countdown.

ike and i on his big 2-4.

i worked my final capstone shift last night, no more ugly uniform! no more student name tag! so so happy! i can't wait to go buy me some cutie scrubs. only 2 more days at the psych hospital and a day full of tests and i'm a free woman. this weekend will be full of studies, a little work, and a day date with the hubby. he really really really wants to see inception, so i agreed. it's not really my type of movie, mainly because it looks a little scary! i'm a baby. but it will be fun to go to the movies. i think i'll even get popcorn. happy weekend!

simply gorgeous.

i'm wishing for this beautiful dress from j crew right now. such a romantic floral print. i'm really loving dresses that fall to the floor this season and this one is perfect. j crew's sale section is looking pretty good right now, it's even an extra 30% off final sale today! see more here.

pure procrastination.

i finished my last ever paper for nursing school last night. let me tell you, it felt good. such a weight lifted off my shoulders! i took many unnecessary facebook/blogger/photo booth breaks...and discovered these delightful pics, all taken this semester while procrastinating studying.

aren't i a treat. pretty scary if you ask me!

dear photo booth,
thank you for helping me document this frightening time in my life.
love, emma.

cupcakes cupcakes.

saturday morning was a bake fest and i loved it. i spent the whole morning in the kitchen creating these beauties and some red velvets for our pioneer day party. i took these to the nurses on sunday to say thank you and they were a big hit. i love making people happy with cupcakes. i only have one more capstone shift as a nursing student! i can't wait to finally get paid to be a nurse, it's going to feel so good. i'm thinking i might need to make another batch of cupcakes for the management team, i think it might help me secure the job. good idea right?!

dinner club.

{image}

well, it's monday again. and i'm actually okay with it because hubs and i have a date planned tonight! one of our favorite restaurants, pizzeria 712, is having their dinner club at a local farm that provides their delicious fresh ingredients and it's only $5 a person!!! such a steal. we're pretty excited about it. if you're local and interested in attending tonight, go here to find out more info and call to reserve a spot {it's $10 if you don't}. happy monday!

happy.

photo of me on ike's bday taken by my fabulous dad.

i am feeling happy today. i had another rough start to my week {2 disabling migraines on tuesday/wednesday, praise the lord for imitrex} but i survived. it's beginning to feel surreal when i think of how close i am to finishing nursing school. i have been a student forever, i hope my transition into the professional {adult} world goes smoothly. i have a list of hobbies i am going to get back in to that i've neglected during my 5 years of college - dancing, exercising regularly, learning to sew, rollerblading!, reading lots and lots of books, spending long nights with my best girlfriends, and of course trying lots of new recipes. oh i get so excited just thinking about the possibilities!

this weekend is a holiday in utah and i can't wait! i have tomorrow off and my mom is throwing a big party full of yummy food and family. and fireworks! i'm assigned to bring cupcakes {of course} and my mom has requested red velvet. and we all know you can't go wrong with red velvet! and i'm thinking i might also make cupcakes for all the fabulous nurses i've been working with this summer. sunday is my 2nd to last day and i need a good way to thank them! plus it would give me the perfect reason to fill this up with cupcakes!

i hope you have a yummy weekend!

what day is it?

i saw these lovely desktop calendars featured on another blog {i can't remember which one!} and was so excited to discover you can get them for free! aren't they pretty? waaaay better than the weird wood panel looking background isaac had on our computer before! the website so charming, you can get the desktop calendars as well as downloadable wallpaper to use to wrap gifts, cover books, and do other crafty things with. go here to get yourself a pretty calendar.

thank goodness for calendars, i would not be getting through all the things i have going on without my google calendar. do you use it? it's a lifesaver. i even have a calendar dedicated to tracking my migraines...yeah, i'm a dork. less than 2 weeks before i'm done with school forever!!! sorry if i start a more frequent countdown...i'm just so excited!

beauties.

