Wednesday, June 30, 2010

artist spotlight: Linkel Designs


Suuuuper cute giveaway today from Kelly Roenicke of Linkel Designs!

Kelly is coming to us from Michigan with her handmade jewelry.....check out her shop! She has EVERYTHING I love--I really can't pick a favorite!



How long have you been making jewelry? How did you get started?

I started making jewelry in high school for fun, then stopped for awhile, then picked it up again here and there when I had time after grad school. It wasn't until I had my son and realized that I wanted to be at home with him and not driving all over the state doing gigs that my mom said I should sell my jewelry on Etsy. So I started a shop and slowly started filling it with inventory. Some of my mom's jewelry is in the shop as well, and she helps me with the packaging.


What is your favorite piece in your shop?

I love the flower rings, because they are so colorful and cheerful, and I also love the little bicycle necklace - I have two myself, in silver and in brass.

I am a ring lover......and this one is so different....I am in love.

What are your other hobbies?

I'm a professional violinist, so I love to make music whenever I can - we play at church and I still do some gigs although I am a full-time mom to a two and a half year old. I love to cook, read, be outside and spend time with my family. I also recently started a blog: www.theprettybee.blogspot.com, and I'm really enjoying it.

my ears need these.


What do you listen to while creating?
I listen to my Pandora station, which includes songs by Ingrid Michaelson, Jack Johnson, Chris Tomlin and The Beatles.


Because I am a food lover....what is your favorite thing to eat?

I love dark chocolate, especially when a strawberry has been dipped in it. I also love Indian food - Chicken Koorma and Chicken Tikka Masala are my favorites.


Today Kelly is giving away this summery Bicicletta Necklace!



Leave a comment letting me know your favorite item in her shop and you will be entered to win!
(really though, how can you choose?)
One winner will be chosen at random, and comments will be accepted until Sunday, 7/4 at midnight, and the winner will be announced Monday.

Tell your friends--tweet/facebook/or blog and come back for an extra entry for each!
(if you don't have a blog, please leave an email address)


go!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

over the weekend....

you know when you'd spend the night at your friend's house, and they'd end up showing boring old family videos that meant nothing to you, but they LOVED them. And you had to watch them for hours?? This is kinda like that....

good friends. good food. good times.


"things I like to do" by ben kweller
see it in HD here

Friday, June 25, 2010

friday love

First week of summer!!! And it was perfect!
-long hot days that stretch on and on and on
-getting lost in a good book
-the pool.......oh the pool!
-summer evening BBQs
-camping trips in the making
-eating the first peppers out of our garden
-oh.....and the fact that there is still light in the air at 9:00.....I LOVE it!

You know I love a quick and simple dinner.....and we LOVE breakfast burritos!

Breakfast Burritos
tortilla
+ guacamole (avocado+red onion+cilantro+lime+salt)
+ black "smashy" beans (black beans cooked with garlic, lime, and cumin, and then smashed)
+potatoes (diced and boiled, then cooked in a hot pan with a little o.o. and s&p)
+eggs (scrambled)
+pepper jack cheese
+ cilantro
fold. top with salsa. and enjoy!

again, with the whole "I love summer theme"
I go to bed at night and wake up so happy! There is just something magic about it....don't you think??
Like the "it's way past bedtime but we decided to have daddy spray us while we're still dressed" moments. I love them.
I love my out of control roses.


I have been unhealthily obsessing over this house. (from this months issue of BHG).
Really. I am in LOVE, and need to live there....how can we make that happen?

I am really loving the talented miss Susan's Striped Bow Bags.
This song is a few years old, but I am currently so in love with it. It played along my night run last weekend, and it's just so fun and happy to dance to.....as you will see below. on a side note, I hope to be like her some day.



Happy Weekend!! Do something summery!

What did you love about this week?

friday feet

we're back!!
625ff

erin: Said so long to the flip flops for a week.
sheena: poooooooool.


***we've decided to shake up our friday feet a bit! Next week, we'll take a photo of our feet at the exact same time (remember, erin is in Hawaii). We're also looking for ideas from YOU. GIve us a theme or key word--we'll have a new assignment each week, and see how our photos turn out differently.....give us a word, color, time--you name it! We can't wait to see what you come up with:)

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

wasatch back: hour by hour

*note: I totally stunk it up at documenting this thing. That camera got really big and heavy the more tired I got....it's really like having a small expensive child along for the ride. So here is a small modge podge of photos from various cameras and phones*

3:00(pm): our team packs up our "Legs of Glory" van and heads to our exchange where we meet our runners from van 1.

4:00: driving. excited. anxious. full of energy. oh--and the van is still spotless and organized.
5:00: Checking in. Safety meeting. See our first speedo, among other awesome outfits.

6:00: Our first runner is OFF!!
(our 6 other teammates in van 1 have already ran their first legs)

7:00: It looks as though I say a prayer.

