Mitchie and Meliss

2011-11-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

Walk dont run! Hurray, grab the car keys and get in the car before Costco closes!

These little guys have changed my life!... Okay, not really but I am obsessed!

Have you tried them? 35 calories a bag! Yay!

Seriously grab your keys

Have a great weekend

♥ Melissa

We are still here!

2011-10-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

I am giving in and blogging again!
First of all I want to re-introduce ourselves! Im Melissa... okay just kidding!
I know it has been a long time, we have just had a lot going on!

If we havent seen you in a while it is because we have been a little preoccupied with a few things.
First and foremost, we MOVED!!
Well kind of, we are back in our bedroom and family room!
After a flood destroyed our basement down to the 2x4's we are nearly back to normal.
Thanks to my Dad and Mitch for many hours on their hands and knees, drilling, sweeping, chopping, screwdriving, taping, mudding and sanding it is finally over!
A few weeks ago we had new carpet installed and it almost just almost feels like a new house to us!

Next after almost 4 years of trying to figure out our Legal immigration mess that we have had on our hands, we can happily say that Mitch is safe and sound! No more phone calls back and forth to our lawyers office, no more interviews, no more worrying every single time the door bell rings, we are finally free! I say we because it has been an eye opening experience for me, someone who really didnt know much about our immigration system say even 5 years ago.
Mitch even seems like a different person, sort of like he has let a little bit of his guard down and he is more relaxed. All I can say is that we will probably always continue to pray for those who are going through immigration battles because we know how hard it can be.
We want to thank every single last one of your for the prayers and letters that were written. I know that I mentioned it before but it has been humbling to read the sweet stories that were written.

I cant get any of my pictures to load at the moment but we have done a few projects that I will post in the next little bit.
For now, thanks again for being our friends! We ♥ you!
Mitchie and Meliss

2011-06-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

I feel like a detective!

It consists of gather information, phone calls and lots of research.
Recently as most of you know we have had our hands full lately. Basically one problem or situation after another.
I cant talk about it too much right now but today feels like we have finally hit the top of the Mountain that we have been climbing for the last few months. It has been a difficult climb and we have learned a lot but for now, I think we might have just reached the hardest peak to date. We cant get overly confident yet but looking back it has been amazing how many little things have happened either to make us stronger or point out "little tender mercies." I have not been myself for a while now and it feels good to have the "old Melissa" coming out of her shell again. Things happen for a reason and it might be hell going through it at the moment but in the end, I am grateful for my challenges and trials. I think it really makes you look back on recent experiences and shows you where you need to improve either in your personal life i.e. relationships or just in everyday situations. I cant tell you how many times the little phone calls of encouragement came just at the right time when we had just been hit with a major blow. Tonight I am just very grateful for all my dear friends and especially my family.

We ♥ you!

2011-06-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

Taken from google

What? Money Trees DO exist?

How cool is that?

2011-06-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

Carpet or Hardwood?!?! That is the question!!
Tonight we went to Home Depot and it was a blast! I have a feeling this mini "remodel" is going to get spendy quick! Maybe a trip to Latienda in Preston, Idaho is in order!
Have a great day ♥ Meliss

2011-06-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

After quite a few crummy days, I decided today that it was about time to turn things around. I decided that I was going to make cookies for the neighbors and quit feeling sorry for myself. After calling my mom to get the recipe for the"famous easy chocolate chip cookies" I got to work.

I make what felt like a trillion cookies and baked them up, the entire time trying to decide which neighbors I was going to give them to. The buzzer rang, and I grabbed the hot pad. Snitched a little taste just to make sure that I dont kill them and grabbed the plates.....
WHAT?? WE only have 1 paper plate left? I guess I would have known that if I cooked a little more often than once a week at this point but needless to say, One neighbor got cookies and now I have HOARDS of cookies! Do they freeze? I know that cookie dough does but actual cookies? Probably not! Oh well, its the thought that counts right?
Guess we should have gotten milk and paper plates!

William Sonoma Chocolate Chip cookie recipe
OUR FAVORITE

1 1/3 Cups Flour
1/2 tea baking powder
1/2 tea baking soda
1/2 tea salt
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tea vanilla (♥to add Mexican Vanilla)
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips. ♥ghiradelli or nestle

Try them out. Bake 350 for 8 minutes or so. Check your oven, mine cooks hotter than most

♥ ya'll, Meliss

2011-06-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

So, I guess I am going to go against what I said I would do and talk about my emotions for one tiny minute. Tonight I missed a call from my Dr. who was calling to confirm that I did indeed have a miscarriage. Due to my dropping HCG levels, its kind of a done deal at this point. For some reason this week has been one of the hardest weeks of my entire life but I have had a very overwhelming feeling of comfort. As most of you know our basement flooded and destroyed our bedroom and at that point, I thought that it was a HUGE deal... Wrong, then the letter came that nearly crushed me last Tuesday regarding our future and I thought at that point that it was a HUGE deal.... wrong. Then while at work I noticed that something was not quite right with my body on Friday and realized that maybe the stress of everything was taking its toll..... This past week or so, there have been quite a few trials and challenges in my family and extended family. For a small moment all I could do is question why? My sweet family came over on Friday and gave Mitch and me a very comforting blessing and within an hour nearly all of my pain was gone. While going through some very challenging things we have still been able to see little "tender mercies" as my mom would put it in our life. I just want to thank all of my wonderful friends and family who have seriously been such a huge support and blessing to us during this very challenging time in mine and Mitch's life. A day at a time... One challenge at a time, we will survive.

♥ you all

This weeks motto

2011-06-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

There is a beautiful poem, probably familiar to you, called the "Serenity Prayer." It was written in 1932 by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Part of it goes like this:

God,
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference

Dr Oz: Apple Pectin, Grape Seed Extract & Forskolin: Flat Belly Supplements

2011-05-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

The other day I was watching Dr Oz and heard about 3 supplements to take that might help reduce belly fat! Who wouldnt want that?!?! I tried Whole Foods and they were totally sold out so then I got excited! I finally found all 3 ingredients at a Bountiful health shop. We will see if it works?!?! Why not try!

Dr Oz: Apple Pectin, Grape Seed Extract & Forskolin: Flat Belly Supplements

2011-05-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

Howdy! We're back! Sorry it has been a little while! Between the stress of life and the hustle and bustle of our busy jobs, we have been a little preoccupied!
We have had some kind of fun things going on in our life, Mitch just recently got home from Las Vegas where he was Cameron Rafati's drummer for a few shows. He had an absolute ball! The first things out of his mouth were,
"I CANT WAIT TO GO BACK!"

They played 8 shows at the new Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino. Honestly, I have been a wreck this last month and Mitch is distracted and having the time of his life. I am very proud of him and cant wait to see what the future holds for him.

They recently were one of the opening bands for Sean Kingston in Logan at Utah State. At one point, USU had counted 4,000 people. Mitch has another show lined up in Vegas for the end of June and I cant wait to go with him and see them perform along with shop at some great places. Have you ever been to Trader Joe's? Its such a fun little store! Anyway, that is all for now! Hope all is well in your world!
♥ Melissa

2011-04-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry We havent posted for a while!

We have a few little hicc-ups going on in our life.

Promise, We will be back really soon!

Love all of you!

Cameron Rafati - "1 in 10" Music Video © 2010

2011-04-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

Mitch has been a part of quite a few bands but the newest, latest greatest band is with Cameron Rafati. They will be opening for Sean Kingston, Christina Perri as well as some others that are in the line up! We are proud of you Mitch! What a huge opportunity!

There's no place like home!

2011-04-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I was able to spend some time at the home that I grew up in and I just have to say that it made me a little home sick. My mom and dad have always done such a good job at always having a "project" to work on. I decided that I would take my camera and show you where I grew up. Thanks mom for letting me show some of your house before my camera died.
I always love going home.

Tuesdays project!

2011-03-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

I had these picture frames that I really didnt know what to do with. I found them at z Gallery and they were a screaming deal but I finally found something to do with them!

