Provo Places: Station 22

To celebrate the first day of summer vacation (and mostly because we were banished from our kitchen because the floor was getting refinished) I took Travis and Abby to one of my new favorite downtown Provo eating establishments--Station 22.

Station 22 is a pretty hip place that makes me feel like I am being cool and trendy just by walking in. The artwork on their old brick wall seems to rotate seasonally as do some of the items on their menu.

One of their trusty standbys, however, is the Memphis Fried Chicken sandwich. I think it is fabulous. Travis ordered it as per my recommendation and he was not disappointed. It has quite the spicy kick.

Abby isn't much of a sandwich gal so she ordered barbecued hush puppies and grilled corn-on-the-cob for her lunch.

I'm not sure what spices they put on this corn--definitely lime, but it was so good that Abby declared, "That was the best corn ever!" She let me have a teeny bite and now I am tempted enough to get it for myself next time.

Station 22 is just north of the old Provo Tabernacle/future LDS Provo City Center Temple--an ideal location in my mind.

How could you not be impressed with a place that strategically planted fresh herbs and vegetables right outside their front door?

I've decided that this will be a summer of local exploration and discovery. I wish I had photo-journaled more of my real hometown: Fairfax, Virginia. That regret has been my motive for appreciating and recording life here in my new hometown. After all, it IS the town of my home and embrace it I will.

Spring's First Rose

"God gave us our memories so that we might have roses in December."

--J.M. Barrie

  

Holes No More

Why, oh why do so many TOMS shoes end up with holes in the toe? I shouldn't be surprised since they are made out of canvas, but when Abby refused to wear hers after only a few months (because they were such a mess) I was a bit irritated. They had cost a "pretty penny"!

I hadn't even thought to repair her holey TOMS, but when I came across the idea to do so on Pinterest I thought I would give it a try. I used this tutorial as my reference, although I did a few things differently.

Abby chose a blue swatch of home decor fabric I had on hand for the repair. I started by using a rotary cutter to make a perfectly straight fabric edge. This I lined up along the diagonal seam on the toe of each shoe, and attached it using fabric glue. I stuck pins in the gluey edge to help it bond completely.

The bottom edge was next along with more gluing and pinning.

(Abby said it looked like a torture chamber at this point.)

When that was dry I carefully cut along the bottom edge of the shoe, folded the fabric at the toe in the traditional TOMS manner, added more glue and pins, and waited.

They didn't look too bad. I must admit I was skeptical, but Abby was thrilled and excited to wear them to school. Her friends even asked if she had gotten new shoes.

She simply smiled and said, "maybe." :)

Sweetness

There were four little kittens on the sidelines of our soccer game today. They were so very sweet and so very tiny and free for the taking. If we didn't already have Linus and Lucy, I would have snatched one up in an instant.

Succulent in a Teacup

The lonely saucer-less teacups I found while "thrifting" now have a renewed purpose to their dainty life. No longer do they house highbrow tea, but rich soil full of earthy goodness.

Thanks to the Internet and its endless resource of ideas I feel so much more creative than I actually am.

My mother and mother-in-law each chose a teacup as part of their Mother's Day Gift on Sunday. Kellie wants one for her apartment and Abby has laid claim to one for her room as well.

They are very easy to make. I first broke Styrofoam packing peanuts into small pieces and layered them in the bottom of each teacup for drainage. After the succulent was planted, I topped the soil with moss, although, I like the look of plain soil too. Tiny rocks will also work to cover the dirt if a more arid look is wanted.

I'm pretty pleased.


   

Dear Rachel (#9)

Hi Rachel,
The other day your sister was preparing an omelet for her dinner. This wasn't just a plain old egg omelet, but one with red peppers, onions, and bacon. Of course, after a few chops, the onion began stinging her eyes. Quickly she disappeared into the garage and rounded up the swim goggles. Problem solved.

******************

Last week Travis had state solo/ensemble competitions at Lone Peak High School. Guess who we saw on the band room bulletin board?  . . . YOU!!!

Yep, your momma loves that poster.

******************

I changed up the mantel again. What do you think?

It evolved into a monochromatic nod to family history. I'm not sure why. Perhaps, it is because Kellie has started indexing the 1940 Census. Did she tell you? She actually really likes doing it, and I don't mind being called to her computer on occasion to help decipher names.

