Shhh, it's a Cecret!

Last night Nathan and I went hiking up to a lovely place called Cecret Lake (yes that's with a 'C' and I know my post title is overly cheesy but whatevs).

Anyway it's been on my bucket list all summer to go here and I'm glad we finally did! It was a wee bit crowded because apparently this is pretty popular hike, and so we had to park like 2 miles away from the trailhead. The actual hike itself is only a mile and so the walk TO the trail was farther than the actual hike... but that's ok, we definitely got our steps in for the day!

This was one of those moments where I wish I owned a decent camera because the wildflowers were out of this world! There were so many kinds that I hadn't even seen before, as well as the usual like Indian Paintbrush.

The lake is a watershed for Salt Lake County and so no one is allowed to jump in it, which I don't know why anyone would because it is glacial cold, but there are some cute salamanders that live in  it and it was kind of fun to watch them swim around.

After the hike we went down to Leatherby's in Draper to share an ice cream sundae and cheese fries! Has anyone ever been to Leatherby's? It is SO good. Their sundaes are unbelievable and I am not a sundae person but honestly you can't resist these. You sure as heck better be sharing too because no one in their right mind could finish one on their own. They're like colossally large, but soooo delicious. Yum yum in my tum.

18 Things I've Learned Since I Turned 18

(me and my friends when we were seniors in high school, ah!)

This is meant to be more of a personal reflection rather than an advice column, and being that I have only technically been an adult about four and half years it is not like I am an expert on the subject. However with that said I have learned some things, albeit mostly through trial and error. Please bear in mind though I am certainly not perfect at any of these things!

1. Being poor can actually be quite enriching.

2. Life is too short to be sad or mean.

3. Follow your dreams, but don't forget to be practical and realistic.

4. Going out of your comfort zone is the only way to really grow.

5. Always keep your word, even on the little things, because a man is only as good as that.

6. If you have something nice to say, always say it.

7. Don't be afraid to spend a little money on other people.

8. Everyone has something good about them.

9. Work hard, work hard, work hard.

10. It's your responsibility to build relationships, so don't get sad if someone else doesn't put forth any effort. That's your job.

11. If there's something you don't like about your life, then change it.

12. Don't ever criticize, condemn or complain.

13. Save your money, you don't need a new couch. Really, you don't.

14. The past is the past for a reason, so move on.

15. Stay close to God and keep your prayers genuine. He'll take care of you if you do your best.

16. There's nothing wrong with making mistakes, as long as you fess up to it. It's the ones that try to hide it that everyone gets mad at.

17. Don't gossip, it's worthless and stupid.

18. Smile and be happy, it's your choice.

10 Things

1. I am a strawberry blonde and proud of it! I used to hate the things that came along with a being a redhead however. Ya know, stuff like blonde eyebrows and eyelashes... white, ghostly skin, but I've learned to embrace it, and also how to pencil in a well shaped brow.

2. French fries are my staple and Diet Dr. Pepper runs through my veins.

3. Love, love, love oldies music. Pretty much anything from 1920 onward I probably have a Pandora station for. Think Motown, Elvis Presley, James Taylor, Frank Sinatra, etc. etc.

4. Married to a country boy and proud of it! He is a 6' 2" diesel mechanic in training, blond hair, blue eyes, and rides dirt bikes. He is my fave.

5. Little known fact about me is that I love cleaning my house. Nothing makes me happier than a freshly swept and mopped floor. I also tend to believe that successful people make their beds every morning.

6. Widely known fact about me is that I love Disneyland. Currently dreaming of a trip to the Disney World though. I make sure to mention it to my hubby as often as possible to make sure it sinks in, ya know. Ha!

7. Amateur horse rider, wannabe barrel racer. I grew up trail riding with my grandfather in American Fork canyon and am currently taking some lessons to work on my technique! Shoulda been a cowgirl.

8. One time I ate a 5 patty hamburger in one sitting at Five Guys. It was painful. I have attempted numerous other food challenges such as the Sensuous Sandwich two footer challenge (and my picture even made it onto this Utah food challenges count down click here to see me stuffing my face. I believe it is the sixth photo down). Sad fact about all this is that I have never once been able to actually finish any of the food challenges I've done. So that's why I say *attempted*

9. I believe laughter is the best medicine for any ailment and the combination of a positive attitude, hard work and keeping close to God will lead to a happy life.