My mom has this cool little machine called a Cricket that will cut any shape out of just about anything. My sister and I sat down and started experimenting.

We went to the store and got a stack of paper to play with and got to work

These were some of our little experiments on some extra vinyl that we had lying around

What a fun day!

This weather is nuts!

2011-03-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Last week this is what we woke up to! Snow... Wet, heavy white SNOW!

This was after we had cleared off the hot tub once already!

Welcome to Sunday.... where did it all go!

2011-03-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

While driving home the other night I realized, its been just over a year since we moved from Draper to West Bountiful! What a fun, crazy. stressful, hectic, insane year it has been! Here is to many many more!

2011-02-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

Isnt it fun when you go somewhere great and they know you by name!
Its especially fun when you go somewhere and they know about your secret little diet coke with Lime addiction.
Me and my girlfriends go to the Bistro
almost weekly and we have our favorite little corner where we sit and tell secrets and giggle.
In that special little corner we laugh and laugh. We call it our "circle of trust" where all is told and nothing is held back. I look forward to our weekly girl getaways but I especially love that everyone there knows us well enough that they bring our condiments and limes/lemons before we can even ask for them. Its simply amazing! Today we snapped a picture to show how amazing it always is! I love our little getaways!

removable wallpaper? Seriously!

2011-02-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

Its always a great day when you find a website that has removable wallpaper! As often as we are changing things, this could actually work out in my favor. I was going to just paint an accent wall but I think this looks like a little more fun. Which color and pattern should we pick for my "girl cave?"

Wonder if these would look cute on our wall?

This is a different pattern but I thought it might look kind of fun
Have a fabulous day!
♥ Melissa!

2011-02-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make.... If you know me well then you already know what I am about to confess. I am obsessed with the "barefoot contessa!" aka Ina Garten

About 5 months ago or so I decided that I was going to
DVR her shows on Food network but I really didnt think much about it again. Well while going through our DVR last night I realized that something had been recording over
100 shows!

WHAT?

Really?

Now I call that crazy! Who needs 100 + shows of anything recorded! Well, call me crazy I guess!

Yep, I have over 100 of her shows recorded. Its awful but secretly I am always so excited to learn something new to cook besides my 5 or 10 things that I get stuck cooking!
One of my best friends Misty loves Ina as well and its fun to compare what does or doesn't work while trying out our own little experiments.
Do you like to cook?
What is your favorite recipe?

If you havent ever looked through these particular cookbooks then you are missing out
BIG TIME
I received these cookbooks for Christmas from Mitch and they are awesome!
Have you ever looked through them?
She is inspiring to step out of my little box and try something new!

Ina, you are a little over the top at times but I finally admitted that I am officially obsessed!
There, I said it!
♥ Melissa

2011-02-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

I had planned on being a good wifey and making dinner the other night. Needless to say, it has been a long long interesting week and when I got home the other night, the LAST thing I wanted to do was cook. Which is very unusual for me! Mitch decided on 5 guys, and off we went!

If you havent ever been to 5 guys, its AWESOME! They have great burgers and fries. They also have boxes and boxes of these bad boys!
PEANUTS!
Now normally I am a huge fan, but just recently I have had an allergic reaction to something and I just cant pin point what is making me so itchy! Well my friends, I think I figured it out!

I actually sure hope not!

(Pictures taken from Google.com)

be good for goodness sake!

2010-12-31T18:53:00.000-08:00

First of all I want to thank my cousin Liz for letting me take these off her blog! I didnt ask but I am sure she wont mind! First things first.... Like every year, we gather together on Christmas Eve either at Auntie Jo's or mama Baird's house. This year we ended up getting together at the Cleggs home and had some delicious food and way too many giggles! As the night was winding down Maddie was startled by some very loud bells and a ho, ho. ho'ing from outside the window. Mitch and I were not able to see how cute she was as we were out in the front yard looking for "santa" and we completely missed him and his loud bells and her reaction (darn it)...... Its amazing how easy you forget how fun Christmas Eve ad Christmas can be with little cuties batooties around.

Maddie looking for Santa outside!
As soon as Santa had left, Maddie ran down the hall... jumped into her jammies and got into bed and was out! So dang cute!

What a lovely Christmas Eve it was!

Its been an interesting one!

2010-12-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

So I borrowed these from google because I didnt actually catch our thief in action. Last week I was getting ready for the day when I headed out to run some errands when I noticed something was really wrong. My glove box, middle console, and just about anything else you could open and destroy had been opened and cut up with a knife. I hurry and unlocked my car and noticed that we had a unwelcome visitor during the night. This brilliant being decided to take a knife to the side of my door and open panels that I didnt even know existed! Needless to say I kind of wish I could have caught this piece of work and just given him the GPS that he so desperately was after. After quite some time at the police department right down the street I found out that this fella had been busy. Felt kind of like a kick to the gut and then I felt sorry for the guy.

Speaking of kick to the gut, maybe it was just the back pain that I have recently had. I finally broke down and went to a Dr. and if any of you know me well, you know I only go to the Dr if I have walked on a broken foot for 2 weeks and cant take it anymore and that is about the only time I will go! Apparently I have a disk in my back that is acting up and that might be what is causing my numb thigh.

GUESS WHAT!!!!!!

Nobody on our street has put up their Christmas lights yet! I almost feel guilty turning ours on!

I am grateful for New tires today!

During our famous "blizzard" I realized how rediculous my front tires were! In a panicked effort to just get home, I stopped at the store and bought 14 bags of water softener salt to weigh the car down. The gal who was one of the only checkers ended up blacking out at the register, we waited with her while the ambulance came to pick her up.

Although it has been a long, stressful week.... I am still so grateful that it is Christmas time. I think I will turn on some Christmas music, light a fire in the fireplace and snuggle with Mitch and Hunter tonight.

My awesome cousin Shane!

2010-11-20T21:23:00.000-08:00

This sweet man is my cousin Shane Mitchell. He recently was taken from this earth way too young and was quite the class act. I was thinking back today about what an amazing family we have and how much we really do truly love each other. We are extremely close and love to get together and celebrate! On this day, Shane had returned from serving our country and like the Halls do, we celebrated!!
We got up early and lined the yard with as many American flags as we could find. It was truly breath taking.

some of us that were gathered that day.

Did I mention how much I love these people! Truly such a great group !

We will miss you Shane! I know that it hasnt been very long since you passed but I swear everyday I think about your sweet little guy Preston and Holly. We know that you are on the other side sharing the gospel like you did here on earth. We love and miss you and cant wait until the day that we get to be with you again

We garden at Midnight

2010-11-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

So we heard the weather was going to be awful and we both have put in a bunch of time at work but we really thought that it was time to get out into the yard and get some things done! Who cares if it was 11:45 at night right! I almost forgot what time it was when I went to get the lawn mower out. My neighbors probably wouldnt have been too thrilled! Especially our next door neighbor that just had a baby

Mitch started in one corner and I started in the other. What a mess! We have about 7 trees in the back yard that are almost taller than the telephone poles so needless to say, we have plenty of leaves if anyone ever needed any!

We accidently took off our back yard fence that goes to the walking trail and golf course and we accidently raked 7 piles of leaves in that direction. hahahah

Super man?

Wicked witch?

Dont ever hesitate to call us in the middle of the night, we will be outside gardening!

Is it too early!?!?!

2010-11-08T15:21:00.000-08:00

My cute sister came over and helped me with a project today! Normally Linda is around but she is up helping Diane get her Christmas stuff our for her Gingerbread Shop Store! We went to Michaels and bought some garland and golden ribbon
I guess we will learn by trial and error! We probably took it down 100 times before we got it right!

Audrey made some cute bows that we tried to attach throughout.

Dont you love this time of the year! The snow is falling, the Christmas music is on (a little early but I dont care) and now we are off to make soup and breadsticks!

My new fun finds!