i am in love with this dress from anthropologie. isn't it just light and breezy? i love how simple and fresh it looks, perfect for a summer night on the town. my fingers are crossed it goes on sale.

while out celebrating ike's bday with my brother and sister-in-law, we stopped in anthro and spotted the penguin classic books! they are so beautiful. we promptly purchased emma to start out our collection. i told isaac we must pick one up each time we make our way downtown. or check out amazon...i bet they have them for a steal. i think little women will be my next choice.

coconut almond chex mix.

this chex mix is pure yum. my friend cami posted it on her blog and i knew i had to try it. we took it up to the cabin and munched munched munched it away. but be careful if you keep it all in one bowl, it sticks together and it can be hard to break pieces off. i think next time i'll make chex mix balls {like popcorn balls} so everyone can have their own.

ingredients:

9 cups corn chex
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
2 cups coconut
1 cup sugar {or splenda if you're healthy like that}
3/4 cup butter
1 cup corn syrup {i used light corn syrup, go me}

mix chex, almonds and coconut in a large bowl. in a saucepan add sugar, butter and corn syrup - stir constantly and bring to a full rolling boil. boil for 2 minutes. remove from heat and pour over chex mixture. stir to coat all ingredients well.

enjoy this delicious concoction!

birthday hubs.

we had such a fun time celebrating ike's birthday this weekend! it was gorgeous up at the cabin {pics to come} and it was so fun spoiling my lover boy. he requested the blueberry lemon buttermilk cake as his birthday cake {i've made it like 8 times already this summer} and it was delicious. i'm telling you, if you haven't tried it yet, you really really must.

ike was most excited about these babies. he loves white shoes and when i saw these at the nordstrom anniversary sale i knew i had to get them. has anyone else shopped the sale this year?! i just love their anniversary sale, such fabulous deals.

i'm dying for one of these mac look in a box. it would reinvent my look in a much needed way. i wish it was my birthday! maybe a graduation gift?!

big bad birthday boy.

mr. dj westwood on st. patricks day.

happy birthday to my sweet hubby! you're 24! how old! jk jk jk. i love you and your sexy bod.

i need a vacation.

{weheartit}

this.week.has.been.rough.

really really rough. i am completely exhausted with my life right now. mentally and physically exhausted. thank goodness i only have 3 weeks left of this stress. i want my less-stress life back! i'm so ready to be a nurse, work 3 12 hour shifts a week, and have some time to do the things i love to do. and take a vacation! isn't the picture above a dream? you have no idea how badly i want to be there right now.

tomorrow is my hubs birthday and i'm so excited! we have a party planned up at our cabin and i can't wait to celebrate with him. and give him his gifts. he is going to love them. i just love buying and giving gifts. especially to my lover boy. okay, i'm going to forget about this week and just let go this weekend. after all, that's what the weekend is for right?! hope yours is fab!

mintie brownies.

these brownies are pure heaven. when my friend katie posted the recipe on her blog i literally squealed. i order a mint brownie every time i lunch at kneaders and i was so excited to make them myself! they are incredibly easy and delicious for days. in fact, katie and i both agree they're better the second day. so if you're making them for a special event, i suggest you make them the night before. oh yum, i wish i still had these in my kitchen right now. get the recipe on katie's fabulous blog here.

saturday evening.

our picnic date night last weekend was postponed from friday to saturday due to the fabulous despicable me, but we weren't sad. after a long day of work on saturday we got ourselves some yummy fried chicken and izze drinks {our new fav, they are so delish!} and head to the parkway by our house. the hot summer day was cooling down and it was a lovely evening. i love nights like this with my hubs. next time we're packing gorilla ice cream cookie sandwiches and our current reads to relax in the grass after our ride. oh how i love summer nights.

i love turquoise everything.

this is my dream kitchen, isn't it fabulous?! oh, to dream.

image via house of turquoise, one of my very favorite design blogs.

despicable me.

