Obsessed: Rustoleum Textured spray paint

The DIY projects are coming along strong here in Casa de Gordon!

One of my recent finds that I'm using in probably too many places around the house is this awesome textured spray paint. I'm a big fan of iron details (not so much curly, fleur de lis sort of iron, more industrial and minimalist?) but they are hecka espensive.

So, we've just been buying whatever shaped/functional item we can find at the lowest price and coating it with this awesome stuff. 

We found a great little whale statue for our bathroom last year, so we've been sticking with the theme. Recently, we found a rusty, oddly matted, watercolor of a whale at one of the many local Goodwill stores. The matting was a faded blue color and to match our bathroom it had to all be black, so I pretty much slathered the whole thing (cardboard matting included) in this rustoleum paint.

Someday I'll actually take a before picture.

2 years with you

Dear Russell, 

Our children will have your patience and kindness.

They will have your blue eyes and your dimples.

They will have your passion and your drive for adventure.

They will have your ability to love with everything they have.

They will have your laugh.

 They will surely have all the good you possess, and all the good you bring out in me.

And I, I will have you.

Happy anniversary love.

Honey I shrunk the dog...

We've been in such a revamp/diy/fix it up mood lately...

Echo couldn't help but get in on the fun. 

He was so fluffy!!

A little revamping...

We're getting things settled slowly but surely in our new place. We've been ransacking discount furniture stores, thrift stores, craigslist and pretty much any other venue we can find a deal in. The two latest projects we've completed is a chair and a dresser for our bedroom:

Before:

We found the chair at a Goodwill (checked thoroughly before it even left the store, the idea of bed bugs freaks me out to no end) and the dresser at Saint Vinnie's

One coat of Martha Stewart-Glidden Duo "Winter Day" later we ended up with these:

After:

We're super excited about the color and how they turned out. We only ended up using about 1/3 of the small can of paint we had purchased. 

Fertility Friday: Cutting out the crap

Through this process of figuring out what is or isn't affecting us not being able to get pregnant, we have seen a dozen or so doctors. One thing that they always throw out there but never really investigate is the possibilities of PCOS and pre-diabetes. Now, I would say I am of 'average' stature when it comes to weight.. of course I'm taller than average at 5' 10" but with my family history and all that wonderful stuff doctors always give me a parting...avoid refined carbs, avoid dairy, avoid soy, avoid yadda yadda yadda...

SO! In attempts to avoid the plague that is apparently eating in America we are cutting out gluten, soy (didn't really eat much to begin with..that we know of..) and refined carbohydrates. I'm still pushing the line on a lot of high glycemic index foods...but one step at a time I guess. 

With all of that being said, here is our first weeks menu:

Day one: Quinoa minestrone

Day two: Black bean tacos 

Day three: mixed green salad with hard boiled eggs

Day four: veggie burgers in lettuce wraps

Day five: Brown rice "pizza" bake

Day six: vegan sushi

Day seven: Butternut squash ravioli 

I'll let you know next week how it all goes!

Fertility friday: hypothyroid

In early 2008, I was going to school full time and working part time. I'd be at school fromseven in the morning to around 4 in the afternoon. I would get my homework done and get my house in order. during that semester at college, I had quit taking my birth control and Started to not not try to get pregnant. After about a month I noticed I was extremely tired. At thid point I was carrying 20 credit hours and working full time, so I just chalked my fatigue to being overworked. Then I noticed my hairFalling out in what felt like terrifyingly large amounts. On top of this, I began to experience depression and severe brain fog. The brain fog is what finally sent me to the doctor to get checked on. They had me take a glucose intolerance test and drew Blood to test my hormone levels. Sure enough, the results came back that I was hypothyroid. I began taking 50 of levothyroxin and only within the last 6 months have I been bumped up to 75 mcg. As Of now, all my levels are normal, but my hair still falls out and I'm always a little spacey. Russ and I will be seeing a specialist in the next couple months, itd be nice to get more details about my other thyroid levels, which no dr seems to test for.

Homesick

It has been a busy month!

