Diary of a Designer

{ Matt & Aubrey :: Our New Blog! }

2011-03-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

We have a new blog! I'm still deciding if I want to abandon this one? Or maybe just turn it into my design diary again. Still not sure. But in the meantime, please add us to your google reader or whatever you use, cuz this is where we'll be: www.mattandaubreylaidlaw.blogspot.com.

{ Our Weekend In Paradise }

2011-02-28T23:24:00.000-08:00

Aloooha! This past weekend my parents and I hopped a jet to the North Shore of the beautiful island of Oahu. The purpose of this quick trip? To celebrate my little brother's 19th birthday and to be with him in the Laie LDS Temple as he received his endowment in preparation for his mission to Seoul Korea.

I think it pretty much goes without saying that the weekend was AMAZING! Well, all but the flight over there. But I'll save that story for another post. For now, just enjoy this little video montage I shot on my 8mm Vintage Camera iPhone app and edited via iMovie on the plane ride home. Kinda fun. Hope you like it.

{ My Bridal Shower }

2011-02-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago a couple of my dearest girlfriends, Erin Elton and Erin Davis, threw me the most wonderful Bridal Shower, complete with a crepe bar, sparkling lemonades, and even a photo booth! Talk about a fun time with your girlfriends! I truly loved every minute of it.

If you'd like to see the video of our Saturday celebration, simply click HERE or visit the website www.themormonbachelorette.com. Thank you again for everyone who came and made the day so wonderful.

{ Happy Hawaiian Birthday }

2011-02-24T11:54:00.001-08:00

Happy 19th Birthday to my favorite little brother! He spent his birthday eve surfing with Jack Johnson on the North Shore and managed to snap this awesome shot of him on his go-pro camera. Maybe we can get another one tomorrow. Yes, I said "we." I'm heading on the next flight out to Hawaii tonight! ALOOOOOHA!!!

{ Designer Of The Month :: A La Mode }

2011-02-20T11:53:00.000-08:00

Look who's Designer Of The Month on Utah's hippest new design blog A La Mode! Thanks for the feature Ashley. I'm truly honored!

{ Dani Notes :: iPhone 4 }

2011-02-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

I bought THIS gorgeous new iPhone 4 case from a company called Dani Notes. They have tons of patterns, color combos, and scripts to choose from. Mine is the one on the left. It's my wedding colors!!! (And I know my last name isn't Laidlaw yet, but I'm just so excited to have a phone cover that thinks it is!) Click HERE to check out their blog and HERE for their website to order a case of your own!

{ Valentine's Day 2011 }

2011-02-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

Two days later and I'm still reminiscing about the most wonderful Valentine's Day spent with my love! Believe it or not, it was actually my very first time having a Valentine. Usually my Dad feels bad for me and gets me a bouquet of flowers or something sweet, but this year I had Matt to do that for me. And wow did he get me the most beautiful flowers. Tulips - my favorite!!!

Matt had them delivered to my work which made it even more special. When the delivery guy came through the door he handed them to me and said "These are for Aubrey." To which my reply was "That's me!" With a smile he retorted, "I know." Haha! I melted. I was so excited these gorgeous tulips were for me! I'm such a lucky, lucky girl.

The rest of my Valentine's was wonderful. We enjoyed a 3-course meal at The Savannah Chop House where we enjoyed the most delicious filet-mignon and king crab legs followed by the most sweet and savory desserts! Then we topped off the night with a romantic dip in the hot tub where we were able to use part of my gift for Matt, some new beach towels!

All in all it was almost a perfect night....that is until his car broke down on his way back to Glendora. Oh BUMMER!!! Luckily we didn't let it ruin our wonderful night and just enjoyed the fact that we got to spend a little extra time together on our almost perfect Valentine's Day.

{ Our Wedding Website }

2011-02-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hey people, we have a website!!! Click HERE to check out our fabulous wedding page designed by Matt's talented sister Stephanie. I'm loving it!!!

www.aubreymatt.stephaniefaye.net

{ TMB :: The Salt Lake Tribune }

2011-02-09T22:06:00.000-08:00

We made the front page of the LIFESTYLE section of THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE!!! This is so exciting! Who knew this would go so far? Matt and I had a good laugh tonight as we read through the article together and joked that we're totally "Mormon-Famous." HA! Check out the online article by clicking HERE.

You can also find the article on the LDS Living Magazine website as well as Mormon Life by clicking HERE and HERE!

{ A Winter Sunset & A Wedding Update }

2011-02-07T16:11:00.000-08:00

Last night while driving home from church, Matt and I made a little pit-stop at Salt Creek Beach to watch the gorgeous sunset over the Pacific. Of course I wanted to document the moment so I made Matt whip out his phone and snap a few pics of us and that beautiful sunset. Okay, so maybe you can't even see the sunset in the first picture, but the second proves that it was beautiful indeed! Oh how lovely are Southern California winters!

As for the WEDDING UPDATE: my custom wedding dress is almost done, the gorgeous letterpress invitations are almost ready to mail, the incredible decor is almost all constructed, Matt's beautiful house is almost ready for me to move in, and the long-awaited wedding day is almost here! Just 40 more days 'til I'm Mrs. Matt Laidlaw! OH I CAN'T WAIT!!!

{ Stephanie Faye Photography }

2011-01-25T22:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight I got home from my yoga class and opened up my inbox to find this beautiful picture taken at the Laidlaw's Christmas Eve dinner by my talented new sister-in-law, Stephanie Faye and I'm just loving it!

Can't wait to show off the gorgeous engagement photos she took of my boo and I at the LACMA on New Year's Day. Just a couple more weeks until the wedding invitations are sent out and then you can see them! Aren't I just so lucky to marrying into such a good looking, talented, incredible family? I think so!!!

{ My Newest Obsession :: OPI Gel Nails }

2011-01-20T12:33:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love what I do for a living, but truth be told, creating beautiful wedding flowers really does a number on my poor hands. After a long weekend of designing, not only are my hands exhausted, but my nails are pretty well thrashed - bruised, broken, and caked with dirt. Yuck!

This Saturday after finishing the flowers for my dear friend Katie Hatch's wedding (pictures coming soon), I decided to head over to the local nail spa with my mom for some TLC. I'm not really one for fake nails, so I always opt for the polish. However, I've never been able to keep it looking nice for more than a few days. Regardless, I picked my color and sat down to a manicurist who asked "Do you like Crystal Gel?" Immediately the Anjelah Johnson skit started reeling through my head...

HILARIOUS!!!! So..I decided, why the heck not? And boy am I glad I did! I am SO OBSESSED with these gel nails I can't even begin to tell you. They are like a polish but they are set with an ultra violet light so they stay on for 4+ weeks at a time (depending on how slow your nails grow).

I'm on day 6 right now and I swear to you they are just as shiny and brilliant as the day I got my manicure. So if you're active with your hands like me and don't want something that will ruin your nails, ask for the gel! They come in 20+ different colors and shine like you wouldn't believe. Love, love, love my gel nails! And I bet you will too!

{ THE MORMON BACHELOR }

2011-01-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

Okay all you TMB fans, the time is finally here! If you loved watching me fall in love with my very own prince charming on The Mormon Bachelorette, you're sure to love this season of The Mormon Bachelor with the fun-loving and adventurous Rick Buck! Join us on this journey as we send Rick on dates with lovely ladies from all over the U.S. to find his one true Mormon love!

Be sure to tune in every morning at 8:00am PST for the latest video and post on www.themormonbachelor.com or by simply clicking HERE! Enjoy the journey!!!

{ Scotty's Mission Call :: Seoul Korea }

2011-01-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it!! Today my little brother opened his mission call and found out he will be laboring in SEOUL KOREA on a 2 year mission for The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am honestly SO excited! He will be reporting to the Provo Missionary Training Center on May 4, 2011 to learn the Korean language and to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Holy cow!!! You go Scotty! So stinking excited for you!!!!

{ Maple-Glazed Salmon With Pineapple }

2011-01-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday night I made the yummiest dinner for Matt and I that I just had to share. Not only was it super tasty, but it was super quick and super easy! Sounds like a winner to me! Here's the recipe if you're up to try it...

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 35m

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 6-ounce salmon fillets
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

Directions:
1. Cook the rice according to the package directions.
2. Whisk together the maple syrup and mustard in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Heat broiler. Place the salmon in a foil-lined 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Season with the salt and pepper.
4. Cut the pineapple lengthwise into quarters, then cut each quarter into ½-inch-thick triangles. Scatter the pineapple and jalapeño around the salmon.
5. Brush the salmon with the syrup mixture and broil for 5 to 7 minutes or until it flakes easily and is the same color throughout.
6. Serve the salmon and pineapple with the rice and drizzle with the remaining glaze, if desired.

{ 2010 :: A Year In Review }

2011-01-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

Well it's a good thing one of my New Year's Resolutions wasn't to be a better blogger. Here we are almost 2 weeks into the new year and I'm blogging for the first time since Christmas. (Planning a wedding is a lot more work than I thought!) But alas, I found a few minutes to sit down and properly say goodbye to 2010. What an incredible year!

JANUARY: The year was off to a great start with my first magazine feature (not to mention it was my first wedding too!) And not just any magazine, but THE wedding magazine. Real Simple is one of the only wedding magazines to stay on the stands for twelve consecutive months. It was definitely excited to see my first "real wedding" on the newsstands all year long.

The rest of the month was just as exciting and filled with the wedding of Erin Hawley, one of my besties, a trip to Arizona to see my favorite nephew in the whole-wide world, and then a visit from said nephew to CA for a special trip to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth...when your nephew is there!

FEBRUARY: Nothing too exciting happened in the month of February. I didn't receive any flowers for Valentine's Day, but that's ok because I had the pleasure of designing everyone else's at Bliss Fine Floral, my favorite flower shop on Balboa Island.

MARCH: March started out with a few fabulous weddings. One for my dear friend Megan Shirey Ord, and the other for Jenny Jones Romero. Both were so much fun to be apart of and the flowers turned out spectacular! By the end of the month it was time to celebrate my birthday. Instead of some huge party though I opted for a small gathering of some of my closest friends at one of my favorite places in Long Beach, Le Creperie.

APRIL: In April it was back to traveling again. I had missed my little Dallen (what? it had been like 6 weeks...that's a long time, ok?) so I drove out to AZ for a little fun with my favorite friend! After Arizona I got back just in time to sneak out to Nevada with the Pierside ward for a Canoe Trip down the Colorado River. Such a fun trip!

MAY: With all the traveling I did in April I decided I needed to ground myself in May (mostly so I could save my money for my big trip to Canada and Kauai in June). Being home in HB was still a lot of fun though. We celebrated Cinco De Mayo, I designed flowers for a few more local weddings, and went to the delicious C&O in Marina Del Rey for my roommate Kiele's birthday, where everything reeks of Amore!!!!

JUNE: June was a CRAZY month! I look back and still don't know how I fit so much in just 30 days. Things started off with my big trip to Washington and Canada. I'd never been anywhere in the Northwest and since my friend Karen was living there at the time, I figured what better time to go visit and see what there is to see than when you've got your own personal tour guide. In just 3 short days we were able to visit Seattle, Vancouver, and Whistler! I feel like I saw it all!!!

As soon I got home I quickly unpacked all my scarves and boots and replaced them with swimsuits and sandals so the roommates and I could celebrate Amy's 30th birthday in Kauai. What a magnificent adventure that was! After Kauai there was still time for one more quick getaway to see the nef, so off to Arizona I went. You can never have too much baby time! Unfortunately all that vacationing had to come to an end so I made my way back home, and just in time for my little brother's High School graduation. So proud of that kid!

JULY: I feel like July was just as crazy as June. We started the month out with the most patriotic thing I can think of...an Angel's Baseball game, followed by the best 4th of July Celebration ever! My AZ besties came into town along with my sister and her family, which made it the most incredible weekend of adventure EVER! I seriously loved everything sleepless minute of it!

