sunny days

reminder

2009-09-08T09:12:00.003-06:00

This blog is closing, so if you haven't received my email, let me know! bethanyjackman at gmail.com

this blog has moved

2009-09-01T22:00:00.008-06:00

I'm sorry to do this so abruptly, but I am moving my blog to a new location.

Pretty soon I will close this blog and my new blog will be the replacement. I have intentionally chosen not to automatically forward my readers from my this URL to my new URL.

I sent an email with the new address to lots of you, but if you didn't receive it, send or leave me your email address and I will forward you my new link!

Thank you!

weekend highlight

2009-08-31T07:50:00.004-06:00

thanks to the best recommendation, we found it.

we got a peachy orange and a strawberry colada shaved ice with ice cream and tropic creme.
soo amazing!

it reminded us of hawaii and made us glad that texas forgets winter exists.

required if you are ever in az, nm, or tx. hint hint.

new cowboys stadium

2009-08-29T21:25:00.003-06:00

Last weekend, Casey and I took a tour of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington. Since BYU is playing there on the 5th, and we're hoping to be preoccupied at (or out of) the hospital, we figured we'd get a feel for the stadium in person since we'll probably only witness the game on TV. Totally worth the tour. Would you like a recap? Well ok!

um hi bigscreen-

fun fact: before their concert a few weeks ago, the jonas brothers paid $8,000 to play halo for 2 hours on that thing.

retractable roof. no big deal-

our peeps in a box suite-

the view from the box suite-

me and casey in the box suite-

casey in the radio/tv people suite-

everything inside was pretty immaculate-

including romo's locker-

here's where the playas run out onto the field-

we got thisclose!-

Too bad we aren't Cowboys fans, but it was definitely funtimes! If you're in town for the BYU game, a) we are jealous, and b) send us a pic and call us from the bleachers! :)

tiny blankets

2009-08-26T21:50:00.005-06:00

These are baby's little blankets and quilts. They are so precious, I really should be posting a picture of each one front and back, and then flying you out here to see how pretty they are. Half of them were handmade or given by our wonderful friends, while the other half were made by Casey's mom. Before we left Utah, I think she made us a receiving blanket a week. Now I just have to take a picture of the quilt she made to match the nursery. :) You better believe he will be using every.single.one of these. I can't wait to try that little ninja wrap you all do.

Speaking of which, I got the greatest surprise in the mail the other day. When my sisters and I were born, my dad's cousin sent us each our own little lambskin, which never left any of our sides. Before I could talk, I called it my BD, or beetie?, and now thanks to my parents, our baby has his own. The second I held it I think I reverted back to age 2 or something and carried it around with me all day.

us and our bd's. can you tell who's who? ;)

500 days of summer

2009-08-24T09:20:00.001-06:00

is so good it deserves it's own post.

the art, the dialogue, the wardrobe, the cast, the soundtrack, the originality...it was all so brilliant!

(we are having fun trying to squeeze in as many date nights as possible these last few baby-free moments!) :)

buy a house? yes please.

2009-08-20T23:50:00.003-06:00

Earlier this spring, my dad published his first book! I have been wanting to post about it ever since because this book is absolutely essential for anyone looking to buy or sell a home. Ever.

My dad has been a Colorado real estate consultant for 26 years and I wish there were enough adjectives to explain how wonderful he is at it! He is the best consultant on the planet. He is perfect at understanding the market, perfect at understanding individual situations, he masters balancing work + family + faith, he understands the importance of your own family and your own values, he is loyal, honest, reliable... AND, really, who better to trust than the world's greatest dad? :) I mean, who couldn't trust this guy?

Srsly. :)
Love you dad!

He so greatly values efficient and honest work that he created this formula that would offer any seller clarity from the start, which is what the book focuses on. It's genius. I am amazed. He calls it the 30/60/90+ Day Home Pricing Formula, and if you don't read his book, you may never understand why on earth your home has been on the market for 18 billion months! OR what you can do to find that perfect home and get that perfect price. In fact, that's my favorite chapter, Chapter 13: When your home still won't sell or when you can't find that home.

I can't say enough about his work ethic, his exemplar life... But you would get a glimpse of that on your own if you read this.

Someday, Casey and I will purchase our own home (eee!!) and how thankful I am to have this kind of expertise around. :) Now you can too!

Get a copy here. Enjoy!

asiago cheese

2009-08-18T22:24:00.003-06:00

I can't even tell you how much I love living next door to Panera Bread. I walk outside and there it is, calling my name. Craving an Asian Sesame Salad? Um always. Need a frozen lemonade? Yes please. Made soup for dinner, but forgot a side loaf of bread at the grocery store? Not a problem!

This was waaay better than anything I could have purchased from Albertsons. Although, I really shouldn't even walk 2 seconds in this heat, I could probably die. Or induce labor...hm!

full term, baby! and my inner blogging struggle.