And then look like a dork.

Jill hands off and I run my first 3.6. It's HOT. But it is BEAUTIFUL! We see dudes running in dresses.


I hand off to Camber.

8:00: Our girls are running. The sun is setting. This is awesome! gatorade. gatorade. gatorade.
9:00: We are meeting so many amazing people along the way! How about a 78yr old who has run 80 marathons! We see a blind runner too.
10:00: The 6 of us are done with our first legs. We love it! Our van 1 is off and running, and we are headed to the next major van exchange to get some "rest"
11:00: Stuck in Ragnar traffic. (1000+ teams this year!) Ate the best tasting sandwich I've ever had in my life....a plain bagel with ham and cheese. That's it! And nothing has ever tasted so good. Followed by a handful of pretzel m&m's.
12:00: We "sleep". Ha!! I spread my sleeping bag outside of our van. In the dirt. On a hill. Under the stars......wow. I think 100 people walked passed and said "oh--there's someone sleeping there". I waited to get stepped on.
1:00: (am). Still waiting to get stepped on. Enjoying stretching my legs. But definitely not sleeping.
2:00: Dana is ready to run again. She takes off and we jump in the car ready to meet her at the next exchange. How am I so alert?
3:00: gatorade. gatorade. gatorade. Last time I did this I got dehydrated during my night run. I am NERVOUS!
4:00: 9.6 miles.Gag down a GU and I'm OFF!! Headlamp. check. Reflective vest. check. Taillight. check. It is dark!! I can see a stream of blinking lights ahead of me (waiting to be passed:) This is awesome!!! 40 degrees has never felt better....I feel like I am flying!
5:00: This is so so cool (I might have said that outloud). My team stops along the way and cheers me on. I'm passing by a tiny mountain lake. The sky is just starting to get light.....why is this ending? It's over too soon! 69 minutes and I'm done.....feeling great!
6:00: Chicken noodle soup! It's getting light out! I'm starting to craaaaaaaaaaassh.
7:00: Our girls our running! I'm in the back of the van. I start to doze. I look at my watch. I wake up from my nap. 11 minutes. That works.
8:00: Cheering on our girls! Cheering on other teams!
9:00: We are done with our second leg! Headed to the next major exchange to rest and eat while our van 1 does the running.
10:00: The van is TRASHED. We smell. Bad.

11:00: There is no way we can sleep. It's starting to get hot. The speedos are out in full force again.
12:00(pm): We are getting excited (and nervous!!!) for our final leg. I eat another amazing plain bagel sandwich, drink up, wash the inch of dirt off my face, and stretch out in the grass.
1:00: Eeeeeeeeeek!!! I am next up!!! THE HILL. I have no idea what to expect, except that I might die.
2:00: I am running!! Slow and steady. But running. Climbing. I hate it. hate it. hate it.
I am totally fake smiling at my team, because deep down I might hate them a little bit too. Until they stop and give me water and cheer me on.....then I love them again.
I tell myself, "when I get to that tree, I'll walk." But then my body keeps (slowly) running. climbing. My team is cheering. Everyone is cheering. That's the best part about these things--everyone cheers for everyone! Other teams gave me water. Offered me tootsie rolls (? no thanks). Sprayed me with water guns. I loved EVERYONE! "I will walk when I pass that guy", I tell myself. He tells me he's going to grab on to my ponytail for a ride up. Well I can't walk now.

WHERE IS THE TOP???

If a mom swears in the forrest, will anyone know?
Then a sweet angel appeared and told me I had .18 to go. I LOVE YOU!!! Run!!! Run!!! I passed the bracelet to Camber and prepared my self to hurl.
waiting.
waiting.
waiting.
feeling better.
I DID IT!!
I DID IT!!
I'm done!
Oh wait--I'm done.....I'm not ready to be done!
3:00: Our girls are running! Camber is tackling the upper half of the mountain. I can't stop eating hot tamales.
4:00: Anika is headed dooooooooown the moutain. Full speed. She can't stop!! We can see Park City--the finish line is so close!
5:00: Shannon is running in for the finish!! We're done!!!
6:00: We're falling asleep in the parking lot. Do we really have to drive home?
7:00: Im home!!!! Oh I am so happy to see my family!! The kids ask to smell my armpits. They are weird like that.
8:00: The best. Shower. Ever. I ate a Chipotle burrito in 5 minutes.
9:00: I sit down to watch tv and snuggle with Robby. I'm out.


Loved spending time with these awesome girls!!! 3 of them stepped in just DAYS before the race when we our original team mates dropped out. We were just in it for fun, but somehow ended up placing 10th out of 99 in the Women's Open Teams and 16th out of 127 Women's Teams. Total time to run 189.5 miles = 29 hours 26 minutes.


When can I do this again?

you HAVE to run one of these!! check it out here....
and maybe I'll see you in VEGAS!