a footloose moment

last night i bought some fun socks to wear with my ankle boots.

i've thought the look was cute for some time, 

and since i'm not getting any younger thought i better try it!

 i had a little Footloose moment right about here.

picture THIS.

button-up: Old Navy, jeans: Old Navy, boots: F21, 

socks: Old Navy, jewelry: ??...it's old

this morning for class we went to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.

we got to go underneath the public exhibits

and check out some really cool prints done by famous photographers.

there's only 12 people in my class so we had some nice discussion.

it was inspiring to see all of the beautiful, different photographs.

art is amazing. 'nough said.

a new definition

yesterday i had an itch to be crafty.

good thing Michael's and Joann's are just up the road.

here's what i made:

i'm sure most of you have heard THIS song.

this isn't our wedding song or anything,

but it reminds me so much of us.

i knew marrying Will would mean moving away from home...

it would mean i'd only see my family every few months.

it would mean letting in a whole new crowd of people.

it would mean that i'd have to step outside my comfort zone.

it would mean i'd have to rely on our love to get through tough times.

and you know what? it's been so worth it.

we've learned to lean on each other in every situation.

now when i think of "home"...

i know that it's wherever i'm with him.

letter to me

if i could write a letter and send it to my younger self,

it would sound something like this:

Dear Kari,

You have a big heart, so fill it up with as much love as you can.

Don't waste time in junior high trying to be "popular" or "fit in".

Be goofy. Be original. Be yourself, and don't regret that.

You will have plenty of great friends because of it.

Stand up for the kids around you who get picked on.

To have a friend, you must BE a friend.

Don't be so sad that you didn't make the cheer squad at first.

Pick yourself up and try again... the second time is the charm.  ;)

Let Dad take a billion pictures of you running cross country.

He is just proud of you for following in his footsteps.
Keep having fun, but don't let your grades suffer.
Remember that a positive attitude can move mountains.

Don't be embarassed that Mom&Dad are involved with your activities.

Be grateful that you have parents that put their kids first.

When it comes to boys, don't worry so much.
You will date some dummies... and have your heart broken.

But you will get over it and be happy again.
Your relationships will help you realize what you want in a spouse.

I know that seems far off... but that time is just around the corner.

Don't ever let a guy ruin a good friendship.

Real true friends are hard to come by.

Stay home more often. Your family misses you when you're gone.

Be open with Mom and Dad throughout your life.

They love you no matter what and they've got great advice.

Let Mom teach you how to sew and cook.

You will be so glad you asked her once you're married.

Keep letting your little brother hang out with you and your friends.

He is a sweetheart and always builds you up.

Get used to saving some of your money.

It's always good to have a rainy day fund just in case.

You're lucky you will always be surrounded by uplifting friends.

You will have so many fond memories to look back on.

You will marry an extremely handsome, fun, sweet guy someday.

And because you were both committed to staying worthy, 

you'll be sealed together for eternity in the temple.

You and me both have a great future ahead of us,

so stay happy and be kind. Everything else will fall into place.

Love,

Me

polka dot princess

wanna know a not-so-secret?

i'm in love with polka dots.

when we were choosing our wedding colors,

instead of the typical 2 or 3 complimentary colors,

we did purple and polka dots. loved it.

so today i'm sporting them on both my head and my top.

i think it works, but maybe it makes me look like a little girl...

because at the doctor's office i had 2 ladies tell me i was the cutest thing.

i mean i appreciate the compliments... 

but i'm a full grown woman! (said in a pouty girl voice)

...okay so maybe that didn't prove my point.

oh well, it's my style. and that's that.  :)

button-up: charlotte rousse; tank: pac sun; black jeans: old navy;

 headband: lemonsandlace.com; earrings: gift from my sis in law :)

okay so maybe these flats are't the best choice of winter shoes...

i switched them for my furry Sorel boots before we went out. smart move.

weeeeeeeeeee! 

