valentines

happy valentines...



okay, so last year i made this card for my husband and i'm struggling to come up with ideas for this year so i thought i'd share it with you in case you're in the same boat. 

• take 10 envelopes and cards (red or pink)
• use a glue stick to attach them together (be sure to glue the envelope flap to the back of the envelope above and to leave a bit more space between each one as you continue to glue more envelopes - it gets really thick when you start folding it all together)
• fill the slots with date nights (movie or restaurant gift cards), car wash vouchers, favorite date memory, top ten reasons you love him, etc.  whatever you want, get creative..
• decorate and...
• you get this



here is also another idea for friends and neighbors.  super simple, just uncover a candy bar and decorate with paper and ribbon.

love you.

top 3 superbowl commercials

nick and i critique commercials on a daily basis.  not really sure why, it's just fun.  occasionally i get a text saying that he saw a commercial i would like haha.  but here are the top 3 superbowl commercials from your commercial critics... karli and nick

1. m&m's - just my shell

2. honda - matthew's day off

3. toyota camry - it's reinvented

grams

my sweet little grams passed away early, last friday morning. she truly lived a great life of 85 years.  it was full of giving lots of love, hugs, kisses, service, food, advice, comfort, more food, sympathy, encouragement, and cookies.  you couldn't leave her house without any food, gummy bears, or cookies. everyone that met her was automatically drawn to her because she was full of life and excitement.  growing up, she always wanted to know who the latest boy was and who asked us to the dance. she always got so excited and loved sharing that with us.  i guess i didn't realize the extent of it until i got engaged.  we were up at bear lake when nick proposed and i thought i was excited... but we walked into grams' room to tell her and she was ten times more excited than i was.  she jumped up and down and i honestly thought we were going to give her a heart attack just by telling her.  it was always fun to share things with her.  she was an amazing cook and never used a recipe.  we tried to have her teach us but the amounts and the ingredients changed every time (usually it was more sugar).  she was an amazing sewer and could whip up anything even if you only gave her a few hours notice.  she was truly a homemaker and always made everyone feel so welcome.  she loved romance and taught us how to love through her example.  we all know how much she truly loved gramps and how perfect it was for her to leave this earth the day before their 65th wedding anniversary.  i think we could have guessed the day just by that.  she was a great example and truly blessed the hearts of many.  we know you're enjoying your new eyes so be sure to check out everything and tell gramps we love and miss him too.  you will never be forgotten, we love you grams.  xo

grams' obituary

must do next time you are in vegas

my mother in law planned a fun and quick girls trip to vegas in the beginning of december. it was her birthday trip along with an excuse to do some christmas shopping. :)

here are some of the things i highly recommend on your next trip to vegas..

if you hate the casino smell, crazy drunks, and all night parties that go on in most vegas hotels - you need to to stay here. the mgm grand signature. it's beautiful inside and out, casino-free, and smoke-free. gorgeous views from the balcony and awesome pools. we stayed here with the team last march for the mountain west tournament and i loved it just as much then.

we had quite the early flight there so we went to the hotel to check in (the hotel even let us check in hours early, another positive for the mgm signature) and then to the hash house for breakfast. this is what i ordered. they have a serious different definition for one serving. it might be in your best interest to share, but the french toast was delicious.

we wore ourselves out at the north outlets.

we hit up nike, banana republic, coach, bare essentials, gap, jcrew, and so many more. 

laid out at the pool cause it was 70 degrees on nov 30th. :)

we went to the sugar factory for dinner.

yes, they actually serve real food - not just candy.

however, after dinner, you can find any candy you could think of in their candy shop. (the picture only shows a small portion of how much candy is there)

after dinner, we walked over to the bellagio gardens atrium. being there around christmas was especially fun because they had it all immaculately decorated. i don't think you can tell but the penguins actually skate and the polar bear was made entirely out of white carnations (yes, the all-time worst flower, but still very cool).

the next morning we shopped our hearts out at
fashionshow mall.

and finished the trip with the one and only, yard house. 

everything i have had here is fabulous, but i suggest the mac and cheese, it is to die for. and don't pass up the chocolate molten cake for dessert, well worth the calories!

we all had a fun time, thanks again sherrie.

and it wouldn't have been nearly as fun if the pack girls hadn't come.. and i mean that :)

seriously.. a dream come true

my friend posted this and i thought it was so cute that i had to too. the first time i watched this, i started to cry because i was just so excited for her.

after watching, nick said..
"that is why we cannot have girls! she should be happy!"
nick doesn't understand tears of joy i guess.. haha

"i'm the second nicki minaj!"

this girl is so good! and plus, i love ellen and anyone who can rock the bright colored hair :)

bracelets!

my cute friend jordan found this bracelet blog via pinterest.

she made one and i thought they were so cute so i asked her to teach me..

here's how mine turned out.

i made a few other ones too so i could mix it up.

find the blog to the video of how to make them here.

(sorry for the bad pictures. i have a dinosaur camera) :)