my week via iPhone

>< i was talking with amanda one night last week and mentioned that i wished i had a christmas-y bowtie for cooper to wear for our photo shoot the upcoming sunday, she immediately began sending me photos of fabric, made one and mailed it out the next day, and it got here just in time! i think cooper likes wearing bowties. he immediately starts acting more sophisticated once we put it on.


< curled up into the tiniest ball
> photos! time to edit :)


< tons of cute knobs at hobby lobby - it was hard to choose only 5! project coming soon
> i made a glitter deer silhouette! i'm pretty in love. thinking of adding this deer, and other animals to my potential etsy shop? (more on that later)


< caught red-handed: cooper drinking from the toilet for the first time
> so sleepy


< some subway art i made (also potential etsy shop product)
> the living room! (we desperately need curtains!)


< more christmas decorating
> i made a wreath! this is the 3rd wreath i've made - and the first one that worked out! haha


< another go with the bowtie, just for fun
> officially wrapped a christmas present. this shiz just got real


< a throwback thursday photo from our honeymoon in st george
> date night (first one in awhile!)

Merry Christmas from the Ashby's

Last week, we got together with our good friends, The Medley's. Jared and Devin have been friends for several years, and Jared took our bridals and wedding day photos. Devin and I had been wanting to send out a Christmas card this year, and were planning on just using a tripod to get our own photos. Jared called us with a brilliant idea: he would take our picture if Devin would take his family's. It worked out perfectly! We made a night of it and had dinner afterward. We had so much fun watching cooper play with their aussie, Rosie and I am completely smitten with their 9 month old daughter, Ellie. She's the cutest thing. I can hardly get over it! Anyway, I'm tempted to just post all the photos now, but I'd rather be with Devin and Coop, so here's a sneak peek! 

barking

this is the result of photographing a dog, mid-bark. i laugh out loud every time i look at these. hahaha! this is the order the photos were taken in. i hope you needed a good laugh today!

a weekend consisting of:

the wedding reception of my oldest friend, Mitch, who is finally married to his gorgeous high school sweetheart (cutest couple award status, these two) 

said wedding reception turning into a home ward reunion (which was both good and awkward - it seems like forever since i've been to my home ward)

a date night with my baby brother, who is almost 17 - which i am finally coming to terms with. 

letting said baby brother drive my car to redbox, hearing all about how he's getting his license and already had 2 dates lined up (he's so grown up!! and such a stud!)

eating an entire bag of cookies with said little brother while we half-watched "Dark Shadows" and half-babysat my crazy dog

sleeping in until 11:00 a.m. on saturday with my puppy while devin went to work

a lot of episodes of gossip girl (new favorite - so embarrassing and awesome at the same time. p.s. i want to be blair waldorf)

some home made mac-n-cheese making (failed the first try, emergency trip to the grocery store, and made the best damn mac-n-cheese this world has ever tasted on round two)

a family thanksgiving dinner in my parent's church's cultural hall with my dad's side of the family

smoked turkey (melt in your mouth deliciousness)

my first go with cranberry sauce (verdict: it's good.)

fresh pumpkin pie

my cousin announcing her pregnancy! (first great-grandbaby in the family! plus, my aunt looks way too young to be a grandma - so exciting!)

a hilarious round of white elephant (we came home with a wooden wreath in the shape of ears of corn)

my brother in law Sean getting the giggles, which resulted in devin, kelli and I all getting the giggles, too. funniest moment of the night. none of us could stop! 

realizing that i need to see my sister and brother-in-law way more often (we have so much fun together! wish they weren't in layton :( gah!)

sleeping in on sunday

getting called as the Young Single Adult Representatives / Ward Missionaries in our ward 

making a chocolate chocolate mousse pie

doing a you-take-ours-we'll-take-yours family photo session with Jared (our wedding photographer and friend) and his family

lots of wind and a crazy-hyper puppy

the world's most beautiful 9 month old baby, miss ellie medley (i'm not kidding. she's cuter than any gerber baby)

an amazing dinner made by Lynn after our photo shoot 

the discovery of roasted garlic for bread (uh-mazing)

devouring said chocolate chocolate mousse pie 

ooh-ing and aah--ing at our photos (so excited to share them!)

rain (not snow... dang it. it's december for crying out loud!)

homework :( (for devin, at least) 

needless to say, it was a pretty great weekend.

my week via iPhone

< koda loves waiting in the window at my in-law's
> cooper waiting. heart-shaped treat and elephant ears.


< thanksgiving lunch at work with the crew - these guys are crazy, but they're pretty great, too.
> pomegranate snack


< new nails
> he loves sleeping with a pillow


< an autumn sunset
> looking especially dapper


< cooper at 4 months
> my only picture from thanksgiving - kelli and i bringing out own diet coke to dinner (none of that sparkling apple juice nonsense for us!)


