) and tubing. My poor husband married a wuss...I am sorry Pat!

My two sis's, Jodi and Kim.

My niece, Julianna

Kim and Momma

My niece, Lyla

Stud Muffin, Pat

Jodi, Pat and Kim really enjoying themselves on the tube

If the first 2 days of our trip are any indication of the fun that is going to be had during this vacation, we are in for a good ride!!!!!!!

Mountain Kitty

Sphynx cats are little more outgoing and adventurous than other cats. Since losing Frido, we have really wanted to be able to take our cat to the park and go on little adventures, just like we did with our ferret.

Last week we took Montee to Central Park (after the sun went down of course so he wouldn't get sunburned) and he actually had a really good time. He seemed to really like the change of atmosphere, from our 500 sq/ft apartment, and he actually walked on his leash quite well. It made us really excited to take more adventures with our cat.

I think we are getting more weird by the day.

Montee taking in the morning rays

Montee likes to sit next to the window because the heat from outside keeps his naked body warm. Poor kitty.

DIY {Birthday Gift} Happy Birthday Momma!

Coming from a family with 5 children, my siblings and I almost always combined our money and give our other siblings and parents a group gift. It's a great gig, as we have been able to give more extravagant and thoughtful gifts, such as hot air balloon rides, massages, and date nights.

But who says gifts have to be all about money? I always think the best gifts don't take any money at all, but just a lot of heart. That is why for my mom's birthday this year, me and pat, my siblings and their children pooled all our love together and created a box full of love...20 days of love to be exact.

The process is quite simple.
1. Bought a nice box that my mom would want to keep around for a while.
2. Found an envelope template online that I could adapted and make envelopes that would fit in the box perfectly. (Similar to this wedding gift I made a while back).
3. Printed off envelope stuffers from family members
4. Mounted the envelope stuffers appropriately on card-stock
5. Made and taped numbers 1-20 on each envelope with double sided tape (Double sided tape is my bff)
6. Stuffed the envelopes
7. Printed Box Instructions
8. Shipped to arrived on BDAY!




My mom received the box the day before her birthday. When she opened the box she saw these intructions:

Happy birthday to the best mom and grandma in the world. A birthday for someone so great deserves to be longer than just one day, that is why you deserve a birthday that will last 20 days. All you have to do is open one envelope everyday and let us do the rest.

Start today by opening envelope #1 and everyday work your way through all the envelopes until you reach envelope #20.

Each envelope contains a treasure from a loved one that will make you smile and/or cry. You have always made each and everyone of your children, children in-laws and grandchild feel loved, now it’s our turn to return the favor.

Happy Birthday!

 

Putting this gift together was a lot of fun. The instructions to my siblings was simple. Create anything you want that can fit inside a 5x5 envelope that can be emailed to me (since we live all over the country). Some wrote letters, some drew pictures, some did both, some spelled out words with their bodies and took pictures of it, some (Pat) photoshopped Regis and Kelly in with a picture of my mom, some created Youtube videos with the URL address given in the envelope, some included pictures from their childhood, and some wrote poems. The possibilities were endless.

I had a lot of fun making one of my envelopes, where I made moveable paper dolls of myself and my mom. I told my mom that since we lived so far apart, this was a way that we could always be together. They were really fun to make. I created a template in illustrator, printed on card-stock and colored, cut out, glued heads on, and put brads in the joints. 

My mom has really enjoyed opening all her envelopes. I hope this present helped her feel, on a daily basis, all the love we have for her and how much we appreciate all that she has done and all that she continues to do for her children and grandchildren.

I love you Momma.

To Download the Paper Doll Template--click here

To Download Paper Doll Template--click here

Goodbye Parties

 

I love Brooklyn, so when there is any excuse to go there I am thrilled. However, two going away parties for Pat's work buddies, are not just "any excuse," it is a fabulous reason to explore the other bouroughs of NYC. 

On Saturday, we woke up once again craving Panera Bread. I just can't get enough of the ambiance of "normal life" and their soup bread bowls—a killer combination in my book. Once again we spent the afternoon chatting and enjoying feeling like "normal" people as we ate our lunch at Panera. I could really see this becoming our weekend tradition.

After spending our afternoon in Queens, we would have enjoyed getting lost on our motorcycle, as we tried to make our way down to Brooklyn, if it wasn't so hot. It was HOT. We had to make a stop at Walgreens and stock up on Gatorade so we wouldn't pass out. After getting lost for a few hours, we finally found Prospect Park, where "Goodbye Party #1" was being held.

Pat's past Creative Director, Simon, is moving to England for a job opportunity. Pat had the opportunity of working with Simon for only a few very short months, which was a major bummer for Pat since he enjoyed working with him so much. Hopefully, someday they will be able to work together again.

Pat and Simon

Simon chasing his daughter, Ivy, this is what I did the majority of the time as well.

Ivy once again. I really took a liking to her.

After "Goodbye Party #1" we headed to another part of Brooklyn for "Goodbye Party #2", another one of Pat's co-workers was leaving and moving to L.A. We enjoyed amazing food on a roof deck that had a great view of Manhattan.

After the party Pat dropped one of his friends off on his motorcycle, while I walked through the Carol Gardens/Park Slope area of Brooklyn. The tree lined streets were so quiet. It was weird not to hear the buzz of traffic and still be NYC. I love it there.