(always gotta throw in a goofy one.)

have a great weekend everybody!

wandering

yesterday morning we met at the park for one of my classes.

we were talking about how sometimes our camera becomes a barrier.

being so concerned with getting the perfect photograph,

or so many great ones, can limit the experience for you. 

our teacher told us he wanted us to "wander" the park,

he said it was up to us if we ended up taking any photos.

he just wanted us to explore and study our surroundings.

then if we found something that really intrigued us, to capture it.

so off i went on my merry little way!

it was about 30 degrees out.. but luckily the sun was shining.

i found some nifty things to hang around.

it was nice to get away from the world's distractions for abit.

i opened my mind up and was filled with wonder and 

so much appreciation for the simple things that God blesses us with.

all my stresses and worries seemed to subside for those 45 minutes.

i think i need to escape to the park more often.  :)

road trip!

if you've been wondering where I disappeared to...

we took a road trip to San Francisco! 

it was an awesome way to spend the holiday weekend

(or technically holiDAYS).

we've been planning this little trip for several months now,

saw an opportunity for a long weekend, took it and ran!

we were too excited and ended up driving through the night.

the first 1/2 of the next day was spent napping in our hotel...

then we celebrated V-day at Cheesecake Factory,

and explored the mall by our hotel.

most of the stores were the same as in utah,
but we didn't mind since there were aton of holiday sales going on.

took a quick Valentine's picture before going out. love him!


friday, we ran our poor little feetsies into the ground.
we walked all over downtown San Fran!
first we checked out Pier 39, some WWII boats,
ate at Hard Rock Cafe (my first time and won't be my last!)
Ghiradelli square, The Golden Gate Bridge,
and hit up the Italian District for dinner.
it was a very productive day.

saturday we decided to lounge around the hotel a little longer.
we ate at the Bay Watch Restaurant close by,
then visited AT&T park where the Giants play.
then we hurried on down to the piers for our dinner cruise.
it was really really cold but perfectly timed, the sunset was beautiful!
it went under both the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate,
around Alcatraz and by the ballpark again.
we even got serenaded by our guitar-playing tour guide.
it was very romantic!

my hair fell victim to the crazy wind.


by sunday we were ready for a change of scenery.
we drove down south to the Portola State Park.
It was such a scenic drive through the forest, and so much green!
minus the windy roads and will getting sick by the end,
it was a nice drive through the forest.
after that, we decided to visit one more mall.
it was the BIGGEST one in northern California!
it just kept going and going... a girl's paradise! ;)
we ended our day with some Cinnabon and a swim.
perfect ending to a great trip!

'til next time.
stay classy, San Francisco.

mushy mushy lovey dovey

to my Valentine:

so much has happened since that first day we met

when we were both running late to church and sat next to each other.

i had never seen such a cute boy before in my life.

i wished you weren't just a visitor, because i didn't do long distances.

i still feel bad about blowing you off the first few times you texted me. 

i was crazy. i had no idea what i was missing out on.

then when you came back from utah, things quickly turned around.

i became the one chasing after you. because you are incredible.

so what if i made the first move to hold your hand?

i didn't want to be stuck in the friends zone with such a babe.

can you believe we stayed up talking til 5am on that ward camping trip?

i was so glad when you finally leaned in to kiss me.

that was the moment i knew you wanted to be with me too.

whenever i was around you, life just seemed so simple.

nothing else in the world mattered more than being together.

remember that night that we drove out to the desert to star-gaze,

when i whispered in your ear "i love you"?

it meant the world to me when you said it back.

i love knowing that i'm the only girl you've ever said that to.

the best surprise i ever got was when you got down on one knee,

day after christmas on your parents' back porch.

i knew right then and there that no matter what happened in life,

you would always love me and take care of me.

march 10, 2011 couldn't have been any more perfect.

staring into your eyes across the alter, 

i knew that my entire life was about to change...