10. I learned two new things this summer that I'm really exited about! The first is I learned how to longboard, which is a real feat for me, because I have zero balance, and I also learned how to do a real dive off a diving board! Pretty awesome, eh.

Happy Birthday Disneyland

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I will full-heartedly admit that I am one of the biggest Disneyland nerds you will ever meet. I have been that way my whole life! With that said, today is Disneyland's 60th birthday! Pretty awesome, huh? What's crazy to think is I remember going to the 50th Anniversary when I was in Jr. High. As much as I wish I was there today... I am not. So instead I have been reminiscing with some old pics.

Pictured immediately above is me and my BFF Shelby at the D-land for our senior trip. We have been to Disneyland together like 5 times, so that's pretty cool. Now that we are both married we have been thinking of planning a trip with us and our hubbies! Disney Nerds 4 Life.

Today I have decided to share my top 5 Disneyland favorites in honor of the 60th Anniversary. OK, here we go!

#1 MINT JULEPS

I cannot even express the amazingness that is the mint julep. Sandwiched in between the New Orleans Square train station and Cafe' Orleans is a tiny window that exclusively sells mint juleps and beignets and all I can say is YUM to the E. For those of you who are thinking what the @#!$ is a mint julep, let me enlighten you. It is a refreshing, minty lime drink garnished with a maraschino cherry, a lemon and a sprig of mint. Perfect for a sweltering hot day at the park. I like to enjoy mine as I ride the train around Disneyland to cool off. Highly recommend these.

#2 The Disneyland Half Marathon

The Disneyland Half Marathon is such a unique way to enjoy your Disney trip. Honestly whether you are a seasoned runner or not it doesn't particularly matter. I noticed a lot of people fast walking it! The portion of the race that actually goes through the parks you spend a lot of time stopping and taking pictures with the characters and so it's definitely not a race to PR (personal record) on. It's more about having fun and enjoying the experience as a whole. There's bands playing music along the whole course, as well as several miles worth of the roads lined with classic cars, people cheering and holding signs and you even get to run through Angels Stadium! If I could use one word to describe this race it would be FUN.

#3 CARS LAND

It's a little out of character for me to choose something that is in California Adventure and not actually Disneyland but this place is so awesome I could not resist. Anyone who has stepped foot into Cars Land knows exactly what I'm talking about when I say it's just like you're in the movie, and doubly so at night when all the neon signs are lit up. I have always had a hard time feeling like California Adventure had even a fraction of the magical factor that Disneyland does, but Cars Land changed all of that for me! From the Cozy Cone Motel to Flo's Diner, no detail was spared, and the Cars ride (Radiator Springs Racers) is amazing. Just be willing to wait in a 1.5+ hour line or book it to the park extra early so you can get a fast pass because they sell out fast.

#4 MAIN STREET USA

For most, the quintessential symbol of Disneyland is the castle, but for me the essence of Disneyland is embodied in Main Street USA. Nothing says Disneyland to me more than getting my ticket scanned, walking in and looking up to see the train station! It's the first thing I see when I get there, and the last thing I look at when I leave. I love walking through the tunnel and seeing the bands play, the horse drawn trolleys gliding down the street... smells of cakes and cookies wafting out of the shops. I love the penny arcade and it has become a tradition to use the Kiss-O-Meter and get our fortune told by Esmeralda each trip. Main Street is charming, lovely and has all sorts of cool secrets hidden in the nooks and crannies, but that's a post for another day.

#5 EARLY MORNING BREAKFAST AT THE PARK

While on vacation usually the last thing you want to do is wake up early, particularly after a long, late night walking around Disneyland, however I think it is definitely worth it to make it to the park before opening at least one day of the trip! It's pretty exciting to watch them drop the ropes and let everybody in, and there's something to be said about being the first person on a ride for the day. However what I usually prefer to do when I arrive to Disneyland at opening is to go straight to the River Belle Terrace for some Mickey Mouse pancakes! The River Belle Terrace has an outdoor patio overlooking the Rivers of America, and it makes for a perfect view to sit and eat your breakfast and enjoy that first quiet hour the park is open.

Whelp there's my top 5, but certainly not comprehensive list of Disneyland favorites. Happy 60th Birthday Disneyland!

