art city days.

In Utah, every town has a different "days." This means that on any week of the summer you could attend a different town's celebration. I love how much tradition and pride goes into representing a home town. Pleasant Grove has "Strawberry Days," Payson has "Onion Days," and Midway has "Swiss Days." Provo conveniently has "Freedom Days," which makes the 4th of July that much more fun. Sam grew up in Springville, where they celebrate "Art City Days." (Springville is known as the Art City because of the art museum.) Every "days" is one week long, and highlighted by parades, quilting contests, cooking contests, the big carnival, and just about anything else you can think of. Each city adds it's own touch, but each is visited by the same parade and the same carnival. It is so great. Sometimes I feel sorry for the teenage royalty who have to spend every weekend of the summer sitting in a strawberry or onion-shaped carriage to visit every town in Utah. But, they sure look happy enough. And I wish I could ride in a huge onion.

Last week was Art City Days, so Sam and I hit up the carnival on Saturday. We met with our sister-in-law, Kelsey, our little niece, Nola, and Sam's mom. There is something great about carnivals.. It's like a little bit of freak show, a little bit of wonderland, and a little bit of every kid's fantasy. We stood in line to get the famous scones, and sat under a canopy with the Lifferth's. I grew up in San Antonio, TX. As much as I miss my big city Fiesta and Battle of Flowers celebrations, it's great to be a part of small-town excitement. Art City Days may not be on any grand scale, but you just can't beat a warm afternoon of watching the kids playing with their neighbors, running into family friends, and eating the traditional scone while sitting in the shade at the high school parking lot.

It's the perfect way to celebrate summer.

wishful thinking.

I have spent a good deal of time in the last few days pinning swimsuits to my "wishlist" board on Pinterest. Most of them have a retro cut, which I can attest is flattering on just about every body. Last summer, I broke down and bought No. 5 in black for my honeymoon in Cozumel. This is why this post is titled "Wishful Thinking." After a splurge like that, I don't think I can allow myself to buy another swimsuit for another five years. But, it really is the most luxurious, comfortable, and worry-free swimsuit I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. Sometimes good-quality beats out cheap. My landlord always says, "Cheap is expensive." It makes sense to me, but those three digit price tags are sure hard to swallow.

I have been drooling over No. 1 all week. I want it...real bad.

Yes, it is very wishful thinking. I know this. But, they are just so beautiful! I love the colors I am seeing this year. After a great tan, these pastel and bold colors will just pop. Now, I just need $200 and a tan.

Here are some of my favorites this season:

1. High Sun Bikini, Anthropologie

2. Seersucker Tank, J. Crew

3. Woven Vintage, J. Crew

4. Color-Pop Maillot, Anthropologie

5. Natalie One-Piece, Anthropologie

6. Retro Dot Bikini, J. Crew

7. Camera Pose Bikini, Anthropologie

8. Neon Floral Tank, J. Crew

9. Colorblock Bikini, Kooj at Etsy

It's ok if you swoon a little. I won't tell.

By the way, do you recognize that last one? Yes, it is a pretty close reproduction to Anthropologie's High Sun Bikini! You should check out the Etsy shop. You can have some very close reproductions for half the price. And, that's just a bit easier to swallow.

Do you have any favorite suits this season?

in the garden.

Did I mention that we have a garden? I am pretty darn proud of us for getting things planted, even if we were a little late. But, the prospect of fresh produce is very motivating. We have two garden plots: one is 3x12', and the other is 3x18. Each is dotted with tiny, evenly spaced plants. We are also encouraging a small strip of dirt by the fence for our pole beans so that they have something to climb up. It took just a few days of after-dinner work--the perfect time of day to feel a nice breeze and dig your hands into the dirt.

Here is the line up:

crookneck squash

zucchini

fourth of july tomatoes

red zebra tomatoes

celebrity tomatoes

early girl tomatoes

bell peppers

jalapenos

anaheim peppers

cucumbers

cilantro

pole beans

basil

and marigolds.

You should stop by to see the garden. And if you become a regular, you might even go home with some veggies!

We would also like to introduce our little fox-face dog, Goldie. He's not our dog, but we've been caring for him the past few days. He belongs to our landlord--the sweet, old man in our basement. He is the kindest landlord, and he loves to talk your ear off. Unfortunately, he is in the hospital right now. When Goldie was crying his little heart out the other night, we knew something must be wrong. Goldie is an "old man's dog" and used to curling up next to Val all day, every day. Somehow, Sam convinced me to let Goldie hang out at our place so he wouldn't get lonely. I am a cat person myself, but Goldie has sure grown on me. He follows me around all day, and curls up at my feet while I work. I just love him.

my big sister.