After Independence Day came and went there was still so much more to do. The family all came together for a celebration of my mom's graduation from IDI with her Bachelor's Degree in Interior Design. It's really never too late to live out your dreams! After her graduation I went back in time and relived my graduation, from High School that is. It was my 10-year Reunion. Not the most memorable night of my life, but fun no-less.

Of course I found some time at the end of the month to do a few more wedding flowers and then a quick trip down to AZ to see my little D and of course to hang out with my AZ besties. I just love those girls!

AUGUST: What an amazing month! (I know, I've said that about every month, but seriously it was!!!) I joined my little brother and his buddies on their annual Laughlin trip to get in some wakeboarding and relaxation on the boat. It was probably one of the best Laughlin trips yet! After all the fun it was back to work on wedding flowers. I had the pleasure of designing the bouquets and centerpieces for one of my dear childhood friends, Erin Roche and I think they turned out so beautiful. I love summer flowers!

The rest of August was a whirlwind for me. It was the birth of an exciting idea and the beginning of an incredible journey called The Mormon Bachelorette. Little did I know that one simple little idea to go on 31 dates in 31 days would change my life forever! With tons of planning taking place and applications flooding in, the "staffers" and I took off for one last girls trip to see our AZ besties. Loved every minute of that 24-hr escapade!

SEPTEMBER: Looking back on September, I realize it was probably one of the most FUN months of my life. Somehow amidst all the TMB chaos I snuck off to Hawaii's North Shore for one last family vacation with everybody to send our little Scotty off to college at BYU-H. It was 7 days of nothing but warm sunshine, sandy beaches, friendly sea turtles, and chocolate haupia pies. The North Shore really is heaven on earth!

After our vacation I had a MAJOR reality check. Within 24 hours I had become the Mormon Bachelorette and started on the most exhausting and rewarding journey OF MY ENTIRE LIFE! (Totaly worth every sleepless night!)

OCTOBER: Thanks goodness September ended and October came quickly. It's no secret that I was completely exhausted and ready for the dates to be over, but to be honest, I wouldn't change a thing! I ended up with the most incredible man and I'm so madly in love with Matt that I know it was all worth it!

So...with The Mormon Bachelorette successfully completed, it was time to start focusing on other things again...like my job! I had so much fun designing these gorgeous succulent arrangements for a beautiful bride and love having them in my portfolio.

Speaking of portfolio, if I ever go into photography, this one of my roommate Kiele dressed up as Justin Bieber for Halloween will most certainly make it in there. How hilarious is she? We were on our way home from a neighborhood costume party and I insisted that she make use of the gorgeous loner car I had for the weekend. So glad we did. Love this picture!

NOVEMBER: As I think back on the happenings of November, I can't help but smile. Everything about it was perfect! I fell in love with the most incredible man I've ever known, I celebrated his 30th birthday with him at a Clipper's game, and we spent Thanksgiving celebrating all that's good in our lives with friends, family, and each other. November was perfection!

DECEMBER: I honestly don't know how I'll ever top December 2010. Come to think of it, I probably never will. As I think about all the wonderful memories I have of this blessed month I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all the good things in my life. I made memories with my roommates as we caroled to our wonderful neighbors in Beachwalk, I got engaged to the man I love and want to spend the rest of my life with, we spent Christmas at the Laidlaws and Messicks and then rang in the New Year with all of our best friends while sailing the Newport Harbor. I mean seriously, can life get any better?

I am truly so grateful for all of the wonderful memories I made in 2010 and can't wait to make many, many more in 2011. Cheers to another INCREDIBLE year!!!

{ Merry Christmas! }

2010-12-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

This year I had the best Christmas ever, thanks to this handsome man! Unfortunately I don't have pictures to tell the tale (forgot the camera...oops!) but it will forever be engrained in my memory.

I love this man and can't wait to spend every Christmas with him from now until forever!

{ Secret Santa :: Girls' Night Out }

2010-12-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

Back in the day (ok, like 3 years ago) my girlfriends and I used to get together once a year in Palm Springs for a Girl's Getaway. The last few years have been difficult though with everyone getting married and having kids that it just hasn't happened. So this year we decided it would be fun to get together for a Girl's Night at Christmastime and enjoy a gift exchange and some dinner.

My favorite part of the night was when we all went around the table and updated each other on what we'd been up to and the exciting things in our lives. Best update was probably my roommate Kiele's announcement "I bought my first pair of leggings!" Hahaha! Love my girls!

{ I'm ENGAGED!!! }

2010-12-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

And I thought this day would NEVER come! It's hard to believe that just 3 short months ago (to the day!) I went on my first date with Mr. Matt Laidlaw and felt the first twinklings of love as he kissed me that September night on my doorstep. Only in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I'd be lucky enough to wear his ring and one day be called his wife. I am truly the luckiest girl in the world!

Sunday morning began like any other Sabbath day. The alarm clock went off, I rolled out of bed, got ready for the day, and headed downstairs to meet up with a few TMB staffers to discuss the next season of TMB. There's nothing quite like spending the early hours of your sabbath morning in the service of a friend, helping him to gain his eternal salvation!

While in the midst of planning, my jovial mood was sobered when I got a text from Matt which read, "Aubrey my pool is flooding and I'm not gonna be able to make it down today." I was so bummed because I would be singing a special musical number in church and really wanted him there. Trying to be a supportive girlfriend I asked him if I could bring dinner up to Glendora after church to which he replied "I think it's better if you don't come up tonight. I'll just give you a call tonight." Of course I didn't like that one bit so I spent the remainder of the day sulking and waiting for the phone call that would never come.

I had to be in bed early that night because I would be making a 3am run to the Flower Market for a wedding I'm working on, so at 8:30 I washed off my makeup, put on my pjs, and crawled into bed with my sciptures. Matt and I have been reading a chapter a day from the Book of Mormon and I didn't want to get behind!

I had a hard time focusing on what I was reading, as my thoughts would continuously turn to Matt, wondering if he would ever call. So, I decided to text him and see if he could talk. His response was "I'm actually at my grandparents house helping them unclog some drains in their backyard. It's kinda a tense situation. Can we talk tomorrow?" That's when I kind of lost it.

I buried my nose back in my scriptures and with frustration started into another chapter, when suddenly there was a knock on my bedroom door. It was my roommate Erin! I welcomed her in as she placed a computer on my lap and said "I need you to look at this video I've been working on to promote Rick Buck. Let me know what think." And before I could say anything she was gone down the hall.

I pressed play and well, you know what I saw! My heart began to race!!! At first I was in shock! Then my mind started to race..."Is Matt really downstairs? What is he doing here? What does he want to give me? Why did he tell me he was in Glendora? Oh my gosh I'm in my ugly pajamas with no makeup on! Do I change? Do I put my makeup back on? What do I do?" There was no time for any of that though so I just quietly tiptoed my way down the stairs. That's when I saw the video camera pointed toward the dining room and Matt hiding behind the corner on bended knee!!!

The feelings I felt next are indescribable! I was so 100% surprised by the whole thing and so incredible happy and madly in love with the man down on bended knee that I just couldn't contain my emotions! I'm sure you saw! It was a moment of absolute perfection. I have never been happier than in that moment when he asked "Will you marry me?" YES MATT!!! A thousand times over. YES, I will marry you!

So much for an early bedtime! The rest of the night was spent kissing, cuddling, kissing, calling our families, more kissing, and more calling! It was all too perfect! I still can't believe it's real. I've been staring at my ring every 5 minutes and pinching myself just to make sure it's not just a dream! It's truly a fairytale ending...or beginning, depending on how you look at it!

My thoughts about the divine inspiration of The Mormon Bachelorette journey have only been confirmed by the happenings of last night. Matt and I are so madly in love and plan to be married for time and all eternity on March 19, 2011 in the Los Angeles LDS Temple. I can't believe how lucky I am! What a blessing to have finally found the man of my dreams. I love you Matt and can't wait to start our forever together!

{ I know the picture quality is not the best, but Matt got me exactly what I wanted! It's a custom-made split-shank prong, micro-pave diamond encrusted ring, fitted with the most beautiful cushion cut diamond! I am obsessed!!! }

{ Ham & Cheese Wrap-Ups }

2010-12-17T12:35:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for the easiest, tastiest, cheapest meal yet? And yes, it's another crescent roll recipe. So sue me! I actually don't even remember how I stumbled upon THIS recipe, but I saw it and couldn't resist. By the way, I totally made up that name. I have no idea what's it's really called.

Anyway, Matt and I enjoyed this little tasty treat along side some warm Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup, all whilst watching the Clippers throw away another win to the 76ers. At least our bellies ended the night in a good mood. Here's the recipe should like to try and recreate this simple and delicious meal.

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pkg. Pillsbury crescent rolls
- 1 pkg. thick sliced honey ham
- 1 pkg. provole cheese
- 2 thinly sliced Pink Lady Apples

DIRECTIONS:
Place sliced ham in a frying pan and allow to sear on each side until golden brown. Cut to size and place desired amount of ham on open crescent rolls. (I used one slice cut into 1/4s per roll). Top with provolone cheese and thinly sliced apple pieces. Fold up crescent rolls and bake according to the crescent roll directions. Serve with tomato soup and any leftover apple slices. YUM!

{ Simplify Our Lives }

2010-12-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

"We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are.” - Marjorie Pay Hinckley

I love this quote! So much! I just wish I had the ability to truly live it. I've never been the simple type though. I'm a BUSY BODY! I always need to be doing something, and I don't know why! I honestly can't tell you the last time I sat down to JUST BE! I don't have time for tv anymore, and I can't remember the last time I picked up a book, let alone got a full 8 hours of consecutive sleep!

Sundays used to be a day of rest and now they've suddenly become my busiest day of the week. Not that I'm complaining. But something's really got to give. Between 4 callings, my job at Handbill, the many weddings I do almost every weekend, a boyfriend to love, daily work-outs, scripture study, the new season of TMB (yes, that's on the list!), a house to keep clean, a bajillion holidays parties, birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers, and more...there just isn't much time for anything else!

And that's why I love this quote so much. If only I could learn to simplify and be content with who I am and my abilities, I think I would be a much more sane woman. But until that lesson is learned, I'm just going to keep trying my best to fit the most important things on my plate and leave the rest for later.

{ Chicken Crescent Sandwich }

2010-12-16T00:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend I wanted something quick and easy to feed my man so I turned to my recipe book and found a great one from an old roommate, Allie Hobbins. It's like a Chicken Croissant Sandwich, but the ooey gooey version for winter! I remember her making these all the time and was excited to try the simple recipe myself. The sandwiches were warm and delicious and my man loved them too! And the best part? From start to finish it only took 20 minutes and they were on the table ready to eat. Love that!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg Pillsbury crescent rolls
2 cups cooked canned chicken
3 oz. soft cream cheese
1 chopped cream onion
1 pinch salt & pepper
3 tbl. melted butter
2 tbl. parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl combine chicken, cream cheese, chopped onion and salt & pepper. Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. Spoon meat mixture on 1 end of each triangle. Fold dough over. Seal edges. Brush with butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake on ungreased sheet 15-17 minutes until golden brown.

{ Christmas Caroling on Coastline Lane }

2010-12-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

How cute are my roommies? Monday night we carried on with our Coastline Lane tradition of caroling to all of our 25 neighbors! We dressed in our Santa best and sang our little hearts out. At the end of each carol we left them with a little bag of goodies and a copy of President Monson's Christmas devotional titled "A Bright Shining Star," tied with a silver star and signed by us, their loving neighbors.

I really hope each of them take the time to sit down and really ponder his beautiful message. I've read through it a couple of times, and each time I do, for that brief moment I forget all about the millions of things on my to-do-list and focus on the joy that comes with this wonderful season.

After hitting up every house on the block we decided to treat ourselves to a little Five Guys for some burgers, fries, and a good gab session. It's not too often the four of us find the time to all sit down together and just enjoy each other's company. It was a fabulous night for one and all!

{ Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner }

2010-12-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that when you throw a fancy party, you invite Mike...and then tell him to bring his equipment along. That man really knows how to handle a camera. Check out some of my favorite shots from our lovely Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner put on by my fabulous roommates and enjoyed by our amazing friends. How we squished 12 at that 8 person table, I will never know.

{ All Photos Courtesy :: Mike Cunningham }

{ Summer in December }

2010-12-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

Thank you Richard K. Miller for capturing the beauty that was Huntington Beach today. I'm in love with this summer weather! 82 degrees in December? I wish it would stay forever, and ever, and ever...

{ The Ritz Carlton :: Christmas Edition }

2010-12-12T23:06:00.000-08:00

It's been fun introducing Matt to some of my families holiday traditions. At the top of the list is The Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel to see their Christmas decorations. Through the years it has remained one of my favorite holiday stops for several reasons:

1. They always have the most gorgeous tree, lights, decorations, floral creations, and on, and on, and on...

2. Each year they come up with some fabulous gingerbread creation that is 100% edible and will completely knock your socks off! This year they re-created a Woody complete with 7' longboards and mini-surf village.

3. You'll find a hallway full of autographed surfboards up for auction. This one was signed by the late Andy Irons, a surfer whose legend will live on forever!

{ Introducing... THE MORMON BACHELOR! }

2010-12-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

We're sooo excited about our big reveal today over at The Mormon Bachelor and hope you are too. Rick Buck was always the best choice! Check out his application video HERE, share THIS link with all your single girlfriends, and then tune in for updates on when the new season starts. Can't wait!

{ Thanksgiving Photo Shoot :: El Paso, TX }

2010-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

I know you all think I'm the world's most obsessed aunt, and well, I am! And I don't even care! I love my Little D so much and anything he does is just THE CUTEST THING EVER! So naturally, when I saw these gorgeous photos taken of him in Texas for Thanksgiving with his "other family," I couldn't resist the urge to share. Seriously, how cute is that kid? I want him in my arms right now! Good thing he'll be here in a couple weeks for Christmas. In the meantime I'm just going to enjoy these beautiful images taken by the amazing Kendal Jessup.

{ Happy Hip Hop Christmas }

2010-12-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

I feel like it just wouldn't be Christmas without a little JibJab cheer! I'm so sorry Matt, I couldn't resist.

Doesn't my man look good in green? And how about those moves? I had no idea he could move like that! Haha. Enjoy a good laugh on me...and Matt!

{ White-and-Wild Rice Chicken Salad }

2010-12-05T23:04:00.000-08:00

I love having someone to cook for! It's seriously the best. And Matt loves eating whatever I make, so I feel like it's a win-win! Here's a new recipe I tried the other day that made my mouth water for more...

NOTE: I only cook food with 10 ingredients or less, all of which must be in my cupboard or easily accessible at Trader Joes, and it must take no longer than 45 min. to prepare. So if you're like me, you'll like this one...

INGREDIENTS:
6 oz box white-and-wild rice mix
3 tbl tarragon-flavored vinegar
1 tbl honey-Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 pepper
1/4 c + 1 tbl vegetable oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Gala apple, cored, chopped
6 scallions, trimmed and chopped
2 large ribs celery, chopped
1/2 c toasted pecans (I candied mine!)
1/2 c dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS:
In small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons tarragon-flavored vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey-Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in 1/4 cup vegetable oil.

In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over high heat. Add 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut 1/4-inch wide strips; saute 4 to 6 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove chicken to bowl; cover.

In same skillet, prepare 6-ounce box white-and-wild rice mix following package directions, using very hot water, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine 1 Gala apple, cored and chopped, 6 scallions, chopped, 2 large ribs celery, chopped, 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces and 1/2 cup dried cranberries.

Add hot rice, chicken and tarragon-Dijon dressing. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve cold.

Makes: 6 servings at $1.75 each
Nutrient Value Per Serving: 406 calories, 20g fat (2g saturated), 21g protein, 36g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 560mg sodium, 44mg cholesterol.

{ Thanksgiving Day :: 2010 }

2010-12-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a week late, but how was everyone's Thanksgiving? Hopefully as fabulous as mine! While I certainly missed having all my siblings here this year, it was nice that Matt could fill in and carry out all the usual Thanksgiving traditions with me. Like running the famous Dana Point Turkey Trot! He's such a good sport. I pulled him out of bed bright and early and made him head down to the harbor in the cold with me to run a quick 5K. And as painful as it was, we were both really glad we did it so we could justify the TWO Thanksgiving dinners we'd be eating later that day!

After the run we cleaned ourselves up and headed down to San Clemente for Turkey Dinner #1 with all the Messicks. The food was incredible as always. I can never get enough of Grandma's candied yams, Aunt Christy's green bean casserole, and my Mom's delicious green salad. YUM! But what I loved even more than the food was introducing Matt to everyone and later having them come up and whisper in my ear "He's so HOT!" I know! I have great taste. :)

Once we'd stuffed ourselves to the maximum, Matt and I snuck out to meet up with the Laidlaw crew at his aunt's house in Corona for Turkey Dinner #2! We stayed just long enough for a few more bites of turkey, some chit chat and LOTS of pumpkin pie, before quietly sneaking out to spend the rest of the night cuddled up to a fire and some Clippers basketball. My favorite!

All in all I'd have to say it was a pretty fantastic Thanksgiving day. Only thing that could have made it better? Sharing it all with my Little D of course! Thank goodness he'll be here for Christmas. Hurry up baby! Auntie Aubrey misses you.

{ TMB Photo Shoot :: Courtney Brooke }

2010-11-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

Have you seen all the pics from our TMB photo shoot with the uber talented Courtney Brooke Winnie? I'm LOVING them! Take a look HERE and you'll be LOVING them too!

{ Photo Credit :: Courtney Brooke Photography }

{ Basketball + Birthday + Boyfriend }

2010-11-23T10:32:00.000-08:00

You know what I love? Basketball! Especially CLIPPERS basketball. But do you know what I love more than basketball? Birthdays!! Especially birthdays at basketball games! But do you know what I love more than birthdays at basketball games? My boyfriend!!! So imagine how happy I was last night when I got to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday with him watching from the 10th row as the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS totally dominated the New Orleans Hornets! Loved every minute of it!

Okay, so obviously that wasn't the real score, but at half time someone either goofed up or thought it would be funny to change the 55 to a 155 and the crowd absolutely loved it! Glad to have another win under our belt! GO CLIPPERS! And Happy Birthday my love!

{ Are YOU The Next MORMON BACHELOR? }

2010-11-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

That's right! We're ready to get the ball rolling on Season 2 of TMB. Only this time it's going to be The Mormon Bachelor! Time to start getting excited ladies!

So if you or someone you know might be interested in participating in the next season of TMB, be sure to check out The Mormon Bachelorette blog by clicking HERE to find out more details on how to submit an application. Can't wait for the fun to begin!

{ Date Night :: Couples Yoga }

2010-11-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

Monday night Matt came over for date night. I LOVE our date nights! We didn't really make any plans other than to have a nice meal together at home, and then we'd figure out something fun to do.

Lucky for us, after dinner "fun" walked right through the front door. Kiele and our friend Ryan were heading out to Yogurtland and invited us to tag along (that's not true...I invited us to tag along but they were happy to have us) so we enjoyed some fro-yo and then came back to the house. And that's when it all just happened. We started doing couples yoga!

To be honest, I don't even know how it happened really. I just remember Kiele grabbing a yoga book and the next thing I knew we were all on the floor being contorted into these crazy yoga positions. It was actually quite hilarious. And challenging! We took a few pics of our favorites as a keepsake of our Monday night date. And well, they were just too funny not to share. Have a good laugh on me!

{ I Wear My Sunglasses At Night }

2010-11-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

The other day I was cleaning out my purse (something that doesn't happen near often enough, as clearly demonstrated by this post) and found FIVE, count them, FIVE pairs of sunglasses. (Why do they call them a "pair" when clearly they are one item? And pants too! Never understood that).

Anyway, sorry, FOCUS! I was seriously shocked when I found them all just swirling around in there. And kind of surprised that I'd collected so many. But I feel like there's an explanation as to why I need FIVE pairs, like "I need a pair for my beach bag, one for the car, one gold and one silver depending on the outfit, and one in my purse! I know, I know. It's an illness. I get it.

{ GOLDEN PEAR CAKE :: BOTTOMS UP! }

2010-11-16T09:27:00.000-08:00

For some people, cooking just comes naturally. Well, not for me. I'm kind of a work in progress. Let's just say that if it weren't for Trader Joe's I'd be having cereal and milk for dinner every night.

But while I'm not that fabulous of a cook, I simply LOVE to bake! And when I saw a pretty picture of a Golden Pear Cake in a magazine, I just knew I had to bake my very own.

I think it turned out just like the original picture, which I was really excited about! Anyway, I had so much fun making it and eating it with with friends that I thought I would share the recipe so you can make a pretty cake of your own. Enjoy!

1. Arrange sliced pears in concentric circles over melted butter and brown sugar.

2. Spoon batter over pears and spread evenly to edge of pan. Bake 40 minutes.

3. Insert wooden pick into center of cake to test for doneness. Cool cake 5 min.

4. Use two hands and pot holders to carefully invert cake onto serving platter. Top with whipping cream. Enjoy!

GOLDEN PEAR CAKE

3/4 cup butter, softened (divided)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4-5 medium pears cored, peeled, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
Whipping Cream

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Place 1/4 cup butter in 9-inch cast-iron or other oven-proof skillet. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is melted and bubbly; remove from heat. Set aside; cool. (Or, make brown sugar-butter mixture in saucepan; pour into 9-inch round cake pan, spreading evenly, and allow to cool.) Arrange pear slices in skillet or pan.

In small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In large bowl beat remaining 1/2 cup butter with mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar until combined. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. (Batter may appear curdled.) Spread batter evenly over pears.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Loosen cake from pan; invert onto plate. Serve with whipping cream. Serves 8 to 10.

{ TMB :: Update!!! }

2010-11-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for an update on The Mormon Bachelorette, might I suggest you click HERE! And stay tuned for more images from our photo shoot with local photographer, Courtney Brooke Winnie. I'm loving the gorgeous images she captured from our afternoon in HB. Here's a little sneak peak at what's to come...

{ The Perfect Patio }

2010-11-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

A few month back I was perusing through a favorite blog and snatched up these beautiful pics for my "inspiration file." As I was cleaning out my hard drive the other day, I re-discovered them and had to share.

Don't you just love the way the blue and white stripes accent this perfect little outdoor dining scene? And the way the tiny boxwood trees and potted plants bring the scene to life? And not to mention they included some maidenhair ferns. My FAVORITE! Oh the dinner parties we would have if this were my patio!

{Garden Party created by: Scot Meacham of The Adventures of a Tartan Scot. }

{ My Dream Kitchen }

2010-11-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

I've always been a saver. Ok, not always. I actually really love shopping. And I like traveling too. A lot. But seriously, I promise I'm a saver!!! And for years I've kept it a secret what I've really been saving my money for. But I can't contain it any longer. I wanna blow all my money on my very own DREAM KITCHEN!

I know you're probably thinking, "What? But you don't even own a house yet!" I know, but one day I will, and when that day comes, I will use my "kitchen money" to design that dream kitchen I've always wanted!

So what does this dream kitchen of mine look like? Well, its quite simple really. It must have clean, boxy lines. The cabinets must be white. The hardware must be nickel. The appliances must be stainless. It must have a rectangular farmhouse sink. The countertops must be carrara marble. The backsplash must be staggered subway tile. And the island must be butcher block. Ok, I guess I can be flexible on the last one.

Who says I'm picky? I just know what I want. That's all. Take a look at some pictures I've collected over the years that helped inspire my design ideas. Oh how I dream of owning this lovely kitchen someday...

{ Halloween Dinner Party }

2010-11-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

I just LOVE dinner parties with my girls and our boos. Saturday night we invited the boys over to enjoy some home cooked Halloween eats and treats. It was kind of an all day affair. Erin and I slaved away in the kitchen cooking everything on her carefully thought out menu. The girl is the next Martha Stewart!