2010-11-08T15:06:00.000-08:00

Since I havent blogged in a while I thought I would just show you some of my really fun finds that I have gotten lately! This is my new Burberry bag! I am in love! It could seriously hold 2 liters of Diet coke!

Mitch and I went on a date to Z Gallery at Gateway! Its really sad when the old lady inside knows you by name, I guess we should learn hers! These were in a clearance bin in the corner covered up. We have so many black accessories that I nearly put them back but then I decided that they might be super cute painted! We will see how crafty I end up feeling.

Just another angle

These place mats were in the "holiday section" I thought that they would be cute everyday placemats! They are silver and sparkly! The best part was that they were only $5.00 each! Yahoo!

Just a little closer look. Probably should have straightened the plate but it was late! Oops!

Mitch, being the center pieceI guess! Silly guy!

My mom got us this cute cute rug! Our last one had a little run in the corner so we moved it over by our garbage can where so one can see the run and we replaced it with this! Thanks mom!

Super Saturday here we come

2010-11-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of Caramel apples and pretzel rods that I made the other day to show my relief society! This Saturday we are making apples for 2 different wards! It should be fun but I have to say that I am just praying that everything works out perfectly.

This is liquid yumminess when it is all gooey and delish

The finished project!

We will be making

Coconut apples

snickers apples

oreo apples (Pictured above)
Slivered almond apples

Cinnamon and Sugar apples

Holiday Sprinkled apples

Traditional apples

Peanutty goodness apples

and who the heck knows what else! Now off to shop!

2010-11-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

Well its almost caramel apple thirty! I dont know why I am so nervous but I guess it will be my chance to be like Paula Dean Ya'll! haha

Pray for us and I sure hope it all goes as smooth as it normally does at home! Hey since we will be making hundreds of apples, do any of you have any requests! I am going to be up to my elbows in sticky, gooey caramel! YUM!

I also told them that we would show how to make caramel pretzel rods and caramel and chocolate drizzled rice crispy treats! (secretly I cant wait! It has felt like a century for next Saturday to get here!) Pray for me!

2010-10-27T18:22:00.001-07:00

Can I be honest for 2 seconds. I secretly hate hate hate halloween, but,.....since my Mom and Auntie Jo decided to throw a Halloween party my heart has been softened. The only hard part every year is topping last years costume or the year before... We sure do have a good time but this year my creativity has run dry!!! HELP!

Halloween again?

2010-10-10T11:10:00.001-07:00

Is it seriously time for Halloween again? It is my least favorite holiday and I always struggle to figure out the perfect costume, trying to top off what I did last year.
Every year I try to do some kind of pumpkin but for the last 2 years I have tried to just do cute ones instead. I enjoy them much more! This year Mitch and I decided that we would spray our pumpkins rather than hand paint them like we normally do. We went to Michaels and bought some hay and ribbon and then purchased some pumpkins.

Then we went to Lowes and bought furniture fabric tacs. You know the ones that look like giant thumb tacs? They were the easiest way to make the fabric stick. I was going to modge podge it on but it just wasnt working!

I think this little guy is my favorite.

Tis the season I suppose!

2010-10-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

Dont you love this time of year! The air is crisp, the leaves are changing and all you really want to do is cuddle up in a blanket and watch a movie with some hot cocoa...
Instead, I have my cup of warm thera flu and a washcloth on my forehead with a lovely big box of fluffy tissues..... and for dessert, cough drops!
Tylenol PM, you have become my comfort and joy!

No internet for me!

2010-10-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

Yep, desperate times call for desperate measures!
Sitting here drinking my .99 Diet coke blogging!
(google.com for picture)

I found my guilty culprit

2010-08-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

The other day I noticed that we were getting some patches in our lawn out by our back sprinkler that were dry spots. I really didnt think anything else of it until it got worse and worse. I kept repositioning our sprinklers to make sure that all corners of the yard were being taken care of and then one day stumbled upon our little Hunter.

He wouldnt stand still for even a second so I had to use a picture that would give you an idea. He attacks the sprinklers and plays in them. My parents were over the other day and we ended up getting the giggles watching him.

I LOVE SUMMER!

We are craazy!

2010-08-11T20:24:00.001-07:00

On Monday night I got a brilliant idea to start going through the rest of our boxes in the garage that we just havent had time to go through since we moved in to our new place in Feb. Trying to motivate myself to get excited about my new activity, I stumbled across a brand new can of stain that was used for our deck. We recently had added a few additional posts to the corners of our deck in order to make it more sturdy. I grabbed a paint brush with the intention of just painting the new posts that my dad and Mitch put in but when we got outside, we realized that the deck could really use a brand new layer of stain to give it a little refresher!
Little did I know that it would take seriously hours! First we wiped down the deck and swept away any dust or leaves that had fallen and gotten stuck by the hot tub. I moved my gigantic planters and cleaned under them and put them out on the lawn. We had to move our patio furniture out on the lawn as well as learn how to turn off our sprinklers that shoot over to part of our patio and then we got started. For a while, it went really fast and we were making fairly good time, when the phone rang. Mitch had gotten called into his other job and it was going to be just me! Oh dear!!! By the end of the night, I looked like stained mess but it sure was worth it.
I finished at about 10:45 and was painting by moon light practically but I am sure glad that I stumbled across that can the other night.

A little bit country!

2010-08-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

Mitch had a great opportunity this past weekend to drum for a band that traveled to Price. I wasnt sure if country was quite his cup of tea but he looked like he was having a blast.

The rest of the family was not able to attend. We took our "nearly yearly" camping trip up to Willow Flat. Cant wait to hear you guys next time Mitchell!

2010-07-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP, PUTTING YOURSELF DOWN, and SELLING YOURSELF SHORT, Dont be a doormat!

my new favorite quote this week

2010-07-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

What a special weekend it has been spent with family and friends. I am proud to live in such a wonderful country.
2 days full of eating, laughing, reflecting back on past holiday memories.
I am proud to be an American and proud of those who have gone before and served for our freedom. God bless America

2010-06-23T08:08:00.001-07:00

Today I am grateful for the best parents anyone could ask for. A husband who is loving and understanding unconditionally. A Sister that has become my best friend. A Brother who would help anyone in need. The USA that I proudly call home.

While on vacation in Mexico I have had time to reflect on a few things. Do I take things that I have at home for granted? When it is hot, I turn on the AC. When it is cold, I turn on the heat. When I am tired I get a very comfortable bed to sleep in. When I dont feel very well, I take some medicine. When I need to "rush to the store," I grab the car keys.

Yesterday I met a boy who didnt have any shoes and was walking on the dirt road running from one side of the road to the other to get into some cooler shade. He approached me saying something in Spanish. I am assuming he was asking for money since he kept fanning his face. My sister grabbed a 1.00 bill and handed it to him and he put it in his pocket. After searching around I found a $5.00 and handed it to the little sweaty boy. He looked grateful. The next thing I knew he was buying icecream to cool off. He walked past us skipping, eating his cold icecream popcicle.

Just makes you look back and reflect on what a blessed lifestyle we enjoy and might just take for granted at times.

Our new place

2010-05-15T17:25:00.001-07:00

Well we have had our hands a little busy recently trying to get our house put together. If you havent heard from us in a while, that is why. This is my view from our kitchen table

This is the room that Mitch keeps all of his "boy stuff"

This is our "green chair room!" We found this green chair and had to bring it home and incorporate it somehow!

I love black and so this kitchen has ended up working out perfectly!

This in on our upper deck that overlooks the golf course. Dont you love this time of year when everything is so green and beautiful

This is our lower patio where we love to just hang out in the shade and BBQ.

Our little rat dog! Huntie buntie

home sweet home

we found these planters today at J and J

When we moved in, this house was white white white!!! My mom has spent so many hours over helping to get our house put together. This was our project on my last day off. We painted the walls red, got a new ottoman, found some great paintings and went to work.

From another angle.

Our bathroom downstairs

Our bedroom

strawberry soup?

2010-04-22T22:37:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard of Strawberry soup??? Chances are you havent but when I saw the recipe, I though I must try!

