Love these boys!

Mike may or may not have told me that I really need a kid of my own the other day because every time we are shopping or I get an Annie text I say, "Cole would love that, this would be so cute for Mase, look how cute this picture is, Cole said this, Mase did that" etc. etc. This statement came from him after I shared a little surprise that I have for my faux sister-wife and faux nephews. I am just glad Annie doesn't think I am too creepy, and if she does, she hides it well. :) This cute pic was before the Utah game a few weeks ago. How cute are they?!?

Little Miss Mekah...

We fall more and more in love with this little lady and she becomes more adorable every day. She is our little cuddler, our attention needer, our nuzzler, our feisty girl, our sleeper, our alpha dog, our lover, our wrestler, our manipulator, our player and she has both of us completely wrapped around her paw. She loves to give kisses, does many trust falls to find the perfect position to be petted in, finds the best spots to lay and she loves her daddy more than anything. She makes us laugh, makes us love, brings us incredible happiness and she will always be our first baby. Thanks Miss Mekah for being the best doggie someone could have given up . You were meant to be in our home and you are more loved than we ever could have imagined.

My first work trip...

I have been planning a meeting in Napa Valley and I found out Monday I get to attend. I am excited to travel with the company and I feel so professional! I am sure it’s just the allure of something new but it’s an exciting move in my career and I hope this is the first of many travels I will experience within my position. We are staying at the beautiful Westin Verasa in Napa Valley and I am looking forward to working hard, but also enjoying the scenes and food Napa Valley has to offer. Since it’s the week following Mike’s 30th birthday, we decided to take advantage of the weekend and celebrate his 30th in the bay area. We are looking forward to some time together exploring the city and wine country and we are very hopeful that this adventure will be the first with Baby Ricci on board. If not, I look forward to enjoying some delicious wine with mah be and discovering a whole new place together. Isn't it beautiful?I can't wait!

Inspiring...

Craving...

I have always been a spring person; the smell of it delights me, the sight of tree buds intrigues me and the airiness awakens me. The past few years spring has come and gone without much of a presence and I haven’t been able to enjoy it as I once had. This year it has been different, I am craving fall. Maybe it is because I didn’t get to experience spring or maybe it’s because as I grow older I appreciate more that the fall time brings and the magic and allure of a changing season. When I was younger fall meant going back to school and the season of snow. Now fall means hearty soups, college and NFL football season, the vibrant colors of the changing leaves, a crispness in the air, Halloween décor, brown boots, nights cuddled up with mah be and the doggies next to the fire, peacoats, pumpkin carving, cardigans, tailgating, Mike's 30th birthday, cozy sweaters, caramel Brule lattes, scarves, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, the return of my shows, deep colors and the beginning of the holiday season. I am impatiently awaiting the change from summer to fall and I can’t wait until the temperature drops and it finally feels like autumn. Is it October yet? because I am craving you…

Apparently we like to be on the news...

The other day Mike's company ATK was spotlighted in multiple news articles. This is a picture that was run in the DeseretNews of my hubby explaining what an autoclave he designed does. He looks so intelligent and sophisticated, not to mention sexy. I am one proud wifey :) Lately Mike has been bounced into many different roles at ATK and is currently outfitting this new facility in order to get it operational. I am really so lucky to have met and married such an intelligent and hardworking man. If you want to learn more about this new facility, here are some links to the news stories...

Deseret News
Salt Lake Tribune
KSL

This is what music means to me...

As I was searching for Adele's beautiful song "Someone Like You" I ran across this quote and had to share...

"There’s nothing quite like the feeling when you are listening to a song written by someone you don’t know, by someone you have never met, who somehow manages to describe how you felt at a particular moment of your life. If you have ever had a broken heart, you are about to remember it now"

There are certain songs that steal my heart, heal my soul and keep my secrets like nothing else can. They transport me back to moments in my life when I was elated, when I was broken, when I was numb and when I was overwhelmed with love. Some say smell is the strongest sense but to me, it is the lyrics that give me goosebumps and send chills down my spine that move me and remind me of moments I have hidden away. Music is part of my existence and allows me to feel my raw emotions. It gives me life and without this artform and without the words people are bravely willing to share, my life would be just a little bit dimmer. Here is one of my all-time favorite songs...

Enjoy.

Slightly obsessed with this song...

"You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I'm made of glass
Like I'm made of paper
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper"

It's haunting... the best kind of song.

