Spring Cleaning

I've got the Spring Cleaning bug, only problem is that we've outgrown our current place. Granted we do have clutter and things to get rid of, but we also just don't have room for the things we want to keep. The house just doesn't have the layout or storage that we need. So I ask you, what do I do?

I really would like to put the place up for sale this year and move on up in the world. But here we are at the same problem again, we need to downsize to help in making the house more attractive. We could move stuff to a storage unit, but when we use it on a regular basis that doesn't really work.

I am feeling overwhelmed.

Hobbies and side businesses take up a lot of space...

While I was out...

During my blogging hiatus we took a trip to California. I was stressed from work and we decided that a break between Thanksgiving and Christmas would help with all of that holiday stress.

We flew into Long Beach, picked up our car and headed to Newport where we were going to stay for a few days. We didn't really have anything planned other than to hang out, visit the beach and just relax.

The first day was beautiful! The sun was out. It was much warmer than Utah and we didn't have to go to work.

The day was awesome! Unfortunately, the next morning a storm that was supposed to come the next week started to rain on our parade. It was still sunny and beautiful but the wind had a not so friendly chill to it. We decided we would take a drive down the 101 and see what we could find.

And of course it was that day that the ocean and I got into a fight. There I am standing on the beach admiring the scenery and listening to the ocean, when a big wave suddenly washes ashore and before I can get out of the way I get hit.

It's cool I can survive. We jump in the car and I make Jon run the floor heater to try and dry out my shoes. I pretty much dry off, just have sand in my shoes. Oh well, a souvenir.

We get back in the car and head out to another beach. Since Jon usually takes the pictures, we find this cool spot and I tell him to go out and stand on the rock. It's in the ocean so he has to wait for the tide to go back to get to the rock. I am hoping for this awe inspiring picture where the waves are crashing behind him.

I think he stood there for a good 5 minutes and this was the best shot I could get.

Not what I was imagining.

Jon comes back and then it's my turn to go to the rock. No problem, right? Wrong! Remember how I said the ocean and I got in a fight?

Enter me running to the rock.

Right as I jump up on the rock, what do I see?

That huge wave that is supposed to make the impressive picture, only it's WAY bigger than I thought and I have no where to go.

Ocean - 2 Bekah - 0 and soaked. Now I am completely wet and covered in sand. The ocean just knew how to get me. It waited until I wore the most absorbent hoodie I packed and then got me.

On the last day we went out to Balboa Island, just to see what we could see. We went out on the Pier and were lucky enough to see some dolphins.

And this guy

We went to our last beach and watched the sailboats and the storm come in before we had to head back to the car and drive to the aiport.

The End.

Valentine Surprise

Jon surprised me this year by kidnapping my Vespa from my parent's house and taking it down to Beehive scooters to get it restored. If you are reading this and are shocked to learn that I have a Vespa, I not really surprised. I purchased this lovely back in high school. I was beyond excited to get it. However, I really didn't have the knowledge or means to get it restored to the condition that I wanted.

Over the past years there have been a few moments of inspiration to get the scooter up and running, but then those are quickly killed by frustration of Italian engineering. I guess in an attempt of out of side out of mind, the scooter had been left at my parent's house. My mom had been using it as a place to put her bucket of gardening tools.

Since Jon has been making plans to build his Triumph motorcycle I have been wanting to get my Vespa up and running. Once again that feeling of intimidation had filled my head. Especially when I think of the shoe box full of parts we had previously taken off the bike, that I was sure we didn't know where or how to put back on.

Jon and I would talk about getting the scooter up and running and joke about me putting around on it, but that was as far as it got. We weren't sure were to take it, or even how to get it there since we don't have a truck.

Over the weekend I was helping Jon at the shop and he surprised me by telling me the story of my Valentine Day Surprise, which can be found in his words here. I was beyond shocked and overjoyed. We discussed color schemes, design ideas and what additional parts we may need. When we got home we started putting the list together.

When all of this is done I will have the most fabulous vintage Vespa ever!

Stay tuned for updates, we are hoping to have this project done in a few months.

Lovelies

Last year Penguin released a line of classics with the covers designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. I was so excited about them that I bought them from Canada and had them shipped to the states. I justified the purchase as a birthday present to myself. Although I still think I got the swine flu from the box these books came in I love them.

A few months ago Penguin release a 2nd line of more classics with more covers by Coralie Bickford-Smith. This time I wasn't fast enough to order them before they sold out in Canada. But Amazon just posted them for pre-sale, and with my birthday a few weeks away. I once again justified the purchase.

Now I just need a new house with a huge wall bookcase that I can put all of my beautiful books on.

Valentine Craftiness

I may not be posting on my own blog, but I am still reading blogs pretty much every day. I came across this Valentine Day craft project and thought it was cute.

It was originally posted here on Design Sponge.