2009-08-17T00:00:00.001-06:00

We hit full-term on Saturday! So I wanted to go outside with Casey and have a fun photoshoot, but the wind was a little crazy and it was a million degrees. So we didn't last very long.

No real signs of labor yet, but I keep hoping he will surprise us soon. It's true what they say about the last month- not only am I anxious to see his sweet little face, but I can't wait to walk and breath normal again. :)

I want to write more and tell you all about the places we've been, our friends here, the doctor visits, Casey's awesome job, the ups and downs of Texas...but with my identity problem I am in a total blog funk. It's sad, because you know how much I love blogging and all my blogger friends. :) And I want to clarify that the watermark is only for creeps, not nice people who want to share my pictures. In fact, it makes my day when a client, for example, posts my pictures online to share with friends. I love that. Anyway, we are still investigating and making decisions, but thanks for reading despite the boringness.

shoesies

2009-08-11T21:57:00.009-06:00

I thought you might like to join me in admiring the cuteness of a bunch of precious baby shoes. I have yet to purchase a single pair thanks to the good taste of so many of my amazing friends! I can't even tell you how much I love them all, I just had to share. Thank you to my loves Janelle, Kendra (vintage finds!), Emily, Mandy, Jessica (who made the booties!), Dad, Carissa, and Kami (the cutest toms i've ever seen)! I am excited to put them on little feet.

the loo

2009-08-09T20:57:00.003-06:00

I know nobody wants to see a picture of a toilet, but the bathrooms are the only rooms in our apartment that are nearly done! They aren't much, but I lurve them.

guest bath-

master bath (a peak)-

Keep in mind that we are renting, so and sadly there won't be any painting going on. And since we will be moving so often, my motto is: simplify and minimize! We will only keep things that we need and love. Luckily I just love the apartment itself so much that it doesn't take a lot to make it feel like home.

I wanted to have my projects finished before the baby gets here, but I have really slowed down these past few weeks and I'm not sure how much more I can do in the next 4! I have come to accept that I will have a few projects post-baby, but as long as I can finish the nursery, I will be a happy clam. :)

asdf;lkjas!

2009-08-04T23:51:00.007-06:00

that's code for- 26 days, are you kidding me?!

and only 30, for realz?!

yay! let's just hope baby can hold off so that my mom can be in Denver for my sister's homecoming on the 1st, and in Dallas for me the day after! Or something like that.

more showering

2009-08-03T22:30:00.012-06:00

made by emily

AGES ago, before I left Utah, I was given another amazing, undeserving baby shower. I have been meaning to post this for weeks, but due to blog interruptions, I have postponed. But alas, it needs to be shared because it was too incredible.

My beautiful, very best friends Amy, Emily, and Kendra (aka my sister!) threw this together in just days. They worked so hard and omygosh it was gorgeous. They found the prettiest textures, ribbon, napkins, fabric, candy, drinks, even food, all in my baby colors. Everything was handmade and homemade. I honestly can't tell you how much work they each put into this. I am forever thankful.

i loved this- everyone painted a onesie, i chose a favorite, and the winner got a prize.

um emily made this-

i love these girls!

nostalgia

2009-08-02T20:16:00.005-06:00

I can't believe that a year ago this week we were swimming around Oahu!!!

Can you tell our summer here just isn't quite as summery as our last summer was?

name game

2009-07-27T22:05:00.003-06:00

Our baby is nameless and it's killing me. I sure enjoy looking through names, though! This is fun to look at- popular baby names from around the world. It lists the top baby names in different countries. Austria and the Isle of man were two of my faves for boys. (and if only we could pull off Italian) ;)

grandma great

2009-07-26T21:21:00.016-06:00

My great grandma hand stitches so many beautiful things. She made these hand towels for our wedding, aren't they the most precious things you've ever seen? I can't decide which is my favorite.

So priceless, I definitely need to get them framed and up on my walls.

She also sends quilts for her new great-great-grandchildren. This is the one I chose, I just love it.

I love having pieces of my great grandma in my home, as with so many other cherished things from all my moms and grandmas.

(and um, I have a lot of homemaking skills to live up to) :)

grandma, great grandma, my mom, and me 3 1/2 years ago the week of my wedding.

meet watermark

2009-07-23T07:12:00.017-06:00

I've been having a pretty serious problem with my images (i.e. identity) being stolen. So until I can figure out a better solution, I am going to start watermarking all my images. I know it can seem too cool to watermark, but I want to avoid starting a new blog or going private, and I am just too ticked off to care. And until I can think of a better one, I will use my photography URL as my watermark.

So, for example, this is a picture of me and my feet at our pool. Not some creeptastic person's feet.