We enjoyed a freshly tossed salad with apples, walnuts and gorgonzola, the most delicious butternut squash soup with homemade cornbread croutons, sweet and savory paninis, honey mustard brussel sprouts (Erin and i love these from our missions!), and the most mouthwatering pumpkin streusel to finish it off! Oh, and don't forget the sparkling cider with frozen pomegranates to toast to the most delectable Halloween dinner ever!

PS- Could my boyfriend be any cuter???

{ Halloween 2010 :: Bieber Fever }

2010-10-31T00:58:00.000-07:00

While my costume this year was nothing to write home about (I found a sailor hat 2 minutes before we walked out the door and threw it on with a striped navy shirt...woop-di-doo!) my roommate Kiele on the other hand hit the jackpot with this one.

Seriously, how many girls do you know that could pull off JUSTIN BIEBER!!! I was so obsessed with her costume that on the way home from our neighborhood Halloween Party Saturday night I decided that he, I mean she (this is so confusing!) needed a photo shoot with the Benz. This one was my favorite of the night. I call it Bieber and the Benz. Beiber Fever anyone?

I'll probably post some more pictures later of the rest of the roomies and I, but I just thought this one deserved it's own post. HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!

{ Design By Aubrey :: Wedding Update }

2010-10-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I designed some gorgeous wedding flowers for my dear friend Tiffany and her now husband, Brian. I absolutely LOVE the way these blooms came together to create a completely unique and organic look. Some of my favorite arrangements to date! To see more from this wedding click HERE!

{ Diary of a Designer :: Blog Lift }

2010-10-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

The blog got a face lift! And if you're like me and read most of your friend's posts on Google Reader, you'll have to click on over to check it out. I did it all by myself. Isn't she pretty? I think I'll keep her for awhile.

{ The Mormon Bachelorette :: Season Finale }

2010-10-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

The Mormon Bachelorette is over and I survived...barely! For the last 8 days I've been fighting off a sore throat, fever, headaches, and a nasty cough. Lucky for me it hasn't stopped my adorable boyfriend from spending as much time as possible together. Oh yeah, that's right, I have a boyfriend! Meet Matt Laidlaw in all his 6'6", blonde hair, green eyed glory. I swoon!

I truly feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have such a happy ending to this little adventure my friends and I began just 2 short months ago. If you would have asked me then if I saw this marvelously happy ending now, I would have been quite skeptical. But here I am, blissfully happy and ready to fall in "true Mormon love" with the cutest guy I've ever known...and he's blonde! Maybe that's where I went wrong all those years. ;)

I'm just so amazed at how great life is and how the Lord has his hand in everything we do. Am I saying the Lord had a hand in TMB? Yeah, I guess I am, because I can assure you that if He didn't, I would have quit weeks ago. Not only was it exhausting physically and mentally, but it really took a toll on my emotions!

It was almost excruciating to endure the ridicule that came at me daily. And not only from complete strangers, but from my very own friends, and even ward members. Initially I was shocked, but I guess I need to realize that not everyone is going to support such a radical idea. Lucky for me, it all worked out in the end. And while the haters continue to hate, I'm too busy falling head over heels for my man, Matt, to even notice!

{ The Wedding Day :: Paul & Brittany }

2010-10-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

{ MORMON BACHELORETTE UPDATE: The dates are going great! I've never been happier and more exhausted in my ENTIRE life! The 2nd dates start Friday night so be sure to cast your vote this Thursday for your favorite Bachelor to continue onto the second round. We now resume to our scheduled posting.... }

Back in August I had the rare privilege of helping my dear High School friend Brittany prepare for the most important day of her life. No, not the day she finally discovered makeup (although I was there for that day too!) but her wedding day to the love of her life, Paul Jepson. It was my pleasure to help make the beauty of her day come alive as one of her day-of coordinators and bring the vision they had so carefully and creatively designed, come to life!

Everything you see was all beautifully hand painted, hand sewn, and hand sculpted by the bride and her loving mother and sister, and then I lovingly spend the day putting everything together at the venue. While the hours were long, they were filled with so much visual stimulation and excitement for Brittany to come in and discover the most beautiful garden wedding wonderland. It really was a perfect day! I'm so grateful I could be even a small part of it. Congratulations again Paul & Brittany. I love you both with all my heart and can't wait to plan my trip to Denmark next year. Hope you like house guests! :)

Take a moment to check out some gorgeous photos of their wedding day featured on the blog 100 Layer Cake. I love everything about it! So fun, whimsical, and so Brittany!

{ MB Mocktail Kick Off Party }

2010-09-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

What better way to set this things in motion than with a Mocktail Party with all your closest friends! Last night was such a blast.

Before the festivities began, the Staffers and I were pampered with hair and makeup from the girls at Lake Forest Beauty School. it was seriously such a treat. It was so fun getting reading with all my besties. I never went to any of my High School Proms but I imagine that this is what it would've felt like. So fun!

The guests arrived around 8pm and enjoyed "mocktails" and hors d'oeuvres while mingling around the fireside. So classy! I love any excuse to get all dolled up!

The rest of the night was filled with meeting some of the bachelors, impromptu toasts, and dancing with friends! It was an absolutely fabulous evening and now more than ever, I think we're ready to get on with the dates! Speaking of...I better run. Date #1 will be knocking at my door in 2 hours! While I'm out, check out our Mocktail Party video on the blog by clicking HERE. Ok, I'm off. Wish me luck!

{ Summer Vacation :: North Shore, Oahu }

2010-09-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

Alooooha!!! We're home! And I probably should've blogged about how wonderful and relaxing this trip was before I exhausted myself with the preparations for The Mormon Bachelorette. Starts tonight people!!! But we'll save that for another post...

Our Hawaiian vacation was absolutely perfect! The whole fam was there, we stayed in an absolutely gorgeous private condo in Turtle Bay, the little sis and I went running every morning so we could pig out on Ted's famous Chocolate Haupia pies every night, swam with sea turtles (twice!), ate way to much Shave Ice, basked in the sun til we were golden brown, enjoyed the most delicious Thai food, tried a SUP for the first time, did a little surfing, made sand castles with Little D, helped my bro buy the essentials for school: a surfboard and a scooter, and LOVED every minute of it!

This was just a sampling of how much fun we had on the North Shore. The rest of the pics are up on Facebook if you care to see more. It really was the most wonderful family vacation. I hope we get to go back to "pick him up" before he leaves for a mission sometime next spring!

{ Brigham Young University - Hawaii }

2010-09-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

This morning I'm hopping on a flight with the rest of my fam to drop my baby brother Scott off at college...in Hawaii! He's seriously gonna love it there!!!

I had the awesome opportunity to attend BYU-Hawaii after my freshman year of college and loved every minute of it! I still remember riding my longboard to school each morning, stopping by the local fruit stand for some fresh pineapple, then heading home to the A-Frame at the end of Pounders to study, surf a few sets, and fall asleep in the sand.

Oh to be 18 again! My little brother's gonna have such a blast! And so are we. See you all in a week!!! Then "D-Day" begins. Oh boy.

{ Lake Mohave :: Amphibious Car }

2010-09-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen such a thing? The style. The grace. I think I'm in love.

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all enjoy your day off. I know I will.

{ Photoshoot :: Baby Max }

2010-09-05T23:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know this is going to make my little nephew Dallen so jealous, but I just can't help myself. How cute is this baby? My roommate's adorable nephew Max came to town this weekend and she asked if I would take a few pictures of him. Here are a few of my favorite shots. Look at that little snaggle tooth. So cute!

{ The Bridal Bouquet Toss }

2010-09-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Guess who caught the bouquet? Two weddings in a row! It's a sign...that I've grown taller than all the other girls at weddings these days or that I've become overly aggressive in hopes of snatching that coveted bouquet. Either way, it's mine. And I'm next. :)

{ Mormon Night At Angel Stadium }

2010-09-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

So, maybe this was forever ago, but I figure that as long as I get this picture up before we're too engrossed in football season, I'm fine, right?

A couple months ago my ward joined a few hundred of our friends for Mormon Night At Angel Stadium. It's a long running tradition I've participated in since I was wee-one. I know some people will argue that baseball games are so boring, but I just LOVE puttin' on my red tennies, grabbin' a hot dog, and cheerin' on my Halos!

{ Who Is Reality Nephi? }

2010-09-02T13:23:00.001-07:00

Move over Reality Steve! There's a new blogger on the scene. And he's more righteous, rugged, and ridiculously funny than you.

So if you're following my journey to find "true Mormon love" on The Mormon Bachelorette, you'll certainly want to tune in to Reality Nephi to keep up with the latest gossip, rumors, and insider information. Click HERE to check out his latest posts!

{ Three Reasons Why I Love These People... }

2010-08-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

1. Mark is the best husband to my little sister Jacki, an amazing Daddy to my sweet little nephew Dallen, and my favorite go-to attorney for all matters legal.

2. Jacki lets me trade clothes with her every time I come into town, even though she knows I'm a size bigger and might stretch them out. So nice of her! (She's wearing my favorite shirt and I'm wearing hers!)

3. Little D is not just THE man, but he's MY man! And he knows it! And gives me all the attention I want, all the time, and I love, love, love, love, love it!

{ 24 Hour Roadtrip }

2010-08-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need to get out of town! Even if it's only for 24 hrs! My BFFs Erin and Emily piled in the car with me Friday after work for a quick weekend trip to Arizona to see my precious nephew, my sister and bro-in-law, and of course the girlfriends! We got there at 10:00pm Friday night and were back on the road home by 10:00pm Saturday night. We must be crazy! But oh the fun we had!

If you wanna see a ridiculous video of our 24 hour AZ adventure, click HERE!

{ TMB :: The Interview }

2010-08-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

This morning at 6am there was a quiet knock on my bedroom door. "Come in..." I whispered as I brushed the sleep from my tired eyes. It had been a late night of planning, prepping, and organizing for The Mormon Bachelorette and as the voice walked through the threshold I thought silently to myself "This better be good."

"The video is here!!!" were the words I heard as my roommate Erin walked through the door, computer in tote. A slight smile pursed my lips as I sat up and said "Get over here! Let's watch it!" Together we huddle under the covers, and spent the next three and a half minutes laughing, giggling, and making fun of ourselves.

I know I should be horribly embarrassed by this whole thing, but for some reason I'm just not. Maybe because I've had so much support and love from all of my friends that I'm entering this journey with the attitude of "What have I got to lose?" So check out the video and then head over to our site www.themormonbachelorette.com to nominate the most eligible bachelor you know!

{ Triple Wedding Feature }

2010-08-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

I just finished up 3 weddings in 7 days. That's a LOT of wedding flowers people! Thanks to my wonderful Mom, my friend/intern Stefanie, and my little sister Kellie for their tireless efforts to help get everything ready in time! To see more pictures of the wedding flowers and to read the complete posts, click HERE or visit my website at: www.designbyaubrey.com.

{ THE MORMON BACHELORETTE }

2010-08-22T23:25:00.000-07:00

So, maybe you've been wondering where I disappeared to? Maybe not. Well...I've actually been busy working on a top secret project that is finally ready for it's reveal. Meet the first MORMON BACHELORETTE! Yup, it's me!

After sitting around the dinner table with a bunch of friends last Sunday night, we all joked about the possibility of starting our own reality show/blog based on my favorite tv show, The Bachelorette. Soon, the talk got serious and we realized, "Hey, we should really do this." So a few days later the blog was created, a facebook page started, photo shoot scheduled, bios written, rules defined, and applications created.

I hope you're all as excited as I am to embark on this journey to become the first MORMON BACHELORETTE. The date's begin Thursday, September 16, 2010. Be sure to follow my journey and tune in for more details on our website: www.themormonbachelorette.com. Here's to finding "true Mormon love!"

{ Photo Credit: Justin Gibby }

{ Lake Mohave 2010 }

2010-08-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'm home from Laughlin, trying to get caught up on all the work I left behind and feeling overwhelmed, but even more so with all these pictures we took!!! And believe me, there are soooo many pictures to go through. I don't know how I'll ever choose which ones to post. So while I try to decide, I'll share one of my favorites from the trip.