this weekend we went to see despicable me with ike's family and we absolutely loved it! we laughed so hard the entire time. it is my new favorite. and it was the perfect weekend activity. you really must add it to your to do list.

how excited are you to see it?!

sunday edition.

hello hello! i hope you are all having a delightful weekend. i'm feeling a little down because my hubs is currently on his way back to st. george for the week. but i'll be okay, i'm one busy little bee trying to finish up my last 4 weeks of school.

plus i've found a few things that have cheered me up a bit! real simple just sent me their daily recipe email and to my delight it contained a recipe for the ice cream cake pictured above. doesn't it look delicious? can you tell i'm on an ice cream kick? i'm going to try it with butterfinger....or maybe snickers. yum.

so you think you can dance is now on hulu! for a girl who doesn't have a tv, this a dream come true. ike watched an episode with me earlier today and i remembered how much i miss dancing. i'm determined to start dancing again once i'm done with school. i'll be a total spaz, but whateves.

and lastly, i'm going to take a nap right now. and that always makes me feel better. adios amigos.

picnic plans.

{weheartit}

so so glad it's friday. i have the day off and although i have a giant paper to write, i'm determined to enjoy the day. don't you just love this photo? it screams summer to me. tonight ike and i are planning a little bike ride/picnic. what should i pack?! real simple has some tasty ideas, but what is your favorite picnic item?

i am so tired, i think i might go back to bed for a few minutes. lazy me.

happy friday!

yes, please.

la la la love these gems from j crew. aren't they delightful?! let's just ignore the ridiculous price tag and enjoy them for the beauties that they are, shall we?!

tasty little cakes.

angel food cake is one of my very favorites - and in cupcake form it's even better! it was the perfect dessert for our relaxing 4th of july at the cabin. i love how patriotic they turned out! and they're so easy to make. all you need is a box of angel food cake, berries, cream and a bit of sugar for whipping! light and delicious. guess what...i ate 4 of them in one sitting.

dear angel food cake,
thank you for being low fat so i can eat you guilt free.
love, emma.

we're back.

hello! we're back from our fabulous getaway weekend. and now i'm back to school, homework, and work galore. yuck. but the good news is i only have 1 more month of school. can i get a hallelujah?! oh goodness i'm so happy but so freaked out about all the hours at the children's hospital i have to put in/the number of papers i have to write/presentations i have to put together/meetings and classes i have to attend/etc etc etc. i bet you're as excited as i am for me to finish so you don't have to hear me complain so much! ha. my hubs keeps telling me i can get it all done and i choose to believe him. thank you mr. westwood.

we had such a magical time up at our cabin, it's so beautiful up there. we ate lots of yummy food, read our books {i finished the help and did not want it to end}, took naps, and enjoyed nature. i hope you had a fun holiday weekend! i can't wait to hear all about it!

holiday love.

{weheartit}

hooray for the holiday weekend! i'm finally going to get out of my little school shell and forget about all my worries all weekend long. and my hubs is home! we've got some big plans up our sleeve...like cooking a big homemade meal {i haven't cooked for so long!} and going to see eclipse tonight. tomorrow we're heading up to his family's cabin for some yummy food and relaxation. and possibly a small town rodeo with fireworks and cotton candy!

i've been struggling to plan exactly what i want to make this weekend, i have so many things i want to try! and pioneer woman's berries for the fourth post gave me even more ideas. what to choose, what to choose. i want to make all of it. i'll let you know what i end up creating!

as of now, i think i'll throw on my new swimsuit and do my homework out by the pool. i need some sun in a big bad way.

happy fourth of july weekend!

thoughts.

sometimes, actually a lot of times, i want to be a bride again. it was so much fun and i felt so fabulous. and my dress, my dress. i'm not sure what really inspired this post, i think it could be all the scrub wearing i've been doing lately. i can't even wear cute scrubs, i have to wear my nasty school uniform {so sick of the white top navy bottom combo}. i just want to feel cute again, you know the feeling. and as pretty as a bride.

the end.