Today is my big sister's birthday!

Love you, Desi!

philippe decoufle.

This dance film was created by one of my favorite choreographers, Philippe Decoufle. Most of my work over the past couple of years found some sort of inspiration in Decoufle's world. He was originally trained as a circus performer, then studied under Alwin Nicolais. He has an amazing ability to create beautiful, imaginative experiences with movement and design.

This is "Codex 4" from a collection of other Codex pieces. His Codex pieces are each inspired by a different part of Codex Seraphinianus, a book written and illustrated by the Italian artist, architect, and industrial designer, Luigi Serafini. (Don't be turned away by the cover art.) Serafini spent 30 months in the late 1970s creating a 360 page illustrated encyclopedia of an imaginary world, written in an imaginary language. I wish I could get my hands on a copy, they are very rare.

Decoufle choreographed many pieces based on the illustrations in Codex. I love his ability to build characters with simple movement and gesture, not to mention incredibly imaginative costumes and design. The two dancers in "Codex 4" have amazingly clear effort qualities, even if the movement seems pedestrian. The camera brings a fantastical point of view that distorts the size of each dancer, and I love the choice of music.

And who am I kidding? I mostly just want that paper dress.

By the way, it seems that I might have lead some of you astray with my excitement about the "announcement." As originally mentioned, it is a project that Sam and I are working on. So, sorry to disappoint....but, no I am not pregnant. Oh, such wild imaginations!

farmer's market.

On Saturday, Sam and I met up with some friends at the Provo Farmer's Market. It was the very first market of the summer, and it was a perfectly beautiful Saturday morning. Provo has had some iffy weather this May, but it finally feels like it's time for summer dresses and farmer's markets. The Provo market has everything from fresh produce (when in season) to taco stands, and handmade jewelry to custom made Harry Potter wands (not kidding). Sam and I were looking for a few more plants for the garden, so we walked from tent to tent comparing leaves and stems. I love to see the rows of tiny plants nestled in potting trays or recycled yogurt containers. Sam insisted on going home with a strong, little tomato plant to add to our growing collection. We can now account for four different types of tomato plants. Sam has promised me tomato basil soup, or else I wouldn't let him take up so much of our garden with them. We will finally plant the last of our garden this afternoon! Would you like to see it?

If you ever find yourself at the Provo Farmer's Market:

1. Limeade stand- If you have been to the market over the past few years, you will be happy to hear that the limeade stand is back! These guys have figured it out--fresh limes, organic cane sugar, and a few fresh mint leaves. It is the perfect tall-glass-of-something for a summer day.

2. Waffle Shoppe- This shop belongs to Hayley Castle--a friend of a friend. The waffles are amazing of course, but I think you will really love their homemade "special" syrup. I also really appreciate that Hayley has taken the time to create a brand for the shoppe, and it is just darling. If you "like" their page in the month of June, you can get a free drink with purchase!

3. Venezuelan arepas- When we found out the taqueria was sold out, these Venezuelan arepas were a great alternative. An arepa is something between a gordita, a papusa, and a sandwich. Need a suggestion? Try the carne y queso, or the pollo y queso.

It was a beautiful weekend, and I was so happy to see so many friends and family! Sam and I have a busy week ahead of us, but you should be looking forward to a great, big announcement very soon. I'm afraid I have already let it slip to a few, but I will still try to keep you on your toes...

Ps. My little sister is in the hospital in Arizona for an emergency appendectomy. Please, keep her in your prayers. Love you, Dani!

slot canyons.

After we packed out of Coyote Gulch, we set up camp in an abandoned corral. It got a little windy that night, so the corral turned out to be a cozy spot to spend the night. We got a little "sandblasted," but we were already good and dirty after three nights in a tent. We spent the next day exploring a couple of slot canyons in the area: Peek-a-Boo and Spooky.

Slot Canyons are narrow canyons, obviously formed by wind and water. The light filters in through the slit of sky and makes the rock glow red and orange. I love that you can see exactly how the elements rush through the canyon, swooping around corners and carving out smooth curves in the rock. Some slot canyons are so narrow that you can hardly shimmy your way through.