When you first look at this picture of my little brother you might be slightly confused, wondering what in the world he is doing behind that boat? But remember, I went with a bunch of 18 year olds. And when 18 year olds get bored of wakeboarding, surfing, skiing, and kneeboarding behind a boat, they are bound to resort to extreme measures to find fun. Hence, body surfing behind a boat! Can't wait to show you more...

{ Feature Wedding :: The LDS Bride }

2010-08-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

It's always exciting when I sit down at the computer, check my email, and find a sweet surprise like this:

"I'm happy to let you know that you have been featured on The LDS Bride!"

Thank you so much to the amazing Kris Sundberg of Burnt Exposure Photography for submitting this beautiful Newport Beach wedding, and an even bigger thank you to Paige Green of The LDS Bride for singing my praises. Click HERE to view the complete post.

{ Brittany's Bridal Shower }

2010-08-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Did you miss me? Yah, I thought not. Anyway, Laughlin was amazing and hopefully I'll get some pics on here sooner than later. In the meantime, let's play a little catch-up...

A few weeks ago [most of] the girlfriends got together in San Clemente to celebrate the upcoming wedding of one of our High School BFF's, Miss Britt. It was a fabulous night of eating, celebrating, gift giving, and catching up with all my beautiful friends.

I'm pretty sure this is the first time in nearly 8 years that we've [almost] all been together! It's so hard when we're all so spread out: Utah, Illinois, Virginia, San Diego, Huntington Beach, and soon Denmark! But that's what makes occasions like these so fun and memorable!!

P.S.- Lauren and Audrey we missed you!

{ Off To Laughlin... }

2010-08-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

...for some hangtime...and to see if we can outdo the amazingness of Lake Mohave 2008. Wish us luck! I'll tell you all about it when we return.

{ Liberty of London Bicycle }

2010-08-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

Meet my new bike! Her name is Liberty. She and I haven't met yet, but she'll be arriving at my house in Huntington sometime next week. I've waited many months for this day to come. You see, earlier this year Target released a national ad for the new Liberty of London bike but in their stupidity, only bought 500 for the entire US of A! Needless to say they sold out faster than front row seats to a Justin Bieber concert.

Luckily, Target smartened up and came out with a second edition bike. Isn't she pretty? A floral masterpiece with white wall tires and a camel colored seat. (I hear the 2nd edition comes with a white seat, but I can fix that!) I can't wait to meet her and strap a cute little basket on the front and take her around the block to meet all my friends. Yay!

{ THE BACHELORETTE: Ali & Roberto }

2010-08-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

I cried! In front of all my girlfriends cuddled on the couch, I cried! And I'm not even ashamed. What a happy ending for Ali and Roberto. I seriously loved the Finale of this Season's The Bachelorette. If you missed it I feel bad for you because it was the perfect "fairy tale ending." I guess they do exist. Take that Lori Gottlieb. (Btw, loved the book).

So yes, it was a fabulous ending to a beautiful romance. I love Roberto. He loves Ali. Ali loves him. And they're going to make beautiful babies together! What more could you want? A happy ending for Chris? Oh don't worry. I am 100% confident Chris will have no problem finding an absolutely amazing woman that will love him with as much love as he is sure to give her. What a stud. I'd date him...

{ Vancouver British Columbia Temple }

2010-08-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

Remember that trip I took to Vancouver in May and THIS picture I took? Well, I figured that since the church liked my pic of the Mesa Arizona Temple enough to put it on their site, that maybe they'd like the one of the Vancouver Temple too. Turns out...they did!!! Check it out HERE. It's amazing the things you can find just by googling your name. Who knew?

{ Weddings . Weddings . Weddings }

2010-08-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

Would you believe there were 17 weddings at the Newport Beach Temple this past Saturday? You heard me right...SEVENTEEN! What other church in world do you know of that can successful orchestrate the marriages of 17 brides in just one building, in one 24 hour day? None I tell you!

This particular Saturday I had the pleasure of dropping off a bouquet to a beautiful bride in the middle of what could've been utter chaos, but instead was surprised by the calm and collected volunteers, and happy wedding goers. And some of those wedding goers happened to be my parent's attending a wedding there at 10:00am AND my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew who came in town to attend a wedding at 11:00am. Like I said, it was a busy, busy day at the Newport Beach Temple!

*Note to self: ~~Don’t get married at the end of July.~~ You're too old to be picky! Take what you can get.

{ LA Film Festival }

2010-07-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my friends and I attended the LA Film Festival, hosted by the Santa Monica 3rd and LA 1st wards. It was an absolute blast and I was so impressed by the mad skills of so many of my talented LA friends. Enjoy a few favorites from the night...

#1: WINNING FILM - "Jane Austen's Fight Club"

#2: BEST ACTORS - "Dan And Mike: The Movie" (watch it to the end....trust me)

#3: BEST ACTRESS - "New Spice"

#4: JUST LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY! - "Tom Cruise On Home Teaching"

{ Back-to-Back Wedding Weekend }

2010-07-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

I survived the weekend! Barely. Here's just a little sampling of what my weekend was like: bridal shower for one of my best friends, designed wedding flowers for 2 weddings, snuck out on a blind-date, attended my Mom's college graduation, stopped by one of these gorgeous wedding receptions, and went to my 10 year High School reunion! Wow! I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Be sure to check out the posts I put up on my floral blog, Design By Aubrey, to see just how gorgeous these wedding flowers turned out. All the exhaustive hours were well worth it! And can I just give a little shout out to my fantastic interns who helped the hours go by so much quicker: my ever faithful Mother, Corey Cooper, and Juliann Payne. Thank you again! I wouldn't have made it through the weekend with you!

{ DHHS :: 10 Year Reunion }

2010-07-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

Has it really been that long? Oh my gosh I feel old. I swear I thought I'd be married with a bunch of babies in my backseat by now. What the heck have I been doing with my life? Kidding. Sort of.

{ IDI :: Mom's Graduation }

2010-07-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

Look who graduated from college! So proud of my Mom for her accomplishment in earning her BA in Interior Design from the Interior Designers Institute in Newport Beach. Did you know they are ranked #7 among all the design schools in the US? Pretty impressive. And so are you Mom. Congratulations!

{ Home Away From Home }

2010-07-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

If it weren't for the extreme heat and the absence of the Pacific Ocean, I think I could stay in Arizona forever! But until someone can solve those two problems, I guess I'll just have to be content with my monthly visits to the Grand Canyon State.

This last trip was mostly about helping my sister and brother-in-law unpack all the boxes in their new house, and of course to spend some more time with Little D. But all of my free time was spent with my favorite AZ friends...

{ Summer . Blockbuster . Hits }

2010-07-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

I've seen some pretty amazing movies so far this summer! And lucky for me, Little D has been my date for a couple of them. Last month in Arizona we loved seeing Toy Story 3 together, and just a couple weeks ago we saw Despicable Me here in California. If you haven't seen it yet, it's seriously a must. Steve Carell was awesome, but those little minions were our favorite! We laughed our way through the entire movie.

Another summer blockbuster not to miss is Inception. OH. MY. GOSH. Go see it. It seriously blew my mind. And Leonardo DiCaprio was amazing. I'm kind of dying to see it again so if anyone wants to join me, let me know!

{ The Beach House :: Summer 2010 }

2010-07-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up my grandparents owned the most beautiful house on the sand in Capo Beach. Every summer we would spend hours and hours enjoying the surf, sand, and sun. Although my grandparents no longer own that house, they always like to rent a beach house for the week so all the kids, grandkids, and their friends can come and enjoy the fun on Beach Road.

You may remember the Beach House from SUMMER 2008 and the one from SUMMER 2009. It's kind of fun to see the progression of D: starting out as a bun in the oven, to a little chubster rolling in the sand, to the handsome mini-man he is today.

This year was a blast (minus the overcast weather). We were so happy that Mark was able to sneak away from his brand new job in Phoenix to join us for the weekend. He's such a good Daddy to my little nephew. I just love their happy little family.

What would a week at Grandma and Grandpa's Beach House be like without lots and lots of junk food? I'm pretty sure one of Dallen's favorite memories was all those "possicles" as he calls them. Isn't he such a ham? I love when he says "CHEESE" for pictures.

Little D found plenty to do while at the Beach House. Sandcastles with Mimi, skateboarding with Uncle Scotty and Auntie Aubrey, and celebrating our independence by eating as many roasted marshmallows as we possibly could.

How can so many people have so much love for such one little guy? Your Uncle Scotty, Auntie Aubrey, and Aunt Kellie love you so stinking much Dallen! Can't wait to play at the Beach House again next year!

{ Making Memories :: Beach Road }

2010-07-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

This picture makes me so happy. In case you can't tell, it's little Dallen and his Grandpa throwing rocks together at the Beach House on the 4th of July weekend. Takes me back to a time when my grandparents owned a home on this stretch of sand. I remember every summer my Grandma and Grandpa would join me as I gathered all the "pretty rocks," made huge sandcastles, and went on long walks to look at all of the amazing houses along the coast.

My grandparents don't have that beautiful beach house anymore, but those memories will certainly stay with me forever. I hope that someday Little D will look back on all his summers at the beach with his Grandma and Grandpa and remember all the good times. More pictures of our amazing week at the Beach House soon to come...

{ Vanilla Ice Cream Cone }

2010-07-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

Kinda makes you want an ice cream cone, or at least a slobbery bite of his. Love that little munchkin of mine!

My little sister Jacki invited me to drive back to AZ with them to keep my favorite nephew company and then bought me a plane ticket to get back home in time for the Bachelor try-outs. Isn't she a good sister? It was honestly such a fun trip (despite the 115 degree heat) and we got a lot of things put away in their new house. There's still a TON left to do, but don't you worry Jack, I'll be back!

{ The Bachelor :: Open Casting Call }

2010-07-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

I did it. Can you believe it? After all these years of talk, I finally put my money where my mouth is and went to the Open Casting Call for The Bachelor this weekend. I even gave up an entire Saturday of wakeboarding to go. Now that's true sacrifice people! But I knew if I didn't do it now, I probably never would. And might always regret it. So I went....

I know a lot of you have been dying to hear the story of what went down that fateful Saturday afternoon, so, here it is:

I showed up to the Westin South Coast Plaza around 2:30pm and was immediately greeted with a 10 page questionnaire to fill out about myself. Next, it was off to the photo booth for a few quick pics. An awkward head shot and a full body shot. I hate having my picture taken. I know, I'm weird. Next came the waiting game. They grouped us all in a large conference room and separated by letters: A, B, C, and D. I was a "B." Not sure what that meant, but I'm guessing it had something to do with where you were from. I could be totally wrong.

After about 2 hours of sitting around, chatting with all the hundreds of girls there (yes, there were hundreds!) they finally called me into another room that was completely empty except for a camera, a chair, and one of the producers. I walked in, handed the interviewer my questionnaire, sat in the chair, was hooked up to a mic and asked a series of questions about myself and my dating history. They asked questions like: what do you do for a living, what do you like to do for fun, how many times have you been in love, tell us about your most recent break-up (that one was FUN!), and then they asked if I was watching this season of The Bachelor and if so, who I was interested in. Uh, Roberto! She didn't seem too surprised. Before we ended, she had me tell the story of how I got my name (she thought it was cute that it came from a BREAD song in the 70's), and then told me I was a beautiful girl and was really great on camera, and sent me away with a rose.

I walked away happy and satisfied and kinda worried that they might actually call me back and ask me to be on the show. Haha. But not to worry, I don't think I could ACTUALLY go through with it even if I did make it through the grueling screening process. I just know they'd splice and dice the footage to make me look like someone I'm not. And well, I don't think I could handle that. But it was such a fun experience to go and be apart of the Casting Call and hey...I made a few new friends...ones who might even end up on the next season. You never know? So there you have it.

