Steph's Pick - the Hotel Del Coronado

Please excuse the cheesy picture above (I just had to get that off of my shoulders before I go further). A couple weeks back Alan and I were privileged to be able to stay at one of the most beautiful resorts in this country - the Hotel Del Coronado. We loved it so much I just had to highlight it as my pick of the week.

Nestled on a beautiful beach in Coronado, California, this resort, built almost 120 years ago, has incredible history. Now I have to admit - I'm generally one to prefer new resorts with contemporary style; however, the Hotel Del is a totally different story. The entire property is immaculate and provides the perfect venue for fun, rest and entertainment. Check out their website: http://www.hoteldel.com/ for more information.

Although it may be a bit more expensive than staying at the Super 8 down the street, I can guarantee you that it is well worth it. Next time you find yourself in the San Diego area, splurge for a room at the Del (maybe even just one night?), you'll love it - I promise!

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I've been Tagged

I've been tagged and have answered the below questions with one-word answers. Enjoy.

1.Where is your cell phone? close
2. Your significant other? patient
3. Your hair? fro-like :)
4. Your mother? encouragement
5. Your favorite thing? coffee shops
6. Your dream last night? non-existant
7. Your favorite drink? wine/coffee
8. Your dream/goal? travel
9. What room are you in? living room
10. Your fear? God
11. Where do you want to be in 6 years? midwest
12. Where were you last night? Edmonton
13. Something that you aren’t? quiet
14. Muffins? chocolate
15. Wish list item? new jeans
t16. Last thing you did? napped
17. What are you wearing? t-shirt
18. Your TV? small
19. Your pets? none
20. Friends? faithful
21. Your life? exhausting
22. Your mood? Same
23. Missing someone? family
24. Your car? Highlander
25. Something you're not wearing? shoes
26. Your favorite store? BR
27. Your favorite color? pink
28. When is the last time your laughed? today
29. Last time you cried? last week

Now I'm tagging Laura and Abby.

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Welcome Luke Henry

Some dear friends of ours, Jeff & Kristina, just recently welcomed their first baby into the world this past Saturday. I had the priviledge of taking some photos of the little guy and am in the process of designing his birth announcement. Isn't he just too precious??!! I'll post his announcement on iDesign upon completion.

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Alan's Two Cents - Extra money?

Some friends of mine and I have been talking about the economy and the recent volatility of the stock market. People are very concerned with the stability of the economy and the market. A lot of people are moving their money around from more riskier stocks/equities to bonds and CD’s, which are more “safe.” My question is…Why? My friends and I were all in agreement that if we had some extra money we would throw it into the market like now, yesterday, last week. Buy low. Sell high. Right? Well now is pretty low! You are getting a lot more bang for your buck right now! So if have some extra cash under your mattress or something…invest it! Don’t just take my word for it…how about Warren Buffett’s?! Read his recent Op-Ed in the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17buffett.html

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Mackenzie's Bridal Shower

I spent this past afternoon co-hosting a bridal shower for a dear friend of mine, Mackenzie. She, and her fiance, will be married at the end of November and this shower marks the beginning of all of the wedding festivities.
Didn't everything turn out great? I chose the "Something Blue" theme awhile back and just started adding components together throughout the past few months as we planned each part of the shower.

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Steph's Pick - a night of peace and quiet

Isn't it incredibly interesting how as a nation we worship the hurried lifestyle but at the same time so dislike our fast-paced lives? In one second we're encouraged to be involved in the church, community, politics, friendships, family, our careers, leadership, etc but at the same time our hearts yearn for just one night a week where we can be home and just relax. I'm often caught in the middle of this as I do like to have a fairly packed schedule (I'm weird - busy schedules a lot of the time energize me) but there is also an imaginary line that if I ever cross it - I just break. It's too much to handle.
In an effort to combat this tendency for our home to be too busy we started doing one night a week of peace and quiet. It's just one night that when we're home, we don't watch TV; we don't listen to music; we just be still. We enjoy one another's company and relax without having all of the noise in the background. It's been so incredible - so great that I would highly suggest that you implement this in your own home. You won't regret it. Hmmmm....Peace & Quiet - most definitely a Steph's Pick!

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steph's pick - DIY heating pad

Awhile back I was given a home-made microwavable heating pad from my dear friend, Nealy. It was one of the best gifts and I've used it so much since receiving it. (if you really want to know - I'm using it right now!) In light of how much I like it, I thought I'd post a step-by-step guide to making your own.

Microwave Heating Pad Directions:
No pattern is necessary, simply cut two pieces of cloth in the size/shape you wish your bag to be. Make sure to leave a seam allowance for yourself (about 1/2″). Some prefer regular square shape bags, others prefer tubes or more rectangular shapes. Experiment, whip up a few different sizes and shapes to try. These are really easy to make as well as cheap!

Filler Options:
Uncooked rice
Wheat
Feed corn ** (what Nealy used in mine)
Barley
Oatmeal
Beans
Flax seed

Fabric Options:
Cotton: (plain, prints, flannels, denims)
Alternate ideas: old socks (sew or knot end closed), washclothes, old towels
You can also choose to make cozy, removable & washable outer pouches. This is especially nice to do when giving as gifts.
Fabric Ideas: use old towels, fleece, velour knits, pretty fabric prints and flannels (don’t microwave anything other than cotton fabrics). The softer & fluffier & better!

Instructions for Making the Heating Pad:
Cut and sew the fabric for the heating pads the size and shape you want. Leave an inch or two open on one side so that you can fill bag with your choice of filler. Fill the bag about 1/2 to 3/4 full, more or less as you prefer. Don’t fill too full though, you want the bag to mold itself around your body when you apply it. Once bag is filled, sew opening closed either by hand or machine.

Directions for use:
Place in microwave and heat for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on size of bag.

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