alan and steph

Steph's Pick - the Hotel Del Coronado

Oct 31, 2008

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!

I've been Tagged

Oct 26, 2008

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.

Welcome Luke Henry

Oct 22, 2008

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.

Alan's Two Cents - Extra money?

Oct 21, 2008

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

Mackenzie's Bridal Shower

Oct 12, 2008

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.

Steph's Pick - a night of peace and quiet

Oct 10, 2008

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!

steph's pick - DIY heating pad

Oct 4, 2008

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.

Steph's Pick - Girls Night Out

Sep 27, 2008

I recently organized a "Girls Night Out" at a local Mexican restaurant for a bunch of girlfriends. Every Wednesday they feature what they call "Margarita's and Manicures" for $12. It's a great deal.
We gathered together and had so much fun. So much that our plan is to do it at least a monthly basis.
The reason why I chose this for my "Steph's Pick" is because I've come to realize recently how important it is to value time with the girls. (or if you're a guy - maybe football?). It doesn't have to be anything crazy - maybe just meeting at a local coffee shop or taking a walk around the nearest park. Just anything to get together with your girlfriends.
If you haven't had a chance to get out of the house recently, make arrangements to do it soon - you won't regret it!

Vegas or Bust!

Sep 24, 2008

Whenever my parents come into town, we're in for a real treat. They're always eager to take some sort of road trip. This visit our road trip took us to Vegas to see the sights and cheer on the ISU Cyclones as they played UNLV. Although the Cyclones did not pull away with the win (heartbreaking finish in OT), we still had a great time with the family. Erik, my brother, even met up with us (although he took a 27 hour bus ride to get to Vegas). We visited some of the major resorts on the strip, tailgated with ISU alumni, and even played a few penny slots.

Steph's Pick - Party Secret #2

Sep 19, 2008

Whenever I'm asked to host a party, the first thing I do is begin to think about a theme. Now a theme can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Often times a piece of scrapbook paper inspires me and other times an entertaining blog post. There are so many options out there - which is exactly what makes hosting a party so much fun!
Upon coming up with a theme I begin looking for all of the parts needed to put together the perfect party. Whether that is theme oriented favors, decorations or food - I filter every decision through my "party theme glasses."
So whether you decide on doing a simple color theme or going with something a bit more elaborate, I can guarantee, you will have such a great time planning the party. You may even be a bit sad when it's over with. I know I am.
I've included a few of my favorite idea's below. All of which I found on Hostess of the Mostess, one of my favorite entertaining blogs.

Kids Birthday...Candyland Birthday

Bridal Shower... Bling Bride

Baby Shower...Bubbly Ducky Brunch

Christmas...Berries and Branches

kitchen renovation complete!

Back in June we had an unfortunate accident happen in our kitchen. Unknowingly, our dishwasher started leaking and managed to seep through our floors, cabinets and our downstairs neighbor's ceiling and walls. It was a mess to say the least. And a very messy situation to figure out. Between insurance, our contractor and our time out of the state it took much longer than we ever could have expected to complete. Thankfully everything is complete!!! Hurray!

I thought I'd post a few pictures of the process. The first photo is of our kitchen before everything - well not so much before b/c as you can see at this point we already had fans working to dry up the mess. The second is after our dishwasher and countertops were removed (an in-process photo) and the last is of the final product. We just need to upgrade the fridge and we're done for awhile! I think it looks pretty good if I do say so myself.

Before:

In process:

After:

Surprise - Happy Birthday Amy!

Sep 18, 2008

This past weekend I was privileged to be able to fly out to New England to surprise one of my favorite people in the whole wide world, Amy Brill! For those of you who don't know, Amy and her husband Greg are dear friends of ours who have spent the past year in Ecuador. They recently returned and have been with their families in Rhode Island and Connecticut for the past few weeks.

I knew that Amy's 30th birthday was coming up and thought it would be fun to surprise her and fly out for her birthday celebration. So early this summer I made a few phone calls and booked the ticket. And I couldn't have asked for a more welcoming/surprised scream from Amy when I walked in and yelled "Happy Birthday" this past Sunday. It was priceless!!! She was shocked. Thanks Steve, Linda, Candace and Mike for helping me pull it off!

After the shock wore off we made plans to visit Boston on Monday where we took in all of the incredible history and beautiful scenery and got a chance to see our friend, Margo, who is attending MIT. Then on Tuesday we sat Oceanside and chatted about this past year. And there was a ton to talk about. All in all it was a fabulous time!

We can't wait for Greg & Amy to be back in AZ. We've missed them a ton.

Steph's Pick - Party Secret #1

Sep 13, 2008

So I have to let you all in on a little secret - when I started "Steph's Pick" I never thought it would be hard to come up with a new "pick" each week. But this week I was totally stumped!!! I feel like I'm losing my passion for totally random things. I was honestly a bit discouraged.

Fear not - in the middle of my panic attack over not being able to come up with a new pick for this week, I thought of starting a "Steph's Party Secrets" series where I'll share some of my favorite party idea's. For those of you who know me well, you know I love throwing a good party. I'd be happy camper if I could throw a party or help plan a party every week :)

This weeks Party Secret isn't much of a secret for those of you Flies Blend blog readers, as I'm sure you've seen that I use lanterns for a ton of my parties. But honestly, chinese lanterns are the BEST way to decorate for a party. I've used them for wedding receptions, baby showers, bridal showers and will probably find plenty of other uses for them. When I use them for parties I try and buy at least 3 different sizes of lanterns - just to give a little dimension. I use them in place of balloons outside to designate which home is hosting the party, I use them on the food table or just around for a little added color and to pull the theme together.

