Happy weekend

Whoa! It's Friday already! Where did the week go? Cah-razy. But really, this is great news. I mean, who is sad about Fridays? No one. Definitely no one. You guys have anything fun planned?

I think Ty and I are going to hit up this movie. And probably do a little bit of snowshoeing thanks to all this fresh powder mother nature blessed us with this week (um, hello!). Here are some links to get it all kicked off.

I would be SO SCARED to swim here.
Ty and I always talk about staying at Lake Louise.
Love this wrapping with a photo tucked in.
Lovely.
In love with Janet Hill's paintings (and so affordable).
7 hikes for every woman.
I know what we are making on Valentine's Day.
The Milky Way takes my breath away.
Even with the best intentions, you have to DO.

Birthday crown for grown ups

My sweet 25-year-old niece wanted to make a birthday crown for one of her friends earlier this week, but all printable ones online seemed a little kiddish. I whipped this grown-up one up so her friend wouldn't be forced to don a princess themed birthday crown as they partied the night away. I've posted a downloadable link below just in case anyone else is in need. It prints on an 8.5 x 11 in. piece of card stock. And with a little exacto knife work and a headband, you will have yourself a crown.

Birthday crown for grown ups DOWNLOAD

The stars

I came across this, and it was too good not to share.

“Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would become religious overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television.” – Paul Hawken

Happy weekend

Hey everyone. Happy weekend! Can you believe it's Friday already? I think that whole New Years holiday really made this week tip top. I could do that every week -- two days on, one day off, two days on, two days off. It just makes the whole week a whole lot better.

But moving on. Let's start this week off with a confession: my husband has a better sense for fashion than I do. If he dressed me every day, I would end up looking classy, smooth and refined. But when I dress myself every day, without any influence from him, I often end up looking like a bag lady. So, if you ever have an interview or important date and you need some clothes advice, you should give my husband a call.

This weekend we have a whole lot of nothing planned. The Clark household isn't 100% healthy right now, and Ty especially has been in and out of health the last week or so. So sleep is probably the best thing we could have going on. And, per the usual, I will likely take Hank on a hike, so he doesn't go puppy crazy. And with all this resting going on, I may just start knitting me a matching beanie like Ty's with our wool yarn we snagged in Iceland. Hope you all have something great planned! Here are some links to start it off.

This wintery breakfast sounds fantastic.
An adorable pangolin.
True that.
What singlehood teaches you.
Want to try this "no makeup" makeup.
I would name him Pointer.
Also too cute to handle.
Great design.
Making this for dinner this weekend.
Cute ripped jeans.
A great New Years resolution.

PHOTO VIA.

Happy New Year!

I just accidentally stuck my finger in my eye. It didn't hurt as much as expected, but I thought it was noteworthy enough to share. And that up there is how Hank chose to sleep this afternoon.

2013 has been a good year for us Clarks. I always feel at a loss when people ask what's new with us. "Ummm...nothing?" is usually what I come up with. But looking back on the year, it has been filled with lots and lots of good. I ran Ragnar. I hosted a summer camp for the youth girls at my church. I designed a children's book. Hank turned 2 (only 1 more year of puppyhood!). Ty finished a whole nother year (I've always loved that grammatically incorrect phrase) of school -- only two more years to go; good work, sweetie. We visited Hawaii, and I saw sea turtles for the first time. Portland became more of a home away from home for me. My best friend got married. I learned to say no to freelance work I didn't want to do. Running and hiking got easier on my lungs. I excelled at work. Learned to cable knit. Made biscuits for the first time. And became much more comfortable in the kitchen. And overall I feel like a better person than I was last year. Happier. More able to be kind. More aware of my small little part in making this world a better place. And more comfortable and capable-feeling in my skin than I have ever been before.

The other day in the car ride home, I jotted down some new years goals. They aren't exactly measurable, but I have been focusing on aligning my actions with my beliefs lately, so I tried hard to make my goals match. Here we go:

1. Share my faith and beliefs more
2. Study the scriptures
3. Live with less -- buy less clothes & goods
4. Eat meat sparingly, and only eat ethically treated and killed animals/animal products
5. Run 3 times a week
6. Write a journal entry at least once a week

So here's to 2014! It's gonna be a goodie.

A condo at Snowbird

Earlier in December, Ty and I spent a week at a condo up at Snowird. We grabbed our mittens, warmest jackets, and coziest pajamas, and we headed up the canyon to lounge next to the fireplace as it snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed the entire week. It was heaven. Until I had to venture out into the storm to drive to and from work everyday :) I guess that's the drawback of taking a staycation. Or bonus, I suppose, since I get to vacation without taking vacation time AND the commute from Snowbird is shorter than from my home. So bonus bonus. It was a treat to return each night to our cozy getaway in the mountains.

Besides doing a whole lot of lounging and hot tubbing, I hit the slopes for a few hours one of the days. White-out conditions and single digit temperatures brought me back indoors pretty quick. But it's just as well -- my excitement for the fireplace in the suite pretty much superseded my excitement for the slopes anyway (I honestly pine for a fireplace every. single. winter. day.). I was happy to just sip tea and cozy up with my husband to watch episodes of the office. Highlights from the week also included hosting our annual friends christmas party, making a bajillion gift tags to sell at a Christmas boutique, and getting completely rocked by Ty at ping pong. Also, eating a persimmon.

Don't forget to check your mail

I am not the best at checking my mail. Sometimes I go...two? Three weeks in between? I know I know. This is not my proudest moment. But when you have a locked mail box, it just doesn't seem as urgent. Until you go out of town for a week and come home only to discover the mailman has deemed your home vacant. And rather than being greeted by a bulging mailbox last night, I was left a singular bright orange piece of paper with the word "VACANT" (all caps) printed across the top and a request that I, the new tenant, please write my name on the slip so the mail man would know who's mail would now be coming to my mail box. Nuts.

It was all cleared up after a quick call this morning and Ty agreeing to drive to the post office to pick up our bin (yes, entire bin) of mail waiting for us. The kind woman on the phone, who turned slightly irritated when she realized just how much mail I had been neglecting, informed me I should be checking the mail at least every 3 days. I agreed I would. I may have to set a reminder on my phone or something.

In other news, Ty and I spent this last week at a condo at Snowbird. It was snowy and freezing, but our condo was cozy and wonderful. Pics and post to come.