Now, back to the mantel. Do you remember the silver teapot and sugar bowl that belonged to Grandma's "Granny"? Those books are from the late 1940s and you've seen the picture of my dad playing the piano when he was a teenager. The silver bowl on the right has been hiding in the cupboard for years. It is engraved with my name and "Outstanding Business Student" 1981-82 (my senior year of high school.) By the way, does it really look like that wreath is held up by duct tape? Both your dad and Kellie asked on two separate occasions! Duct tape? Really? It's silver ribbon for heaven's sake!

******************

We all miss you and David a ton. Tell him good luck on his qualifying exams. Love you!

Mom

A Hot Pink Cast

Kellie currently sports a lovely hot pink cast. That is the only way the doctor could trust her to let her foot heal. Of course, it doesn't keep her down. The day after surgery she was so sick of lying around on the sofa that she sat herself at the piano and began to play. She only lasted through two songs in this position, but she tried.

What is it that produced such a colorful appendage? Way back in February she basically overtrained for a marathon and broke a small part off the bottom of one her metatarsals and didn't know it. She did know that she was in pain and couldn't walk. Evidently, the tiny bone healed incorrectly and was stabbing other ligaments/tendons. She also sustained a crack in her plantar plate and part of that was where it shouldn't have been either. All this was discovered during surgery. Needless to say, her foot definitely showed all the signs of an impact injury--too much too soon.

Yesterday she got the OK to put weight on her foot so she's taken advantage of being vertical again. Last night she mostly stood as she coached the soccer game, and today she is feeling the effects of that decision.

Kellie loves coaching soccer. She has been an assistant coach for Celtic Storm's U13 Premier team since she transferred from the U of U to BYU last year. In my "unbiased" opinion, she is a great coach and works so well with the girls. She is patient, kind, and encouraging, yet tough, smart, and appropriately demanding. She "gets" soccer and understands the mentality of a young player.

May will be a month of healing for Kellie. But, oh, to be so restricted! She insists that a marathon will be run, and despite her mother's frets, I am sure it will.

This is why I blog.

This is why I blog. It is my history. My family's history. It is my photo-journal. My life.

I was SO EXCITED to open a package from blurb recently with a book I created of the first year of my blog. I have always been a keeper of memories and I've tried to capture them in photos for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I wish I had the mental capacity to replay life's events with picture-perfect clarity, detail, and color just by willing it so--a flashback sequence of the best moments whenever I want to reminisce.

For now this book will have to do.

Latest Diversion

This project is my new favorite down time/waiting time activity. I like it because I can completely crochet around a baby burp cloth in about an hour. It is quick, easy, and almost mindless--no counting stitches involved.

The beauty lies in the chenille yarn. It simply involves single crocheting once around the previously hemstitched edge. One row is all it takes! It's a fun modern look.

When my grandma first taught me how to crochet around receiving blankets, I had to poke my hole through the flannel with each stitch. Now, I simply purchase the previously hemstitched burp cloths (or bibs or blankets) at a local fabric store and I am good to go.

Periodically, I feel like using traditional embroidery thread and crocheting a more involved edge.

(the rick rack stitch)

(the basic shell)

However, this new method fulfills my need for instant (crafting) gratification.

I like having a stash of homemade gifts on hand for my friends and family who recently have had babies. It also makes me feel productive while waiting for the kids' games and events to start. Happy crocheting!

Easter Weekend

Good Friday began with a lovely spring snow storm that dropped a good 4 inches at our house.

Saturday was a day full of fun surprises. This week I discovered that I won a box of Sweet Tooth Fairy cakebites from a giveaway on the Provo Mayor's blog. I expected a tiny sample box, but was pleasantly surprised to receive a box of 24--coconut, double fudge, and red velvet!

Today, Sunday, we will head to church, enjoy a ham dinner with the grandmas (and an aunt and uncle), have a little egg hunt in the backyard, and munch on Reese's peanut butter eggs.

But most importantly, today, we will remember our Savior, Jesus Christ. How grateful I am for him and his eternal sacrifice for me. THIS is the true meaning of Easter Sunday.