I've found these at various locations. A great place to find some unique lanterns is Cost Plus World Market. I've also found some great small one's at Oriental Trading Company. Just to give you a few idea's.

So for your next party - plan on picking up a few lanterns - they're great!!!

Note: For "Steph Pick" readers (which may not be many of you - I have no idea) - I need your help! I need your idea's for future Steph Picks. If you have any idea's - comment below!!! Thanks

a new blog

Sep 7, 2008

Since entering the blogging world, I'm always looking for a new blog to read. Just last week Nick & Abby Flies started their own blog - Yipee!!!! Check it out!

Steph's Pick - a Fall Treat

Sep 5, 2008

The entire time I was in the mountains this past week, I couldn't help but get excited about fall. I love the changing of colors, the cooler temps and the great food!!! Especially the treats! (Note: although this doesn't really happen in AZ - I still get excited about this season) In light of this, I thought I'd post one of my favorite fall dessert recipes (thanks to Jess)

Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup Butterscotch chips
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup 100% pure pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp. powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease bundt pan. Microwave 1 cup butterscotch morsels for 1 minute.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt & nutmeg. In a separate bowl stir melted morsels, pumpkin, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla with wire wisk. Then combine two combinations.
Bake for 40-50 minutes.
Optional: Butterscotch Sauce: Bring 1/3 cup evaporated milk to boil and then add remaining butterscotch. Return to boil & remove from heat. Pour over slices upon serving.

Erik & Mtns

Just last weekend, my brother booked last minute tickets to come visit us. We had an awesome time with him. The days were mostly spent poolside while the evenings were filled with great food and entertainment. We took him to some of our favorite places to eat and were able to go to The Comedy Spot one night and to a Diamondbacks game the next. Thanks for coming out Erik - we wish we lived closer!

I was also blessed to go on a Mtn Tour this past week for work where we checked out various locations for our ministry's major donor event. In just over 4 days we were in Vail, BeaverCreek, Park City and Tahoe. It was a crazy trip - but it made me so excited for cooler weather. Each morning I was able to get up early, take a walk, start a fire and read with a cup of coffee in hand. It was perfect!!!

our camping adventure

Sep 1, 2008

Just last weekend we were finally able to find a weekend to get out of the sweltering Phoenix sun with a couple friends of ours, Kevin & Joy. We traveled to Lynx Lake (near Prescott - just 2 hours northwest of the valley) for an evening under the stars. It was so wonderful being outside. I couldn't get over how great 70 degree's felt and how incredible the pine trees smelled. It was so energizing for all of us.

Although the lake itself was a sorry excuse for a lake (this coming from two Midwest natives), the getaway proved to be a ton of fun. We would highly recommend getting away, even for just a one-night camping trip before fall schedules get the best of you!

Steph's Pick - My Goodreads

Aug 29, 2008

Summer is such a great time to bury your nose in a book. Especially in AZ where it's almost too hot to spend time outside. I often find myself reading through a book a week b/c I'm so captivated by the characters. This summer I've read some "goodreads" and thought I'd highlight my Top 5 Reads of the Summer. In no particular order...

1. Shopoholic Series by Sophie Kinsella - great light-hearted chic-flicks.
2. The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman - super intrueing book! Very informative on how birth order affects you and those you love.
3. Something Borrowed, Something Blue and Baby Proof by Emily Giffin - again, great girlie books! (Note: certainly not Christian books, but still very good reads)
4. Stepping Up: A Journey through the Psalms of Ascent by Beth Moore - a new study by Beth Moore - very challenging - loved it!
5. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt - interesting read for something different

If you want to check out other books I've read, go to http://www.goodreads.com/. It's a great tool to document what you've read and how you would rate each book. I'm generally one who likes to read things people have recommended to me and with goodreads.com you can do just that. Anytime I need a new book, I go to my friends' goodreads pages to see which books they've rated highly.

Happy reading!

Alan's Two Cents - quick cash

Aug 26, 2008

Are you in need of some quick cash? What to know some of the options that are out there and the consequences? I recently ran across this page http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/moneymag/0808/gallery.rasie_cash.moneymag/index.html on CNN Money. It has some good ideas and gives you the pros and cons to each scenario. Take a look.

Steph's Pick - DIY Monogrammed Art

Aug 22, 2008

I have this weird fetish - I always want to change things up in our home. Although we are blessed to have an incredible condo, it just isn't all that big, so I don't have the option of making hugely noticeable changes (ex: moving furniture). However, I'm always able to move artwork, shelving, and decorative items.
Just a couple weeks ago I wanted a new art piece for one of our walls but didn't want to spend much money. I went to Michael's with my 40% off coupon and came out with everything I needed to make my own monogrammed art piece. Here's how I did it:

Items needed:
- An inexpensive canvas at an arts and crafts store.
- Wood Letters
- Fun fabric to cover canvas
- Black paint
- Hot glue gun
- Staple Gun

How to:
- Cut fabric to fit tightly across the canvas with some extra to staple to the back
- With staple gun, staple fabric to back wood frame of canvas (remember to pull tightly)
- Paint letters and let dry (only if needed obviously)
- Measure out placement for letters (just to make sure everything is even)
- Hot glue letters to front of canvas

That's it! It was super easy and didn't cost me any more than $15 for the entire thing. I think it looks pretty good too! :) (Note: this also makes a great wedding or anniversary gift)

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