Vintage in Red

My Grandpa Arnell gave me this really great piece. I can't wait until we have a house where we can use it someplace. I love it, thanks Grandpa!

pOser Tula

Something to Think About

"It's been a good life, rich in learning and experience, and the best is yet to come. Every experience in life is a lesson in its own way. I wouldn't change a thing."

Would you?

Love always,

Jon & Hollie

Tony Grove-The White Pine Lake Trail

One trip we experienced this Fall was Bear Lake with Megan and Austen. We decided to head up and make the White Pine Lake hike and then spend a night at the condo in Bear Lake since it's so close. We arrived at Tony Grove around noon and finished the hike around 4:00. It's around 8 miles long and not the easiest hike in the books, but it was incredible. The leaves were just turning and a lot of the quakies seemed to be on fire with orange. Peeps of yellow, red, and orange amongst all the green was all the serenity we needed. The day was overcast, it had rained the night previous which made it so we didn't kick up any dust, so perfect weather for hiking. We were basically alone, there were only two other groups we passed on the way down to the lake and we had the time at the lake alone. It was nice to spend the time with our friends doing something healthy and experiencing what we all love. Afterwards we went up to the condo where it was cozy and warm, noshed on some Greek spaghetti, then went to the hot tub since all our joints creeked after the hike.

Standing at White Pine.

Jon, me, Megan, and Austen.



Thanks to Megan and Austen for the idea and Mom and Dad for owning and letting us use the condo whenever we want!

Happy Holidays :)
Love,
Jon and Hollie 

Fall Update

So I'm way behind schedule. The past few months have been trying ones for me and my little family so please do forgive my blog tardiness. Jon has had a busy fall with work and the deer hunt. Unfortunately this year no luck on the kill, the Southern Utah draw didn't happen this year and Northern Utah is way too packed to actually achieve anything; so another year without some venison for supper. Fall came and went so quickly, it's hard grasping the idea that we're already into November. To recap what I may have missed: In September we made a fun trip down to Lake Powell with members from both sides of our families and as always Powell never disappoints. It was a great vacation and much needed time away. Halloween was anticipated for me, but ended up sucking royally due to some other complications that I don't care to mention at this time. Due to some very important friendships we've acquired recently Jon and I were dragged out to a spooky halloween dinner with some friends on Friday and it ended up being just what we needed. (Thanks guys!) On the 30th we decided to spend a quiet evening at my sister's house where we had pizza and talked. On the 31st we celebrated with Jon's Dad's family and his step brothers/sisters. We wanna thank our family and friends for everything they do for us! We love you!

Here are some pictures to show you what we've been up to:

A leafy Attika.
She sat here while I strategically placed these leaves on her...silly girl but she's the best pup in the world!

Jon's and my pumpkin, my cyclops kicks ass.

This is a recent addition to a setting in our kitchen. (The clock used to stand alone) Because Jon is the most amazing hubby ever when I was sad he built and painted me that shelf (from scratch). He's so talented! The rest I had from when I went up to Swiss Days, I think it all goes together really well! Thanks baby.



War of the Carpets & Garage Sale Bliss

Post Part 1: We narrowed it down to two carpet styles and after bringing them home it took us not even five minutes to make a decision. It's hard to tell from the photo but each pattern has specks of black and caramel along with the more dominant color that you can obviously see. I have a lot of black accents so I love the black thread throughout! Both carpets would look incredible but the darker of the pair contrasts well with our colors and I think it'll grant us extra safety for the spills and thrills of the future. What do ya think? I am so excited I can't even stand it. We are going to be putting it down in the next few weeks; after living with our scab of carpet for three + years, I can hardly wait for what's to come. Luckily I have a wonderful husband who's been working so hard and is able to give me this.

Post Part 2: For the past three years Jon and I have spent the majority of our summer Saturdays with my mom and dad garage saling. At first I was reluctant to pick things out and take them home but now I have no problem doing so! It has become such a fun tradition and I've gotten a lot to show for it. My dad is a master at bargaining with the prices and my mom has an eye for good pieces. We normally end up spending around 3 hours running around North Ogden, Harrisville, Plain City, & Pleasant View where we end up at the Straw Market for breakfast. Lee has the most incredible breakfast around and it's so cheap! Freshly made right in front of you. If you haven't tried him yet, I suggest it. We've gotten to know him and it sounds like he's owned several restaurants and used to be an importer/exporter of exotic foods. He's got famous cinnamon rolls and his brownies are my personal favorite. Most of the time the sales are drive bys and quick walk throughs but there's always a good chance to find a great piece. Last Saturday I got this cherish block for $1!! I love the writing and the distressed wood & paint, it goes perfectly with my decor. You know you're jealous!

Love,
Jon and Hollie

Makeshift Garden

THE Makeshift Garden

We got a slightly red cherry tomato today! Our first. Jon and I have both always wanted a garden but unfortunately there isn't any room in our backyard now that isn't shaded by tall trees. So I decided to try for herbs because you can contain those in a small area which worked perfectly for this big pot that I had nothing to put in. I did some research on a few of the favorites (i.e. italian parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary, chives, & sage) and went to work. I have loved the cooking smells coming from the plants and watching them grow. I have already started the drying process with some of the basil. We'll let you know how it tastes. I decided to throw in a cherry tomato plant because Jon loves them and I thought it would be nice to add some color to all the green. We've been staring at baby green ones for weeks now and have been anxiously waiting for a ripe red tomato to pick and eat. I noticed this morning we're about there! So I had to share in the joy I felt. Jon will be super excited. It isn't quite red yet but I'm guessing in the next few days it'll be gobble worthy. I can't wait for the day that we can have rows of corn, squash, beans, peas, carrots, & pumpkins (and plenty more). We'll have a huge garden at our next home. Jon is an amazing cook and I can only imagine the excitement we'll share getting produce in our own backyard someday. My grandfather and Jon's alike were both very avid gardeners and it's interesting to see the gene passed on. Wish us luck!

Love,

Jon and Hollie

Counting the days...

Our home!

So summer is just pushing right along. I can't believe how quickly it's going. You can feel fall in the air and I can't imagine it already being here! Jon and I have been making updates inside our home and it's so much fun! We got new black appliances and we'll be putting in brand new carpet soon. I'm so excited. It has been a real treat making our little house our own a little bit at a time. We are really comfortable there and don't see ourselves leaving anytime soon. I love being close to family and having Jon's mom right around the corner. We are doing our best to keep busy and get through some present stressful times. We have a trip coming up in September with Jon's family and my parents to Lake Powell. We're looking forward to meshing the two and creating a nice memory. Some of his family haven't been there before so it'll be exciting for us to show them how Lake Powell should be done. Work is tough for both Jon and I but we need to keep going in order to have everything that we do. We're so lucky.