mona lake.

Guess what? Whitney Bush is in town! Whitney is my very good friend who moved back to Wisconsin when we graduated in April. We met on our study abroad in England, took a spontaneous trip to Italy, and even spent my last semester as a single lady as roommates.

Yesterday, I joined Whitney and a few friends at Mona Lake. The "lake," more like a pond, is over near Santaquin lined with rope swings and platforms. The water is every shade of blue, cool and perfect. There are people perched on branches and platforms, and loud cheers when a body goes flying through the air and splashes into the water. You hear "Ohhh," when someone belly flops, and"You can do it!" when someone doubtfully teeters on the edge. Unfortunately, I was too chicken to go for it, but I had still had fun. One day, one day.

I love Utah, because there is no shortage of fun things to do in the summer. And, I love having good friends in town.

Also, our shop was featured on Nautical Wheeler by Jen, owner and designer of Nautical Wheeler Jewelry. She has a fun and eclectic collection of jewelry- check it out!

capitol reef camp.

We are not huge fans of pay camp spots where you have to pitch a tent five feet from a stranger. It's like shacking up in a cheap motel except you can hear every snort and conversation. And, you have to pay! So, after our hike we went on the search for the perfect camp spot. And, nestled in a playground of rock formations we did find THE perfect camp spot. We spent the evening climbing and jumping around the arches and boulders before setting up camp. My favorite part of camping: the food. I love setting up camp at the end of the day, after a long hike, and curling up on a camp chair in front of the fire--tin foil dinners, roasted vegetables and corn, and s'mores. And, for breakfast, oatmeal and roasted peaches.

It was Lauren's very first camp out, and she was loving it. Although, if you ever head out to Capitol Reef we suggest taking bug spray... or you might hear a few choice words. They were out in full force. But, once we smoked out the bugs with the campfire, we were in heaven.

It's so great to get away with friends.

capitol reef.

Last weekend, Sam and I spent a few days down in Capitol Reef with the Pinegars! We were hoping to flash our National Parks Pass, but no one asked to see it. But, we were excited because none of us had much experience exploring the area before, so it was a big adventure. This is a pretty big deal, since Sam has almost every road and trail in southern Utah memorized by heart.

After spending a not-so-campy night at the Hale's ranch (thank you!), we went exploring in the area. We found some Native American ruins, and did some treasure hunting in the dirt. We also hiked Sulfur Creek, and took far too many pictures of Colin in his get-up. Lauren and Colin are so great, we love 'em.

...more pictures to come!

ps. Today is Lauren's birthday!

giveaway announced.

Congratulations!

hanner said...

what great finds! i love the purple dress. and the purple skirt. i guess i am in the mood for purple.

Thank you so much for your support, Hannah! I'm sorry, it seems someone has snatched up that purple dress already. But send us an email to claim your prize, and I'm sure we can find something you will love.

This has been such a fun and emotion-filled week. It's definitely a little stressful investing so much time and money into a project, not knowing if it will pan out. I think it is a wonderful life lesson for everyone. And, it feels so great to get such positive feedback from our readers and the Etsy community. Now, Sam and I are going to try and take this weekend to pick up the pieces a little. Our house still looks like it has exploded, we haven't been grocery shopping in awhile, and we both feel a little like we have been hit by a train. It's time for a little r&r.

But, don't forget! You still have until midnight on Saturday to use our 10% discount code in the shop. Just type in the code grandopening at check-out. It is our gift to you-- happy grand opening week!

for the men.

One of my favorite things about menswear is the rich history behind it. There is a purpose and a story behind every weave, cut, and style. Much of it has evolved out of utility, most of which is no longer necessary but still lingers. For example, the name herringbone comes from a Herring fish. The weave of herringbone reflects that of the Herrings skeleton and was the initial inspiration for the design.

