bykali

There is always some unsuspecting artist at the Tooele Arts Festival. It takes a while to find them, but usually there is at least one. We picked up a cute little belt for "W" from bykali. It wasn't inexpensive, but have you ever tried to find a belt for a baby?.....impossible. Not that "W" needs anything to hold up his britches, strictly for fashion. I figured we would help a struggling artist, buy some art, and get "W" a belt. That made it worth the money. It didn't have the cutest buckle, just basic, but that's ok. I absolutely loved her belt buckles for guys (she had a lot more to choose from than she does on etsy.) I think I will get one for PBTB for his upcoming bd. Not as much of a fan of her jewelry, but love the belts.

Amazing Places to Take Your Kids

I picked this book up at Costco the other day for only $10.49. It has some really great vacation ideas that I didn't even know of. (Kite festivals, ice festivals, sand sculpting, air balloon festivals, hot spring pools, animal sanctuaries.) And a lot of them are within driving distance. I think I will make a top 10 list and plan them out over the next 10 or so years.

Tooele Arts Festival

My hometown Arts Festival starts today and goes through Sunday. For me, it has close ties because my Mom helped get it running with her friend Celia Lauve, back in 1985. She was also the Director for 3 years after Celia moved back to Louisiana. It has changed dramatically over the years, but I never miss it. Sometimes it's a struggle to find some noteworthy new art, but the food is always good. My Dad used to be over the entertainment and I have to say, it used to be better when he did it. But, as I said I never miss it.

Aquafresh EC Whitening Mint Experience

This is the absolute best toothpaste if you have chronic canker sores. I would get them so badly that I couldn't even talk because they were underneath my tongue. I just started using it on accident, but I haven't had a canker sore in over 2 years. Not even a little one. There are a few different kinds of Extreme Clean, it has to be the Whitening Mint Experience. I've tried others and they don't work the same.

Vintage Projects

I found this website right after I had "W". I have been trying to convince PBTB to build something, anything from this site for "W" for his first birthday. He is not having it. If you know someone that is a seasoned builder, this site is incredible. The plans are free, but be prepared to spend months or years on some of the projects. Keep in mind, these are just my favorites. They are not all for boys and they are not all this extravagant.

Human Skull in the Attic

Ok, so this blog is supposed to be things that I think are cool. Now, I don't necessarily think this is cool, more like creepy, but I KNOW THESE PEOPLE......I'VE BEEN TO THEIR HOUSE. They live a few blocks away, but still. It's been the "talk of the town" all day. Rumor has it that a mean old dentist used to live there and that they had to remove an incinerator from their house when they bought it 8 years ago. Read the story and see the actual skull, (eye, hair, & skin intact) here.

Juno

If you want a free movie rental from Redbox every Monday & Wednesday, sign up here. (Redbox will text you a coupon code) We are renting Juno tonight because I love the part where she says "I'm already pregnant, so really, what other kind of shenanigans could I get into?" That, and I heard it's really good. The Duchess even watched it. I thought maybe Hell had frozen over. I don't think she's watched a movie since 1997.

Peek A Who?

Board books are up there with onesies and sliced bread. The Duchess and Little Sir brought this for "W" when they came to visit last month. It is tied for his favorite with "Mama's Home". He gets especially enthusiastic on the "peek a ZOO" page. He must really like that picture. (sorry that pic is so small)

Gourmet Vegetarian Pizza

I had a recommendation to try the Gourmet Vegetarian Pizza at Papa Murphy's. It was so very yummy. I am usually not a fan of Papa Murphy's, but this was very good. It has zucchini, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and tomatoes with creamy white garlic sauce instead of marinara. Except, they didn't have any tomatoes because of the contamination, so we substituted it with chicken. Oops, not very vegetarian anymore.

Gap Body Fav T-shirt Bra

On the slight chance that any males read this blog, you can stop reading here and come back tomorrow. Hey gals, we all know bra shopping sucks. They're either too expensive, too lacy, or not the right fit. My go-to place for bras is Gap Body for a number of reasons. You can get a quality bra for around $30 instead of $60. The straps are perfect. I hate thick bra straps and bra straps that don't adjust short enough. They have unusual sizes for those of us that are hard to fit. Optional slight padding for extra privacy on those chilly summer evenings. One of my favorites is the Favorite T-shirt Bra.

RMCF Caramel Apples

Caramel apples are one of my all-time favorite treats. Any flavor will do at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Pop Culture Cooling Body Souffle

Bath and Body Works is having their big semi-annual sale. I love this Pop Culture Cooling Body Souffle that I picked up for 50% off. I bought it in 3 yummy tropical scents. It's so nice when it's this hot outside, it really does cool you down.

