Nothing like a little demo while the baby naps! #diySorta #deck #exterior #interiordesignerbynight #followme #nofilter
…sorta!
This past Saturday we got together with Remy’s Pops since he had to leave town on Father’s Day. He actually treated us to lunch at Leja (delicious Indian food) and afterwards we just walked around and enjoyed the gorgeous weather.
I love the hair he lends to Remy in these pictures where he’s hiding behind her. It goes well with her tomato soup goatee, no?
Then on Father’s Day we celebrated my dad (who joined us with my mom and brother Ian) and Sam at dinner with shrimp, London broil, salad, Ian’s to-die-for bread, and a torte drenched in ganache. Hello! Unfortunately—actually, very unfortunately—seeing that it’s par for the course, we took not one photo as we were too busy stuffing our faces with said goodness. This is usually how it works in my family, but I think we’re OK with it at this point, so it’s all good. The important part is that we enjoy ourselves when we’re together. Which, we do!
On Monday, my weekend extended itself when I got notice that my friend Kayla was in DC for the day and I hurried up there to meet her for lunch and some walking. Some walking actually turned into quite a bit of walking, but it was well worth it to just catch up. Grown up details take many miles and minutes of discussion to process. To do so properly, at least. Loved every second of it, though! Let’s not play.
Remy at Hotel Washington while we waited to go to lunch. She looks good amongst the swank, I must say.
Remy and I in front of the White House. She was was a trip, waving to all of these silver foxes in suits. Who knows? She may have even caught the attention of a senator. Not that I need a Gossip Girl worthy episode on my hands, but it was hilariously charming.
Lastly, I just have to brag on the Remster. We ate lunch at Off the Record, and as it is known as a place where many a person importante wines and dines, I was a little nervous about how she’d do. Of course, she was an angel. A little energetic, but not loud at all. She did great! Soon she’ll have her passport and a 5 star dining experience under her belt. Now I think we can safely plan a trip to Lake Como for August. What say you, Sam? ;)
Spent the day with these beauties. #nofilter #DC
Celebrating appropriately!
So grateful to have friends like these! #everydayshouldbepoolday
High school Lee! (with wet pulled back hair) #driverslicense #TBT
We’re into hats around here. #likemotherlikedaughter
Here are some new pictures from the house outside of Park City that I am working on. The good stuff continues to arrive and I’m loving getting the photos updates :)
This is a second home for the owners and so it truly had nothing in it when they got there. It’s fun to furnish a place from…
Goodness with Elettra: Blake Lively
Love Blake, brie, and Vogue!
Found her with a silk scarf around her shoulders and a shoe in hand. #dressup #nevertooyoung
I think I’ll start a part of this blog called PREACH! And I’ll be posting such posts on you guessed it…Sunday. Prepare for enlightenment.
A single lady that I know just told me how she is navigating the present-day, insanely difficult dating world we’re all trying to survive. (I speak collectively, but acknowledge that I’m happily removed from the scene. Now, I just live vicariously through others!) I mean, I feel like every week there is a new article in a major magazine or newspaper relaying how tough it is to find decent men, willing to commit. Women find they waste months or years with men who ultimately don’t want marriage or a long-time commitment.
So, if you’re a grown woman and finding it difficult to move past the ever common hanging out/hooking up/going nowhere stage that plagues so many commitment-desiring females in their late 20s-early 30s, I think you should seriously consider her advice to avoid wasting as little time as possible.
She says…If a guy asks you to hang out, it is within your rights to ask for clarification. “You want to hang out orgo out on a date? I don’t just hang out with men that I’m interested in.” This gives them an opportunity to regroup if they are indeed interested in asking her on a date, or to move along if they are not interested in spending quality time (not necessarily money) that is planned in some sort of way (yes, you can plan to go take a woman to the park where y’all then picnic and make fun of those people that sword fight—-though part of me has always wanted to join them—that’s a date!).
A planned block of time with another person, AKA a date, is totally different than sitting or lying around someone’s apartment watching TV/drinking/hooking up and then expecting things to progress. Sure, you know each other, but you don’t know each other. You follow?