I know that looks nasty but just trust me! Its yum! You put in about 2 cups of strawberries, 1 cup of orange juice. 1 cup of vanilla yogurt and a Teaspoon of vanilla. then blend blend blend! In the end, I added some ice to make the "soup" thicker.
I think next time we will just stick our soup in a glass with an umbrella and call it good!

It wasnt super duper sweet like a smoothy, just refreshing. We will be trying this one again.

Im trying to copycat!

2010-04-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of the bun basket? Its this great place in Fruit Heights that sells cinnamon rolls and sandwiches. They have these great breads that are stuffed with meat and cheese and I thought it has to be simple to copy cat!

These photos didnt load in order but you get the point. I rolled up the dough and brushed them with egg wash before I baked them.

As far as I could tell, this is what they use at the Bun Basket

My way of cheating! haha

yum yum, arm lickin good!

2010-04-22T22:18:00.001-07:00

Are you stuck in a cooking rut?? It seems like the never ending battle.... What the heck is for dinner tonight? Sigh....

I found some ingredients that I had in the pantry along with some Asian ingredients in the fridge. We made a marinade for the pork and let it rest for about 3 hours.

We grilled the pork ribs and reduced the sauce. It was delish!

Draper my old home!

2010-04-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

Would you dare do this? I have always thought that I might try it, well that is until I watched how it was done!

I think that I will stay put!

This was in Draper up on the Mountain. A week before we moved, I decided I would drive up and watch how it is done! I have to admit, it was fascinating!

happy birthday!!

2010-04-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to be just like your parents? Well, I will never even come close but I sure want to try. Have you ever met someone who rarely thinks of their needs before they make sure that others are comfortable? My dad (and mom) are my best friends and I am proud to call them parents. Today is my dads birthday and I just want to say how much I love him and hope that he has the best day ever.

2010-04-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Doesnt the snow just make you want to cuddle under a blanket by the fireplace and sip hot cocoa? Outside the air is crisp, the lawn is covered in white and all I want to do is sit at home in my pj's and shop online...

2010-03-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

There is not better feeling than going to the paint store, picking out your new favorite color and buying all of the items needed to transform your room.

I normally can't wait to run home and get the paint brush out and get started.

How easily I forget what a time consuming process that it actually becomes.

The taping, the wiping down of walls, the prepping the paint, stirring the color in after it has separated. Its not quite as much fun as I had originally thought but boy does it make a difference! We are slowly getting our house ready to show but until then we need some turpentine!

We Moved!!

2010-03-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

After what feels like millions and millions of boxes, we are finally near the end! On Sat Feb 27th 2010 we moved in to our new home. We couldnt be more excited about it. For the past 2+ years we have lived in a 1 bed room tiny crammed apartment in Draper. It was small but it was home. We hired the best decorator that we could find, my mom! She had our house feeling more and more like a home within 2 days of being here. I couldnt have done it without her and my dad. While Mitch and I were moving things in my dad spent hours trying to figure out how to make our washer and dryers work. No one complained for a single minute. Audrey spent 2 entire days helping me clean and sort through things that needed to be send to the DI. I dont think that I have ever seen someone work so hard. Chris and Ally helped us load and unload trailors and cars until they were exhausted and they both still had things that they had to get done that day. Mitch had Oliver come and help lift the heavy heavy things. Long story short I love my family more than they know.

One of Mitch's customers let us use their big moving truck. It had spanish written all over it advertising the customers entertainment business. I still dont know what the van said but it was a very nice truck and we were grateful to have it... This picture above is not us, just how we felt as times!

We are so grateful to be in Bountiful closer to friends and family (except Audge but hopefully they are right behind us shortly) As soon as we get things completely finished we will post some pictures!

The Sack Lunches

2010-02-28T20:10:00.001-08:00

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.
'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time...

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base.'

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me.. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'
'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.

'This is your thanks..'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room.
A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did.. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base.
I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base... It will be about time for a sandwich.
God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

I love to see the temple

2010-02-23T17:28:00.000-08:00

I love to see the Temple, I hope to be sealed there someday.

Things I love

2010-02-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my aunts blog and decided that I would steal it from her.
As I reflect back on many things that have changed recently in life, I am grateful for many things especially....

loving parents that would do anything for me or Mitch
working at Nordstrom
walking through wet mud, letting it squish through my feet
traveling through Europe years ago with my family
a clean house that smells of warm freshly baked bread
spending a evening alone with my husband when he isnt at his 2nd job
fresh manicure and nail fill
carwashes
payday
holding hands walking on the beach
Hawaii
learning something new
pantene pro v conditioner
diet coke
laying in the grass watching the clouds float by
spring
william sonoma chocolate chip cookies
flip flops
bare mineral makeup
mac lip gloss
fresh lemonade
feeling happy and healthy.

What are your favorites?

up stairs family room

2010-02-11T10:24:00.000-08:00

last night we decided that we would just go look at some furniture with no intent to buy but we fell in love with this set. We dont have it yet, but it should be ready by moving day!

2010-02-08T21:36:00.000-08:00

Do you officially become an adult when you are excited to buy some of these?
well if the answer is yes, I guess we became adults tonight! They even have a wrinkle steam release cycle, its so exciting

Be careful what you wish for because it just might come true!!

2010-02-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

I have a feeling that I might be counting more sheep than I care to remember tonight. Isnt it interesting how life can do a complete 360 degree change in a matter of minutes! That is how I am feeling at the moment. You know when you look back at life and you arent thrilled with the way things are going but you just stick with it and then you wonder how you ever would have done it any differently? That is what I am crossing my fingers and hoping for.

A week ago I took of some time to go on a mini vacation with Mitch for our 2nd Anniversary. While I was away from work clearing my head, we spend some time in Las Vegas, finished house hunting and started packing up all of our things. When I walked into work on Monday I was greeted by my boss who informed me that the Murray store had an opening and she encouraged me to go for the position. After being able to think about it for a few minutes it became official and another thing in our lives changed.

This last week I have been sick but I have a feeling that its just stress, right? Stress affects you right? Thats what I am going to blame it on for now :)

By the end of the month we should be new residence to Bountiful Utah. I almost cant even let the reality of it hit me until we sign the final papers. We are so excited to finally have our own home and a place to grow and learn new things as a small little family. Its amazing how many little papers you have to sign and initial in order to prove that you are who you say you are in order to own a home. Its been a fun process that I never thought that I would ever go through.

we also were informed that our Bank had closed for business. You can imagine how frustrating this is while trying to buy a home. While our funds were tied up it really makes you think about how hard it could be someday to get to your money when you really need it.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I cant wait till I can call my new life normal! Until then, I am off to count sheep.... 1............2..........

Under Contract!

2010-01-29T17:10:00.001-08:00

Today we officially are under contract! This will be our future back yard! I cant wait to see what my mom will do with the place! haha (she knows she will though!)

This is part of our house in the back. I think that I am the most excited about the hot tub that is coming with the house.

This is already my favorite room. I almost cant wait to break it in!
Now the fun part, Packing.... agh!

2010-01-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

I was watching HGTV and saw this before and after. Since we have been house hunting, we have seen a lot of homes that you had to nearly close your eyes and sometimes plug your nose to image the hidden treasure. Isnt fashion and designing incredible? It is so neat that we live in a time where anything is possible, seriously almost anything!

I am going to miss you man!

2010-01-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

I watched the Tonight Show for the first time in a long time last night. It has been a long emotionally stressful day but when I turned on his 2nd to last show I found myself laughing out loud by myself for the first time in a long time! That hasnt happen in a very long time. It was refreshing. Good luck Coco!!

2010-01-22T19:47:00.000-08:00

Have the courage to say no, Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with Integrity.

-W. Clement Stone

This pretty much sums it up!

2010-01-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

whippy cake fashions

2010-01-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

I was watching Studio 5 today and they had a gal on that had the cutest ideas! I went to her website and found these cute cute cute flower headbands. A huge trend right now are these big chunky flowers with some kind of detail in the middle. During Thanksgiving we made some really fun flower pins that have been a lot of fun.