Featured here are some of my favorites. Two 3-button herringbone blazers (I wish they fit me.) The first, a 60's piece from Sears and the other from Harris Tweed. (Don't be distracted by the bad website, Harris Tweed is the premiere wool tweed supplier out of Scotland) The shoes are dead stock Portage Porto Ped from the 1950's—I was pretty stoked on this find. Unused shoes from the 50's are extremely rare and I love the subtle pebble grain finish. The cardigan is J.C. Penney Sportclad from the 40's. I have also been really into Scottish wool tartan ties lately and this is a great find.

If you haven't had a chance to enter the giveaway, take a quick look here!

for the little ones.

I do believe the children's clothing will be the hardest to part with. I'm darn proud of myself for not stashing most of it already. But, as it turns out, I am more excited about posting items to the shop and sharing them with you than I am with keeping them for my unborn children.

Shopping for the little ones is one of my favorite things to do. It is probably second to shopping for women's shoes. I have fallen in love with each of those little dresses and skirts, and I am starting to learn the ropes around little boy's fashion. (I came from a family of three girls.) And, oh the tiny shoes! Just you wait. We have a small collection of tiny shoes that will be posted in the shop sometime next week. You won't be able to contain yourself.

Some of my favorites are posted above. I love the cream dress with the peter pan collar, little plaid jumper, and the boy's Brooks Brother's shirt. Also, how can you resist a plaid dress with a tiny matching purse? Or, take a quick look at this floral top, and this cute grandpa sweater. They just don't make 'em like they used to, eh?

If you haven't had a chance to enter the giveaway, take a quick look here!

for the women.

I have so enjoyed hearing everyone's favorite items from the collection. It's fun to see which pieces are receiving the most attention. I have definitely become slightly emotionally attached to a few of them. It will be hard to see them go.

These are some of my favorites:

I loved the boots pictured here. I say "loved," because they are already gone! This was our very first sell. Within fifteen minutes of posting our first listings on the shop, these boots were plucked off the market. Some cute girl in Canada with a beautiful French name is strolling around in these now. I also love this mauve dress, this tiered dress, and this peplum blouse. I think they are each so pretty and feminine, and I am a huge fan of unique detailing. For summer, I love this shirt dress, a good pair of sandals, and the perfect summer skirt. It makes me want to ride my bike and eat a popsicle.

By the way, our lemon yellow dress was featured on Me Machine--a simply beautiful blog. I spent a good hour scrolling through the last few months' posts, you will love it.

Thank you all for your support yesterday! It was an exciting day, to say the least. Check back here if you haven't had a chance to see the shop, or enter the giveaway!

grand opening.

Do you remember that big project that I have been talking about? Well, we would now like to introduce the grand opening of Rox & Sam, a vintage boutique at Etsy.com.

Sam and I are collectors. (You should ask Sam how many ties he has. But, please don't peek at my shoe collection- I might be embarrassed.) Yes, we have this bad habit of collecting beautiful things that we find in random places. We love the hunt. But some things don't fit, and are just too great to leave behind. So, we decided to start a little shop. We personally curate our collection of wearable vintage clothing for men, women, and children. We select each piece with an attention to detail, and a desire to find an eclectic mix of beautiful things for your perusal.

It has been a pretty big adventure so far. We have been working our tails off the past month or so. We collect and shop, repair, clean, mend, and polish each and every item. We catalog, photograph, and lovingly store them in our home office. Last week, our living room was temporarily transformed into a photo studio. Thanks to some really great friends, I was able to shoot over one hundred items in just a few days. I have also become pretty good friends with our new dress form we bought off the classifieds, whom we named Margaret. She's a bit busty, so some of the clothes start to fall under the category: bombshell. Speaking of bombs, it seems that our house has been hit by one.

But, everything is falling into place and we are really proud. A lot of research went into getting everything to look the way that we wanted. We are not just selling things online--we are opening a shop. We want our customers to recognize a brand and trust our selections. We also want them to have that same feeling of discovery that we love so much.

So, please feel free to look around! Check out that new, little button on the right side bar.