What're your guys' Disneyland faves? I would love to hear them!

Fishtails and Sad Tales

// I tried out this hairdo from pinterest. How'd I do? I don't think I'll be signing myself up to be a pro hairstylist anytime soon but I was happy with it :)

// Today, honestly has turned into a rough one. This morning I was off to a great start, but things have been turning progressively sour. I try to stick to the life motto 'Never criticize, condemn or complain' but today has been very hard not to complain. I suppose we are all human and a bad day now and again is part of the deal we all signed up for. Send me some good vibes, peeps, I am in desperate need of them.

// I really really really realllllyyy want to drive the Pacific Coast Highway! I was hoping to do that this summer, but it looks like it'll have to be put on hold for now. I've started doing my research though. Anyone who has taken this drive have any good tips for me? I need an agent, haha.

// I think I'll break out the Seinfeld DVDs and pour me some Diet Dr. Pepper, that always makes me feel better.

Peace.

Wedding Flowers

This summer has kept me SO busy with all of the weddings I have been arranging flowers for! I seriously need to get a real camera and take some decent pictures of my work, but these iPhone pics will have to do for now.

I made like fourteen flower crowns for my best friend's wedding back in June. I wish I would've thought of these for my own wedding because I think they are so fun and a lot easier to keep with you than a bouquet because you can just wear them on your head.

(ok looooowwww quality photo, I know. forgive me!)

Here is the bridal bouquet! I actually had to end up spray painting those ranunculus pink because the wholesaler only had orange available! In fact when I went to pick up the floral order the day before the wedding they had completely forgotten about my entire order, but we were able to sort it all out thankfully. It seems like every time I do a wedding about 39398484 things go wrong before I come out with the finished product. You just have to learn to roll with it.

This bouquet has been my favorite I have done this summer! Aren't those roses absolutely gorgeous?? They are David Austin roses and this particular pink beauty is called 'Juliet'. I think they are just the bomb but they are also verrrrryy pricey at a whole $10 a stem.

Loving these peach colored hydrangeas! I love the look of hydrangeas but honestly they are a pain in the rear to work with because they need so much water! If you cut a stem the wrong way or they are out of water for too long they will wilt and end up looking sad and it's hard to bring them back from that point.

Anyway just thought I'd share a few pics from what I've been working on this summer! I have two more weddings coming up and can't wait to share some of those pictures with you. I will try to get some of the professional photos of the flowers from my brides and maybe I can share some better looking stuff, haha.

If any of you have questions regarding flower care or just an arranging question or would like a tutorial on how to make something let me know!

4th of July and Other Things

     4th of July is easily one of my favoritest holidays. Second only to Christmas, of course. Something about BBQs and lighting explosives that strikes my fancy. This year we went to my grandma's house for the 'cul-de-sac of fire' and it every bit lived up to its name. I even had a piece of a mortar fall down my shirt and singe my chest. It was awesome.

My handsome face and I. He is a peach.

Ya know I truly thought that once summer began I would pay more attention to this blog but it has been quite the opposite, so let me update you on the going-ons of the summer thus far.

 I've been back at one of my true passions... riding horses. I so wish that I lived on a farm and could ride my horse everywhere I went but I'm afraid that type of transportation isn't exactly feasible in these here parts. So I suppose I'll just continue to drive my car to work.

He sure does look good in a cowboy hat.

My family went down to St. George last weekend and Nathan and I joined them. It was so nice to hang out by the pool, drink lots of Swig and not worry about a darn thing. Would you like to see a picture of my fantastic diving skills? Drum roll...................

HA! JK I don't have fantastic diving skills. This is the pre-belly flop caught in action. It's been a while since I've been brave enough to actually swim with my head under the water so I have to say my skills are a little er... rusty. Hopefully by the end of the summer I will improve.

I went out to Utah Lake with my family yesterday and it was quite lovely. I swear that lake is the shallowest of them all. Those tiny little specks in the photo are my mom and cousins and they were like 200 yards out there and the water was still only up to their knees! I don't know why more people don't go out there to hang out though. I was thinking about it and they could really turn this place into something really cool. Build some beach front shops... pick up the trash... important some more sand. I mean there's already a bike trail that rides around the lake! It could be a happening place, let me tell ya. Minus the mountains I *almost* felt like I was at the ocean. Almost.

Peace out, loves!