Keep in mind, this lady isn’t talking about wanting dating exclusivity right off the bat. When dating this way (which is completely separate from being someone’s girlfriend), you are exploring your options,rather than wasting a half or a year or more tied down to someone simply because you two began just hanging out and hooking up and eventually you did begin to love him, because who wouldn’t after all that time? But here’s the problem. The man has never had to commit to anything to get what has been coming all along. And most likely, unless you got lucky in the compatibility department, he never will feel the need to commit to you long term. The most rewarding things in life require effort, and the hooking up turned boyfriend scenario is little effort.
Eventually one or both of you tire of this and break things off and move onto whomever’s next.
Back to exploring your options, before making a long-term commitment? Men have been doing this for ages and finally as 1st nation women aren’t being married off against their wills or forced into arranged marriages, they’re turning it down for fear of looking “high maintenance”. I love what this woman is doing by asking for simple clarification. She’s saving herself time and emotion (albeit, dating is never easy, or free of heartbreak) by trying to determine which of the men that approach her are interested in what she’s interested in: which would be acting like grown ups and participating in the adult, mature, dating world.
PREACH!
All that’s missing is Sam! And calorie free ice cream sandwiches ;)
So after I returned from Utah about 2 weeks ago, I prepared for very sad times. We said goodbye to many of the medical students that we know. They graduated, so it’s bye-bye Richmond for most of them. Below is a group shot of the wives of many of these guys…plus a few posers, like yours truly ;)
In particular, we will miss our dear friends the Bennetts. Couple friends are the hardest to find, you know? And they were basically our twin couple (personality wise), but different enough to make it fun!
That’s us grilling on Memorial Day!
Luckily, we live next door to some of our other great couple friends, the Stringhams. It’s Sam’s old room mate (from BYU) and his wife (who was also an interior design major at BYU-I!!! How do we find each other!?). We love them and will not allow them to move until we do!
My family came too for the cookout, but I didn’t take any photos of them that turned out well. Booo :(
So now the Bennetts are long gone to Mississippi (I’ll admit, I cried when they drove away), the summer is here (and golly, it’s hot already), and I’m feeling worn out from everything. And yet there is much to do.
Like our deck that is about to fall apart. Seriously. It’s bad. Well, not that bad, but it’s ugly and full of splinters. So it needs to be fixed. I’m also trying to book a couple of interior design jobs for June, but nothing too large. Nothing should stop me from being in the pool with baby girl as much as possible. Is there anything better than a happy, squishy baby in a swim suit? I think not.
There has been a lot of insta-blogging (just push those Instagram pictures to the blog and call it ‘done’) on here lately. Well, here’s what I’ve been up to that’s prevented anything substantial on here.
High Point Designers Market happened in late April. I got to see gorgeous friends—inside-and-out—B and K. Lovelies that go back to design undergraduate at BYU-Idaho in 2003! Holy cow. (photos by B.Ruch)
Next came my trip to Kamas, Utah (outside of Park City about 10 miles), where I got to go help family with a new home that needed to be furnished from top to bottom. I didn’t accomplish all that I wanted to, but we did get a good amount done. As you can see from the master bedroom, it’s still in progress. Forgive the unmade bed. Those benches? To be covered in a nice deep-orangey leather. End tables of differing heights? We found an adjustable lamp at Pottery Barn for each side, to even things out. There are built-in day beds that will go on the right wall….and so forth. I am excited to keep getting the photos back as items arrive.
I got to see my friend Erin while I as there. We ate the best pizza together! Side note: I’m beginning to think that I really don’t know how to pose at all in photos. I’m sad I didn’t also grab a photo of me and my friend Kimberly who met up with me at a mall one afternoon.
Also, I saw Sum-Sum and K (AGAIN!) while there and we talked boys and colors while eating at Ruth’s Diner in Emigration Canyon. Be still my beating heart. The food was unreal! Crab-cakes Eggs Benedict below. BEHOLD!
My sister-in-law Kim gave birth to the sweetest little boy Eli on my second to last night in Utah. Congratulations Kim and Chris! And Eli, welcome to the world.