We are also offering a giveaway for our grand opening! The winner will receive $50 towards anything that they want in the shop. To enter the giveaway, visit the shop and:

1. leave a comment on this post--tell me your favorite item (s)!

2. spread the news on your own blog, or social network of your choice (and leave a separate comment telling us)

You must enter by this Friday, June 24 at 9:00am. We will announce the winner at that time.

Also, all of our readers have the opportunity of receiving a 10% discount this week only! You can use the code grandopening at checkout. Be sure to check back in the next few days, because this will be a weeklong celebration!

father's day.

Happy Father's Day!
We love you both.

copper ingot.

This post is a little late in coming, but I am so proud that I am going to share anyway.

A few weeks ago, Sam and I attended the AIGA 100 Show. Each AIGA chapter, or The Professional Association for Design, holds a 100 show every year to honor the top 100 design pieces. Sam has had a few of his designs featured in the Salt Lake City show over the past few years. We weren't necessarily planning on going, but we heard that at least one piece from Vivint had been accepted into the show (the Vivint stationary). So, we got all dressed up and headed up to SLC. I love going to these kinds of events because I get to see Sam in his element. I stand there and listen in amazement as I try to interpret a conversation about typefaces and serifs. It's also a great place for him to see old friends, and make new ones.

Each year, the top 10 pieces are awarded the "copper ingot." One second, Sam and I are sitting in the audience, and the next thing I know he is walking across the stage to receive his very own ingot for the Vivint Welcome Book. I was so proud of him. He even hopped back on the stage to receive another ingot for an APX/Vivint piece, done by some of the other designers. Vivint definitely got some buzz that night! I'm not sure I have ever seen him so happy. Sam grew up with five brothers who all play sports. Taking home that ingot was like taking home a championship trophy.

In case you didn't know, Sam is a part of the talented design team at Vivint, formerly known as APX Alarm. He gets to work with some of his best friends, at a company that really knows how to treat their employees well. I love that he is so happy there. This may be old news, but here is a good idea of the work that went into the recent re-brand. Can you spot Sam?

babies.

We are so pleased to introduce Miss Josie Jean Williams. On Friday we had dinner at the Williams', which turned into a family photo shoot because we are all just a little bit obsessed with baby Jo. I love visiting the Williams. I cuddle with Jo, and pretend like I know what I am talking about when Andrea and I discuss strollers and pack-and-plays. It's pretty amazing to see your friends begin a new adventure, and to see the slight changes that happen when they become parents. I can't really describe it--just an impossible love for this little one.

Let me tell you something: I think about babies a lot. Babies, babies, babies. Yes, I am baby hungry. But, don't get too excited--I may be baby hungry, but that doesn't mean that I am ready to have a baby. I am just in love with the idea that I could possibly have a baby whenever I want--technically. I love baby blogs and baby things. I love the pretty, little baby dress that I made Sam buy from the Baby Gap. I got all starry-eyed when I saw this little, blue swiss dot ruffle dress, while Sam put his foot down and told me that it was ridiculous to purchase baby clothing for a baby that didn't exist. But a few days later, he surprised me and went back to the Baby Gap armed with a coupon to buy me the dress. So, when I have a baby girl, and when she is 6-12 months old, she will have the most darling, little dress to wear. Am I crazy? Am I the only one who does this type of thing?

It doesn't help that I have been attending so many darn baby shower lately. I paw through newly unwrapped shower gifts, and grab at other people's children. I spend a good half hour holding someone's baby and I feel like my heart will explode. One of the things that I look forward to the most is having a child and being the mother that this baby reaches for. Like, when I desperately want to squeeze someone else's child, and all they want to do is reach for their mother. I want to be that mother.

But, I assure you, it is not time for the Gray's to multiply. We are so very happy right now, and we look forward to that day when we both feel it is time to bring a child into our home. And, for now, I will just keep jotting down baby names in my journal and hide my stash of tiny dresses and shoes under my bed.