Fun new appetizer

2010-01-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

The other night I was trying to decide what I was going to take to my parents house for our New Years Eve party. I found this on a blog and decided to try them.
I went to Costco and got a big bag of those little mini mini sausages. I cant remember the name of them to save my l life right now but you know what I am talking about right?
I also picked up a thing of bacon, some brown sugar and some toothpicks. Thats it only 3 ingredients!!
We cut each piece of bacon into 4 pieces. Make the strips just long enough to barely wrap around each little smokie sausages and then secure them with a toothpick.
Finally sprinkle each with a little brown sugar and then bake!
They are so simple and so yummy!

What a great year it has been!

2009-12-27T17:26:00.000-08:00

As this year comes to a close I have to stop and reflect about how blessed we are!
Mitch has been working his tail off. He works in the day at Guitar Center in Taylorsville and during the evening at the Huka in Murray doing security. I dont know how he can function on so little sleep but he seems to manage quite well. We will see how long he can keep that up.
He is also a drummer for the band Dulcesky. He loves the band members as if they were his own brothers.

I am still managing 2 departments at Nordstrom in Orem and loving almost every second of it. :) Now that the Christmas holiday season is nearly at a close, I love my job more and more! This year has been quite challenging due to the economic cercumstances but we are still going strong and managing to survive. I am counting down the days until the new store in downtown Salt Lake City is finished! I can not wait!!

In September we were able to travel to Hawaii with my parents. What a beautiful area that is. We hope to be able to travel back soon.

At the end of January we will celebrate our 2 year anniversary. Can you believe it? We survived!!

In 2 months we are planning on moving, not sure where yet but we are absolutely thrilled to be leaving our cozy apartment.
We hope that this year has been full of health and happiness! We cant wait to see what 2010 has in store.
Love us!!

Pioneer woman cooks

2009-12-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

Okay Okay so I know we are suppose to be on a break but I am obsessed with a new website. Its called Pioneerwomancooks.com
Many of you probably read her blog but I have really really really enjoyed everything that we have made. She takes pictures of everything that you will need. While making her recipes she takes pictures step by step so that you know you are on track. They had her on QVC this morning and she sold 10,000 books in about 5 minutes. We love her at the Razon house! Merry Christmas. Tonights dinner, Lasagna from her website.

Its time for a break

2009-12-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

Thanks for following our blog. We are currently closed for business.
Merry Christmas

designer handbags cheap!!!!

2009-11-28T23:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.blowoutmoda.com/index.php
check it out! I found Burberry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton
I wonder if they are real?

My new favorite thing!

2009-11-28T22:25:00.000-08:00

philosophy®: we recently pioneered a next generation medical microdermabrasion procedure that rapidly resurfaces the skin as it replenishes the skin with vitamin c. the treatment is known as the microdelivery peel and it is light years ahead of traditional microdermabrasion. we are proud to introduce an in-home version of this revolutionary microdermabrading treatment. the peel is ideal for all skin types. results are immediate and remarkable.

At work I have been searching for a great chemical peel. The one that I had heard the most positive feedback on was the Philosophy peel. I am now obsessed with this product! I used it to "resurface" my hands, neck and face. I hope you will try it sometime! Its awesome!

Fun wreath ideas

2009-11-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

Pistachio Cherry Bark

2009-11-27T19:00:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

1 pound(s) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 ounce(s) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
12 ounce(s) pistachio nuts, shells removed (1 1/2 cups), toasted
8 ounce(s) (1 1/2 cups) dried tart cherries

Place semisweet chocolate in microwave-safe 8-cup measuring cup or large bowl. Place white chocolate in microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup or medium bowl. Heat semisweet chocolate in microwave, covered with waxed paper, on High 2 to 3 minutes or until almost melted, stirring once. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth. Heat white chocolate in microwave, covered with waxed paper, on High 1 to 2 minutes or until almost melted, stirring once. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
Stir 1 cup pistachios and 1 cup cherries into semisweet chocolate. On large cookie sheet, spread chocolate mixture to about 1/4-inch thickness. Spoon dollops of white chocolate onto semisweet-chocolate mixture. With tip of knife, swirl chocolates together for marbled look. Sprinkle with remaining pistachios and cherries.
Refrigerate bark 1 hour or until firm. Break bark into pieces. Store in tightly sealed container in refrigerator up to 1 month. Pack in decorative boxes lined with waxed tissue paper or colored cellophane for gift giving.

experimental apple pie sunday project

2009-11-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today I was feeling like experimenting! We had some gala apples that needed to be used so I grabbed one of my favorite cookbooks that my home ward had put together. The neighbors from Fruit Heights have contributed some really great recipes. I saw a recipe for apple pie but I didnt have the ingredients that it called for so I made up my own version and it actually was really really good.
I used the crust recipe from the pie pantry.
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup of butter flavored shortening
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of ice cold water.
The crust came out very flaky and buttery! It was delicious!

For the apple filling, I cut up 4 gala apples
splashed them with lemon juice
sprinkled on some cinnamon and sugar and let that mixture sit for a few minute.
Right before filling my crust I sprinkled in some corn starch so that the apple mixture would thicken in the oven! It was a fun little project. I have no clue how to make pie but I think that actually worked. Thank goodness. We have too many projects that dont turn out!!
Dinner was a experiment too but it isnt done yet, so time will tell...

Great steak recipe!

2009-11-08T17:33:00.000-08:00

Grilled Ribeye Steak with Onion-Blue Cheese Sauce
2 ribeye steaks
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 very large yellow onion
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks. Grill in 2 tablespoons butter until medium rare.
Saute onions in 4 tablespoons butter over high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until dark and caramelized. Reduce heat to simmer and pour in cream. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in blue cheese until melted. Serve steaks on generous portion of sauce.

I WON!!!

2009-10-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

Ye-haa!!! If you guys wanna check out a scrum-diddly-umtious website then you have to check out

www.just-cook-already.blogspot.com

This website just is yummy! Every time I visit, I want to run to the kitchen and make something!! Thanks guys for picking me! I am super excited!

Pumpkins!

2009-10-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today my mom bought me this cute pumpkin. We had gone to lunch and talked about some cute ideas that people had done to their pumpkins.

We decided to go to Michaels and brainstorm.

In decided to paint my pumpkin black, put a R on the front for Razon and tie some ribbon on the top. I dont know if it even looks like a pumpkin but that is okay

I went to Tai Pan and found these cute glittered leaves that I stuck in the hay from Michaels.

Finished project

A-L-O-H-A!

2009-10-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

These are in no particular order at all! Infact most of these pictures at the beginning are from the end of our trip to Oahu. I had been to Pearl Harbor along with my parents but Mitch hadnt ever seen it so we decided to take the tour again. I am so glad that we did! I had forgotten about what a special, spiritual place that was

Here are my parents inside of the memorial monument. They have build this white memorial building on top of the sunken ship that you can see in the water that still has men inside.

One of the days my parents decided to go and look for a waterfall but I hadnt had my feel of shopping yet so we went to the Alamona Shopping Center where I found this!

This is Hunama Bay. Such a great place to go snorkeling. The water was extremely choppy and so I didnt love it as much as I had remembered from last time but we still had a great time.

I love my phone!

Who is that cute man? Oh, I like the view from our hotel room as well! That is linda behind Mitch who had the room next to us. She is on her balcony.

Can you believe this picture! If you knew how huge those waves were you wouldnt believe it. On the North Shore we were able to see beach after beach with the most incredible waves and half pipes! I guess it was extremely early to be having water that was that intense. Normally the waves are like this in Jan and Feb.

Here is my pop at Hunama Bay

Sorry, skipping around again! More waves at the North Shore beach

I had to take a picture of our drink at the Polynesian cultural center. They were so beautiful but looked like they might be quite easy to make.