I left Zion on a stormy weekend and headed down to Arizona to start getting things settled for our big move. I found our apartment and the day we went to sign the papers, it fell through. Bummer.

However! We found a much better apartment and signed the papers. We move in on Monday. 

My oldest little brother, Jaron, and his wife had a brief commitment ceremony in Mesa for her family, which we attended then headed home for Zion. 

On our way home, literally in the middle of nowhere, raining, no lights, we found a man sitting on the side of the road with a broken shoulder and a broken motorcycle. He had lost control and skid off the road. Aside from his shoulder he was totally fine. We waited with him for several hours as his tow truck came. 

We spent an all too quick weekend together before my family came through on their way up to Idaho. I rode up with them to attend Jaron and Hannah's sealing which went beautifully. 

I fly home tomorrow and can't wait to see my husband and pup, I'm so excited!

Finding Hope in Transparency

I've struggled with infertility for a little over 5 years now.

I have somewhat mentioned this, alluded to it, and even gone into detail for those who have asked. Over the years, I have found myself reaching out to people in the same situation--searching out people through blogs, youtube, online communities and forums, etc.

Time after time, I run into posts or threads that I relate to, but are years old. 99% of the people's channels I find on youtube are now currently posting "How to decorate your nursery 101" videos.

At times I am nearly convinced that I am the last infertile woman on earth! 

So, in hopes for finding hope, providing hope, hoping for hope, what have you...I'm going to be a little more transparent here on the blog with my journey, some past experiences and maybe a venting session or two, we'll see. 

so, from here on out...

Fertility Fridays

Sewing in small spaces

Working at the Costume Shop has spoiled me rotten.

When I try to sew in my small (see >200 sq. foot) home, I get fidgety and frustrated. Everything seems to take three times as long and it always seems that I run out of the thread, interfacing, fabric, or needles that I need.

Living an hour and a half away from the nearest fabric store also puts a damper on my ability to bounce back from an "I-can't-doooooo-this-anymore" meltdown.

BUT!

After much struggles, pinpricks and alterations....

I ended up with 2 dresses, 1 veil/head piece and a happy bride to be.

(more pictures to come)

I'll follow you into the muck...of Middle Echo

Don't even try and tell me you wouldn't follow that hunk of hubs into a mucky canyon. Farmers tan and all.

The hike up took us a little longer than we had anticipated, but we kind of mosied so it was our own fault, really. As soon as we entered the middle section of Echo canyon, we suited up and waded through the first pool. Russ was several yards ahead of me, when he stopped dead in his tracks and whispered for me to keep walking, but to be quiet. 

Knowing that a mountain lion was spotted at the base of Spry canyon (ok, so what if that was on the other side of the park) I thought "oh frick, I'm going to be mauled to death".

Instead,  pleasantly enough, we saw this guy:

After silently gawking at our little buddy for several minutes, we proceeded to a long corridor full of dried mud, pine needles and bark. I blazed ahead, only to be stopped by Russ grabbing my arm. 

"I think there's water under there"

...

Me: 'no way, its just from the last flash flood, its all dry"

Russ then proceeds to stomp on the nearest patch of muck and we see the whole corridor rise and fall a'la tremors. Fantastic, I think to myself.

"How deep is it?"

We found a large stick to fish around for the bottom with, but never found it. 

Double fantastic.

With the canyon walls being about 4 1/2 feet apart at this point we were able to stem a bit in attempt to avoid the nastiness. 

I, of course, fall and begin the most epic muck battle of my life trying to tread water while simultaneously clearing a solid foot of debris out of my way to swim through. Russell stood, successfully stemming, above me as I frantically doggy paddled my way through the muck and the mire, while he laughed his head off.

After stripping down in a clear pool to get the large bits of barks out of my wetsuit and swimsuit, we continued on our merry way. The longest rap was only 30 feet so we didn't have to fight a long rope through the canyon, which was awesome because almost every rap required us to be swimming while detaching.

It was an awesome day and a great experience to get my trust back in Russell's ability as a canyoneer since his recent near death encounter with the flash flood of the year in Pine creek.

I guess I can write that epic all out next time...