{ 4th of July :: HB Style }

2010-07-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

This blog post is dedicated to my Arizona BFF's who made my 4th of July weekend in Huntington Beach the BEST ever! Truly, I could not have asked for a more perfect weekend...well, a little more sunshine would have been nice. But even that might've been a little greedy. It was THAT good people.

Friday morning we all slept in late (well, all but me...I have issues) and then cruised over to one of my fave brunch spots in HB, The Park Bench Cafe. Their omelets are seriously the best! After brunch the day was ours so we decided to drive down the coast and visit one of my favorite beaches in Laguna, Crescent Beach. I think the rest of Laguna had the same idea!

Next stop was Balboa Island! I took the girl's to try their first Balboa Bar and it was a smashing hit. DELISH! There's no denying this hypoglycemic one of those delicacies.

Friday night we hosted another "Happy Hour" at our place and invited friends and out-of-towners to come over and enjoy a virgin drink before hitting the town. We opted for a local Thai Restaurant and pretty much took over the place, followed by some dancing at The Pierce Street Annex. It was a VERY good night.

Saturday was amazing. I snuck away for a few hours to visit my nephew Dallen and the rest of the fam out by the pool, but was back at the beach with my ladies by mid-afternoon. We stayed as long as we possibly to could to soak up every last drop of sun and then headed out to grab some burgers and enjoy a soak in the hot tub, followed by a friend's party at the Beachwalk Clubhouse, and then a late night movie. We may or may not have watched Hannah Montana. Saturday was such a great day!

Sunday morning, the Day of Independence, we "reverently" walked down to Main St where we joined some friends to watch the World's Largest 4th of July Parade." Who knew? The rest of the day was spent attending our church meetings and then I drove down to Capo Beach to spend some time with my family at the Beach House. (Pictures of my week at the Beach House are coming soon.) All in all, another FABULOUS day!

Monday, our fourth and final day, was spent exploring the streets of Huntington. We "watched" some friends play beach volleyball, took a stroll down the pier, and enjoyed lunch and an ice cream on Main St. Not a bad way to end the trip. Do you love how I'm acting like I went on "vacation?" Because that's what it felt like to me! Thanks girls for coming to play! Come back soon!!!

If you're up for a little video action of our weekend and you have a Facebook account, click HERE, then HERE. Love Andria's editing. Girl's got mad skills!

{ Words to live by... }

2010-07-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

{ Monday Night @ Angel Stadium }

2010-07-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad Angels fan lately (not to mention a BAD blogger). Only 2 games all season? Wow, I'm ashamed. Anyway, here's a cute pic from a month ago when our Singles Ward cheered on the Halos. We may have lost but the girls and I had a great time pigging out on nachos, hot dogs, and Diet Cokes. Aren't baseball games the BEST?

{ Alumni Cocktail Reception :: Balboa Bay Club }

2010-07-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

A huge "THANK YOU" is in order to Shannon Keany of Knobbe Martens for allowing me the opportunity to think up these creative arrangements for their Alumni Cocktail Reception held Thursday evening at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. I can't tell you how wonderful it is when I ask a client what they would like me to design and they simply say "Just do your thing." Thanks again Shannon, for letting me create outside the box.

Click HERE for the full post on my floral design blog, Design By Aubrey.

{ Dave & Courtney :: The Wedding Day }

2010-06-29T23:01:00.000-07:00

Remember the beautiful yellow and grey flowers I arranged for Dave & Courtney's wedding back in May? Well, in case you forgot, their incredible photographer, Kris Sundberg of Burnt Exposure recently posted some pretty amazing pics of their "Big Day" on his blog and I just couldn't help but share a few.

{ DHHS Graduate :: Scott Vernon }

2010-06-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

Forget the Bachelorette! My baby brother is a High School graduate!!! Woohoo! I still can't believe it. Yesterday the whole family (minus the Brackens...we missed you guys!) played hookie from work to attend this handsome kid's graduation.

Can I brag about my little bro for just a minute? Of all 4 Messick kids to graduate from Dana Hills, Scott graduated with the highest GPA, just a few decimals shy of a perfect 4.0. Not to mention, he did it all while maintaining 100% attendance at early morning seminary, built up his own business as a successful wedding and events DJ, and somehow found time to be on the lacrosse team AND surf after school nearly EVERY day! Impressive, right?

So what's next for this kid? BYU-Hawaii of course!!! In September the family will be dropping him off on Oahu's North Shore for a year of surfing...I mean school...until he's old enough to serve an LDS mission. Seriously so proud of you Scotty! Way to go!

{ Photography :: Alan Gibby }

Many more pictures of the exciting day are soon to come...

{ AZ :: The Latest & Greatest }

2010-06-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Just look at that little face! It's like you can hear him saying "No Aubee. Don't leave me! I hate it when you go!" These weekend trips to Arizona are seriously the BEST and WORST things in the whole world. I mean, I absolutely love that my little man is only a 6 hour drive away, but when it comes time to drive back home, I just don't wanna go!!! And trust me, he hates it just as much as I do.

Luckily I had 2 full days to spend with my munchkin, most of which was spent helping his Mommy & Daddy get settled into their new house! Oh yeah, did I tell you? My sister and brother-in-law bought their first house in Gilbert, AZ. It's beautiful! Or will be, as soon as they finish updating everything. It's got 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and a loft. Every time Little D walks in the "guest room" he calls out "Aubee, Aubee, Aubee!" He knows whose room it really is! That's my boy!

Aren't these pictures hilarious? Dallen is always trying to do "grown-up stuff" and help his Mommy and Daddy with everything and anything. He saw his Mommy reaching into the cupboards to clean out all the crud and so he climbed on in and went right to work.

While there was lots of work to be done, we took a few breaks to play in their pool. Oh yeah, they have a pool in their backyard too! In Arizona, a pool is a MUST if you plan to survive the summer!

Don't you just love that sweet little face? I swear, the minute I leave I'm already planning my next trip back to see him. Maybe one day I'll turn that "guest room" into my permanent residence. OH! the thought makes my heart swell.

{ Adventures In Kauai }

2010-06-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

ALOOOOHA! I'm home from my big Hawaiian adventure and missing the islands like crazy! I sat down to think back on all the trips I've taken to Hawaii and I just realized that I've now been to ALL the islands (with the exception of Kahoolawee and Niihau...but who goes there anyway). AND...I have taken over a dozen trips to the islands. Yes, REALLY! But the funny thing about it is...I could NEVER get sick of coming here. Plus, this was only my first time on Kauai and I plan to come back many, many more times. Like they all say, "Life is good."

Anyway, the trip was an absolute BLAST like I'm sure you all knew it would be. And you've probably already seen the gazillion pictures I posted on Facebook last week, but here's the play-by-play of how the vacay went down...

THURSDAY: We arrived in Lihue, Kauai at noon on Thursday, grabbed our bags, picked up our Jeep, and headed straight for the beach! We wasted no time getting to know our hotel, The Kauai Beach Resort, and the lay of the land. As you can see the weather was beyond perfect and the place was ALL OURS!

Amazing, right! We finished the perfect first day with an oceanfront dinner at the Grand Hyatt while we listened to the sounds of the ukeleli and waves crashing on the shore. Life doesn't get any better than this!

FRIDAY: By far my favorite day of the trip! Why? Because I found my own little piece of heaven on earth. If you go to Kauai, you MUST go to Kipu Falls. It's actually quite hard to find...sort of off a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and hidden amidst tropical brush. But it's worth it! There's crystal blue waters, a rope swing, and waterfall to jump off. What more could you ask for?

After all the hiking, swinging, and jumping, we were ready for some brunch at the famous Oki Diner. My dear friend Rachel Thurston has been to the island a million times and recommended the banana macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup. OH MY GOSH PEOPLE! They were to die for! Exactly what my tummy wanted.

With our bellies stuffed we were ready to hit the beach (kinda gross) so we piled back in the jeep and made our way up to the North Shore of the island and found a sweet beach called Hideaway. Sorry, there aren't going to be any pictures of this part of our adventure. I took a break from playing photog and just napped and enjoyed the view. Can you really blame me?

After nap-time we all had our first snorkel adventure of the trip (and my last). Why you ask? Well, while I was snorkeling around the reefs with the girls, we were really enjoying ourselves, taking in the underwater beauty, when my friend Leanne comes over to us and tells us that she saw a shark! My first reaction was, "Oh, it's probably just a little guy, like you see in those aquariums." So I ask her to show it to me. To which she replied. "Heck no! I'm not going over there! There's a shark!" So she kindly points me in the right direction and I head over to check things out. OH MY GOSH!!! SHAAARK!!! The girl wasn't kidding. There on the bottom of the reef, no more than a few arms lengths away, was a SHARK! Like a 7 foot SHARK! So of course I panic, flag down my girlfriends and make them all race to shore with me. Hahaha!

Of course I can laugh about it now, because after googling it on my phone, I found out it was a White Tip Reef Shark and pretty much harmless. So yah, I saw my first shark in the wild.

Next on the Kauai adventure list was Queen's Bath and the lighthouse. Queen's Bath was really neat because you hike down a cliff, past a waterfall (which we played in on our way back up) and down to a large open formation of volcanic rock that fills up with the ocean water when the tide comes in. We didn't stay here too long. Just long enough to soak up some more sun, watch the locals do flips into the ocean, and check out a family of sea turtles along the coastline.

SATURDAY: Another beautiful day in paradise! Saturday morning Kiele and I slept in while Amy drove Erin and Leanne to the South side of the island for a Sky Diving adventure. They're crazy nuts! So while they went up in a WWII airplane (they claim it was ancient!), Kiele and I happily hung out by the pool, sipping pina coladas.

Luckily the girls survived their jump and we all got in the car for some more adventure. But not without first stopping at Ono Burger for the best hamburgers on the island! Once again, my friend Rachel recommended I try the Local Girl Burger, a big quarter lb. of beef smothered in terriyaki sauce and topped with a giant slice of fresh pineapple. How can you go wrong with a combo like that? It was seriously delicious! A must try on the island.

AND, if you're still hungry for dessert, stop off at Banana Joe's for the best frozen banana and pineapple smoothy you'll ever eat with a spoon! It was seriously the most amazing all natural, no sugar, no nothing added treat I've ever had. Pure bliss!

Once again, full bellies, and ready to hit the beach. This time we drove to the beautiful Tunnels beach, again, on the North Shore. This beach has some of the most beautiful crystal clear waters I've ever seen. I love this photograph of Leanne, just taking it all in.

One can only lay on the sand for so long before the adventure bug bites again, so we piled back in the Jeep and found our way into the Wet and Dry caves. Such a cool natural phenomenon. Isn't mother nature awesome?

We finished off the day with a stop at the Hanalei Valley lookout and a delicious dinner at Olympic Cafe, which is apparently where all the hot guys on the island hang out. If it weren't for all the other restaurants we wanted to check out, I would've made the girls come back here EVERY night! Kidding. Sort of.

SUNDAY: Sunday morning we did some church stuff before making our way outside to enjoy more of the island. With our tennis shoes on, we decided to do a little exploring of the Napali Coast. Amy and Leanne dropped Erin, Kiele, and me off at the trail head so the two of them could go catch some more rays on Ke'e beach (where we would later join them for a beautiful sunset over the ocean).

If you're going to do the Napali coast hike (and you like rugged terrain), I would suggest you do the 11 mile hike up to the waterfall. We however, did not have enough time left in the day (it takes about 5+ hours) so we did the 4 mile hike into a private beach which we called "Our Beach" because we had it all to ourselves. Looking back at the pictures though, we probably should've called it "Yoga Beach" because Kiele had us do crazy poses all over the place. It really was one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've ever been.

I was so proud of us for hiking all the way in and all the way out, so when we go back to Ke'e beach, I was okay with just vegging out for the next few hours. While we waited for the sun to set, I whipped out the camera again and snapped some pics of my pretty girlfriends. We really did have so much fun that day!

MONDAY: Here we are, on our last day in paradise. Sad! It really went by much too quickly, but it was sooooo fun while it lasted. We all woke up early and joined each other out at the pool for some last minute baking and a trip down the waterslide.

