Mr Coffee-Tall, Dark and Handsome

So far in my life I have managed to escape with a few, harmless, yet ferocious vices.
They are, in no particular order: ice cream, bad tv and craigslist.

I have managed to avoid the oh so common: "I must have a cup a day of coffee in order to feel normal" -thing- but yesterday, while in Smiths something happened that I can only describe as genetics combined with a great sale.

My family, who's only real common worship of an identifiable belief can be summed up in: boating, coffee and Budlight, are COFFEE PEOPLE. Not: "espresso, must have the best beans, froofy " types either. Real, black, gritty down to earth Coffee People. And other than the a fore mentioned items, we are one of the most diverse of any family I know--and I like it that way.

All of my childhood memories are tied to coffee, the smell in the morning at our house, the sound of any one of my uncles at Flaming Gorge noisily rummaging through camping gear to make a fresh pot to share, and even every Christmas morning bargaining with my parents to get out of bed in the wee hours by offering to make coffee if they would finally get up(usually at 3 or 4 am).

So it may be interesting to note that Doug and I have so far resisted getting our very own coffee maker to make our home complete.
Long story short: I never felt the need to add yet another vice to my life and actually like to stop through the drive through at the local coffee shops for the occasional treat.

Yesterday though--yesterday when a very basic model was on sale for under 20 and some, coffee drinking, family tradition gene took over-- I caved.

So welcome to the family Mr Coffee! Here's to many good years and to low cal
options after the initial newness wears off when I start gaining "coffee weight"

Foster Art Program: I am in LOVE

When I was invited to join in on the first Foster Art Program I was at once salivating. The list of artists was even more intriguing, and once the first meeting came along I already had my list in my head.

We ended up fostering several artists:
The first, and the spotlight today is Thomas Aaron

We have known Tom for a few years as a friend and have always admired his work.
When we went to pick out our piece to foster we knew immedietly which one we wanted.
When we realized that it would not fit in the Fit(a first for us--sad day) Tom told us just to carry it home--I was incredibly doubtful(plus I was in heals) but without many other options we picked it up and started the 2 block journey home.



We hung it and now have been enjoying for about a week. This piece speaks to me on so many levels: it's design aesthetic, color, complexity and size all make for a perfect statement for what we have deemed to be our "feature wall"
Thanks Tom!

my sidekick

Yesterday Cleo and I wandered the streets photographing--we
were out for over 3 hours and Cleo was such a good sidekick
(and bodyguard)

Here are some of our images:

Try the Monki--a refreshing alternative to "don't touch the Monkey"

Those of you that know and love me(ok put up with me is more like it but I digress)

Those of you--you know who you are: well you know that I LOVE and embrace technology and allow it to run my life. This fetish and dare I say obsession is often fueled by
my tech geek superman husband who feeds it and fans the flame and sometimes roasts marshmallows and makes smores over it...again I digress....

What my internet bot filled life has been missing(and mourning) is a way to make a shopping list from a recipe and then save it--all online, all accessible from the mobile device of my liking(nope not going there--no religious wars on this blog--well, not today anyway)

I have been searching and searching, and begging Doug to build, and searching, and obsessing and searching for the right tool(sans monthly subscription, downloadable version, ugly site--you see where this is going right?) I want my web 2.0, pretty, free, do everything I want, read my mind, blow my mind type of site that I am so accustom.

Today: I found it--or at least the Beta version of it--in Kitchen Monki

It is everything and more that I would want(it even links to facebook if you so desire) Try it--I will be for the next 5.2 minutes and believe me: if it fails the test you will hear that too--otherwise I will be happily integrating my somewhat meager recipe collection and making list after list--just for list sake--

Go ahead: pet the Monki-you know you wanna

Wine Friday is ON this friday night!

Come one come all!
Most Fridays you can find us
at our house, complete with
the latest boxed wine(try to
reserve judgment for both
the wine and the boxed :))
some dear friends, and some
great discussion/video game playing/
fun---It is the highlight of the week
and we hope you can join us!

Friday nights-
7ish(heavy emphasis on the ish)

our house

D&M

On the subject of wine...the mayor of our
great city is accepting comment on the new
liquor laws that are being proposed--
leave your comment and mark on Utah's
crazy liquor laws here:
and soon!(comments only accepted until
Sept 25th 2009!)

So many happenings, so little time!

This summer has been quite a fun and action packed one!
Whereas last summer we were out of the country, this year
we stayed close to home--and boy a lot has happened!

We got a new "nephew" Hennessy(Henny or Henny Penny for short)

You may notice in the background Cleo is waiting to eat him--He is the sweetest,
most cuddly, WIMPY little puppy you will ever meet! I am so happy to have another
doggie in our family(Cleo, however, the jury is still out on her thoughts beyond--
"get that little ankle biter away from me or I will eat him")


Further proof that Les is ready to be a Dog owner(she is getting angry right now--I can tell)
.....................................................................................
In other sibling news: Tom and Les bought a house!
I'll let them share the details and pics but this
Realtor sis was so happy to be able to help(and happy
it worked out so well!)


They stayed with us for a few days while their hardwood floors were installed--
when this was taken they said "DON"T post this on facebook" Promise kept!

.....................................................................................
Doug's Grandma & Grandpa Hawkins celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary(complete with a party that was so fun!)



.....................................................................................
Last but not least we took an AMAZING trip with the Bench Family to Alaska!
Thanks Mom & Dad!

Getting run over by life in the fast lane

Can you imagine what the world would look like
if everyone actually took weekends, holidays, and
vacations off of work? Ok Europe--the US would look like
it was related to Europe-- "oh look she has his eyes" and all that.

Lately we have been doing just that: taking the weekends off to work
on personal stuff and not work. While this may come as somewhat of
a surprise to me, all of you out there are just shaking your head in utter
amazement at my ignorance--I have discovered a secret: No WONDER people can paint their nails, do room make
overs, walk their dog, have long walks on the beach, cook meals, have clean
laundry--the list goes on and on! This is quite the revelation and after
working almost every weekend of my adult life(Doug too) I'm giving working
on the weekends the bird and, well, taking the weekend off!

You will note that today it is Labor Day and Doug is working from home--we
just had 2 FULL days off--that was enough--if we don't work sometimes
then we might get used to just laying around and talking and doing home makeovers,
reading, listening to NPR and eating in
that the will to work and support ourselves might just disappear--so in honor
of Labor Day: well, we are laboring.

C'mon the first step in admitting that you have a problem right?