Mitch and myself at the Luau

Out of no where it started to rain, not sprinkle! It was a downpour! We found a little hut to take cover for a few minutes until the rain stopped.

At 2:00 they put on a water show where every country is represented. Very interesting!

Yummy Plumeria plant!

Mitch and I were trying to take a picture with the little mans had in the background. I am not sure what the official name of that mini mini island is but it sure is cute!

Doesnt that look like a turtle?

More of the china man hat? I think that is what they called it!

Nice hat Mitchell

These mountains were so incredible! This was the wet side of the island and everything was so green and beautiful despite their drout that they are going through

This was at the Macadamia Nut Farm. We were able to crack the shells and eat fresh Macadamia nuts! They were so yummy! Not sure why more places dont sell the Macadamia nut in the shell. That was the only place that I had seen that had them in the shell.

Mom and dad at the Macadamia Nut farm

Our neighbor had mentioned that we needed to eat at Dukes. They had the best salad bar! We actually ended up eating there twice

Aloha Stadium Swap Meet (notice the weather! Everyday it rained for a little bit but then was beautiful)

After a while you realize that almost everyone is selling the same stuff!

My dad and Mitch decided to get their teeth whitened while we got our shopping party on.

Dole Plantation!

My mom and dad in the gardens at Dole

This was in front of our hotel right on Kapauhuhuliililiuhh street. HAHA Just kidding! I have no clue what road we were on. That is pretty much how my mom pronounced it everytime we drove on that road though. After a while you realize that all of the street signs have K's P's U's L's I's .... we were in Waikiki

We had bought so much junk while we were in Hawaii. They have this really great Macadamia nut cookie so Mitch decided to share with the birds. We had quite a few little friends on our deck eating these awesome cookies! I hope that they loved them as much as we did!

Sunset from our hotel room

These stores are everywhere! I dont know what we would have done without the ABC store while we were in Waikiki! They have everything that you could possibly want.

The Market Place shopping center.

I believe that this was on Waikiki. So much fun

My precious mom and dad

Me and Mitchie

I already miss you Hawaii! Hopefully we will be back soon!

2009-09-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

The bags are packed, the car is weighed down and yet, I still dont feel ready for this vacation!

A little bit of YUM

2009-09-17T19:00:00.001-07:00

The other night it had been a long day at work and the last thing that I wanted to do was make dinner. I had remembered watching a foodnetwork special the night before on the Red Iguana in Salt Lake City where they featured their Mole. We had been there before but always ended up ordering the same old boring thing. This time we decided to branch out and try a Mole. Holy Mole am I glad that we did! If you are ever in Salt Lake and want really super yummy Mexican food you NEED to try the Red Pipian Mole. I still dont know how they got such a great flavor in such a simple sauce! It is a Pumpkin sauce that they spice up with peppers, onions and tomatoes and wow is it good! Thought I would pass it on if you love Mexican food like we do!
It is simply the best thing I think I have ever eaten.

2009-09-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

The other day I was on my way to work. It was my night at work to close and be the manager in charge so I didnt have to be there until 1:00. I decided to leave a little early so that I could grab some lunch. I decided to stop at the Subway in American Fork.
I got in line and ordered my sandwich and found a seat. About 5 minutes later the entire place was packed full of students from a nearby Highschool. There must have been 30 or more students packed into that little tiny building. I noticed that at the very end of the line there was a short, cute little gal who was standing alone looking very uncomfortable. Not one person tried to include her or involve her in anyway. For some reason it was just killing me seeing her so lonely and uncomfortable. On my way out I mentioned to her that she had a cute backpack and the cute little smile on her face just made my day... I just couldnt quit thinkin about the situation.
I dont think that we ever know what someone is going through, life if full of challenges that are big and small. Lately there are times where it seems easier to feel sorry for yourself rather than getting up and trying to make a difference to somebody.
I hope we can all try to make a difference in some ones day.

Its coming....

2009-09-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Only 499 hours..... but who's counting!?!

Meredith and Abbey

2009-09-01T08:48:00.001-07:00

(This was a email that I received and I thought it had a precious message)

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies..' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey &Meredith and this note:

***********************************************************
Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven.
Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.
Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by..
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.
By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

She kicked some bootie!

2009-08-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

Here is Audrey getting ready to cross the finish line! I was down the road a little ways looking for Audge. I had runners passing me when I realized that about a 1/4 of the runners were asking me the time. So being a runner idiot, I kept looking at my watch and telling them at actual time. Later I found out that they wanted to know their time (running) not what time it actually was... oops! SORRY RUNNERS, I had no clue what their time was
The Canyon that you see in the background is where the runners were bused up to and then dropped off.
All the runners looked the same! We kept looking for Audrey hoping that we hadnt missed her. I told my mom that they would have a problem finding me because I didnt see one fat person there running... Not one!

Beyond Glazed

2009-08-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

Have you tried Beyond Glazed?
I have driven by this place about a thousand times and never knew what I was missing out on. In Draper there is the best little doughnut shop! They make gourmet doughnuts.
Today I was craving a treat and decided to stop in and grab a little treat. I ended up getting the German Chocolate doughnut. Wow, is all I can say. They toast their coconut and swirl on Chocolate and some other swirl that I cant tell what it is yet but I dont care! It is YUM-O!
They guy at the counter said that they make a new batch every few hours so they are always fresh. If you are ever in Draper, you NEED to try this place! I took this picture from my friend Val's blog. She is the one who got us all turned on to these awesome treats!
At nearly $2 a doughnut they arent cheap but a fun little treat!

Go Audge Podge!

2009-08-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

This is my sister Audrey. I am so proud of her! Tomorrow she has decided to run a half marathon in Utah County. She has been training for this for quite sometime and she is doing it completely alone. The only way I would run a half marathon is if a Alligator was chasing me and even then I am not sure that I could do it. Audrey is such a awesome woman. She is a independent, strong, smart lady and when she puts her mind to something, there is no going back! I am proud of you Audrey and I cant wait to see ya at the finish line! Love ya girl!

A fun party for Irene and Andrew

2009-08-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Maddie and Linda were playing this really cute game. I was in the other room when I heard my mom laughing and giggling. When we went in the front room, Maddie kept pushing her nose into Linda's over and over. It was darling

This is the happy couple (engaged at the time, now married!)

Me and Mitch

The group of boys that took Andrew out for his bachelor party. I think Robbie and Karl had way too much fun getting all the things ready for Andrew's party

Mitch and Robbie

This picture makes me laugh every single time. I walked out on the balcony and saw Mitch looking at me with these crazy eyes..

The Baird gals

Meliss and Michelle

The Clegg fam. Irene is looking super hot! We all helped make her outfit!

My cute sister and mama

The future bride. Doesnt she look fashionable! I love the hand made roses that Audrey and Liz created

Ally and Audge

Irene's vera wang dress... oh wait.. not quite!

What a fun night we had! Thanks guys for letting us help celebrate with you!

Family, Fires and Fun!

2009-08-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

I have been looking forward to this upcoming weekend for quite sometime. After nearly a month of putting in extra long hours and some sleepless nights, the time has nearly come to go spend time with my family up in the mountains camping!!! I honestly cannot wait!

We purchased our first sleeping bags and a air mattress to make our stay a little more comfortable

One of my favorite things to do is to sit around the smelly fire and laugh and spend time with my family. We usually end up sharing memories that we have had and toasting our gooey marshmallows that usually end up charred and sootie . While growing up I remember my dad always having his copper pipes that he would bring camping. Sound unusual, that is because it is!! He has learned how to make the entire campfire glow with shades of purple, green and blues. It is quite mesmerizing.

I cant wait to see our family and spend some much needed time together

TODAYS HGTV FINDS!

2009-07-25T21:07:00.001-07:00

New Color trends in the market are different shades of Earth Tones. I love drapes that elongate the room. My mom has some of those in her house and they are so beautiful! It really makes the room look bigger.

I thought that this was a really cute way to decorate with different shades of Green as well.

