Summer is winding down...

I just got back from a quick trip back home to Utah. It is always fun to see my growing family & see those beautiful mountains again! I hiked the Y with some friends, played games with the family, ate way too much food, swam, napped, and laughed til I cried anytime my brothers were in the room. We were also all glued to the Olympics all weekend! GO USA! I wish I would have snapped more photos...here are the few I did manage:

 (this last pic was taken in my parents backyard-we always had to pick these grapes each October and my mom would make homemade grape juice.....when I saw these vines it brought back all of those memories!)

Just before I hopped on a plane to see mi familia, the boss and I took a drive from the OC to the big LA to bid farewell to a certain handsome guy heading down south to serve for 2 years.

I cried. Of course I cried. Luke is the little brother I never had!! He is going to be incredible & come back even cooler than he is now! Good Luck in Argentina Luke Nathaniel Spiker! We love you!!

I can't believe it's August! Our summer went by in a flash! The one bonus to this is that there will FINALLY BE PARKING!!! We love that you all love the beach and everything...but holy H you make our lives not-so-fun everyday when we get home from work & you've taken up every last inch of parking available. (see! people who live at the beach have problems too!)

PS:
You should visit this shop: LAONATO Cute, dainty metal jewels for such a good deal! I'm eyeing these lovelies.

We will make beautiful people

Oh yes, this is what it looks like. A Chris & Mari combo. The mustache one is just creepy!!!

Unplanned Internet Fast

I was/am/may still be MIA from Facebook, Pinterest, Blogs, Internet & Computers in general....Not sure why (seriously, not particular reason other than I lost the desire) but today I was sad I hadn't kept up on my blog (since it's such a great way to keep a record to look back on over the years). Hopefully I can actually make time for it now that my life is a bit less chaotic (ha!). A girl can hope, right?

And in case you missed my random lists (and posts) I thought I'd inform you of the things I have learned recently....

-In the battle between having a clean house & sleep: sleep wins
-A lot of people don't agree with me (....I'm still shocked)
-Im increasingly less productive as time goes on
-I once considered myself a fairly 'creative' person....then I started working at Anthropologie and was aware I was wrong (oh so very very wrong)
-Chris only likes to make the bed right before bed at night and not in the morning. And it makes me want to pluck my eyes out
-Never stray from a sure thing. A new mascara can ruin your life.
-5mile runs after 14hr work days are a recipe for disaster
-Eating ice cream from the carton is much more enjoyable when using a hot pad
-$18 movie tickets are normal in Newport but not anywhere else
-I should hire a laundry service cuz I really suck at it
-In the battle between anything & sleep: sleep wins
-My new Go-To Phrase is "Love It" and I hate it
-When I say I'm going to buy groceries "this week" it's probably not going to happen
-Chris hates when I spend money (yes, I just recently learned this...)
-The term "slutty meal" to describe terrible food choices has been the #1 most useful thing I have learned this summer
-Chris gets in shape fast. Looks better faster. And is generally more cute than I am on a regular basis. (I am not sure why I wasn't aware of this before....)

On a separate note....if you haven't seen Moonrise Kingdom, you must. Best movie I've seen all year.

TTFN Suckas.
-M.

Start off 2012 Right!

 I think it's safe to say that January can be summed up with the following words:

Juicing, Clothing, Working, Running, Sunsets, Beach, Friends, and Food.

We started juicing & making green smoothies and LOVE it. I finished Physical Therapy (what!) and was cleared to start running (eek!). Chris started running (double eeek what!) once or twice a week with me. We both work way too much, but Feb has been way worse than January as far as that goes. We obviously eat a LOT and I obviously like clothing a LOT. We also started and are now caught up with the series 'Downton Abbey' (loooooove!), bought airfare for Hawaii in May, and bought sweet new iPhone covers--Like I said, we know how to start the year off right!

The Secret to My Success...

Oh my 80's magic.

First off, let's just agree on one thing. Michael J Fox is pure 80's. His movies are jammed with all of the goods. I am particularly fond of the ever-constant "never give up" underdog themes they have.  I mean, Teen Wolf? Are you serious? Who doesn't love that. 

Tonight, in my singlewifelifehood Netflix did me proud by suggesting 

"The Secret to My Success"

with no other than the big MJ himself. (big is a relative term)

I am beyond entertained. The excessive use of keyboard medleys at just the right moment, the one liners like "I believe in myself. That has to count for something!" or "I didn't buy a roundtrip ticket. When I come back to Kansas, I will come back in my own Jet" Go get 'em MJ!! I love the fact that the older rich woman has a perm and wears turbans...Or the scene where the main girl is getting a drink from the drinking fountain and it's set up to be a MONUMENTAL moment. Oh gosh, I laugh so hard I cry. 

So tonight friends, I recommend you find yourselves 

a cheestastic 80's movie and enjoy every moment of it.

avoiding the shower for no good reason

You know when you KNOW it's time to shower? (don't lie, I know you know what I'm talking about!)
Those times your hair permanently separates and looks an entirely different color at the roots (this was my 'surgical recovery look' for 3 weeks), or those times you look in the mirror and wonder, "how did I go out in public today?", or like today when my legs stuck to the toilet seat because I worked out 6 hours ago and now they are sticky....IT'S TIME TO SHOWER. (TMI?)

Yet, here I am, on the couch. Sticky legs & in no hurry to do anything about it.

Chris is out of town, if you hadn't already guessed by my being in no rush to shower.
(and he will most likely gag and then tell me to delete this post with some sort of "why would you write something like that" discussion)

You know what? I miss him while he is away. He is a pretty swell chap. He serves so many wonderful purposes around this house, his absence is deeply missed. For one, he is the human heater. So there's that. He also provides me with musical entertainment (for those of you privy to this, you understand it's priceless value), as well as doing the dishes and taking out the trash.
Oh and he's pretty cute too.

But having him gone has it's perks.
The heater is at a solid 80degrees and won't budge until he comes home and violently complains as he switches it to 65.
I can blend green smoothies at 5am before work, which is something he refuses to allow.
(it may seem extreme to have the blender going at 5am but is it so much to ask him to support my healthy lifestyle? I mean, come on.)
The house stays clean. Sigh.
And lastly, the chick-flicks flow abundantly & free of ridicule!

Is it just me, or do I seem to always blog when he is away? Hmmm.

BTW---I love 'THE NEW GIRL' on Fox. And i love Tivo. And I love Sprinkles cupcakes but am limiting myself because I've got Hawaii to think about and although it may appear small under clothing, there is a round-mound pale white in all it's glory hiding under my layers. 

A girl at work once told me I describe things in the most disgusting ways imaginable. I think I got that from my father. We Carvers, we tend to be a bit....dramatic. For the record, I really do see/think the things I say....so if I say it's a round-mound of pale white glory...I really do think of it that way.

I watched "Chocolat" for the first time last night. I know, I know. Late bloomer.
I know what you're thinking, Johnny Depp is a fox. And that woman, she is beautiful. But what I was thinking was "I really want some chocolate!!". THE. ENTIRE. MOVIE. If it hadn't been so late, I probably would have driven to the store just to get some.
Fear for me if I ever get pregnant.

But the movie was amazing, happy there are still good movies to resort to since all of the new ones suck mucho.

Then I watched Bridget Jones. OMG. I LOVE HER. Even if she looks incredibly awful during that entire movie, I just love her in it.

Next post, photos, I swear. Far more entertaining!