WhitePages.Com

Sorry about the absence of a bolt yesterday. I procrastinated earlier in the day and ran into a neighbor emergency in the later part of the day which ended up running pretty late.
I will do two today to make up for it.

I have found myself using this website a lot lately for those unrecognized numbers that show up on your cell phone periodically. They have a reverse lookup tab and it's free. A few websites charge $4.95 a year. You can also reverse lookup addresses which might come in handy sometime.

Chalk Art Festival

I absolutely love this festival held at the Gateway Mall. It's so fun to see all of the artwork on the sidewalks. The festival is part of the Family Fair going on today with lots of other fun things going on for families.

Spoonflower

So, I totally stole this from the Duchess, but what are sisters for? Design your own fabric at Spoonflower.

Amanda Lewis Print

I bought this for PBTB for father's day to add to our collection. It's from "W".

写真をアップロードしてください。なんでも幕末の古写真風にしてみます

I have no idea what my post title says, so lets hope it's not obscene.........I try not to steal blog posts from other websites, just use them for inspiration, but this is too cool. I couldn't resist. Minor Details highlighted this sweet website that you can use to make your pictures look old. Here are before and after pics of my house. (click on the browse button, the only one in English, to select a photo from your files)

Breaking Dawn

In case you didn't know, Buy Local First week starts at the end of this month. I think we should all get a jump start on it. Contrary to popular belief, you can get better deals if you buy local and a substantially larger portion of the money you spend stays in your community. For Example, today I pre-ordered a copy of Breaking Dawn at Latter Day Book. It was 40% off :) at $13.79, which is cheaper than you can buy it on B&N Online for $14.94 and I didn't have to pay for shipping. It comes out August 2. I can't wait.

Wooden Tools

Ok, which is best? I really don't know why I'm asking, because PBTB will probably make him some instead, but just in case.......

Keep price in mind.

Option 1 $22.49 + $11.99 shipping (PS why did I discover there was a Pier 1 Kids after they closed down? bummer)

Option 2 $62.94 + Free shipping

PS Sorry, but you will probably continue to see birthday options for "W" until the day has passed.

Paper Mache Lion

I have a big project ahead of me. I have to make a lion for a float in the 4th of July parade. I was thinking a sitting lion, about 3-4 feet tall. Did you know that you can make an-y-thing with paper mache? jewelry, furniture, masks, pinatas, bowls. I learned this in my basic design class at the "U" when I was a freshman.

This one is cool, but not exactly what I'm looking for.

Closer, but maybe a little advanced for me.

Body Shop Double Intensity Mascara

I don't know about you, but I hate wasting money trying to find a good mascara, or any makeup for that matter. As far as I'm concerned, you get what you pay for. I was hooked on Lancome Definicils, but I haven't been as happy with it as of late (drying out faster than it used to). And if you're going to pay $23.50 for mascara, it better last a year, which is what it used to do. My mom bought me this Double Instensity Mascara to try. I would have thought the conditioner was just a gimmick, but I really like it. It's $18.00, still steep, but we'll see how long it lasts. My only complaint is that sometimes the tip can seem a little short when your getting your inside lashes. (Sorry, I don't know if it's just my computer or what, but you would think The Body Shop would have a better looking website. It took me a minute to discover the products all the way at the bottom of the page.)

Linen Necktie

One of Martha's Father's Day gift ideas was to monogram embroider a linen tie, except she doesn't say where to get the tie. I found one on etsy, perfect color. Again, great for Father's Day. The monogram is up to you, but I love the natural linen. If you want a more classy looking tie, I found a couple of Ralph Lauren/Banana Republic ties in linen on ebay, but they were colors.

Sticky Rice

Last night I went to a cooking class and learned how to make sticky rice and a few other thai dishes. I don't cook regularly, but now that I am at home, maybe that will change. I would like to purchase one of these bamboo steamers and pots. I am not sure where my local asian store is, but I found them online at importfood.com. I also found this video on youtube.com that is pretty much exactly how our demonstrator did it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9rnZhrPP6k

Globe Castro

I am not so familiar with Globe skate shoes, but my little bro must be. He had on a pair of these Globe Loungers the other day. They are slippers with a skate shoe bottom. There are about 14 different patterns in this style. I also liked this second one. I thought they would make a great Father's Day gift for that young, hip Dad or even for the older, fashionably clueless one. (Girls' styles available too)

Maddox Restaurant

If you've lived in Utah long, chances are you know about Maddox. If you have time for a small drive up to Perry, UT (Brigham City), it's worth it. My recommendations: Seafood Cocktail, Salmon, Steak & Shrimp, Chicken Fried Steak. All meals are served with yummie, melt in your mouth rolls and raspberry butter.