Cutest Boutique

2009-07-23T22:47:00.001-07:00

I was helping a customer a few weeks ago that I hadnt helped since I worked downtown. I asked her why on earth she was all the way down in Orem Utah and she mentioned that she has to come and check out this cute boutique called Dear Lizzie. I hadnt heard of it so after work that night I stopped in to check it out. This is such a girlie girl store. I absolutely loved it. In one area they have a Bistro where you can order cakes, cookies and lots of other yummy treats. In the main area they have a clothing boutique section as well as many other rooms filled with Perfume and house decor. It was just darling.

HGTV's Before and After room

2009-07-23T22:34:00.001-07:00

BEFORE

One of my favorite things to do everyday is go to HGTV and check out their daily Before and After section. Look how boring and simple this room is. It is very ordinary and blah..

After

This is the after room!!! It looks like a completely different house. I love how they have incorporated one of the biggest trends right now, Animal print! I love what they have done!

Tyrant Collection

2009-07-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

The other night Mitch and I were invited to a awesome Launch party for our Friends new company. Brandon and Ty have put so much time and energy into this new company and you could not help but get so excited for these two. They make these super trendy new Necklaces and Bracelets that can have different words written on them. It was exciting to see all of their new product and how passionate they are. Its very cool! Check them out on Tyrantcollection.com

Terra Mia aka BEST PIZZA EVER!!!

2009-07-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

It's official.. I am obsessed. The other day Gena and I decided to try somewhere new for lunch since we haven't really been able to take a "real" break at work lately, we decided it was time to take a real lunch break. We left Nordies and wandered over to a little complex by the new Movie theaters. We found this place called Terra Mia Restaurante. When we walked in we were immediately tempted by this awesome bar of Gelato ice cream but we decided to eat some real food first. The menu has a variety of authenic Italian dishes, not American favorites. The one I decided to order was the Margherita Pizza. It was heaven, that is all I can say. It had Sauce, Mozarella and Basil and dang it was so yum! The guy told us that everything is ordered directly from Italy and the Pizza chef that day was rated in the top ten in Italy for Pizza makers. Anyway, if you are in the area ever you should really check this place out. It was awesome!!
We havent tried any of the Pasta's or Salads yet but the Pizza is worth the drive alone!!
I was talking with the owner and he even came and sat at the table and started chatting, it was funny but he did mention that they are thinking of expanding to either the Lehi area by JCW's or up in Sandy by the new rack! I know that I am going on and on but it really was awesome!

Yum!

2009-07-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Coconut squares
Okay okay, so maybe I like posting about food right now because most of this is forbidden for a bit longer!! I found this really cool site where this guy shows you step by step how to make fun recipes. So these are compliments of Pete Bakes!

chocolate coconut squares
from Gourmet Magazines favorite cookies of the 1990s. makes 36 squares.

13 small (2-inch) wheatmeal biscuits such as Carr’s or ten 5- by 2 1/2-inch graham crackers
3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (about 5 oz)
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
2 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. preheat oven to 350° F. in a food processor pulse biscuits or crackers until finely ground. melt butter and in large bowl stir together with crumbs, coconut, and salt until combined. firmly press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan and bake in middle of oven until golden, about 15 minutes. cool crust completely in pan on a rack.

2. chop chocolate. in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and cool chocolate 15 minutes.

3. in a small bowl lightly beat yolks. in a saucepan heat cream over moderate heat until it just boils and whisk 1/2 cup into yolks, whisking constantly. add mixture to remaining cream and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160F. whisk custard into chocolate until just smooth and pour evenly over crust, smoothing top with a small metal offset spatula or rubber spatula.

4. chill confection, covered, at least 4 hours, or until firm. with a sharp thin knife cut confection into 36 squares. squares keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container and chilled, 1 week.
using star shapes cut out of parchment paper as a stencil, dust squares with confectioners’ sugar.

Gougere

gougère
from Great Bar Food at Home. makes 15 1 1/2″ puffs.

1/2 cup water
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp) butter
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 oz gruyère cheese, finely grated

1. preheat the oven to 375F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it.

2. heat the water, butter and whie pepper in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. when the butter is melted and mixture simmers, dump in the flour all at once and stir. reduce the heat to medium and stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes. remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly, for a few seconds.

3. add the eggs one at a time, beating well, one at a time. beat in the mustard and all but 2-3 Tbsp of the cheese. drop by teaspoons or pipe through a pastry bag. i poured the batter into a baggie and cut one of the corners so i could pipe it. sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

4. bake for about 25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. serve warm. these will keep for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed airtight container, or frozen for up to 2 weeks. reheat at 350F for 10-15 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

spinach artichoke dip

2 cups parmesan cheese
10oz box frozen spinach, thawed
14oz can artichoke hearts, drained
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup cream cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp garlic, minced

1. Thaw the spinach in the microwave and mix with the drained artichoke hearts in a casserole dish. mix in the cheese.

2. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave and combine with the sour cream, mayo and garlic. stir the cream mixture into the spinach and artichokes until everything is coated.

3. bake at 375 F for 20-30 minutes.

Raspberry White Chocolate Almond Brownies

2009-06-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

Today on foodnetwork I saw Giada make this yummy yummy brownies. So I decided that we had to try them for Fathers Day!

Here is what you will need

Ingredients
2/3 cup raspberry jam
1 (21-ounce) box brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge)

(we didnt have any so we just used Grandma Baird's recipe)
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup chopped salted almonds
Directions
Position a baking rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
In a small saucepan, stir the jam constantly over low heat until pourable, about 1 minute. Set aside.
In a large bowl, blend together the brownie mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Using an electric hand mixer beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the jam over the top of the brownie batter. Using a small spatula, swirl jam into the brownie batter. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted about 1-inch from the edge of the pan comes out clean. Spread with the melted chocolate and sprinkle with salted almonds. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
Cut into 16 bars and store airtight in a plastic container for up to 1 week.

Bar J Ranch, Jackson Hole and Shooting

2009-06-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

Our family decided to take a quick trip and head up to Jackson. We were able to see the cutest show. A family decided years ago that they would turn their family ranch into a entertaining ranch. We had 20 different people that decided to head up to Bar-J ranch for the evening.
These are the 4 men that put on the entertainment portion of the show.
They feed you a traditional chuck wagon style dinner.

While we were waiting for Bar-J to start we decided to walk around downtown Jackson. The weather was not that great, it rained a few times but we ended up having a great time.
My family

Palisades Reservoir

The day before, we went over to go see Sam and Karalee's new house. They are extremely talented! I had to take a few pictures of their home to get ideas.
My awesome parents
All the kids with Aunt Sally

Mom with Viv. She was such a doll.

Later we were all taught how to shoot guns with Chris, Ben and Brett. I thought we were going to go deaf for sure but it was fun!

Mitch helping out David Archeletta

2009-06-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

Pics that Mitch took from back stage while helping out at Davids Concert in Utah.

A Typical day

2009-05-31T08:18:00.001-07:00

So my cousin liz had this on her blog and all of her friends lately have been blogging about their typical day. I am going to take my best shot at what
I typically do every day.
6-7:30 get up, get showered and ready to go to Nordy's

7:30-8:30 when I typically leave and travel to work. Depends on the day. Monday I have to get there earlier for Meetings.

8-9:30 get my fixtures set, new merchandise out on the floors, markdowns and racking have to be done, money bags, re arranging the floor before we open, read emails from buyers, regional merchandisers, store managers, pick up alterations..

9:30-10 we have what is called a piano rally, basically a pep rally to get everyone excited about the day. We show our newest arrivals for the day.

10-5 sell sell sell... did I mention sell... (oh and try to beat Gena but I never do!)

5:30-6 travel time

6-7 take Hunter outside for a while, grab the mail, run my errands

7-8 get dinner going... I know we eat late but Mitchie has a messed up schedule 8-midnight flies by usually.. it is always different. It is crazy how stuck in a routine you can get. I think that I am going to try to spice up my life!