i felt so much peace knowing that my future was going to be with you.

marrying you was the best decision i've ever made.

i have never and will never regret it.

happy valentine's day sweetie.

i love you forever!

pushing for spring

i've been wearing a lot of spring colors and patterns lately,

in hopes that mother nature will take a hint. 

we'll see if she catches my drift anytime soon...

 top: pac sun, skirt: ross, tights: old navy, boots: f21, 

earrings: ?, ring: my gorgeous valentine/anniversary gift from will! 

my husband is the best when it comes to surprises.

i was SO shocked when he pulled out that little box at dinner.

it's an aquamarine stone surrounded by a city of diamonds.

(aquamarine is my birth stone and the same month we got married.)

and to top it off, he got our names and anniversary engraved inside.

he designed it all by himself. i couldn't love it more.

i seriously melt every time i think about how sweet he is.

 he never ceases to amaze me.

for the love of the game

last night we double-dated with will's sister to a jazz game.

(that's basketball for you out-of-staters.)

now since i have a jazz jersey, of course i wore that.

but then i spiced it up abit!

curses. this is the most of my outfit i actually have a picture of.

(i promise i'll get better at the documenting you guys...)

i wore a striped longsleeve (american apparel), green jersey, 

gold necklace (f21), black studded leggings (pac sun), 

and combat boots (steve madden).

tonight we went to a grizzlies hockey game.

(can you tell we're sports people yet?)

i don't have any of their team wear so i just wore this:

and there's that man i adore.

when dressing for a sports event or game:

DO: wear something you can sit, stand, and jump up and down in.

DO: wear something that stains can wash out of. it happens people.

DON'T: accidentally wear the other team's colors.

DON'T:wear uncomfortable shoes. you will probably be walking a lot.

DO: take advantage of dressing down for the game,

but then throw in some simple, cute jewelry and do your hair!

DO: cheer your little heart out! may the best team WIN!

first of many..

this is my first "outfit post" on the blog.
i hope you guys don't get bored of these from time to time!

(to read about the new direction that i'm going in, click here.)

 headband: lemonsandlace, sweater: target, button-up: charlotte russe, pearls: gift, 
pants: old navy, shoes:forever 21

i think personal style is SO important to women in the world today.
not Vogue, runway, or any designer fashion necessarily..
just the style we each feel beautiful in.
when we feel good about ourselves,
we're an unstoppable force for good in the world.

poetry

thoughts.

whizzing through my mind like cars on a freeway.

honking their obnoxious horns and causing traffic jams.

making the peace of sleep impossible to reach.

a slow hour turns to several.

my eyes have adjusted to night.

like an owl, i gaze through the black and gray.

clothes dangle from their hangers.

shoes lay in a heap at the foot of the bed.

the sound of the fan blowing a soft breeze.

my love lays still, dreaming next to me.

familiarity brings its sweet comfort.

my eyes can see clearly.

wishing my thoughts could follow.

on the fence

hi guys.

i'm on the fence about something...

so far, my blog has been basically a public journal of our life.

i like to be able to look back at all of the fun things we've done.

but at the same time, since it is MY blog...

i think i want to incorporate some of my interests into it too.

photography, personal fashion, and maybe some diy projects.

we'll see how great i do at it, since i'm no trend setter.

but it will be good for me to put myself out there alittle more 

and to share the things i have a love for with all of you!

hopefully it will be more relevant than "what we did today".

happy reading!

Valentine's shoot

last weekend was a bit warmer so we did a little Valentines shoot.

we took the pictures ourselves in our backyard. it was fun!

Valentine's Day is one of the best holidays when you're married!

this will be our 3rd one together (2nd one married).

we'll actually be spending that weekend in San Francisco!

we are super excited for the road trip and exploring the city.

and to the one i love?

keep being your sweet, silly, fun-loving, handsome self.

i sure do love ya for it.