This problem has prevented me from posting several personal images the last few weeks and I may have to post less personal photos from now on. I know a little watermarking isn't going to stop anyone, so we're taking other precautions until we work this out. Like kung fu and stuff. Until then, forgive the watermark.

re-decorating

2009-07-21T22:03:00.005-06:00

some of my most favorite recent finds:

found in, starting top left clockwise: antique store in plano (why don't they make glassware like this anymore?), anthropologie, anthropologie, and pier 1

reading

2009-07-20T22:50:00.005-06:00

Speaking of great books/movies, I recently started reading this book thanks to a recommendation from a good friend. I'm very excited to start reading more often. Any other good books you might recommend, whether it be for a new mom or just for some nice entertainment?

ps. I will be sure to update my goodreads more often. I love that site.

i ♥ harry

2009-07-20T06:52:00.011-06:00

I just can't stop thinking about how amazingly amazing this movie was. Best series ever.

furnishings

2009-07-13T22:02:00.007-06:00

I went shopping for furniture today. I think I may have found the greatest furniture warehouse ever. Nadeau Imports in Dallas. I wonder if their other locations are just like this?

I am also on the lookout for good antique or consignment shops. If you know of any, do share!

back in business

2009-07-12T21:32:00.010-06:00

Phew! After almost 2 weeks, we have internet and TV again! To be honest, it was nice livin free and easy, but as soon as we got set up with U-verse, we were singing praises.

And speaking of praises, this first week in our apartment has been too much amazingness to handle. We are still unpacking and organizing our lives, but I could just sing all day because I actually have time to do things! Like make dinner! And decorate! And clean! And load the dishes just because I can! I don't even know what to do with myself. I get to be a wife again, it's the greatest thing in the world.

And of course, I can't wait for me + Casey + baby.
8 weeks to go, last week at the hotel-

And here's a slice or two of Texas-

moving in

2009-07-06T07:25:00.008-06:00

I hope everyone had a happy 4th!

Ours was awesome. We spent most of the weekend moving into our new apartment, but we still had fun. We have been so spoiled and taken in by Casey's bro Dustin and his wife Sharen that we couldn't feel more at home. It was my birthday on Friday, and even though we spent the entire day moving, they gave me a little celebration on Friday night and let us join their 4th of July celebration on Saturday.

We are still settling in, so we'll do more of our own celebrating later this week, but I can't think of a better birthday present than getting a new apartment!

And the place is such a dreamboat, I am obsessed! We actually have CLOSETS! Linen closets and storage closets... and a real PANTRY?! We have air conditioning and ceiling fans, lots of windows, big bathrooms, a balcony, a built-in microwave, a rental washer/dryer, and my most favorite- a dishwasher. All things we didn't have before. This is heaven.

hello from texas

2009-07-01T23:25:00.010-06:00

We LOVE Dallas!

We are having so much fun. I am only dying because I can't get any pictures to upload onto this computer in our hotel!

The first thing I noticed about Dallas was that it was GREEN! Actually green. And the sky, oh the sky! It's so big and blue and beautiful. I am struck by the sunsets. And the city is awesome. The fact that it's flat makes everything feel so spacious. I love it. And of course, everyone we meet is so nice and I'm already obsessed with the endless shopping/restaurant choices we have on every corner.

And you know what? I like the heat. I love the humidity, it's good to my skin. And my hair totally stayed straight today. ;) The sun is fantatstic, I'm all about it.

We have been busy busy trying to make this home for the next 8 months. We met with a wonderful realtor on Tuesday who helped us find the perfect apartment. We love the place we chose and we feel so good about it. It's an adorable apartment in a perfect location, brand new, and RIGHT above a Panera Bread. My life is complete. ;) We will move in this weekend.

Naturally, I'm anxious to get our apartment set up and get everything ready for the babe. Only 2 months left! I can't even believe it. He is getting so huge, I feel him move constantly. He is sitting comfortably between my bladder and my esophogus, so hi bathroom and hello heartburn. Other than that, (and besides my awesome bout of food poisoning the other day), pregnancy is still easy peasy and wonderful.

I can't wait for our first weekend here. The 4th of July is my FAVORITE and I turn 25 on Friday. Unreal.

Welp, now you know what we're up to! I will post lots. Thanks for all the help/support/prayers, we love you people!

things i will miss about utah part 4

2009-06-28T23:10:00.006-06:00

We fly to Dallas in the morning! Unbelievable! Before we go, here are a few other things I'm gonna miss around here...

BYU campus- I just love it.

BYU football! Casey will miss it the most.

Temple Square- the prettiest place.

Running in Provo. If I lived in Provo forever, I don't think I'd ever stop running. You get the nicest weather spring through fall, you get the best workout up and down all those hills, and you get to enjoy the best scenery. My favorite runs are up Provo Canyon on the Provo River Trail or anywhere around the Provo Temple.

And of course, all of our amazing friends and family. You know who you are!

i have some recent pictures, but they are on a hard drive, on a moving truck somewhere.

Love you, Utah!