Valentine's Day Floral Arrangement

It has been a long, cold winter here in Utah. I am so excited for Valentine's Day for many reasons but especially because it signifies the coming of Spring. I wanted to add a pop of color to our home so I decided to throw together a quick Valentine's inspired floral arrangement for our family room end table.

Here are my tips for arranging fresh flowers like a pro!

1. Separate Sections for Each Flower with Tape: This allows the flowers to stay in place where you have situated them. The great part is that you cannot see the tape at all once the flowers are placed!

2. Make Sure to Measure: Measuring each stem to the appropriate length is key in creating a professional looking arrangement. Do not chop too much of the stem off immediately! It is always safer to cut a little off until you find the perfect length and then measure each subsequent flower to match.

3. Invest in Some Gorgeous Vases: Vases are a staple for any home. I guarantee you will use them more often then you think for many different reasons. I like to buy a lot of my glassware at TJ Maxx or Home Goods. I bought this vase for only $5.99. It was such a great deal I bought two!

4. Buy Whatever Flowers are on Sale: Fresh flowers can be pricey and I like to keep them in our home as much as possible. Try to buy whatever flowers are in season at the time or have been marked down. Flowers will look naturally gorgeous no matter what so you might as well get a good deal on them. Farmer's Markets are great for purchasing fresh flowers at reasonable prices. I wish we had more in Utah!

For tips on how to make your fresh flowers live longer click here

Historic Homes in Ogden, UT

Ogden was at the pinnacle of its success in the roaring '20's. It was a bustling city back then acting as a gateway for the railroads. It may not be as glorious today as it was back then but there is some really great historic architecture to be enjoyed there. A while back the hubs and I took a Sunday drive up to Ogden to do some exploring. Here are some pics of the homes we saw. I love drawing inspiration from both the old and the new; so this was a big treat for me. Older homes have so much personality. I hope to bring some of that charm to our home when we build.

You'll notice a few of the homes are under construction. I think this is just great because it will realy revitalize the city. One day Nic and I hope to restore a home and sell it to a new family. I think that would be a really fun project. Which home is your favorite? Let me know!

Soft Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (made with pudding mix!)

These are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten in my life. I originally got the recipe from a friend of mine at work and have tweaked it to my liking and it is AMAZING. You need these...now!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

2 sticks (1 cup) of butter softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 cup flour (I use 2 1/4 C in Provo, UT but if you're really high altitude add a tad more flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 3.4 oz box of Jell-O instant vanilla pudding mix (just the powder mix, don't make the pudding!)
1 package or Ghiradelli or Guittard Semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350
***Tip- Make sure all ingredients are room temperature. This makes a huge difference. So don't add cold eggs or butter; if you do it will come out fine but not as amazing as if you follow this tip!

1. In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar (granulated and brown), eggs, and vanilla extract

2. In a separate medium sized bowl mix flour and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

3. Last, mix in the vanilla pudding mix and chocolate chips.

4. Make spoon fulls about a heaping tablespoon large and drop onto cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE! Start checking them at 10 minutes and if the edges are not brown leave in for more time. The bake time will differ depending on your oven.

Now enjoy!!! Please leave a comment and let me know if you loved them!

2012 in Review

2012 was an exciting year for the Leydsman family. We have made many amazing memories together and have recognized the blessings of Heavenly Father in our lives in so many different ways. Sometimes I sit in disbelief as I think about how my life has come together. I am happier than I could ever imagine and I have one amazing man to thank for that....my wonderful husband Nic.

2012 marked the year that we became a family but lets not get ahead of ourselves in the events of the year. The year started out with my 23rd birthday on January 4th. We had a romantic dinner for two at Chef's Table.

January through April was pretty much a complete blur for both of us. It consisted of wedding planning, saving for the wedding, dieting for the wedding (which I totally cheated on and did not lose a pound), buying things for the wedding...just wedding mania in general. Here's a peak into some of that craziness.

 First time trying on my dress...before it was made modest

 The invitations before I put them together. This took hours. Nic was so sweet and helped me a lot.

 Checking out the venue for the first time.

Nic trying on his very handsome suit.

Now let's skip to April and finally it is time for the wedding!!! April 14, 2012 was the best day of my life. It was the most amazing spiritual experience I've ever had being sealed to Nic in the Salt Lake Temple. Then we had an amazing reception with our closest family and friends.  I'll spare you tons of wedding pictures I'm sure you've seen many of them.

After our wedding we went on our fabulous Honeymoon. This will always be remembered as my favorite vacation ever. 7 full days in Maui at the Four Seasons...can't beat it!

The summer was so fun. We spent that whole time in lovely newly wed bliss enjoying the hot weather and long days. 

In July went on a couple vacays. First we went to Grand Cayman. It was soo beautiful. You can read the full post here.

Then we went to Aspen Grove up in the mountains by Sundance for our family reunion. It was so great to meet so many of Nic's extended family members (on the Merrill side) and spend some quality time to get to know them.  And of course it was a blast to be with the whole Leydsman gang who came from all over the country!

Nic's 33rd birthday was August 11th. He had breakfast in bed, a relaxing day hanging out, and then we went out to dinner with friends.

In September we spent Labor Day with our great friends the Harrises in St. George. We also attended a fundraiser for Mitt Romney at The Grand America. Nic supported Mitt's campaign in every way that he could and he was disappointed when we lost the election. I wish I had something positive to say about the future of the Executive branch of our country's government but... I don't right now. Ask me again in 4 years.

In brighter news Nic started working a new territory at his job. He is now working New York, New York and New Jersey for Adobe's Digital Marketing Suite. He is loving the change and thinks this will be a very successful year.

I, I mean "we",  got a new car in October.  I said good bye to my little silver civic that I've had since I was 17 for my beautiful Mercedes ML350. I'm ready to load it with babies now. Nic on the other hand is not so ready for that haha

In November I went to Vegas with my sisters. It was such a fun trip. We ate at the most amazing restaurants and did some shopping. I love spending girl time with my sisters. We decided our sisters trip will be a yearly event!

We spent Thanksgiving with our families here in Provo. We had dinner at Sundance which was amazing as usual; especially because I did not have to cook or clean up after. 

The day after Thanksgiving we went to see the lights at Temple Square with my parents. This is by far my favorite holiday activity.

In December I found out that I was offered a position at Property Solutions. I work there as an Account Manager and I have loved it so far. I work with great people and our products kick butt so basically I see myself staying there for a long time. It was kind of sad to leave my job at Shield Protection since I had been working there for years but I am very excited to start my new career.

And to wrap up the year we spent our first married Christmas together. We had Christmas in Provo this year and spent the day with my sister Tai and her family and Nic's family.  It was a wonderful Christmas with so much to be grateful for. I am so thankful for the birth of my Savior and I love that the Christmas season is full of so much love.

We are very excited for 2013. The Leydsman's have some especially exciting news to share in the next few weeks so make sure to stop by for updates! (No, not a baby)

 Wishing all of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! Here's to 2013!

Our New Year's Kiss