Lucky for us the airport was only 2 miles away and our flight didn't leave until 2:00pm so we fully maximized our time in the sun. One last good burn before getting back in the Jeep. And then, just like that, it was all over.

So there you have it. Five friends, five days, and a whole lot of paradise. I truly fell in love with this island, their people, and it's beauty. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. If you're planning a trip to Kauai soon, let me know! I need to get back there ASAP!

{ THE BACHELORETTE :: Unicorn Love }

2010-06-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Wasn't Monday night's episode FABULOUS! I came home late after an Angels Baseball game and the roommies and I decided to stay up way past our bedtime to watch it together. And I can tell you, it was well worth the lack of sleep. Bravo ABC.

Ok, first things first. Thank you InStyle magazine for helping out our girl in the style department. She was looking pretty fantastic. Loved the loose curls, the purple top with the cardi, the blue shirtdress, all of it. And I'm thinking they gave her a weave. No more pee-yellow. Thank goodness!

Ok, now to the good stuff! Kasey, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? I think my all time favorite line of the night was delivered by Kasey after he finished singing the world's worst made-up song ever, "Yah, that's pretty intense stuff!" If you missed it, you simply must go HERE and watch it.

Other noteworthy scenes and excerpts from the night include but are not limited to:

- Ali while touring the museum with Kasey: "Oh my gosh, I love dinosaurs!"
- Kasey: "Jump in. Stay awhile." And who could forget "I'm here to protect your heart."
- Jesse is cute...but only in a hat. He will be missed.
- Cape Cod Chris is still in my top 2. Love the way he nuzzles his head in her neck.
- Roberto is SMOKIN' HOT! And he plays baseball. Win! Win! He's my fave for sure!
- Joshua Radin melts my heart. Loose the church choir though.
- Frank in response to Kasey's new ink: "That doesn't prove anything except for the fact that you're NUTS!"
- Kinda love how jealous Frank is. I've never had a guy go all territorial over me like that before. Makes me laugh.
- I miss Weatherman already. Crazy nut job!
- Kasey is staying? This really is the BEST show ever!

Ok, now let's shift gears and talk about how excited we are for this summer's Bachelor spin-off "The Bachelor Pad." I heard all about it on the radio this morning on the way into work. If you haven't heard about it yet, it's apparently going to be co-hosted by Chris Harrison and Melissa Rycroft and mimic the Real World/Road Rules Challenge on MTV. I guess the idea behind it is to throw 20 (rumor says there are only 19 now) bachelors and bachelorettes from seasons past into the same house (and the same room!) and let them all compete for the grand price of $250,000. Crazy, right?

And have you heard who they're bringing back? No, not Reid. He's too good for that crap. (Love you Reid, call me!) Rumor has it the Bachelor Pad will be home to some of the shows most memorable guys like:

- Kiptyn and his fabulous abs
- Craig M., the douchey version of McDreamy
- Weatherman...should be fun to have he and Craig back together again
- Angry Dave, from Jillian's season
- Wes, and hopefully not his "girlfriend"

and for the girls they've got a few favorites returning as well:

- The unforgettable Princess Tenley
- Gia, who should've been the next Bachelorette
- Sideburns Nikki
- Elizabeth, the awkward tease
- CRAZY Michelle...you remember her, don't you!

I actually can't wait. I think it's going to be a hilarious show. So long as ABC keeps it tasteful. I'm not gonna hold my breath though. Guess we'll all just have to wait and see...

{ I'm calling today a wash... }

2010-06-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

...and it's not even halfway over. I still haven't blogged about Hawaii. I haven't even started thinking about blogging last night's episode of the Bachelorette (which btw was FABULOUS!) AND, I've done about 3 of the 30 things on my to-do-list...which seems to be growing longer by the minute! Do you realize I haven't even unpacked from Vancouver OR Hawaii yet?!?! I know Mother, I'm ashamed.

However, I did manage to update my floral blog with a few pretty pics of Dane & Chelsea's wedding celebration. So, while you wait for me to get my act together, I suggest you go check them out HERE and HERE. Please enjoy!

{ THE BACHELORETTE: Latin Love }

2010-06-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

I seriously have the best/funniest friends in the whole world! I got home from Kauai yesterday and found this gem waiting in my inbox from my High School buddy Justin and his cute wifey. HILARIOUS!!! Maybe someday I'll actually be desperate enough to go on this stupid show. I'd at least make for a good laugh, right?

Anyway, I'm sorry I completely missed out on last week's episode. I finally watched it and to be honest, I don't have too much to say about it. But, I will say this. I was wrong about Craig M. I don't know why I always like the arrogant SOBs, but he actually crossed the line last week and I'm glad Ali sent him packing.

But what the heck was she thinking when she gave Canadian, Chris H. the boot? Are you kidding me? Had I known she sent him home, I would have been scowering Vancouver for that beautiful man. BIG mistake Ali. Big mistake.

Anyway, enough about last week, let's talk about this week! Actually, all I really want to talk about from Monday night's episode is Roberto. Yowzers! He is soooo smokin' hot! Why can't I just find me a Latin lover like that! Definitely a keeper Ali. Although, I'm not so convinced that she's the one for him. In fact, she should dump him right now and send him on over my way! ;)

The whole music video thing was a total bust. Bare Naked Ladies? Puhlease! And what was with all the crying? I was suuuuuper uncomfortable when Weather Man staring tearing up before his kissing scene. Come on buddy! Pull it together! And how about when he later asked her to sneak away for a "real kiss." WHAT? No thank you Captain Awkward! You creep me out!

Well, that's all I got for now. Time to upload some pics from Kauai. Maybe next week I'll be a little less distracted and have some better material for you guys...

{ Amy's 30th Birthday }

2010-06-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

My roommate Amy had a birthday last week and to celebrate she decided to get out of town...and bring the roommates with her...to Kauai! Yippee!!! But before we left, we had a little pre-party at El Chinaco's for some delicious pupusas. Seriously, they're amazing! I brought along my camera to snap some pictures of the birthday girl in action, but decided this new app on my iPhone was way more fun. It's called Hipstamatic. Try it. Buy it. Love it.

Stay tuned for picures of our AMAZING trip to The Garden Island...

{ Seattle . Vancouver . Whistler }

2010-06-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

I dare you to try and fit in as much adventure into 3 days as we did! What a whirlwind of a Memorial Day weekend. Good to the very last drop folks! Now it's time to write it all down and share a few (or more) pictures to tell the story.

FRIDAY: I left work at lunchtime to catch a flight to Seattle and meet up with 4 complete strangers. Wait, what? You see, Karen who lives in nearby Vancouver was planning on driving down to "The States" after work to meet up with me and a bunch of friends. However, she knew she wouldn't cross the border in time to pick me up from the airport, so that's where the 4 strangers come into play.

And wouldn't you know, they pulled up to the curb and low and behold, one of the passengers was my good friend Kaitlin from back home. Small world (when you're Mormon!) So I hopped in the car and met my new BFFs and headed out to a cute little town called Burien for an Italian feast with a bunch of Young Single Adults in the area. The party was hosted by Joanna at her hilarious Grandma Nonie's house on the point, overlooking the entire bay. It was AMAZING! Loved every minute of it. And Karen even made it down from Canada in time for dessert!

SATURDAY: It was an early morning for me. I hopped out of bed and into my running shoes for a little jaunt around the lake house. After my run I cleaned up, joined the other ladies for breakfast, and then hit the streets of Seattle for a day of fun!

We started things out at the World Famous Pike Place Market and watched the fisherman throw fish over people's heads. Such a classic Seattle experience. Then we strolled down the aisles looking at all the fresh flowers, sampling delicious nuts, breads, fruits, and checked out a few of the other vendors.

We worked up quite an appetite so we all decided to get ourselves some sweet and savory Piroshki's to nibble on as we walked down to the Seattle Gum Wall. Sticking a piece of bubble gum on the wall was extremely high on my priority list for this trip. So gross yet so cool.

Other noteworthy stops on our Seattle trip included a visit to the world's 1st Starbucks, 1st Nordstrom, and Anthropologie (not the 1st but still a very important stop!)

After maxing our cards (not really Mom) we drove across town to see the giant troll living under the Freemont Bridge and to Gasworks Park where several scenes from the awesome movie 10 Things I Hate About You was filmed. The park's got a beautiful view of the city skyline and you can even see the Sleepless in Seattle house just across the way.

Unfortunately this is where Karen and I said our goodbyes to the other four ladies as we headed up to Canada and they traveled down to Portland. It was a sad parting, but we cheered ourselves up with a little outlet shopping....J. Crew of course!

SUNDAY: The morning found us in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Karen lives on the top floor of a highrise in downtown Vancouver with 180 degree views of the city, ocean, and mountains. It's absolutely unbelievable! It was fun waking up to such an incredible sight. I can only imagine what it would look like on a clear day!

We got ready in a hurry so we could get good seat to her Stake Conference that morning. Turns out, President Uchtdorf and Elder Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were going to be speaking in her Stake for a broadcast that would be streamed to the 47 stakes and 5 branches throughout the country. Lucky me!

The conference was amazing and reminded me of the wonderful people I served with during my mission to Winnipeg back in 2004. Did you know President Monson was the mission president of my mission way back in the day? And that he was my mission president's mission president? Just a little fun fact for you. Anyway, here's the BEST PART of the whole experience. After the conference was over, President Uchtdorf and his wife came walking down the aisle and I was able to shake their hands. I know, I know. Lucky me!

After a morning of spiritual uplifting I wanted to meet up with my friends Amber & Bryan who were also in B.C. for the weekend, so I asked Karen if she would be kind enough to take me out to meet up with them at the new Vancouver LDS Temple, just dedicated three weeks prior. It was absolutely beautiful and well worth the drive.

After the temple, the four of us headed back into the city for a delicious brunch at a trendy restaurant called Glowbal. This was by far my favorite eating experience of the trip (with our Sushi dinner a close second). I had the Salmon Benedict and it literally melted in my mouth. So good. I actually loved ALL the food I ate in Vancouver!

After brunch we said goodbye to Amber and Bryan and headed out in the city to see some sights and maybe jump in a few puddles. First stop, Stanley Park. Can I just say WOW! Stanley park is kind of like NYC's Central Park, although it's not centrally located in Vancouver. It's actually situated at the tip of the city. And it's more of a forrest than a park. If you want to drive to North Vancouver and onto Whistler, you have to drive right through it!

Some of the sights to see at Stanley park are: the totem poles, Lion's Gate Bridge, the aquarium, and even some wildlife.

After Stanley Park, Karen was kind enough to find a garden for me to visit since we weren't able to fit Vancouver Island and Butchard Gardens into our trip. Instead we went to Queen's Park and enjoyed some gorgeous wildlife and made friends with the birds in the observatory. That was $5 well spent.

All that sight seeing got us good and hungry again so we decided to be adventurous and check out the downtown market for dinner. I know it has a name, but I can't quite remember it right now. Anyway, there were lots of little stands with tons and tons of Chinese and Japanese seafood. Karen and I were brave and tried a few exciting new things like these deep fried scallop thingys, yam fries with spicy mayo and seaweed shavings, Chrysanthemum tea, and other flavorful concoctions. My favorite were the desserts with Nutella. Yum!

Absolutely exhausted we decided to find a sappy chick flick and relax for the rest of the night. Mission accomplished! If you're looking for the dumbest chick flick out right now, rush to the theater and buy a ticket for Letters To Juliet. Karen and I laughed (inappropriately) the whole way through. I'm sorry if you saw it and liked it, but honestly, I couldn't handle the acting, or plot for that matter. Thanks for sharing that horrifying experience with me Karen.

MONDAY: My last day in Canada. Tear, tear. We decided to make the most of our last and final day together and go to Whistler! But first, we had to make a stop at the Granville Island Market for some non-traditional road-trip food. We picked up some BBQ smoked salmon, fresh Gouda cheese, some salamis, fresh raspberries and blackberries, and a couple dessert sconces to completely blow my diet!

