SHVEEDEN

So I just spent the last week getting pictures of our trip up on facebook, so I'm not gonna lie, the blog will suffer. I would like to refer you all to my facebook page for amazing pictures of our 2-week trip to Sweden, Estonia, Russia, and Denmark - captions included! Here are just a few highlights:

Cruising the Baltic
Cruise ship food
Way too many old and overweight Swedes in bikinis (not a highlight)
Being able to say we've been to Estonia
Old Estonian churches
Seeing St. Petersburg via two guided tours (to protect us from the Russian mafia)
Old Russian churches
Driving through beautiful Swedish country-side
Having to sit in the backseat between my long-legged brother and broad-shouldered husband...
Viking ships
Visiting family members and having them feed us
Eating the exact same meal at all four family member's houses
Going to 8 different H&Ms
Finding a really cute owl shirt at the very first H&M and then searching the following 7 trying to find it again...and finding the owl shirt the day before we flew home!
Old Swedish churches
World's largest Dala Horse, World's longest bench, Sweden's oldest Church
Hot dogs with mashed potatoes
Pear-flavored anything
Swedish candy
Going to a Medieval festival and jousting tournament
Riding bikes along the ocean
Getting to visit Jonkoping again and show the fam where I used to hang out
Canal tours
Nutella and banana crepes
Changing of the guards
Climbing to the top of old churches

It was such a fun and exhausting trip. We had a great time, but are also glad to be home. Though I do miss the candy...

Framing...

Yard Sale!

Everyone come to our Yard Sale this Saturday, July 18th, from 8 am to noon. I will be joining forces with a couple other friends so the selection will be spectacular! Here is a brief list of the awesomeness that this yard sale will have:
-Bar stools
-LOTS of home decor
-Women's clothing that has mostly likely been worn only once
-VHS movies (wahoo!)
-George Foreman grills
-Dutch Oven
-Computer desk(s)
If you don't know where I live, then maybe you shouldn't be reading this blog...kidding, just let me know and I'll hook you up with the address.

This Clock Rocks my Socks

So a couple months ago, I found this clock online...
It is made by Steve Cambronne - a metal sculptor. He has amazing stuff - check it out here.
So instead of paying the $250 for it, Brody and I embraced our inner craftiness and total ripped off his design.
I started by drawing the shapes and tracing them on to a piece of wood.
Brody cut out the shapes with some fancy wood-cutting tools and then I painted all the pieces...
We glued the pieces together using some super-sticky wood glue...
and Voila!
I'm so in love with it! You can't tell from the picture, but it is very 3-D. Coolest. Clock. Ever.

Foundation!

REAL and Archie

A couple weeks ago we went to the Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids game with my family. It was an event - before the game even started! Some parachuters dropped into the stadium from the sky...Then David Archuleta walked out to sing the national anthem and, no joke, the old woman in front of us ripped open her blouse to reveal an Archuleta t-shirt...

Then because they were dedicating the stadium, they had a member of the seventy say the dedicatory prayer. Before he prayed he said a few words in Spanish (Brody translated), including "we are here to watch this beautiful game of soccer, the king of all sports" or something to that affect. I would just like to formally agree.
Then the actual game was played. It was a pretty good game but ended with a stupid goal by the Rapids resulting in a 1-1 tie. Blurg. Then, the highlight of my evening....
No, not the "mini concert" by David Archuleta, but watching teenage girls try to storm the field to get closer to Archie, only to be chased around by security guards. HILARIOUS!

Crazy Chair

So for some reason, I think I'm crafty and get these crazy ideas to repaint and reupholster stuff. A couple weeks ago I got on a garage sale kick and we found an arm chair for $5 - and I snagged it because it had such a great shape. But clearly it needed some new fabric, see below...
So one evening, Brody and I start to rip all on the fabric off...
And and entire week and one tired husband later, we came up with this... I don't know why I put Brody through this kind of torture, but he was such a trooper! And man is he good with a staple gun! I am so so pleased with the result...but I really don't think we will reupholster something this complex ever again. I should really come to terms with my actual level of craftiness.