T bone steaks, yellow roses and friendship

2009-05-21T21:45:00.000-07:00

(I got this from Nancy and it was very touching)

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 57 years was still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories.

He often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to... I'd always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands.

He knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since he had passed on.

Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two.

Standing by the meat, I searched
for the perfect small steak and remembered how he had loved his steak.

Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was blonde, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large package of T-bones, dropped them in her basket.. hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks.

She saw me watching her and she smiled. 'My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't know.'

I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.

'My husband passed away eight days ago,' I told her. Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice. 'Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you have together.'

She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away

I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the
store to the dairy products. There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A Quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream. If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone.

I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the front. I saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me. In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest smile! I had ever seen.. I would swear a soft halo encircled her blonde hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes holding mine.

As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes. 'These are for you,' she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed yellow roses in my arms. 'When you go through the line, they will know these are paid for.' She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but
still unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision

I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone.

Oh, you haven't forgotten me, have you? I whispered, with tears in my eyes. He was still with me, and she was his angel.

Every day be thankful for what you have and who you are.

(Please read all of this, it is really nice)

This is a simple request. If you appreciate life, send this to your friends, including the person that sent it to you.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings. Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible. Thank you, Lord , that I can see. Many are blind.

Even though I
huddle in my bed and put off rising. Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short, and my children are so loud.

Thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the picture in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced.

Thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job often is monotonous. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest.

Thank you, Lord, for life.

Pretty cool info eeh?

2009-05-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

The attachment of the human skin to muscles is what causes dimples.

No one seems to know why people blush.

People who have a tough time handling the stress of money woes are twice as likely to develop severe gum disease

It takes an interaction of 72 different muscles to produce human speech.

During his or her lifetime, the average human will grow 590 miles of hair.

You lose enough dead skin cells in your lifetime to fill eight five-pound flour bags.

In Lehigh, Nebraska it's against the law to sell donut holes.

In Idaho a citizen is forbidden by law to give another citizen a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds. (There goes Easter in PRESTON)

Every citizen of Kentucky is required by law to take a bath at least once a year.

An apple, onion, and potato all have the same taste. The differences in flavor are caused by their smell. To prove this - pinch your nose and take a bite from each. They will all taste sweet.

Mageiricophobia is the intense fear of having to cook. (HUM, do you think I should ask my husband if he has Mageiricophobia?)

The ZIP in zip code stands for "Zone Improvement Plan."

The surface area of the Earth is 197,000,000 square miles.

Lawsuits filed by California inmates cost the taxpayers more than $25 million in 1994.

On the new hundred dollar bill the time on the clock tower of Independence Hall is 4:10.

Hot water is heavier than cold.

Are you ever curious where all of these facts come from? I found a pretty cool website that will answer any question you could think of, its called Funtrivia.com

Some of my favorite things

2009-05-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

Food Network

Paula Dean and Guy Fieri are my favorites!

At work they have encouraged us to read Us weekly.

I really have to say that I love having work as my excuse to pick up the latest US weekly.

Have you tried these? We are obsessed! I pretty much have Fiber One bars on every single grocery shopping list that I end up making

MAC Rocks!

Best gloss ever! It last forever! It's fabulous

Spanx! (At my house we call these Hear-ye's)

Mitch thinks that they look like olden day lady undies. I dont know what I would do without spanx. Hear-ye's and all!

This is what I love to call down my Tina Turner hair! It is a lifesaver.

Yummy caramel cookies

2009-05-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened
1 1/2 cups dulce de leche, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and butter. Pulse until dough comes together into a ball. If the dough is too sticky add a little more flour so that you can shape the soft dough into a ball. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle some flour onto your work surface and roll the dough 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter cut out the cookies and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bring the dough scraps together and gently press into a ball. Flour your work surface, re-roll 1/8-inch thick and cut out more rounds.

Bake the cookies until they are golden and firm, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 25 minutes.

Place the dulce de leche in a small bowl and stir in the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the dulce de leche on the flat side of a cookie and sandwich with the flat side of another cookie. Place the cookies on a platter, dust them with powdered sugar, and serve.

Tag that I forgot to do!

2009-05-09T23:40:00.002-07:00

This was a Tag that I got a while ago. I am just getting around to it now though :)

8 TV shows on my DVR.

1. The Office
2. Jon and Kate plus 8
3. Desperate Housewives
4. Diners, Drive in's and Dives (I love Guy!)
5. American Idol
6. Property Virgins
7. Ace of Cakes

8. What not to wear

8 Favorite Restaurants

1. Thaifoon at Gateway
2. Red Iguana
3. Trio
4. Dasks Greek restaurant
5. Litza's Pizza
6. The Pie Pizzeria
7. Maddox
8. Royal Jade

8 Favorite Bands/Singers

1. Rascal Flatts
2. Glen Hansaard & Marketa Irglova
3. Carrie Underwood (I love I'll stand by you)
4. The Fray
5. Dulcesky
6. Lady Gaga, she has the cutest hair. It is crazy crazy
7. Justin Timberlake and Timberland
8. Kanye West

8 Books I've Read

1. Wake up to a better life
2. Leaving it better than you found it
3. To kill a mocking bird
4. The Secret
5. Atlas of human anatomy
6. The Harry Potter books
7. The Miracle of Forgiveness
8. The Laws of Money by Suzie Orman

8 Things That Happened Yesterday
1. Drove to my mom and dads house and spent a few hours with them.
2. Helped a customer who had just lost her spouse
3. Picked up our cute Jewelry order, priced and tagged it! It is going to be perfect!
4. Saved over $100 bucks on a jacket and necklace.
5. Found out my dept is #1 in the store and region Year to Date.
6. Saw a beautiful picture of Christ and a little black baby that my mom purchased from Janets new Art Gallery in Bountiful. Great great story behind the picture, it is beautiful
7. Got mad at Mitch but later worked it out.
8. Spent way too long at Zurchers looking around for the impossible.

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To

1. Hopefully a Hawaii trip soon
2. Tuesday, its my day off!!
3. The beautiful sunshine!!
4. Having a family
5. Cleaning out my closet, get rid of old clothes and junk that I dont need anymore! DI it
6. Using my new nail polish
7. trying glitter toes
8. I want to take a cake decorating class

8 Things I wish for

1. Health and Happiness
2. some Chilean babies
3. a house with a yard for Huntie buntie
4. a extra large diet coke..... darn it
5. a green thumb
6. some good news from one particular person
7. a creative mind
8. ability to help those less fortunate

What a drummer!

2009-05-07T20:26:00.001-07:00

Here are the boys on one of the days that they were recording their new album

Mitch with some of his drum collection

State of the art recording studio

Mitchie doing what he does best.

Oliver, Brett, Daniel and Mitchell in the studio.
When we were dating I could not figure out why Mitch would hold my hand a tap out a rhythm but it all makes sense now. He eats, sleeps, drinks drumming. It is his life and passion. Hey maybe he will give me lessons sometime! Fat chance! haha
We are proud of you Mitchie and all you have accomplished!

Yummy treat that our family enjoys to make

2009-04-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Our family loves getting together and making these yummy caramel apples

First you need to go to a kitchen supply store and get a few items, sturdy candy sticks.

Different kinds of chocolates, I love using white chocolate the most! It looks the best.

You can use any kind of topping, some of our favorites are cinnamon and sugar, crushed oreo cookies, slivered almonds, mini marshmallow's, mini M & M's but the sky is the limit

This is our families favorite caramel to use, you can buy it in bricks at Gygi's for about $15.00

Place on little sheets of aluminum foil, let dry and wrap in cellophane paper with a cute ribbon or tie.

Who would have thought?

2009-04-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I was cleaning up the house a bit when I went to go move our shower curtain. It made the most horrible noise! Scratching like nails on a chalk board! It was awful! I want you to try this, go get some wax paper and rub it along the top of your shower curtain rod. At work when the fixtures start to get loud, we rub wax paper on them so that the hangers just glide along easier so I thought, why cant this work on my shower rod? Its fabulous :) Have a great day