once again...we're off to the desert!

we fly out later this morning

to spend the weekend with

16 others trying to familiarize themselves

with salt lake city and park city.

should be a blast.

i'm hoping for a stop for gelato, veggie masala, whole grain artisan bread, maybird gulch, my childhood forever home, and another banana cream tart.

happy weekend everyone!

the wedding: succulents, square dancing, shotguns, streamers, etc.

location: spring city, utah at the birch creek ranch

the ceremony: sweetest thing i've ever been to.

activities: eating lots of yummy food, square dancing till we dropped, hanging in hammocks,
drinking fresh squeezed limeade, shotgun shooting, fighting for prizes {not for bouquets}, talking, talking, and talking.

best. wedding. ever.
!!!!!!!!!!!
{photos by me, ceej, and holly jo}

{and one of you mentioned my own wedding...well, it was almost seven years ago, it was thrown together in two months (to accommodate family, etc), and the photos didn't turn out (and were taken way back when film was still dominating and they have yet to be digitized)...sad, yes? one day cj and i will celebrate our wedding the way i always imagined it...until then, we LOVE when our friends and family members get married so we can enjoy the party!}

when two very lovely people were married in a small town over a summer weekend

mo & matt.

they made sure that not only was the day perfect for them,

but for their guests as well.

we were quite proud of ourselves as bridesmaids for picking out dresses totally independent of each other, and some how making it look like we kind of went together.

loved the centerpieces. so colorful and light.

i loved all the time we had to sit around and chat with each other.

i could have sat here for the rest of my life and been content.

and am so happy to be married to ceej.

nothing like attending a wedding to remind me

of how magical our marriage has been.

{more photos and details from the wedding tomorrow}

we've been going to the desert to visit and soon we will stay

august has whisked us away from home in california
to the utah desert for family vacations
and weddings galore.
this place is mysteriously beautiful.
it's been good for my everything.

some of you might like to think that there is nothing
out in the desert...
but it is full of big skies, big views, small critters,
elegant animals, and crawling things going about their little business.

i. love. the. desert.

......................................................................................................................................

here i am about to thoughtfully consume one of
tulie bakery's banana cream tarts.
this is one of my favorite things about salt lake city:
all the yummy food
resting at the foot of intimately grand mountains.

...and we're moving back...
yes, you heard me right.
come december we'll be ready to
settle back into
four seasons,
desert excursions,
cabin weekends,
dawn patrols,
after-work-hikes,
etc.

can't wait to be back in
salt lake city.
{lucky for us, cj's company is moving with us!}

when vacationing at a beautiful lake that used to be a beautiful canyon...

01. wear a big hat at all times, and cover your skin in that
sunblock that isn't full of ingredients that harm you or the environment.
keep it clean, please.
and stay far, far away from anything resembling a sunburn.

02. notice that blue and orange and green really do
go together quite nicely.

03. call dibs to sleep on top of the hot tub on top of the houseboat
to watch shooting stars all night long.

04. embrace the "death march" by bringing lots of water,
and wearing that giant hat you're supposed to wear at
all times.

05. remember to stop and look up.

06. remember to look down before the mud
demands you slip in its mess.

07. desert varnish. so cool.

08. try to get on the ski boat with the 6 a.m.ers
to see the sun rise over the cliffs.

09. take note on how big and blue the sky is here.

10. watch the wind blow the water to and fro
as the boat bobs up and down, back and forth.

super bridal shower extravaganza sundance, utah {part 2}

no photos exist of our night together...we were too busy sharing relationship advice {giggling, uh-huhing, taking mental notes}, cooking, eating, making fabric flowers for the big wedding day, and catching up with each other. no games for us. no crazy stunts {though using 30-year-old powdered sugar for "muddy buddies" might seem risque to some of you}.

our morning was slow...more cooking and eating and talking. all of that followed by an impromtu walk up to the meadow and falls.

we ended our little girls' trip {because i look at these photos and think all of us still look pretty young-barely women} with a jaunt to the sundance general store for the yummiest wood-stick suckers you've ever tasted...and, yes, suckers DO taste better if you dip them in water.

thanks to all of you for a lovely weekend. let's do it again soon, please.

super bridal shower extravaganza sundance, utah {part 1}

where has the time gone?!
a couple of weekends ago a few of us women
packed our bags and toted our gifts and advice
to my family cabin in the sundance neighborhood.
oh, what a night!
thanks to all who came and helped with planning and
making this such a perfect bridal shower.
more photos and details to come tomorrow...