Meet Steve...

Since I don't have any nieces and nephews of my own, I have adopted Mr. Cole as my faux nephew. He is so much fun to buy things for and is by far the funniest three year old I know. He keeps me laughing with the things he says, his hilarious antics and I adore everything about him, his baby brother Mase and his parents Justin and Annie. I am so lucky Annie lets me steal him for some sister wife dates and he reminds me that our long wait will be totally worth it.

A few weeks ago on my weekly Costco trip, I ran across this adorable Dino Snuggle Bud, which is a stuffed animal that turns into a blanket and pillow. He was so cute and soft and I immediately thought of Mr. Cole and had to buy it for him. Cole has decided to name him Steve and I love getting these pics of Cole and his new best friend.I was at Costco yesterday and they still have some left so if you are looking for a gift for your own kiddos, nieces or faux nephews, I highly recommend getting a Steve! The Sleep Buds also come in a dog and hippo stuffed animal and I think they are way cooler than a pillow pet (and actually cheaper).

Eleven...

Joseph Kevin Paul Heim
June 21, 1955-July 18, 2000

11 years ago my life was turned upside down and my heart was broken into pieces. Today I have grown from this experience and put my life back together but a piece of my heart will always be missing. Miss you Dad and I hope you are somewhere over the rainbow where blue birds fly, problems melt like lemon drops and dreams really do come true.

I used to not be able to listen to this song without bawling because it was played at his funeral. Now I hear it and I can smile because it reminds me of him.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow is a post I wrote in 2008 about things I never wanted to forget about my dad. They brought a smile to my face today, and I hope they bring one to yours too.

From the Useless Room to the Dining Room!

I am either nesting or finally finding some furniture I love and can see in our house for the long haul. My mom gave us a pine kitchen table and chairs when we first moved into our house and we have been looking to replace it since we moved in. It definitely served it’s purpose but it never quite fit the space and was a totally different style than the rest of the house. Saturday I received a furniture catalogue from Macys and happened upon this dining room table that I immediately fell in love with...

Mike liked it too and when he found out it was 40% off, we decided to go ahead and buy it. The chairs are actually more of a hemp color than a taupe and I am really excited to get this piece in our kitchen and pull the house together. I just need to get it stain protected (even though it came with a 7-year warranty), so if you know anywhere that can do stain protection in home, I would love some referrals. Now that we have some bigger staple pieces, I look forward to brightening our home and giving it some soul that it is desperately missing. Danielle, shopping date soon?

On another note, I need to give major props to both Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn. Last week the bedding we had purchased went on sale so I called Restoration up and they refunded the difference. Then this morning I got an online 10% off coupon from Pottery Barn so I called them up and they applied it to our couch order. It was over a $200.00 difference so I want to thank them for being willing to price adjust, and making the process so easy!

The Useless Room isn't useless anymore!

After lots of looking, conversations, fabric samples and shopping days, we have finally purchased a couch for the useless/Christmas tree room. We have “almost” bought a couch for that room plenty of times, but something always seems to hold us back. Mike and I aren’t great at conceptualizing design ideas and have a hard time picking colors that aren’t brown, blue or beige. After perusing through a Pottery Barn catalogue, I fell in love with this loveseat.

I ordered fabric swatches months ago and we decided on the above metal color (it's lighter in person and is a washed linen/cotton), but for some reason we just couldn’t commit. After a design consultation with Four Chairs Furniture, a store I absolutely love, we finally got the courage to purchase the couch I have been pining over. It won’t be delivered until September but I am excited to know that we can enjoy Christmas in that room this year with some seating and it will no longer look like we just moved in. I am also really excited to finally use a rot iron end table my mom gave me that I absolutely love.

I know it’s just a couch but it’s a huge accomplishment in our lives. Now on to looking for a bookshelf, a coffee table, some colorful pillows and knick knacks to fill up the room, add life and make it much more than “useless”. Happy decorating to us!

A Celebration in Trinidad and Tobago!

On January 14, 2012, we will be heading to Trinidad and Tobago to celebrate the marriage of my brother-in-law Steven and his beautiful fiancé Courtney.
Courtney and Steven became engaged in February 2010 in Costa Rica after Steven flew down there to spend their anniversary with her. Courtney had been living in Costa Rica in order to do research about medical tourism for her PHD and Steven surprised her (and us) with a romantic proposal on the beach. Steven didn’t tell any of us his plans, picked her stunning ring out himself and hid it in a carmex container until it was safely on her finger.