We had a funny story while trying to navigate the canyons. After a beautiful walk through Peek-a-Boo, we tried to hike the short distance to get to Spooky. It was supposed to be a loop. After an hour of trudging through the sand, we dropped into what we thought was Spooky. But, some things seemed a little too familiar. When we emerged at the end of the canyon we discovered that after our adventure through the desert we had only made a very wide circle and hopped right back into Peek-a-Boo. Karalee and I decided that we never want to see Peek-a-Boo Canyon again--we had seen our fair share of it.

Somehow, Sam convinced me to go ahead and take a quick look at Spooky before we left. Spooky Canyon turned out to be one of the most amazing geological sights I have ever seen, and we hiked the entire canyon. It was a very, VERY narrow canyon. If there was someone coming in the opposite direction, you had to find a little divot in the rock, press your body back, and let them pass somehow. Some parts required sucking in your gut, and trying not to scrape your nose along the rock. Some parts required you to shimmy and climb up over a sharp turn. And, some parts really were quite spooky, when the canyon seemed to envelope you, and the light dimmed. It turned out to be the best choice we made all day--we loved Spooky Canyon.

We had so much fun on our trip this last weekend. Sam has a whole list of places that we are going to hit up this summer. If you want to join us, let us know! We are sure looking forward to that trip in late June with the Pinegars!

Ps. Sam and I are aware that we are dressed the same. It was not planned. We promise.

coyote gulch.

(Sorry about the picture quality. We were a bit wary about packing in the SLR, so I just brought my point and shoot.)

Sam and I spent the weekend at Coyote Gulch with our friends Scott and Karalee. It is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in southern Utah. It takes a bit of effort to get there, which lends itself to seclusion. But, since it was Memorial Day weekend, we made a few friends along the way. We dropped in at Moki Steps, and camped at Jacob Hamblin Arch. Our tents were set up in the bottom of a huge bowl of red rock with an overhang hundreds of feet above our heads. I still think that our camp spot was the most beautiful part of the entire gulch, although the Coyote Natural Bridge and Coyote Waterfall were right up there. It was warm and breezy, and our time in the gulch was surprisingly relaxing as we hiked around barefoot in the soft, red sand all day. We also took our fair share of breezy naps. It was perfect.

It was the Lifferth's first trip away from their boys, and so we joked that Sam and I tagged along on their second honeymoon. Karalee and I were first-timers, but I think we held our own. Although, I do admit it was a bit scary coming up and down Moki steps. I might have had a mild panic attack, but luckily I have a lovely husband to boost me up. There was one unfortunate incidence when some sort of squirrel-creature chewed its way into the Lifferth's tent, through two layers of tent and one layer of backpack, to get to a bag of trail mix. When we got back to camp we found multiple holes and a rather large pile of raisins. It seems the creatures are picky eaters. We have high hopes for Northface and Osprey's lifetime warrantees.

Biggest surprise: freeze-dried food. When we were preparing for the trip, I was absolutely certain that I was going to starve the whole weekend. But, the Mountain House dinners were crazy good. Our favorite was the lasagna. You should try it.

After we packed out of Coyote Gulch, we spent the last day hiking some nearby slot canyons. Expect more pictures from Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Canyons tomorrow!

salt flats.

This is the last post in our series about our trip to northern California--although the Salt Flats are in Utah, not California. On the way out, we drove through the area after dark, so we were excited to see them during magic hour. We were a little surprised to find that the flats were covered in water, but it was still a beautiful sight. They stretch out in every direction and make you feel how big the world really is. Sam really wants to go back up later this summer to see the races they hold on the flats.

To wrap up our trip, I thought I might add a few random favorites from northern California.

If you ever find yourself in Arcata, California:

1. Luke's Joint- We grabbed a sandwich, and were pleasantly surprised at how crazy good it was. The best part was the little dish of house-made barbeque sauce. Grab a scone on the way out, and you will leave with a smile.

If you ever find yourself in Healdsburg, California:

1. Downtown Bakery and Creamery- It was perfectly warm and breezy when we pulled into Healdsburg. It felt so good after spending a week on the chilly, damp coast. We found ourselves at the Downtown Bakery where they make their own ice cream and sorbets from local fruits and cream, and imported chocolate. Do you need a suggestion? Try a scoop of sunrise with a scoop of meyer lemon.

2. 14feet- We fell in love with this place, and I am not exactly sure how I pulled Sam away. 14feet has the most beautifully curated collection of mid-century and industrial home furnishings. That is the word we kept thinking of, "curated." Every single piece was so carefully selected and placed. I think we ran our fingers along every single item in that shop, jealous that we couldn't afford such beautiful things at the moment.