< devin and i took some photos for a family near here on friday morning, we could smell them cooking their first batch of curry, and had to go back for an early lunch! (followed by a bruge's torpedo waffle, of course)
> how does he do it? i don't understand where he gets it from. he's the sweetest pup


< location for some family photos we took - so cool!
> patiently riding in the car like a gentlemen (a seat covered in his paw prints, by the way)


< starting to like the head-out-the-window thing
> picnic tables up yellow canyon

< my handsome dog (see the rest of these photos here)
> a few of the salt dough ornaments i made (see recipe here)


< my name is cooper the dog, and i approve this holiday.
> i love this time of year. so much.


< oh yeah, i cut bangs.
> just hanging out, being himself. (psychotic)


< so here's the situation: diet coke straight out of the can is pretty satisfying, but i'm a lover of ice, ice cold drinks. and straws. i love drinking from straws. but when you try to drink with a straw from the can, all you get is the fizz. this is the solution to all of my problems. i love diet coke.
> christmas, cascade collision style. this little guy is in the estimators' office at my work


< the big tree in our front office. i had asked my boss about making a banner and whether it should say "merry christmas" or "happy holidays" he said we weren't about to get all "politically correct" and he was going to bring in a full sized christmas tree. sure enough, the next day, he brings one in, and i spent my entire afternoon decorating it. (with car emblems, no less. only as cascade! haha) i love my job.

30 days of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving may be over, but it's still November, and I'm still thankful. Our Christmas tree went up the day after I said it wouldn't be up for another week, and we are pretty much full speed ahead for Christmas, but I still find myself noticing the simple things in my day, that maybe i would sometimes otherwise disregard, that make me grateful.

 

this new thing where we pretty much constantly have diet coke, dr pepper and sprite stocked in the fridge

a husband who i can kiss whenever i feel like it

when cooper gets sleepy and just wants to snuggle with his mama (that's me)

the space heater and candy stash at my desk at work

the mindless entertainment that is instagram

dog parks. cooper makes so many friends at dog parks. he loves other dogs

devin's honest fashion advise and opinions (it's awesome to have a husband that will give me advice since i don't live with girls anymore)

puppy eyes

my cocoa-motion and stephen's hot chocolate collection (half my pantry...)

the challenges and frustrations of rock climbing

cooper's 2 best friends, duke and addie, who live 2 doors down from us (and always happen to take potty breaks at the same time - so they get to play a lot!)

devin's relationship with my family (especially my dad. they're best friends)

kisses on the forehead from devin

taking home the old People magazines from the coffee table at work when we get a new one in the mail

things that make me feel pretty

fuzzy blankets

snow in the mountains while the leaves are still bright red and orange

my hands

sleeping with the window open, waking up to the cold, but still in my warm bed

mornings that aren't rushed

the way my husband was raised

good hair days

my wedding ring

seat heaters in our mazda

700 square feet to call home

waffles for dinner

wool socks for cold toes

having all our yard work done by HOA

that look devin gives me

spending the end of the day curled up on the couch with my husband and puppy, watching a tv show we are way too invested in, with a giant bowl of muddy buddies. happy as ever. 

salt dough ornaments

we haven't joined the christmas craziness just yet. i don't think we'll put up any christmas decorations until next weekend, but i did spend my evening making salt dough ornaments and spray painting pine cones gold while listening to the She and Him Holiday pandora station (it's so good!), so I guess we're getting there. It was warm enough to eat lunch outside today, so before I get too excited for christmas, I'm going to relish in this sunshiney fall. i do keep forgetting it's nearly december, though. 

S A L T  D O U G H  O R N A M E N T S : 

  

(i know they look a little brown in these pictures - my lighting is weird in my kitchen!)

> 2 cups flour

> 1 cup salt

> 1 cup water

1. mix it all together real good. 

2. roll out (not all at once, i did fist-sized balls at a time) inbetween 2 pieces of parchment paper.

3. i used stamps to decorate mine (regular scrapbooking stamps and ink - worked great! took a little practice).

4. cut out with cookie cutters (even a glass would work). 

5. use a straw for the hole at the top. 

6. place on cookie sheet (keep them on the parchment paper, just transfer the whole thing onto a cookie sheet).

7. bake for 3 hours at 250 degrees. (you can go longer, just watch it carefully after 3 hours so the edges don't brown). 

8. let them cool, string ribbon or twine through the hole, and hang on your christmas tree (or use as gift tags!) 

these were so quick and easy to make, and the batch made me PLENTY to keep for my own tree and to give to neighbors and friends. i found stamps today at hobby lobby for %40 off - I got a heart, snowflake, bird, a north pole postage stamp, and small alphabet letters, plus my black ink pad for $20! i think this would be a fun activity to try with kids! i even made one with cooper's paw print (it took a lot of tries to get him to hold still enough - but it turned out cute!)