Courtney is from Buffalo, NY, Steven from SLC, UT, they live in Denver, CO, Steven went to school in WA and they have family sprawled all over the US. Neither of them wanted a big wedding and the logistics of everything was too crazy, so they finally decided on a destination wedding, which I believe is perfect for them. Last week we got the email that the wedding would take place in Tobago at the Stone Haven Villas and we immediately booked our tickets. We will be going from January 14-January 25 and I am so excited to finally have another tropical vacation on the books! Mike and I decided to extend our trip 4 days and are looking into either spending those 4 days in Trinidad or maybe island hopping to Aruba, Antigua or another nearby island.
We are thrilled for Courtney and Steven and Courtney has been a part of the Ricci family since the moment we met her. She is a perfect match for Steven and we love her personality, her humor, her intelligence, her tenacity, her determination, her sense of self and her devotion to Steven. Even after only living in the same country for 3 months prior to becoming engaged, they had an incredible relationship and friendship and I knew she was the one for Steven. She will always lovingly have the nickname of “puma” (she is 3 years older than Steven) and it’s great to finally have a sister. Looking forward to witnessing them become husband and wife surrounded by family; to another fantastic Ricci vacation and spending time with mah Be in paradise. Only 6 more months to go!

The Soon-to-be's...

Congratulations you two. We love you and can't wait to share this special moment of your lives with you both!

Bedroom Bliss...

After years of looking for the perfect bedroom set, we finally found one on sale at Black Goose Designs in February. Since then we have been looking for just the right bedding and finally found it thanks to Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn and Macys. We are so excited that our bedroom is coming together and are really enjoying the romance and comfort of our newly decorated bedroom.

Mike has been adament that we get white sheets ever since we attended the Pottery Barn decorating class. He also is a bit of a sheet snob so we had to find something white, comfortable and affordable. I finally found the Pottery Barn Essential sheets and have been very pleased with them. They are super comfortable and we got the entire set for under $100.00. They can be found here.

The blanket is also from Pottery Barn and is the Fisherman Knit Blanket which can be found here. This is what really makes the bed and although it looks like it will snag, we haven't had any trouble with it.

The duvet cover and decorative pillows are the Italian 19th C Medallion Bedding from Restoration Hardware and can be found here. The comforter itself is a Calvin Klein synthetic blend comforter from Macys and was found at 60% off during the Memorial Day Sale. For some reason my pictures make the bedding look much more blue than it actually is so here is the picture from Restoration.

After finding bedding, I finally am able to buy some decorative accents. The picture frames above the bed are from TJ Maxx and will soon house wedding photos. I can't wait to finally have wedding pictures hanging in our house!

The R is from restoration hardware, the tuberrose reed diffuser is from Pottery Barn and smells just like Hawaii. The peonies were an anniversary gift from Michael (that unfornunately are now gone) and the wrought iron heart is a gift from The Sharing Place :) We also put glass on our nightstands, dresser and media console to keep the wood nice. We got our glass from Beehive glass thanks to the recommendation of Miss Annie and their number is 801.486.4991.

I had to put a picture of the media console on here since it's Mike's favorite part of the bedroom. The top two drawers fold down to reveal our cable box and DVD player and the bottom two drawers are used for seasonal clothing storage. He wouldn't buy a bedroom set without a media console and has been very pleased with the quality and functionality of our new furniture.

We are still looking for some decorative shams, a dressing mirror and other decorative accents but so far we are really happy with how the bedroom has been coming together and I have never slept better!

We just fit...

Do you ever look at your significant other and just relish in how much this person brings to your life, what a better person they make you and how lucky you are that they chose you? This is how I have been feeling lately…we just fit. I have never felt so in sync or comfortable in our relationship and in my own skin and I fall more in love with Mike every day. I don’t know how I landed such an incredible man and how he can overlook all my imperfections, multiple personalities and “moments” and just love every piece of me, no matter how broken. Year four has brought some amazing growth, strength, friendship and mutual understanding between us and I think year five is going to be even better. Be, thanks for loving me, being my best friend, my confidant, my “person” and the love of my life. You are my better half, my rock, my soul mate and my life would be nothing without you in it.

This song makes me smile and think of Miguel. I make him listen to it every day, so I hope all you blog readers enjoy it too.

Happy Tuesday everyone!