The drive up to Whistler is almost more amazing than the actually destination itself. You take what is called the Sea To Sky highway. And it's literally just that. It's a highway that winds up the side of a mountain while you look out at the beautiful pacific ocean, dotted with little islands and sailboats. I hope you all get a chance to drive this magnificent stretch of highway at least once in your life. I didn't take pictures on the way up because it was so dense with clouds and fog, but luckily the drive home was a different story. You'll see pictures of it in just a minute.

But first, let's get to the best part of the entire vacation...zip lining on Whister mountain! Ever since Jillian zipped down through those trees with Michael on the last season of The Bachelorette, I've wanted a chance to do the same. And zip we did! What an INCREDIBLE experience. Words simply cannot describe, but it might be fun to try...

We drove 10 minutes up the mountain alongside the 2010 Olympic bobsled track to the top of our zip course. That was kinda cool to see! When we got out of the van we were in what you would call a "temperate rainforest" setting. There are only 3 found in all the world: British Columbia, Alaska, and the Chilean coast. I thought that was super cool!

With our gear on we were ready to start zipping. Can you guess who volunteered first? You guessed it, ME!!! The last time I went zip lining was in the tropical rainforests of Belize so I knew what the sensation would be like and was anxious to do it again.

However, the difference between this course and the one in Belize is that Whistler boasts one of the world's longest zips, measuring in at over 2,200+ feet. Inredible! It just went on and on forever! Inside the trees, over a river, and through the woods! Amazing! For the last zip they even taught us to go upside down. Arguably one of the coolest experiences of my life to be flying through a rainforest, upside down, going nearly 50 mph. Unbelievable!

Unfortunately our adventure came to an end and we had to make our way back down the mountain. But we weren't done experiencing B.C. just yet. We made a few unplanned stops along the highway. First stop was to check out Shannon falls, a glacial waterfall that was roaring from the side of the mountain. Well worth the detour. And somehow the clouds decided to part to give way to the most beautiful suset over the the northwest Pacific ocean. I was in Canadian heaven!

And that was my awesome, incredible, fantastic, unbelievably awesome Memorial Day weekend in Seattle, Vancouver, and Whistler. And I owe it all to the "World's Best Tour Guide," Miss Karen Campbell. Where would I be without you!!! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy life to be my chauffer, tour guide, and friend. I hope you'll come to California soon so I can repay the favor.

{ DESIGN BY AUBREY :: New posts }

2010-05-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

When's the last time you visited my floral blog? There's lots of new stuff up to see and enjoy! Like the beautiful flowers I did this weekend for the wedding of Dave & Courtney Facer. You're gonna wanna check 'em out HERE or by visiting www.DesignByAubrey.com. It'll give you something to do while I'm gone...

That's right! I'm off for another adventure. First stop Seattle for a little puddle jumping, then its off to Vancouver to explore the city with my Canadian friend Karen, a short drive up to Whistler for some more sight-seeing, a quick stop at home to exchange my sweaters for swimsuits, and then on to Kauai with the roommates for some much needed rest and relaxation. Sounds like FUN to me! Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! See you soon...

{ THE BACHELORETTE: Season Premiere }

2010-05-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends! So sorry for the minor blogging delay. I wish I had some great excuse, but I don't. You see, Tuesday after work I came home to an empty house, ready to blog, but instead went for a run on the beach, did 4 loads of laundry, and watched the Season Finale of Greys. Which, consequently spiraled my mood into an unrequited state of depression! UGH! Why did they do that to me? I started the show in the happiest of moods, so excited to spend 2 hours with my BFFs and before I knew it, I was slumped over in a pool of tears...alone...in the dark.

Emotionally fatigued, I thought it best to just stay put on the couch til the roommies came home. (I never get to watch tv!) So I finished up the night with the season finale of The Biggest Loser (which btw, I just joined 24 other girls in a contest of our own. I've dropped 4 lbs already....Booyah!) and then GLEE...which was uber dumb! Amy agreed. I strongly dislike you Lady Gaga.

But you didn't sign onto my blog to read about all that, you want Bachelorette drama, don't you? So here's what I got...

*Disclaimer: I missed the first 20 minutes due to complications. Or in other words, I'm an idiot and forgot to set the DVR.

- Okay Ali, orange tan? Really? And those extensions? No bueno!

- I like all the Chris'. Cape Cod Chris is darling. I like him. And Chris H. is beautiful. He's gonna be around awhile. I can feel it.

- Jesse is adorable. Don't know much about him yet, but he's a looker for sure. I hope he's in the top 3.

- Craig M. is HOT! I know a lot of you ladies think I'm crazy, but you really need to see things from my perspective! Totally reminds me of McDreamy!!! And hello people, I am OBSESSED with Dr. Shepherd. So...Craig = Dr. Shepherd = Yes please!

- Who doesn't like a little Latin Lovin! Roberto, you are muy guapo. So glad Ali likes you as much as I do.

- Who the HECK tells a girl they just met that their nickname from college was "Shooter." So wrong on so many levels. So glad you went home so you can get some therapy.

- What is up with that one guy's voice? Kasey? OH MY GOSH! While he was yacking my girlfriend blurts out "What the heck is this guy saying? He needs subtitles!" Bahahaha!

- Rated-R for retarded! (Sorry, that was dumb). But honestly, what a DB! Part of me hopes he goes home next episode but then again, part of me wouldn't mind another couple weeks to make fun of the idiot!

And that's all I got for now. Until next time...

{ Inspiration :: Lilacs }

2010-05-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

It doesn't take much to make me happy. Today it was something so simple as an email and a picture. My dear friend Catie and I went to Interior Design school together in Salt Lake City. It's been years but we've kept in contact through graduation, our missions, and life's little ups and downs. This morning I sat down at my desk to find this sweet email from her in my inbox:

"You have inspired me to do something to brighten up my office. This morning as I sat on the front porch with my mom enjoying the lovely spring morning I had a brilliant idea to take a vase of our fragrant blooming lilacs to work today. I shall include a picture of my masterpiece. Love you! -Catie"

Thank you Catie, for brightening my day! (It's a gloomy So Cal morning). Your lilacs are absolutely gorgeous. Every time I smell those lovely blooms I'm reminded of the sweet smell of spring on my mission in Canada. Those things were everywhere! Kind of wish I had a bundle smiling back at me right now. Enjoy your lovely flowers! I adore them, and you!

{ A Citrus Celebration :: Dane & Chelsea }

2010-05-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

You know you're getting old when all the little girls you used to babysit are getting hitched! Seriously, where does the time go? This weekend my dear friend Chelsea tied the eternal knot with her sweetheart Dane in the Newport Beach LDS Temple, and then celebrated their little hearts out at their beautiful backyard reception in Laguna Niguel, CA.

I honestly can't thank her enough for the awesome opportunity I had to design and create her one of a kind bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, and centerpieces. She was an absolute joy throughout the entire planning process and her wedding day was truly spectacular. Happy forever after Dane & Chelsea!

{ FLOWERS: hydrangea, peonies, freesia, sweet pea, ranunculus, tulips, star of bethlehem, snapdragons, china mums, curly willow, kumquats, lemon leaves }

{ Bella Collina Reception :: Josh & Jade }

2010-05-17T13:00:00.001-07:00

If you're looking for a gorgeous venue with friendly staff and an awesome event planner, look no further than the Bella Collina Towne & Golf Club in San Clemente, CA. From start to finish, the staff was an absolute pleasure. And incredibly complimentary of my work. Which I always love!

Take a look at the grand entry piece, centerpieces, and a photograph I snuck in of the pomanders lining the aisle of Josh & Jade's wedding ceremony. I can't wait to see more images from their photographer. I'm sure they'll knock some socks off!

{ FLOWERS: carnations, hydrangea, water coast lilies, roses, peonies, tulips, dusty miller, geranium, hanging amaranthus, snapdragon, gladiolas, curly willow, and lemon leaves }

{ A Black & White Affair :: Josh & Jade }

2010-05-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to tell you what a pleasure it was to design the flowers for Josh & Jade's wedding. Back in October of 2009, Jade and I first met and began planning her May date! From the beginning, Jade knew she wanted a classic black and white wedding and I'm so pleased with how well everything turned out. Just look at that bouquet! Almost as beautiful as the bride it belongs to! Congratulations Josh & Jade. I hope your wedding day was everything you hoped it would be and more!

Stay tuned for more pictures from the grand reception at the Bella Collina Towne & Golf Club in San Clemente, CA. Just you wait...

{ FLOWERS: peonies, tulips, sweet pea, roses, ranunculus, anemone, monkey tail, gardenia, carnations, dusty miller, and camellia leaves }

{ Making Something With "The Leftovers" }

2010-05-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a story about a dinner appointment I had on my mission nearly 6 years ago. It was during a time when I was serving in a very rural part of Minnesota (think one farmhouse every 5 miles). In this small town there lived a sweet old lady who invited my companion and I over for "supper." While we sat and talked, she began telling us about the meal she had prepared for us. She told of how she had tons and tons of fruits, veggies, and other leftovers in her fridge, so she decided to make a lasagna with everything (and anything!) she had. Let's just say it was the most interesting thing I've ever tasted. There were mushrooms, celery, peppers, onions, eggs (Yes, eggs!), and several other "leftover" ingredients.

So why am I telling you this strange story about a weird meal I ate on my mission? I'm not quite sure, other than the fact that when I was cleaning up from my double-wedding-weekend, I figured I better do something with all "the leftovers." Kind of like that "special" lasagna I had all those years ago. Awe, the memories!

And stay tuned for wedding pictures galore. It was a busy, busy weekend my friends! Au revoir.

{ Dallen Feeding The Computer }

2010-05-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

My Mom and I have been working on wedding flowers for about 12 hours now (well, 16 if you count my 4am trip to the LA Flower Mart, but whose counting?) Anyway, we were in need of a serious break so we enlisted the help of Little D via video-chat. Is he not just the cutest thing you've ever seen? Love him!

OK, break's over...gotta get back to the flowers. Wait til you see what we've been creating. SO GORGEOUS! See you back here real soon...

{ A May Wedding :: Brendon & Serra }

2010-05-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

When it comes to flowers, you don't always need a lot of color to make a bold statement! Take Brendon & Serra's wedding flowers for instance. The simple and elegant palette of white, gold, and a touch of Tiffany box blue are all you need to create a modest and elegant appeal. I think you'll agree when you see these beautiful blooms I designed for their Newport Beach wedding this past weekend. Have a look!

{ FLOWERS: Cala Lilies, Astilbe, Lily of the Valley, Phalaenopsis Orchids, Mini Calas, Dendrobium Orchids, Peonies }

{ Kiele's 24th Birthday! }

2010-05-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...That's Amore!" I just can't get that song out of my head! And you know what I'm talking about if you've ever been to C&O's in Marina Del Ray.

This past weekend my girlfriends and I celebrated little Kiele's 24th birthday at this charming LA restaurant. If you've never been, I highly recommend it! The food is amazing, the service is impeccable, and there's even a special musical number sung by the entire restaurant that includes a toast every 5 seconds. It's seriously the best! What a fun and memorable way to spend Kiele's birthday.

And just for fun...when I put the pics up on FB, I added my own verses to the song "That's Amore!" I'm a poet, didn't you know it?" Enjoy...

"When you're out with your friends dressed in the latest trends, THAT's AMORE!"

"When your friends look like this and your life is pure bliss, THAT'S AMORE!"

"When you walk down the streets with those boots on your feet, THAT'S AMORE!"

"When your hair is this blonde and black men are real fond, THAT'S AMORE!"

"When you aim for the stars, you might find a man from Mars, THAT'S AMORE!"

"When some guy on the fly throws your leg in the sky, THAT'S AMORE!"

"When your friends are this hot and strange men check out what they got, THAT'S AMORE!"

"When you get a birthday treat from your friends that are neat, That's AMORE!"

"When your tummy's are full and your pockets are null, THAT'S AMORE!"

"When those boots we all wear, the men certainly all stare, THAT'S AMORE!"